When and how to dig potatoes

When to dig

potatoes From the moment of planting to the moment of harvest, a certain amount of time must pass. And this time depends on several factors: the selected variety, time of planting the crop, weather conditions. It is difficult to say for sure the exact time.

There is some harvesting dependence: if was planted at the end of April is , then you need to dig it up before the beginning of August .However, according to statistics, a favorable time for planting is the month of May and you need to dig up potatoes in early September. Although, on average, harvest begins in mid-August.

So when digging up potatoes one should know for what purposes the vegetable will be used. If you need fresh potatoes immediately for cooking, then you need to dig it at the end of July .

If young potatoes are needed for cooking, then they need to be dug up at the end of July.

If the root crop has to be stored for the whole winter, then early collection is not recommended. The rind should become more coarse, otherwise the potato will quickly deteriorate and rot.

External signs of potato ripening

Potatoes are plants that are grown in large quantities relative to other crops. It is important not to miss the time of harvesting and to dig the root crop in time. It is important to be able by external signs to understand that the vegetable is ripe.

The main signs of potato ripening include:

• shrubs dry up, wither and turn yellow ;
• the rind of the dug out potato grows coarse, becomes thicker and badly peeled off( unlike new potatoes);
• tubers have accumulated enough starch to persist for a long time and survive the winter period. This is easy to learn, you need to drop iodine on the pulp. If the flesh is lilac, the potatoes are ready for storage;
• When harvested, the is easily detached from the stem and root of the .

Dry and yellowed tops - a sign of ripened potato tubers

Why harvest on time

In order for the tubers to be preserved for a long time, the peel must be coarse with .Perederzhivat vegetable in the ground as it is impossible for the following reasons:

• potatoes damage harmful insects or diseases;
• tubers dry and lose weight;
• fruits rot from wet soil;
• vegetable frostbite from a sharp onset of cooling.

How to dig potatoes

There are several ways to dig potatoes. To do this, often use either ordinary gardening equipment - a shovel or pitchfork, or a special agricultural techniques.

At the same time, digging by hand is quite a laborious process, especially for those who have health problems. For the treatment of large areas is better to use the motoblock.

Manual excavation is a very time-consuming process.

Cleaning with agricultural equipment can be done after all the tops in the area will be cut off by .After 2-3 days, you can begin to dig up the root.

Equipment is prepared in advance. To do this, it is recommended to pay attention to the elements of rotation. They need to be carefully lubricated with special oil, and the parts of the motoblock, which will loosen the soil, should be cleaned of earth, clay, and stones.

Using a motor cultivator or digging with a motor-cultivator implies compliance with the instructions:

• bushes must be planted in advance with in one flat row of so that they do not have to maneuver the equipment throughout the site;
• The distance between the rows should be 70-80 cm , so that the walk-behind tractor would not damage the wheels of the neighboring ridge;
• when harvesting it is better to use additional nozzles to adjust the depth;
• needs to adjust the technique in advance so that it digs up easily;
• in order for the wheels of the motoblock to move evenly, it is recommended to dig up potatoes through the ridge.

Manually

You can dig potatoes manually with a shovel or a penny. However, such work is suitable no more than 5 acres of land .If the garden is bigger, it is better to use the equipment - it is faster and more practical. Manual digging of potatoes is done as follows:

• one person digs under the tuber. To do this, drive a shovel near the tuber and raise it to the surface;
• second person picks potatoes, walking behind.

With manual work, you can do two things at once - to collect potatoes and sort them. You can leave the tubers to dry on the surface of the rows.

Manual digging of potatoes is done with a shovel or forks. It is more convenient when one person digs up potatoes and another pulls them out of the ground and sorts

Preparing the soil for plowing

To prepare the land for planting the crop, it is necessary to process it well, saturate with oxygen. This requires deep tillage , so that the roots and tubers develop well.

There are several methods for preparing and cultivating the land:

• deep using cultivators and flat-cutters;
• plowing plow;
• with deepening of the arable horizon.

How to prepare the soil in the spring

First of all, you should understand what kind of soil is best for potatoes. Clay are not suitable wet. You can not plant potatoes in the lowlands, where there is a possibility of water accumulation.

The most suitable land - light, sandy, loose .Ideal if it is black soil, peat soil .If the soil is oxidized, it is necessary to treat it with a wood hall, sand with manure or compost before planting.

If the soil is oxidized - it must be treated with wood ash

Plowing depth

The choice of processing method depends on the land and geographic location. In almost all regions, autumn plowing to a depth of 30 cm is suitable.

How to work the land before planting

The first step to get a rich harvest is to to enrich the soil with oxygen .Therefore, it must be loosened. Loosening is carried out in dry weather. To do this, dig the soil to a depth of 15 cm .

Before you plant a potato, you need to carry out a number of procedures:

• dig the soil to a depth of 15–20 cm in advance to eliminate pests;
• to treat the soil with special solutions for the prevention of late blight;
• to enrich the soil with minerals and organic matter;
• a year before the planned planting of potatoes to land on the site sideraty.

To enrich the soil with oxygen, loosening of the

is made. How and how to work the land in spring and autumnThe land is cultivated according to its composition:

Sandy soils need to be loosened, and moist clay to be loosened immediately after the soil dries out, and then again the day before the potatoes are planted.

When planting potatoes, you need to clear the ground of weeds, insects, and diseases. Add fertilizer and level the soil with a rake.

To enrich the soil with minerals and organic matter, you can use one of the following mixtures:

• per 1 sq. M.5 kg of humus, 100 grams of ash and 50 grams of nitrophoska mix and add to the ground before planting;
• 5 kg of compost, 30g of nitrophos, and between the rows to feed 20g of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate.

If the soil is heavily contaminated, then it is better to do without organic matter. When using siderates, the earth is saturated with nutrients and is a preventive method against pests.

Planting green manure to potatoes helps enrich the land with useful elements

For autumn processing, you can use the method of autumn plowing .It improves the arable layer of the soil, increases its ability to maintain useful properties.

To increase the fertility of the land, immediately after harvesting, manure can be scattered around the garden. Also, together with manure, you can feed the soil with superphosphate 30g and potassium sulfate 15g per 1 sq.m. After harvesting, the tops are recommended to be harvested and burned behind the garden plots.

In order to harvest a rich harvest of potatoes, all of the above recommendations should be followed. Have a good harvest!