Almost three hundred years ago, a potato is considered to be “the second bread” in Russia. Almost all of it is quite tasty and nutritious, simple enough in agricultural technology, not bad stored, unlike most vegetables, and gives a very abundant harvest. Delicious “foreigners” are gradually added to the orderly variety of varieties traditional for Russian selection, which include German potato Jelly, which is gaining popularity among gardeners. It will be discussed in the article.
Jelly Potato Variety Description
According to their technical characteristics, all varieties of potatoes are ranked by maturity (early, mid-early and late) and purpose (feed and table).
Ripening periods usually determine the possibility of growing a crop in a particular climate region (which is natural, since any vegetable must reach a certain degree of ripeness before harvesting).
The Jelly potato variety is listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements as a medium early and table culture. The tubers ripen approximately three months after the planting of seed material in the soil. We cultivate it, mainly in the Central region. Patented by Europlant Pflanzenzucht GMBH. Dutch breeding.
Appearance
When grown, Jelly's potatoes look quite decorative: tall, even bushes with large green leaves and bright white medium-sized inflorescences. The leaves usually pay attention to the average waviness of the edges, reminiscent of a kind of thingies. Jelly potato tubers, according to the description, resemble a chicken egg weighing about 84-135 grams. There are usually quite a lot of them in the nest, up to 15 pieces, and they are about the same size. On visual inspection, a rough yellow surface with small eyes is noted. Dark yellow pulp is very starchy (laboratory tests show a starch content of about 18%) and, therefore, very satisfying and tasty.
All the beauty and appetite are successfully conveyed by the photos of the Jelly potatoes presented in this article.
Application
Jelly potatoes are successfully used in both the first and second courses, and even in desserts. One of the most characteristic features is a pronounced creamy taste and rich potato aroma.
Since it does not belong to the so-called boiled varieties, it is perfectly used in the manufacture of chips.
But, despite the exquisite taste, do not forget that Jelly, like any other potato, is very high-calorie, which is contraindicated for people suffering from metabolic disorders, obesity or diabetes.
Storage
The Jelly potato variety is very well stored (up to 86% of potatoes do not lose their commercial properties and taste), the marketability level reaches 95%. It is quite high-yielding - from 150 to 290 centners per hectare. A unique record was even registered in the Tula region - as many as 335 centners of the crop were harvested from a hectare planted with Jelly potatoes.
It is desirable to store it in dry ventilated rooms equipped with temperature and humidity controllers. Of course, the creation of such conditions can afford mainly large agricultural enterprises. For the house, you can buy a regular room thermometer to monitor the temperature, and assess the degree of humidity organoleptically (feeling). Recommended storage temperature should be between +1 and +3 degrees.
It is advisable to cool the potatoes before placing them in winter storage. The cooling process should be carried out gradually, about half a degree per day. In the spring, when the ambient temperature steadily rises, night and morning airings are recommended to prevent the germination of tubers.
Preparation for landing
Before planting any potato, it is recommended to extract the seed from a cold storage, place it in open boxes in a warm room. After a while, sprouts will appear on the nodules.
If the air is dry, it is recommended to carry out the so-called watering by spraying. Under the influence of light in the tubers, the process of photosynthesis and the production of a substance called solanine will begin. It is a poisonous glycoalkaloid. The tubers will turn green. To eat such potatoes as food is life-threatening, therefore, we can assume that in this way the processing of seed material from shrews and other rodents is carried out. Greened tubers located in the ground, they encroach much less frequently. In addition, the sprouts on such potatoes are much stronger and more viable than on ordinary ones.
Growing
Almost any soil is suitable for growing Jelly, the variety is quite capricious. The only thing I would like to focus on is recommendations on the use of crop rotation. If any potato is planted at the same place for several years in a row, then the probability of depletion of the site and its defeat by specific potato pests is very high. The best place for planting potatoes is those beds or fields on which winter, legumes or lupins grew last season.
The seed material is usually planted in rows, which are located at a distance of 75-80 cm from each other (in this way, a peculiar reserve of land is created for future hilling). In the very row, the distance between the seed tubers should not be less than thirty centimeters. At the same time, it is customary to plow high-quality mineral or organic fertilizers into the soil.
Do not forget the moment that when planting potatoes in the optimum early terms, in the presence of a well-prepared and well-warmed soil, the yield increases by about 25-30% compared with the volume of the crop obtained as a result of late planting. In recent years, the method of planting potatoes under spanbond has been especially popular. It saves plants from late return frosts, gives access to moisture and does not allow weeds to show increased activity. Green shoots appear early and quite amicably.
The main care for potatoes is timely loosening of the soil and hilling of bushes to form a powerful root system. Over the entire period of growth, hives are recommended to grow at least 2 times, the best option is at least 3 times. A week before harvest, it is recommended that the tops be cut to accelerate the ripening of the tubers.
The variety is considered drought tolerant, so watering is practically not required.
Disease
Jelly is almost immune to traditional potato diseases such as rhizoctonia, Cyst nematodes and potato cancers. Accordingly, preventative treatment is completely unnecessary. The only disaster can be considered only late blight, affecting mainly the tops and sometimes tubers.
From late blight, plants are usually sprayed in proportions according to the instructions for use with the following preparations: Arcetyl, Ridomil MTs, Oksikhom, Ditamin M-45, copper chloride and Cuproxate. But in no way should you carry out such processing later than 30 days before the expected harvest of potatoes.
The opinion of gardeners
The desire of amateur gardeners to improve agricultural techniques and increase the return on their work is obvious. Therefore, when choosing a variety for planting, reviews on plant qualities obtained directly from the same ordinary residents are usually carefully studied.
Jelly potato reviews are usually very positive and positive. For example, experienced gardeners on thematic forums talk about what Jelly struck with his productivity. All things being equal, Jelly was the most productive in the garden among more than thirty varieties. Another gardener reports that, although Jelly is tasty and beautiful, she does not suffer damage from bumps and cuts. Almost all summer and autumn, the whole family enjoyed it. It is noted that Jelly is not as sensitive to damage as Vineta. Often, summer residents describe Jelly's consumer properties: medium starchiness; it boils well - soft, but does not fall apart. You can fry too. The taste, it seems, is ordinary. Of course, it is sometimes noted that there are varieties and tastier. But we all have different tastes for potatoes.
Finally
Almost the same reviews about the Jelly potato variety can be heard from professionals. They generally suggest that it can be grown in industrial volumes. Therefore, we can safely say that a great future awaits this potato "German" in Russia. Although it causes a certain sadness that the most popular are varieties of foreign, rather than Russian, selection.