Potato is a vegetable that I plant in my garden every year. In recent years I have been following the principle: "Better less is more." This means that I am constantly reducing the area for potatoes, but increase productivity.
The most interesting thing here is to find and apply methods that increase this yield. I find these methods in the experiments of gardeners, which they talk about on the pages of magazines and newspapers, and I myself am looking for such methods in my beds.
A couple of years ago, I spoke in detail in a magazine about an unusual way growing potatoes when instead of hilling with earth, cut grass is used as mulch... I learned about this method from Finnish farmers and tried it with some changes in my garden. I received wonderful harvests with a small amount of physical labor.
Now growing tubers under the grass is the basis of all my potato experiments. In the past years, I faced a problem: there is nowhere to plant potatoes.
Crop rotation has already used all the plots in the garden, but I wanted to plant it in a place where it had not yet been grown. One of these places was found without any problems. This was the place from where I dug a twenty-year-old Siberian iris bush, which grew to incredible sizes. I added a very small amount of ash there so as not to poison the earthworms and other soil inhabitants.
Around the whole circle, since this area turned out to be round, I spread a dozen small potatoes at a distance of 20 cm from each other, slightly pressing them into the ground. From above, I covered it with mowed grass from a lawn mower in a layer of 10 cm. In the center of the resulting flower bed, I sowed beans.
Throughout the summer, I regularly added grass to the flower bed as soon as the previous layer of grass dried up. I've done this small area the same thing that did last years on all beds with potatoes.
At the end of summer, she harvested a very good harvest in this "flower bed", and, what is most useful, the tubers were clean, without the slightest signs of scab. In general, scab is an indispensable resident in my garden, constantly striking all potato plantings, and here I dug up the cleanest tubers. Thus, the long-standing observation of gardeners that potatoes love fresh soil was confirmed.
I often practice planting several potatoes in small groups in different places orchard, where some flowers or shrubs used to grow, which I removed as unnecessary.
It turns out pretty flower beds with potato plants. And here, too, I grow crops under the grass. The main thing here is that there is no need to dig the earth on purpose, and then to huddle and weed the plantings. Potatoes on such patches of soil always turn out clean. In addition, after digging up potatoes, the soil on these scraps turns out to be loose, moderately fertile. Here then cabbage, carrots, beets, onions work well.
Another place where I wanted to plant potatoes was densely occupied by large-fruited garden strawberries, in the folk way - strawberries. The plantings were outdated, they should have been removed, but it was too time-consuming to dig out these rhizomes, overgrown with debris and wheatgrass.
It is known that science does not recommend alternating garden strawberries and potatoes on the same bed: these crops have common diseases... Of these, the most dangerous is verticillary wilting, when by the end of summer, and sometimes even earlier, the plants stop growing, their growth points turn brown, the leaves dry out. But my strawberries turned out to be clean, without any diseases, and I decided to plant potatoes after strawberries without digging the soil. To do this, it was necessary to deprive everything that grew on this ridge of the conditions for life.
To begin with, I decided to deprive them of the light. Having collected the last harvest of berries from the garden in July, she did not dig up the soil, but simply covered the entire ridge with a layer of 20 cm of grass, let it wither, and then covered it with two layers of black film, crushed them with boards around the edges so that not a single quantum of light would penetrate inside. ... A month later, I opened the film and saw white skinny shoots of weeds, which made their way through the grass that had begun to rot.
For reliability, I additionally laid a layer of dried grass from a lawn mower on the ridge and covered it again black film... In this form, the ridge left before winter.
In the spring I took off the black film, covered the ridge transparent film- for a higher rate of heating of the earth. Unkillable weeds began to break through last year's half-over-matured grass. First, she cut them down with a flat cutter Fokina, but soon the most persistent began to grow again. I had to dig them up with a pitchfork.
The ground under the grass coat was very loose. The roots of the strawberry have practically rotted away. I left their remains in the soil to rot. When the soil temperature rose to 10 ° C and above, I started planting potatoes. I put my hand with a tuber under a layer of last year's grass, left it there on the ground. Planted in a checkerboard pattern with a distance of 45 cm between the potatoes. The plantings were additionally covered with a black film. She took it off when the first tops of the shoots appeared on the surface.
For planting I chose potatoes with big amount eyes. All of them underwent standard vernalization within a month. All varieties are mixed up and mixed. I also took advantage of the experience of Omsk gardener Oleg Telepov, planting a couple of potatoes as an experiment with their eyes down. His crop with such a planting was obtained a little later, but more than with a normal planting. This result was also confirmed for me.
If, during a normal planting, the sprouts immediately go up from the eyes, forming a dense bouquet, and subsequently the stems shade each other, then when planting with their eyes down, the sprouts, getting out to the surface, creep from the potato into different sides... Therefore, the stems come out to the surface less densely. More stolons, larger potatoes, higher yield. The rest of the potatoes were planted in the usual way.
As the tops of the shoots appeared on the surface, I sprinkled the cut grass on them. At the same time, the shoots were necessarily straightened in different directions from the center, tilting them to the ground, and the bulk of the grass was poured into the middle of the bush. As a result, the bushes grew sparse, the sun penetrated them. The lower remains of last year's grass quickly rotted away. On top, I regularly added new mulch so that later the potatoes would not turn green in the sun. Therefore, there was always enough moisture in the soil. Sometimes she watered the plantings with water with ash loose in it.
