It is very important to plant potatoes on time. The size of the harvest is largely dependent on this. The distance between the bushes, rows and the depth of planting matters. The latter is defined as the distance from the upper point of the tuber to the surface of the earth and depends on many reasons:
- landing method;
- size of tubers;
- soil quality;
- water regime.
Ridge Landing
This is an old way of planting potatoes on heavy soils. In the treated area, furrows are dug along a stretched cord at a distance of 70 cm. The depth of planting potatoes in the ridges is from 5 to 10 centimeters. If no fertilizer was applied at the site, then humus and ash (half a shovel and a tablespoon, respectively) are added to the furrows, laying them out after 30 centimeters. Potatoes are laid on top and covered with earth, forming a comb 10 cm high. Its width is 20 cm.
As a result, the earth is at a height of 10 cm from the potato. This method is good because tubers can be planted earlier, the beds quickly warm up, and the potato soon sprouts.
It is also used in areas with a close occurrence of groundwater. The height of the crest there can reach 15 cm, while the depth of planting potatoes is 6-8 cm.
After hilling, the height of the ridge approaches 30 cm. In this case, the earth is removed from the row-spacings, and water after the rain escapes between.
Productivity increases by a quarter. Harvesting with this method of growing is easy and convenient. But it’s more difficult to plant, because you have to dig a lot of land at the planting stage.
Under the shovel
This is the easiest way. On a plowed field dig holes with a depth of 8-10 cm. Then put the potatoes and fall asleep with soil taken from the next row of holes. The distance between the bushes is 30 cm, between the rows - 70 cm. If it is reduced, then there will be nothing to grow plants.
The disadvantage of this method is a later planting and a short period of time between when the ground is still cold and when it is already dry. In rainy weather, such plants are more often damaged by various diseases due to the fact that the tuber is in wet soil.
In the ditches
An even more time-consuming process than on ridges. From autumn, they dig trenches, put the remains of plants and weeds (without seeds), sawdust, and fill it with earth. They get wet in winter, and in spring, with an increase in temperature, they begin to overheat. In this case, heat is generated that heats the earth. Remove the topsoil, lay the tubers and form a comb. The potato is at ground level, and it is covered by 8-10 cm. The yield when grown in this way is increased by 45% compared with planting “under the shovel”. Potatoes are harvested clean, not infected. She has good keeping quality.
In containers
Very interesting, but at the same time laborious way. Used in small areas. The walls of the future container are built from building materials. Width - up to a meter, height - from 30 to 50 cm. Their length should be from north to south. The passages between the beds are wide, about 80 cm. Directly in these boxes the process of composting from waste will occur. The remains of grass, leaves, straw, sawdust are laid to the bottom. There will be a layer of manure, compost or humus on top. All this is sprinkled with earth taken from the aisle or elsewhere. The bed is ready for use. Having worked once, you can use it for many years. You only need to update the compost components.
The tubers are planted in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. This makes it possible to evenly illuminate plants, which increases their productivity. It is two, or even three times more than with the traditional method of cultivation. And how much pride you will experience, showing your friends your wonderful garden!
Caring for potatoes in such a mini-garden is easy and convenient. The soil does not need to be dug. It is enough to loosen to a depth of 7 cm. This will be the depth of planting potatoes. You can plant very early. Hobbing is not necessary. There is no need to stoop low for care. Tubers are not infected, clean, well stored.
It is used in areas with high peat content.
Under the black agrofiber
In this way, early varieties of potatoes are usually grown . Prepare a bed. They cover her with agrofiber. Cut holes 10 cm long crosswise in it. Potato planting depth is about 8 cm. In order to place it in the ground, soil is selected from the holes with a narrow scoop. Tubers are placed, covered with soil from above. Do not spud, because moisture from under the bush does not evaporate thanks to the film. When it comes time to harvest, the stems are cut, then they remove the film and remove the tubers.
This method accelerates the maturation of potatoes for a month.
