The technology of potatoes cultivation includes many elements, each of which needs special attention.
Before starting a review of each element of potato cultivation technology, two main methods of cultivation should be distinguished - this is the hilling method, when it is hilled up and cultivation of potatoes without hilling up. On heavy bloated soils, hilling is mandatory, if soils are light and sandy there no need to hill up potatoes.
All this is explained by the increased requirements of tubers to the looseness of the soil and the presence of air in it. Cultivation is not allowed on overconsolidated soils, since the crop is directly formed in the ground itself.
Site preparation
Potatoes cannot be planted after solanaceous - peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and of course after the potatoes themselves.
Constant cultivation of potatoes in one place for several years leads to the accumulation of diseases and pests in the soil and the one-sided removal of nutrients.
Since autumn, it is necessary to prepare the soil - remove weeds, fertilize, dig up or plow up the area to the depth of 25 - 27 cm. In the spring, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil so that moisture does not evaporate from it.
Therefore, cultivation potatoes includes the following activities:
- site selection and soil preparation for planting;
- preparation of seed material ;
- planting potatoes;
- fertilizers for potatoes, application rates;
- protection from diseases and pests;
- harvesting potatoes;
- storing potatoes in winter;
Preparing potato seeds for planting
In order for the potato to quickly and amicably ascend, it must be germinated. Germination is carried out in the warm room at the temperature from 15 ° C to 20 ° C. The presence of light in the room is very important.
If germinated in the dark, the sprouts turn out to be thin and white, while easily breaking off. If the seed potatoes are illuminated, the sprouts will be short, thick and hold well on the tuber.
Planting potatoes
When the soil warms up well to 9 - 10 ° C, potatoes must be planted in the ground. Planting is a very important moment, everything must be done correctly, since mistakes cannot be corrected. Potato planting methods should be divided into manual and mechanized, manual potato planting is mainly used in personal plots.
The planting scheme is selected according to the intended use of potatoes - if these are early seeds and they will not be stored, they are planted more densely, if for storage - then less densely. The most common schemes for early potatoes are 50 to 30 or 60 to 25, for late 60 to 30 or 75 to 25. There is also a square-nest method of planting potatoes, while the distance in the row and spacing are the same 40 by 40 or 45 by 45.
The depth of planting tubers is also very important, it should not be planted deep by 6 - 8 cm
Potato care
A high yield of potatoes can be obtained only with painstaking potato care. When shoots appear, it is necessary to hill up the tubers, while the height of the ridge can be 30 cm in height - the higher the ridge, the better. When growing potatoes, the soil must be constantly kept in the loosened state to prevent drying out or waterlogging.
Weed control is also important, it is best to destroy them at the beginning of the growing season, so weeds must be removed from the area 3-4 times per season.
Disease and pest control
The use of agrochemicals in the cultivation of potatoes is a purely personal matter, and with modern intensive technology of cultivation, it becomes mandatory. Potato diseases such as late blight and Alternaria blight are controlled by fungicide preparations.
A high yield of potatoes can be obtained by carrying out 4-5 treatments for the entire growing period. The main pest on potatoes is the Colorado beetle; its quantity can be controlled either manually (if it is not a large area) or chemical agents can be used. The modern pesticide market offers a very large assortment, it is important to use branded products and beware of fakes.
Potato harvesting
When to dig out potatoes? When the tops wither, and the peel stops peeling off, you should start harvesting. It is important that the tops be semi-dry, since there are still important elements in the fleshy tops that enter the tubers.
Do not leave tops and small tubers on the square, as they become accumulators of diseases and pests for the next year. Potatoes must be harvested carefully, do not drop, do not beat the tubers, otherwise it will be stored badly.
Immediately after cleaning, it must be dried in the sun for several hours.
Storing potatoes in winter
Before storing potatoes for storage, they must be sorted out. It is necessary to exclude diseased, cut, pest-affected tubers. Before laying, it is necessary to disinfect and prepare the storage for potatoes, it must be dry and clean.
The optimum storage temperature for potatoes is 5-10°C.
Cultivation of potatoes is a complex process, if it done right you will enjoy fresh potato tubers all year round.