As a result, potatoes received organic fertilizers from rotten grass and mineral salts from ash. It is known that organics affect the size of tubers, but reduce their starchiness. However, organic matter from grass has little effect on this process, because it appears gradually as the grass decays and in small doses.
Ash increases the content of minerals in tubers. So the tubers are tastier. When growing potatoes under the grass, it is very important to follow one rule: never put a thick layer of grass on the put tubers at once. It should be no more than 10 cm. Next layer you need to add when the previous one dries up or at least withers. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the sprouts to make their way to the light.
The total layer of already dry grass should not be more than 20 cm. But not less, so that there is no light access to the potatoes. The bottom layers of the hay quickly begin to decompose. They are actively working there earthworms and other soil inhabitants, and by the time the potatoes ripen, the layer is already significantly thinned.
In early autumn, when the potato tops were withered, I started harvesting. In early varieties, the tops turned yellow earlier. From these bushes, I began to dig up tubers. The potatoes grew large, even, there were practically no trifles. Especially big harvest turned out in the bushes, where the tubers were planted down with their eyes.
The fact that before on this site grew garden strawberry, did not affect the harvest. True, many tubers were affected by scab, but this is not from strawberries. On this site, even 20 years ago, when I grew potatoes, it was strongly affected by scab. This means that she lives in this land all the time and is not going to go anywhere.
There was especially a lot of scab on early varieties which I dug too late, simultaneously with more late varieties... Still, the potatoes must be dug out on time, not overexposed in the ground.
After digging out the harvest, I slightly patched the remnants of non-rotted grass into the soil with a flat cutter. A very small amount of skinny rhizomes of weeds was easily pulled out and thrown away.
The soil after the potatoes turned out to be lush, light. I sowed green manure there. When using this method, I was able to use an overgrown plot of land and get an excellent potato crop without digging the plot, without loosening the soil, without hilling plantings, without watering and almost without fertilizing, without weeding, because weeds practically did not grow there.
The biggest advantage of this planting method is minimum costs manual labor throughout the summer. In addition, I think that if you are convinced that your garden strawberries do not suffer from common diseases with potatoes, then you can safely plant tubers along old plantings of strawberries without removing the bushes from the rhizomes. Then it will become easier to observe crop rotation on your small acres, and rotted strawberry plants will become a source of additional soil fertilization.
Lyubov Bobrovskaya, St. Petersburg, Photo by the author
At all times, the cultivation of agricultural crops has been one of the most important industries in any state. Therefore, the process of growing potatoes is of great importance. The quality depends on this, which includes taste, content of nutrients and vitamins, shelf life.
Potatoes in bags, boxes or barrels
Method of growing potatoes in bags or barrels applies in areas with a limited amount of space... Such containers are good at saving space, and at the same time getting a pretty good harvest. This requires a barrel, box or bag without a bottom.
The technology is pretty simple:
- Previously, the bottom of the container is removed, and holes are made on the sides for the passage of oxygen.
- A container without a bottom is placed on the soil. Then lie down on the bottom of the container compost in a layer of 20 centimeters.
- The tubers are laid on the compost, and covered with a fertile layer of soil.
- After the potatoes have sprouted and the length of the shoots has reached 5 centimeters, they must be covered almost completely with a layer of soil. This should be done until the container is full. In this interval, one should not forget about watering and feeding.
In the same way potatoes can be grown in mounds, tower, waste basket and pit.
New method: under agrofibre or cardboard
Agrofibre helps to obtain early harvest potatoes in May. For this, a plot (a small one is also possible - in the country) is prepared for potatoes in the fall, dug up and applied organic and mineral fertilizers.
In early spring they are waiting for it to warm up upper layer soil. At this moment, you can already plant the tubers.
For so that the potatoes are early, the tubers are germinated in advance.
- To do this, they are placed in 2 - 3 layers in a cool room at a temperature of 10-15 degrees Celsius. Excessive temperature threatens strong elongation of the shoots, which will affect the decrease in yield.
- The appearance of sprouts of 1 - 2 centimeters will greatly reduce the time for obtaining young potatoes.
- I plant sprouted tubers t at a distance of 25 centimeters in a row, and 50 -60 centimeters between the rows.
You can also place tubers not only in a row, but also in a checkerboard pattern. This allows the bushes to grow better, as they do not shade or interfere with each other. Then cover with agrofibre or cardboard.
Agrofibre is good for moisture and air, and holes for ventilation must be made in the cardboard. Agrofibre and cardboard help the frost sprouts survive, and when the threat has passed, the covering material can be removed. Thus, you can get a healthy and tasty young harvest.
In the ridges
The meaning of this method of cultivation is very simple.
When grown in ridges, potato bushes are covered with a layer of soil, and the more, the better. Thus, there is room for the root system to grow and develop well.
In this case, noticeably more tubers are formed. The yield is increasing. This method is widespread in Holland and is called the Dutch method.
On high ridges
The meaning of this way of growing similar to barrel growing, bags, boxes and combs. Since the volume of soil for the potato root system is larger than usual, it begins to grow well. Thus, there is an abundant build-up of tubers.
When laying high ridges, humus or foliage, as well as dry tree branches, lie on the bottom. As these materials decompose, they will release heat and nutrients. If you cover the ridge, you can also get an early harvest.