Landing under the walk-behind tractor
Motor-blocks are increasingly used by gardeners. They greatly facilitate the implementation of the main labor-intensive work in the garden. With their help, plow, loosen, cultivate the soil. The walk-behind tractor will also help in planting potatoes. To do this, install metal wheels with bushings and a bipod. Set it to a medium U-turn. It is advisable to pass the first furrow as evenly as possible.
Putting the motoblock wheel near the edge of the resulting furrow, pass the second. The distance will be about 70 cm. If it turns out less or more - adjust the width of the spread of the wings. Tubers are placed in furrows at a distance of 30 cm. The depth of planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor is 10-12 cm.
Sprinkle the tubers with earth with the same walk-behind tractor. To do this, change the wheels to rubber and spread the wings of the bipod to the maximum distance. The motoblock wheel will go over the potatoes, but the rubber will not damage it (if the sprouts are small), and the wings will fill the furrow.
Potatoes can be laid after two walk-behind walk-behinds. Then the row spacing will turn out a little less - from 55 to 60 cm.
Dutch potato growing technology
Dutch varieties are by far the most fruitful. Therefore, they are trying to grow them in various regions where potatoes can grow in general. Gardeners began to pay attention to what the Dutch use, what is the depth of planting of potatoes at the same time maintained. The whole process is strictly scheduled, and you can’t move away from it in any direction, as this will negatively affect the crop.
It turns out that they focus on aeration of plant roots, that is, improving air access to them.
For this, special milling units are used. They are very high quality loosening the soil. When planting, they immediately pour a high comb, in which there is a potato tuber. As a result, the depth of planting potatoes according to Dutch technology is slightly larger, about 15 cm.
On the field treated in this way, the potato is arranged in two rows, the distance between which is up to 30 cm. Next is the row spacing of 1 m 20 cm. Technique that takes care of the plants goes along it.
Soil composition
If the soil is clayey, and even moist, not warmed up, then deeply digging tubers does not make sense. It will be difficult for the sprouts to get out of there. Therefore, the optimal potato planting depth for such soils should be 4-5 cm. So early varieties for sale are planted, which are often covered with black agrofiber.
When the soil dries, the depth of potato planting during planting increases to 6-8 centimeters.
If the earth warms up to a sufficient depth, it is well supplied with air, the tubers are deepened by 8-10 cm.
In light sandy loamy soil, the culture is planted 10-12 cm from the surface of the earth.
The depth of placement of potato tubers increases after hilling. It is carried out in order to make the soil more loose, improve aeration, increase the formation and growth of fruits.
Hilling is indicated on heavy clay soils where planting was carried out early, which means shallow. As a result, the layer of earth increases to a height of 4 to 6 centimeters.
If the climate is dry, there is little rain, or there are often droughts, hilling is advised not to. Under such conditions, it can lead to the loss of moisture residues and a decrease in yield. But then the tubers can come to the surface and turn green. Therefore, you can loosen the soil and spud plants a few centimeters
The depth of planting potatoes in the Black Earth region depends on the readiness of the soil. In warmed ground, the seedlings are deepened by 12-15 cm.
The lighter the soil, the warmer and drier the climate, the deeper the tubers are laid and the less they spud.
In the middle lane, first planted under a shovel or walk-behind tractor, and then spud and get, in fact, landing in the ridge.
Large tubers are planted deeper than small tubers.
There are many more interesting ways to grow potatoes. You can cover it with straw. In this case, the potato planting depth is 7 cm.
Straw is laid two times: the first - after planting, with a layer 10 cm high. Then, when the stems grow, they add more. In general, the protective layer reaches at least 25 cm. If it is smaller, then the straw will not overheat, and weeds can break through it.
Barrel growing
This method is useful to those who have almost no personal plot, and want to enjoy potatoes grown by their own hands.
A 15 cm soil layer is poured into a barrel of any material or a tall box. Tubers with sprouts are placed on top. When they rise 5 cm, sprinkle them with another layer of earth and again wait for the emergence of sprouts. Having thus filled part of the barrel so that only a third of the height remains, they cease to fill up the soil. Watering, feeding. Harvested gradually, starting with the top layer. You can get up to four buckets of potatoes from one barrel.