The content of the article:
The three whales on which the correct conduct of environmental garden works are based are the three "not." They are also called the rules of lazy truck farmers, because they sound like this: "Do not dig, do not water, do not weed."
Why is it better not to dig up the ground when landing?
In the soil there is a mass of microorganisms, insects, which fertilize it, make it more fertile. If you dig through the ground a couple of times a season, then all living things lose their habitual habitat, as a result of which they die. The soil of the fertile becomes barren.
The more harmful it is to water the earth with solutions of chemicals. Not only that all life is killed in it, the plants that gardeners try to grow, often yield weak shoots.
And here they are overtaken by another attack - pests that can now uncheckedly plant on garden crops.
The easiest way to start an environmentally friendly experiment is to grow crops without digging with potatoes. This will be the story in this manual.
Preparation of potato seeds for germination
This stage of work for gardener is almost the most important. Potato tubers can be planted on not dug up land solely with 3-4 cm sprouts.
If you act differently and use seeds for seeding with slightly globular eyes or without germs at all, then the potatoes will simply rot. In the tubers, the growth program already includes a growth program.
To awaken the seeds of potatoes, you must first wash them, without damaging the eyes, if any have already appeared. Then the nodules are placed in hot enough water, about 45 degrees, and left in it until the latter cools.
In cool water, add manganese so that the liquid becomes pink, and leave the potatoes for another 10-15 minutes. This is done to fight microbes, which may have settled on tubers during storage.
Then the tubers are taken out, washed, damped with a cloth and placed on a greenery in a cool but well-lit place. When on the seed material "eyes" proklyutsya, you should proceed to the next stage - sprouting sprouts.
It is important to remember: greenery potatoes are not touched by insects, or even by a bear.
Germination of tubers before planting
This stage of work with the seeds of potatoes must be carried out at such times that the planting itself should be carried out just in time for the onset of "cherry-cold cooling".
You can cultivate tubers in several ways.
«Boxed»
Green potatoes are laid out in two or three layers, shifting in black and white newspapers. It is best to use cartons for tare. After unfolding the seed material is removed in a warm place. It is desirable that the light does not fall on the boxes.
Sometimes plastic boxes are used instead of cardboard.
"Mack-batch"
Potatoes for 8-12 pieces are laid out on plastic bags. The most comfortable for this purpose are recognized "T-shirts" with handles. In them, about ten holes are made to ensure the flow of fresh air to the seeds. Hang packages in a warm place. Greenhouse effect allows to achieve good and rapid germination of tubers.
If you hang the "T-shirts" in the light, you should take care that the sunlight does not fall directly on the tubers. It is also important to regularly rotate them so that the lighting is uniform.
It is very convenient to transport the seed material to the landing site in such packages. But you should be as cautious as possible, so as not to damage young and fragile sprouts.
Planting potatoes "on the grass"
So, the vegetable farmer decided not to dig up the soil before laying seeds. Therefore, tubers with sprouts are laid directly on the turf. If desired, you can gently cut the thin top layer from it at the locations of the seed material. And some potato breeders even specifically train weeds and arrange them with a "mattress" to grow their crops on them.
Potatoes are staggered, leaving 25 cm between the tubers. Between the rows the most optimal distance is about half a meter.
Now you need to cover the seeds. For this use hay, torn newspapers, dry leaves and sedge, straw. You can cover them with lutrasilom.
The potato will begin to germinate through the filling. If the frosts are not over by that time, you need to sprinkle the shoots once more.
All summer it is recommended that the weeds collected in other ridges be carried to potato beds. In the aisle you should pour the slops from the table (not after washing!). But you do not need to water sprouts. Actually, make fertilizer, too.
The fact is that the vegetable residues, when it is littered, emit moisture, which is sufficient for the growth of potatoes. Compost is produced from them, which serves as a fertilizer. But during this process, its volume decreases. Therefore, the regular addition of hay, grass, and straw to the beds is necessary in order for the potato tubers to be permanently sheltered.
Harvest
During flowering it is necessary to tear off flowers on plants, so that the formation of "berries" does not weaken the bush.
Leave flowers only on one of them. This will be a control bush, which will easily determine that the flowering process is over and it's time to start harvesting the roots.
To do this, the gardener simply needs to lift the layer of the cover with the pitchfork.
After that, the young potatoes will all be upstairs, clean, even and absolutely loss-free, which often happens when root crops have to be excavated from the ground.
Another important aspect of growing potatoes in this way is also important: harvest can be collected already in early August!