The meaning of Meathlider cultivation is to create long and narrow beds... In this case, a rather large space for culture is created.
Plants receive the maximum amount sunlight, and, accordingly, secrete more nutrients for themselves through the process of photosynthesis. That's why root system plants develop well, and in this case, the potato grows more bulky tubers. And their number is increasing.
Under the straw
Growing potatoes under straw significantly reduces labor costs. This is one of the main advantages of this method. Potatoes can be planted either in holes or without holes, on a flat surface.
This requires so that the soil is sufficiently loose and moist:
- Tubers are stacked in holes or just on the soil, in rows, or in a checkerboard pattern.
- Then the tubers are covered with a thick layer of straw or hay. The thickness is about 7-10 centimeters. The straw is good for air permeability to the tubers, and also good for moisture permeability. Therefore, this material helps to grow and develop well both the root system and the bush itself.
- Over time, the straw layer will settle. Therefore it is necessary to add a layer of straw.
In the same way grown potatoes under the moss... The effect is the same. Good air and moisture permeability. In addition, moss not only allows moisture to pass through well, but also retains it. This is one of the benefits this method cultivation.
From seed
The point of growing from seed is that over time, the planting material loses its original characteristics and brings less and less harvest every year.
Besides planting material is capable of accumulating diseases... But if you grow potatoes from seed, it will help return the potatoes to their former harvest. The seeds are collected from the fruit that remains after the flowering of the bush.
Sowing is carried out in advance so that when the soil warms up, the seedlings are ready for planting. Care is the same as for ordinary bushes.
An important point in harvesting such potatoes. You need to choose bushes with the best tubers. Thus, you can provide yourself with a constant rich and tasty harvest.
Seeds help avoid plant-borne diseases Under the film
This method is similar to growing under agrofibre, only the film does not allow air and moisture to pass through, only preserves it. But this promotes early harvest... As soon as the soil has warmed up, the sprouted potato tubers are planted in the soil, and covered with a film on top.
The film allows you to transfer frost, as well as long time provides the culture with moisture. This allows you to get not only an early harvest, but also its increase due to the creation of a longer growing season.
According to the Gulikh method: in kobts
The essence of the Gulikh method (growing potatoes in kobts): for each tuber, one square meter... In this square, quail manure is laid out all around. The soil is poured into the circle, and the tuber is planted with the top down into the soil. Shoots will grow in different directions, in the form of rays.
When the length of the shoots reaches 5-8 centimeters, sprinkle them with soil... And this must be done until the potatoes form several tiers. In the process of growth, one should not forget about timely watering and feeding.
Thus, using this method, you can get up to 16 kilograms of harvest from one tuber.
According to Mikhailov's method
The meaning of this method is the same as that of Gülich. A hole is made in which humus is placed. Then the tuber sits down and is covered with a layer of soil. When the tuber sprouts, 4 of them are left to grow vertically, and the rest are tied to pegs and placed in the form of rays in a circle.
As the shoots grow, both vertical and horizontal sprinkled with soil... The yield increases markedly. With proper observance, you can get from 14 to 16 kilograms.
Table 1... Potato growing methods.
Preparation and germination of tubers before planting
How to choose planting material
The variety that will be cultivated in the field should be zoned, this will allow you to be confident in the suitability of the potato to the given growing conditions. It is important to know the information about the timing of ripening in order to ensure proper care.
Important aspects when choosing a potato planting material are morphological signs... The color, taste, smell, shape must correspond to the variety and be free from damage. The weight of tubers for planting is 50 - 100 grams.
Soil preparation
The soil should be plowed in the fall, this will allow moisture to accumulate... The soil composition of the soil is preferably loam with a humus content. If the soil is solid, then it needs to be loosened and organic matter added.
Distance between tubers when planting
If potatoes are planted in a trench, then the distance between rows is 60 - 70 cm. The distance between tubers is 30 - 40 cm. When potatoes are planted with holes, the distance does not change.
Planting timing and depth
Potato planting time depends on soil temperature. Its temperature should be at least 5 degrees Celsius. Planting depth is approximately 10 cm.
Irrigation carried out of necessity... If enough precipitation fell over the summer, and the soil was in a wet state most of the time, then watering is not required.
Try not to overflow the soil while watering In dry summer and spring, the main irrigation is carried out during germination, growth and flowering of shoots. If August is dry, watering is also necessary.
The most important role for hilling is to reduce the temperature around the tubers. The tuber must be in a space where the temperature is several degrees lower than the stem... If hilling does not occur, the tuber begins to re-germinate, spending energy and nutrients for the development of the plant.
One of the advantages of hilling: it promotes the development of the root system and an increase in the plant's nutritional area, due to which the potato tubers become larger.
You need to huddle the soil in cloudy weather, after precipitation, to avoid moisture evaporation. Hilling is also carried out on compacted soils, where gas exchange is poor.
Hilling is a useful and necessary procedure for good growth of tubers Fertilizers
Exists complex mineral fertilizers that should be brought in along with the planting. Mineral fertilizers increase germination, disease resistance and increase yields.
They make, as a rule, potash, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers, the amount and frequency of application is determined by the composition of the soil and the needs of the crop. Better in spring fertilize directly into the hole. Ash can be used as a top dressing.
