How to grow early potatoes? It is grown by many gardeners. They are absolutely right: young tubers are a delicacy that contains about three times more vitamins than old ones. Although this is a troublesome thing, but, as they say, the end justifies the means. The technology of growing early potatoes is not difficult. First of all, it is necessary to pick up early ripe varieties. In the Kuban, this is Zhukovsky Early, Impala, Luck. The term of their harvesting occurs at 50-60 days after germination. When selecting tubers for planting, I advise you to select larger ones, weighing 80-100 grams: the larger they are, the earlier the harvest.
- Terms planting early potatoes
- Sprouting potatoes before planting
- planting potato processing
- before planting early potatoes
planting early potatoes
landing Dates Dates are different for new potatoes - it depends on the region. In the Kuban, this is roughly the first half of March - the middle of March. If the weather forecast is favorable for March-April, then you can try to plant it in the "February windows".I have observed for years that the “carrion” is safely experiencing winter in the ground, its shoots may appear as early as the end of March or in the first half of April.
↑ to content ↑Sprouting potatoes before planting
To receive early potatoes, 45-50 days in advance, they begin to germinate tubers in advance. It is most convenient to do this in small boxes with higher racks in the corners, where they are laid out in one or two rows. Experienced potato growers know that sudden changes in temperature during storage are undesirable because they contribute to the interruption of the rest period. Therefore, the technology of growing early potato harvest involves the creation of an artificial temperature difference, which speeds up the germination process. First, the tubers are brought into a warm room - + 20-22 °, it is possible even with a higher temperature - up to + 26 °, and as soon as the eyes hatch, sprouts reach 0.5 cm, they are taken out into a bright room with a temperature of + 8-10 °For example, on the glazed balcony or loggia.
Tubers that have sprouted during storage, for example, in a cellar, cannot be used for germination, as the harvest is greatly reduced when the sprouts are broken. From time to time the potatoes are turned over, the boxes are reversed, the sides facing the light. Since under the influence of light in the tubers are formed substances that inhibit the stretching of sprouts. But five days before planting it is advisable to shade them, this will remove the effect of substances that inhibit growth.
For 8-10 days before planting, the tubers sprouted in the light are grown in a moist environment( a mixture of peat, or sawdust, or humus).Nutrient mixture is poured into the box with a layer of 3-4 cm, sprouted potatoes are carefully placed on it so as not to break off the sprouts, and they are covered with substrate on top. Then put the second layer, and so on. But more than five layers, the tubers do not lay. The nutrient mixture is plentifully watered, so that the water passes to the lowest row. For disinfection, bluestone( 10 grams per 10 liters of water) is added to the irrigation water. At a temperature of + 15 ° in 2-3 days, roots appear at the base of the potato sprouts.
↑ to content ↑Processing potatoes before planting
Now the tubers can be shed with a solution of mineral fertilizers, as well as growth biostimulants. To this end, one and a half matchboxes of superphosphate + one box of sulfuric acid potassium are dissolved in 10 liters of water. The treatment with biostimulants gives a good effect:
- succinic acid or amberium - concentration of 0.005%;
- EPIN, treatment is carried out one day before planting, 0.5 vials of the drug are diluted in 200 ml of water, this amount is sufficient for processing 100 kg of tubers;
- SILK, one tablet per 3 liters of water, and the treatment is carried out twice - before laying on the germination and the day before planting.
The advantage of growing tubers for growing early potatoes is that they can be planted without waiting for the soil to warm up to + 7–8 ° at a depth of 10 cm. Excessive overexposure in a wet environment can cause entanglement of the roots and damageadversely affect early production.
If there was no time to germinate or grow the tubers, it is useful a week before planting to keep them in a bright room at a temperature not lower than + 15 °.They warm up well - it will accelerate the emergence of shoots. Before planting the tubers intended for the cultivation of early harvest, it is useful to powder the wood ashes( one cup per 20 kg of potatoes).This will accelerate the growth and development of plants.
Whatever planting variety you choose, it is very useful before planting spraying tubers with copper sulphate solution, boric acid, potassium permanganate( 0.01-0.03%) and dusting with ashes( 20 kg / ton or 20 g per kilogram of potatoes -2 matchboxes).Wood ash introduced into the hole during planting( handful per well) increases starchiness( friability during cooking) by 1-1.5%.Copper sulfate accelerates tuberization and increases resistance to fungal diseases, boron increases the yield and starchiness of tubers, resistance to rhizoctoniosis, manganese plays an important role in the accumulation of starch and vitamin C.
D to the content ↑5-7 cm, so that shoots appear as early as possible. The tubers planted in rows are covered with plastic wrap, and even better with lutrasil or agrospan. The edges of the coating are covered with earth. As soon as the seedlings of the potatoes reach a height of 25 cm, the cover is removed, and the bushes are curled very high to avoid damage to the tops by frost. In case of severe damage to the tops by the frosts of the early harvest will not be, but the total yield may be good. Exposing plants after frost is not necessary. If the seedlings of the potatoes are still frozen, they are immediately watered with cold water, with dissolved biostimulants( EPIN, SILK) of the recommended concentration. Superficial spraying of frozen potato tops with a solution of these biostimulants gives a good effect.
The rest of the technology of growing early potatoes does not differ from the conventional one.