Organic fertilizers always have a beneficial effect on productivity. Horse manure is the most useful and high-quality option for organic fertilizers.
Mulching
Mulching is always necessary, it increases the content of organic matter, and therefore nutrients, preserves soil moisture. Plant residues are always best suited for mulching at all times.
Same way mulching is carried out with straw and sawdust, but this option is suitable only if the soil is well warmed up, and in the yard on June 15th. In spring, straw and sawdust are not mulched, they reflect the sun's rays, preventing the soil from warming up. Sawdust acidifies the soil.
Diseases and pests of potatoes
The extermination of diseases and pests by chemical means is carried out if the economic threshold of harmfulness is exceeded. The main pest is Colorado beetle... If there is not much of it, then you can collect it by hand, the most important thing is to destroy the larvae.
Harms potato tubers, when ammonia fertilizers are applied, its population decreases.
Potatoes are often affected different kinds nematodes... There are no safe chemicals to fight hookworms. It is recommended to change the soil if possible.
If growing in large areas, then you need to add urea to the soil, and then the infusion of potato young residues. This process is carried out in early spring so that the larvae of the nematode, having felt the potato nutrition, could go outside, and die from lack of food.
For prevention, bird droppings are introduced into the soil.
Cleaning
When harvesting, it is important to select seed material for further cultivation.
When harvesting, it is important not to damage the tubers. Damage will entail the development of pathogenic microorganisms. If such potatoes get into the total crop mass, then neighboring tubers will be affected.
Potatoes are one of the staples traditional cuisine... The culture does not require much maintenance. It is important to know only certain subtleties. And with the help of the above described methods and methods, you can simply grow bountiful and healthy harvest High Quality.
Every gardener grows potatoes here, but only one out of 10 people get good harvests.
After all, we are all accustomed to the fact that this plant is not the most whimsical.
But, very often it happens that without special efforts the result does not work either.
Today we want to describe in detail the essence and features of growing potatoes using Dutch technology.
Many of those who have heard at least something about it believe that it is suitable exclusively for automated processing of fields.
However, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with this technology for ordinary gardeners, since most of its elements can be used on small beds.
The essence and special differences of Dutch technology in growing potatoes
This technology has many distinctive aspects that we often do not take into account at all.
Indeed, in fact, almost all gardeners believe that it is enough to simply fill the planting material with soil with fertilizers, huddle once or twice and in the fall you can already harvest.
Well, one more aspect is the Colorado potato beetle, with which you often have to tinker a lot in order to get rid of this plant pest.
Having thus collected a crop of 250 kilograms of potatoes from one hundred square meters, gardeners usually remain satisfied, without even realizing that up to 450 kilograms of good food tubers of this plant can be harvested from the same area.
And this is it main feature growing potatoes using Dutch technology - an unusually high yield.
And it is achieved through the implementation and adherence to the following principles:
- For potato propagation, exclusively high-yielding and high-quality Dutch varieties are used. Even their average yields reach 40 tons from an area of one hectare. By the way, it is not at all difficult to get these varieties, since today an excellent export of Dutch potatoes to more than 70 countries of the world has already been established. In particular, these varieties are very popular among Belarusians. Among them it is worth mentioning:
- Anosta;
- "Auzonka";
- "Marfena";
- Mona;
- "Rezi";
- Ramono;
- "Sante".
If you come across any other varieties - check out their ripening times, adaptive capabilities, and if all this allows you to grow a variety on your site - feel free to try.
Not many people think that when growing the same variety for several years in a row, not only its yield decreases, but it may also appear different diseases... Thus, potatoes selected from previous harvests become a carrier of rot, scab and late blight.
It is for this reason that every five years it is recommended to change varieties... In the Dutch technology, potatoes for planting are selected only of one size, 3-5 centimeters in diameter, and with 100% germination.
Also, feeding potatoes should not only be carried out, but should be done based on the needs of the plant itself and a particular variety. The technology also specifically describes how and when hilling should be done, and how high the ridges should be formed.
This, of course, is not all of its features, because we will talk about some of them below and in more detail. But already from the above points it is clear that efforts to obtain good harvest you will have to make a lot, especially if you plan to organize a large-scale cultivation of this plant.
Under what conditions to grow potatoes to achieve the results of Dutch farmers?
As you know, loose soils are best suited for potatoes, the emphasis on which is made in the described technology. Even before planting the tubers in the soil, the soil should be well cultivated, overexposed or milled.
Thanks to this, it is saturated with oxygen, which, in turn, accelerates the emergence of seedlings. But not only the soil is the main condition for the good growth of this plant, therefore, we will consider others.
We create the most favorable conditions for the growth of potatoes
First of all, the Dutch are concerned about regular crop changes in the field where potatoes are planted. The same place will be able to provide a given plant enough nutrients only if planted on it once every three years. At the same time, winter cereals will be the best predecessors for potatoes.
There are also requirements for what should be the relief of the area for a given culture. In particular, it is much preferable to pick up flat areas, without slopes... Indeed, moisture is not evenly distributed on the slopes, and when some plants lack it, others may be affected by its excess.
Regarding the type of soil, the presence of humus in its arable layer, which should be no less than 2-2.5%, will play a large role in the fruiting of potatoes.
Preparing planting material for growing: the main aspects of preparation
In Dutch technology, a lot of attention is paid to planting material, since the entire future harvest will depend on it.
And even if you pay maximum attention to the field with potatoes, when the tubers planted in the soil will have poor germination or are infected with diseases, then the result will be bad.
How to choose a good planting material: criteria and characteristics
We noted above that this technology provides for the selection of small-sized tubers, which are specially reserved for future planting.
It is this fact that should be paid attention not only to farmers, but also to ordinary gardeners who plant this plant on their several hundred square meters.
Dutch farmers consider it a must use of exclusively healthy material for planting, which is not a carrier of diseases and viral infections.
Therefore, only high quality and certified seed potatoes are used, while selecting the most productive varieties. In particular, attention is drawn to the following criteria:
- tubers diameter from 3 to 5 centimeters;
- varietal purity, which excludes the possibility of manifestation in the future harvest of the qualities of other varieties of potatoes;
- 100% germination of the material;
- High reproduction - the size of the bush and the number of tubers under it, their size. This factor also uses concepts such as "superelite" and "elite", without designation of which the potato will not be used as seed material.
Another very important aspect in Dutch technology, it is planting potatoes already sprouted... Actually, this fact is evidence that they have 100% germination.
It is only important that the sprouts do not have time to reach more than 0.5 centimeters in size, otherwise they will break off during machine planting, which, on the contrary, can reduce the number of plants obtained.
We are preparing the soil for planting potatoes
Soil preparation should be started in the fall. At this time, it needs to be plowed to a depth of 22 to 27 centimeters.
It is better to use plows that are capable of wrapping the topsoil, just as we do when digging beds with a shovel. If you do not succeed in doing this, then after the plows, dump or breakup furrows should be put into the field.
It is better to use a conventional disc cultivator for the field for potatoes, which is light enough for the soil.
V spring time, when it is almost time for planting potatoes, you need to start up the cutter or cultivator, which would cut the soil to a depth of 12-14 centimeters.
Since heavy tractors are used as a pulling force for the cutter, along with loosening and crushing the soil, it is also leveled, as well as digging in. In conditions suburban cultivation potatoes, the role of friezes for the beds can be performed by ordinary pitchforks, with a distance between the teeth of 2-3 centimeters and a thickness of each tooth of 0.5-0.6 centimeters.
Such forks usually have a special depth limit, so it will be too difficult to work with them.
The essence of such shallow soil cultivation in spring is that it allows save soil capillaries that have formed since autumn... The role of the latter for potatoes that will be planted in the future is that moisture will flow through the capillaries to the mother tuber.
Thus, the plant will be perfectly provided with moisture, it will suffer less from droughts. Moreover, tillage with a milling cutter will give you great advantage in terms of ripening of potatoes, accelerating this process by about 7-10 days.
Planting potatoes: the embodiment of Dutch technology
When to plant: we discuss the most favorable dates
Many gardeners are used to starting growing potatoes almost from the very beginning of spring. The main criterion is often considered to be such a state of soil moisture until it begins to fall off the shovel. But still, we must not forget about the thermophilicity of potatoes and the fact that they need to be planted in sufficiently warm soil.
Our grandfathers had one very correct instruction, which allowed us to start plowing the land and throw potatoes into it - the opening of birch leaves.
But for the Dutch, such popular definitions of the timing for planting potatoes are not at all significant, although their goal is the same, and the result, in general, is the same. But still, good method is itself orientation to the state of the soil.
In no case should a gap be made between preparing the soil and planting potatoes, as this will cause the first to dry out and lose its main properties.
Potatoes are planted when the soil is "ripe". To determine this maturity, you need to take a handful of soil in your hand, squeeze it with your palm and throw it on the ground from the height of your belt. If a fallen lump scatters from hitting the soil, this will indicate the ripeness of the soil, if not, wait until it dries a little more.
Such planting dates give the plant the opportunity to form the maximum possible leaf surface (which accelerates the process of plant photosynthesis), and will also contribute to the rapid growth of tubers.
Planting scheme of potato bushes in Dutch technology
Dutch technology does not bypass the scheme of planting potato tubers. It is believed that one m2 should not be planted with more than 30 stems of this plant, otherwise the plantings will be too thickened.
So, on an area of one hundred square meters (100m2), planting from 400 to 1 thousand tubers is allowed. Insofar as planting material it is not large, then it makes no sense to embed it too deeply - it is best to send it to a depth of 4 centimeters.
But, so that over time the potatoes do not end up on the surface, immediately after germination, the bushes are hilled, which involves the formation of ridges up to 25 centimeters in height.
As for the row spacing, it is most effective to leave a space of 65-80 centimeters between them. Of course, many will decide that this is too much, but such an area will be just enough to fully nourish the potato root system, since the distance between tubers in one row is not supposed to be so great.
Do potatoes need care and what is its essence: answers to the main questions
Care for potatoes is necessary, especially if you want to complete the intended line of growing it according to Dutch technology. Already on the 14-18 day after planting, you need to start the first processing of the row spacings, because at this time most of the weeds will have time to appear and potato sprouts are about to appear above the surface.
Thus, your main task is remove all weeds so that they do not interfere with the growth of the potatoes. At large areas plantings for this use a milling cultivator, which has a bed former.
The working width of such a machine is 3 meters, which makes it possible to process row spacings very quickly. After itself, it leaves trapezoidal ridges, up to 25 centimeters high, thus covering the potato seedlings with a layer of well-loosened soil.
The advantages of this type of row-spacing soil cultivation is that not only all weeds are removed, but with the receipt of trapezoidal ridges, it becomes possible to more efficiently distribute moisture near the potatoes.
In particular, all excess moisture will easily penetrate into the ridge (since its soil is very loose), and its excess will drain into the furrow without harming the root system.
In the future, the described technology does not provide for any inter-row cultivation, but considers the following measures to be mandatory processing of potato plantations:
- Application of herbicides. Since mechanical tillage is no longer carried out, and the weeds will never stop growing, the soil is also treated with special herbicide preparations.
- Fight against late blight. For this, we use exclusively chemicals, since it does not lend itself to other influences. 5-6 treatments are carried out per season. The first should be carried out only when the first signs of the onset of the disease appear on the plants.
- Watering potato plantations. Held at least 3 times in one season. The first watering is carried out before the flowering of the bushes, the second 10 days after the flowers completely wither, and after about 20 days another one.
Getting started harvesting potatoes: terms and features of harvest storage
It is very important to harvest the crop from the field on time. Moreover, the timing of the collection will depend on the purpose for which you need the obtained crop: for seeds or for food purposes. In the first case, cleaning is carried out at the very beginning of August, and in the second - at the end of the same month.
One more important point: you first need to remove the tops from the field, and after 10 days the potatoes themselves. Thanks to this, the skin of the tubers will be stronger, and the crops will be stored longer. For storage, it is important to ensure high humidity and a cool room with good ventilation. Potatoes are best kept not in bags, but in wooden boxes.
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It is not for nothing that potatoes are called the second bread: this vegetable is used for preparing first and second courses, salads and pastries. It appeared in Russia thanks to Peter the Great and has been grown for several centuries in almost all regions. He believes that there are no difficulties and secrets in how to grow potatoes, nevertheless, agronomists regularly offer gardeners more and more new and progressive technologies for its production. Applying innovative techniques in practice and remembering grandfather's recommendations, you can grow an excellent harvest of large and surprisingly tasty potatoes.
There are certain rules for potato farming that apply regardless of the way it is grown. Compliance with these rules increases guarantees of an excellent harvest:
The seed is taken during the collection process autumn harvest... Seed tubers are taken only from the strongest bushes, immediately sorting them by size. Medium potatoes are ideal for planting. Seed potatoes are not removed from the field; they are left in the sun until they turn green.
In the fall, a plot is prepared for future planting of potatoes. It must be fertilized so that by the spring the fertilizer has already re-cooked and started to work.
Before planting, the nodules are germinated in a cool, light place. To accelerate germination, peat or sawdust is used, which is poured over the tubers. When the tuber has sprouted about 1 cm, it can be planted in open ground.
Well resistant to diseases potatoes, treated before planting with 1% solution boric acid... In such a solution, the roots are soaked for 20 minutes.
Potatoes are planted in a land sufficiently warmed up by the sun. Usually this is the end of April - beginning of May. The distance between the rows is left taking into account the fact that you will have to huddle several times. Between the holes there should be about 30 - 40 cm. Traditionally, a handful of stove ash is poured into each hole as a mineral supplement.
Lack of feeding, as well as its excess, can be detrimental to the plant.
Before potato shoots, it is good to carry out surface loosening of the soil. Usually a rake is used for this. This allows you to achieve the emergence of earlier shoots and to destroy the weeds, while they are not yet in force.
Hilling is recommended to be done twice. There is no need to be afraid to overfill the earth during this operation. Many even completely fall asleep young shoots, protecting them from spring temperature drops. The first hilling is carried out when the green shoots reach 15 centimeters in height. The second time this procedure is repeated just before the flowering of the bush.
New technology
growing potatoes in small forms of farming
("PLANTED-DIGGED")
Head of the department of investment, financial and material resources in the agro-industrial complex GNU VNIOPTUSH Russian Agricultural Academy, Doctor of Economics n.,
Introduction
V Russian Federation about 90% of potatoes are grown in small forms of agricultural production (16 million families living in rural areas and 21 million urban families, owners and users of garden and summer cottages).
As a rule, in these categories of farms, potato production is dominated by manual labor... For the sake of fairness, we note that in rural areas (household plots), permanent residents on their plots use the technique most often when plowing, sometimes when harrowing and cutting ridges. However, other basic agricultural operations - planting, weeding, fertilizing, pest control and harvesting of potatoes - are carried out manually.
As practice shows, despite the fact that potatoes are grown everywhere in our country and around the world, where for the overwhelming majority of the population it is “the second bread”, very little has changed in the technology of its cultivation for rural residents.
Studies by many experts confirm that the main contingent of rural residents and summer residents in our country are elderly people, for whom weeding and hilling potatoes are considered the most difficult and time-consuming operations in growing this type of product. For this reason, the sown area for potatoes is decreasing in small plots of owners of summer cottages and vegetable gardens, as well as rural residents. In this regard, the question arises: how to reduce the labor intensity of these operations and make life easier for rural residents and townspeople - owners of garden and dacha gardens and plots?
For this purpose, these methodological and practical advice on growing environmentally friendly potatoes on an innovative basis according to the scheme: PLANTED-DIGGED.
Principal features of the proposed technology for growing potatoes on an innovative basis;
Preparing potato tubers for planting;
Processing and preparation of the soil for planting;
Preparation and application of organic fertilizers (manure, compost, ash);
Potato planting technology on an innovative basis;
Monitoring (tracking) the process of growing potatoes for the proposed
scheme: PLANTED-DIGGED;
Harvesting - digging potatoes.
1. Principal features of the proposed technology for growing potatoes on an innovative basis
This technology for growing potatoes is offered for rural residents and townspeople - owners of garden and summer cottages and vegetable gardens, where, as a rule, all operations are performed manually, that is, it is most acceptable for small areas where there is either no agricultural machinery, or there is no economic reason in its application. The fundamental difference of this innovative technology from the traditional one, widely used in practice, is that:
Potato tubers are vernalized, that is, they germinate in the sun or light in
for 7-10 days until buds and small green leaves appear on them;
When planting, potato tubers are first covered with humus, and then
earthen up with as much land as possible. It is easier to spud potatoes during the period
planting than to do it later after the emergence and flowering of potato crops,
since by this period the earth hardens and strengthens Negative influence weedy
vegetation for seedlings. Hilling during planting reduces labor costs
3-4 times;
When planting, potato tubers enter a favorable environment, and together with them
vernalization accelerates the growth and development of seedlings in comparison with weeds;
An increase in the planting density of tubers provides potato seedlings
the ability to actively fight for your survival compared to the weed
vegetation and accelerates the growth rate of potato seedlings.
All these technological operations are fundamentally important in aggregate, since, in comparison with traditional technologies, they increase the biological method of combating potato seedlings with weeds and sharply reduce (or completely eliminate) labor costs for weeding and hilling potato crops. At the same time, to obtain the greatest effect at practical use In the recommended technology, preparation of the soil and tubers for planting is also extremely important.
2. Preparing potato tubers for planting.
In order to effective use moisture accumulated in the soil and the acceleration of the growth rate of plants - potato seedlings - it is recommended to verbalize the tubers before planting. This operation should be carried out at home as follows. Potato tubers (preferably purchased from a seed farm) are scattered in a shallow layer in shallow boxes, moistened once or twice a day by spraying and kept in the light during the day, and best of all in the sun. At night, potato tubers should either be covered cellophane film, or bring it into a warm room, closed from night frosts. So the tubers germinate (vernalize) for 7-10 days, until greenish sprouts appear on them. The same should be done by city dwellers, owners of summer cottages and garden plots on balconies and loggias.
Long-term observations allow us to state that this operation accelerates the growth and development of plants, increases the resistance of potato seedlings to possible spring frosts, as well as pests and diseases, increases the potential ability of potatoes to fight biologically against weeds and the Colorado potato beetle for their survival.
3. Processing and preparation of the soil for planting.
It is best to start cooking the plot of land allocated for potatoes in the fall, that is, it needs to be plowed before winter (for rural permanent residents) or dug up (for owners of summer cottages and urban plots). In the spring, well before the sowing soil, it should be overburdened, and if necessary, plowed or dug up again so that the soil is soft before planting and the area is leveled. The site for potatoes must be prepared as soon as possible. For each natural and climatic zone its optimal timing. Almost every villager or owner of a summer cottage in Russia knows when is the best time to plant potatoes.
From our many years of observations, we strongly recommend not to force the timing of planting potatoes. On the contrary, it is best to prepare the soil, then, when it is sufficiently warmed up by the sun, plant the sprouted potato tubers.
4. Preparation and application of organic fertilizers (manure, compost, ash)
In order to grow environmentally friendly potatoes when planting, we strongly recommend adding only organic fertilizers with the tubers - manure or compost, which must be prepared in advance. As for ash, it is better to feed potato seedlings with it before their flowering, and ash is best applied before the beginning of the rain.
Manure and compost must be rotten and free of lumps. To do this, they must defend themselves under cover for at least two, and preferably three years. It is categorically impossible to use the introduction of fresh manure into the soil, as well as compost.
According to long-term observations and according to our calculations, a summer resident or a villager to grow 100-120 kg of ecologically clean potatoes, during the planting period, together with tubers, add from 30 to 60 kg of pure humus.
V winter period villagers should accumulate ash and store it in closed form in a dry place, then in spring or at the beginning of summer potato shoots are fed with it (if there is no ash, you can do without it).
When preparing and applying organic fertilizers to household plots rural residents, where potatoes are grown on relatively large areas than summer residents, need a different approach. When performing this agronomic operation, it is necessary to use as much agricultural machinery as possible, including small mechanization, and live tractive force in order to minimize hard manual labor. At the same time, it is advisable to apply organic fertilizers (manure or compost) in the fall and in as large volumes as possible so as not to perform this laborious agronomic operation more often than once every two to three years.
5. Potato planting technology on an innovative basis
Planting potatoes using the proposed technology is extremely important, since it is fundamentally different from traditional ways planting tubers in small areas. Therefore, with the aim better perception we will consider the process of planting tubers in more detail and show his on specific example... Suppose the allotted area has rectangular shape with a width of 15 m and a length of 20 m, that is, it is equal to 3 acres, or 300 m2.
The plot is prepared and leveled. The soil is warming up more and more by the rays of the sun. The dates for planting potatoes are approaching. For example, according to experts, optimal time planting potatoes in Yuzhny federal district the period from 5 to 25 April is considered, and in the Central Federal District - from 7 to 17 May. Despite these calendar dates recommended by experts, when planting potatoes, each representative of small forms of agricultural production - a villager or summer resident - should understand the main thing: before planting, the soil should be warm and warm, and the tubers should be ready for planting.
The planting technology begins with the fact that on the section designated by us along the long side (Fig. 1), the twine is pulled with the help of two pegs. Exactly along the twine, the tubers are stuck by hand into the soil by half or 3/4 part. That is, we plant tubers on the surface of soft and cultivated soil in such a way that the rows of planted potatoes are visible. We recommend leaving a distance between rows of about 90 cm. However, there may be other options, for example, less (70-75, 75-80 cm) or more (90-95, 95-100 cm). The distance between the rows depends most of all on how fertile the soil in your area is, or on how much organic fertilizer will be applied to the soil.
Now from the row spacing we rake soft warm ground and with it we cover the planted row of potatoes with a layer of manure (compost), as much as possible. In other words, we put the entire layer of soft soil on a row on both sides and thus spud the planted potatoes (Fig. 3). As already noted, it is much easier to carry out this most important agronomic operation during the potato planting period. Thus, the entire technological cycle before harvesting potatoes is over. Therefore, we call the cultivation of potatoes using this technology: PLANTED-DIGGED.
6. Monitoring (tracking) the process of growing artophols on an innovative basis.
So, you have planted potatoes on your site using the recommended technology, after which you just have to wait. After about 7-8 days, if it rains on the territory of your site and a soil "crust" has formed over the planted potatoes along the ridge, it should be destroyed - loosened with a rake. So, for example, on 2 beds of a summer cottage, where I have been growing potatoes for myself in the amount of 100-120 kg for many years, this operation takes me no more than 5-7 minutes.
The technology for performing this operation is as follows: the soil crust is removed with a rake and the upper, harder layer of soil is loosened along the ridge. Soil cultivation should be carried out from the bottom up (Fig. 4), which, in addition to the main functions (retention of moisture in the soil, improvement of air exchange, activation of seedling growth), restores the level of the ridge, that is, that part returns to its original place fertile soil that was washed away by the rains down into the aisles.
Thus, on this stage the main part of the technological process of growing potatoes according to the scheme ends. Now it remains to wait for the emergence of seedlings and rejoice at how they will grow and develop from day to day.
Another important aspect of the practice of growing potatoes using the recommended technology. So, I plant sprouted tubers on summer cottage(Moscow region, Stupinsky district) almost at the same time as the neighbors. But, as a rule, my shoots appear earlier and the potatoes also begin to bloom earlier by about 7-8 days. By this time, the Colorado potato beetle appears - main pest nightshade group of agricultural crops, and, first of all, potatoes. From long-term observations, it was revealed that the Colorado potato beetle rushes to neighboring areas, where seedlings appeared later and where the leaves are younger and juicier. The owners of these sites are forced to fight by all available means against this pest, using and chemical agents protection. As for me, I am using real technology I have not noticed growing potatoes on my site in recent years colorado potato beetle... Therefore, I do not need to fight him.
7. Harvesting - digging potatoes.
Harvesting on your site is the final and most important agronomic operation. Any rural worker from his own experience has more than once convinced himself that digging potatoes is much easier and easier when his bush is isolated on the ridge, and the potato itself is closer to the soil surface. With our technology, the tubers are at the top, therefore, harvesting is much easier. Moreover, if the tops are still strong, and the early potatoes are already ready for use, then you can dig them without a shovel and pitchfork by pulling out by the tops.
Another important segment of potato production, on which we have not yet focused our attention. From many years of experience in the production of potatoes using this technology, it has been revealed that we grow a product of higher quality both in content and in form - appearance, that is, tuberization is carried out in a soft favorable environment, so the tubers are smooth and without deep eyes, which is extremely important when peeling potatoes. As a rule, even potato tubers are easier to peel, and most importantly, the yield of a pure product increases by 10-15% compared to potatoes with deeper pits and eyes on the tubers.
Conclusion.
Thus, you have become familiar with a new technology for growing potatoes and now you are faced with a dilemma: whether to take the innovation into account or not; plant potatoes on the site either on a new one, or on traditional technology... The villagers of our country, as well as summer residents, are great workers. However, when people have a long career and certain experience, it is usually more difficult for them to accept any innovations. Therefore, for persuasiveness, we recommend planting potato tubers in parallel - 2-3 rows according to a new method, and the rest according to the accepted traditional technology.
After planting, it is recommended to observe the process of growth and development of seedlings, to record labor costs for yourself on agronomic operations of the same name. Then you should compare the yield of potatoes from a unit of area or from 1 row, compare appearance tubers and the depth of their eyes when different ways cultivation. It would not be superfluous to check which potatoes are peeled faster, easier and which tubers have the greatest yield of the net mass of the finished product. And after that, it will become clear to everyone what technology needs to be taken as a basis for growing potatoes.
State Scientific Institution All-Russian Research Institute for Organization of Production, Labor and Management in Agriculture of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GNU VNIOPTUSH)
Professor Kibirov Alikhan Yakovlevich
e- mail: ***** @ *** ru