How to plant potatoes: soil and tubers preparation, planting features
Potatoes always occupy most of the plantings, be it a small garden or a decent-sized summer cottage. It is not surprising, because this vegetable is destroyed (in a good and culinary sense of the word) on the largest scale. Growing potatoes is a rather laborious process and requires not only material, but also physical costs. Seeds, fertilizers, anti-Colorado potato beetle medications and regular weed control all play a role. No less important is himself potato planting process... Untimely or incorrect planting of tubers can significantly reduce yields and lead to crop diseases. To avoid such problems, it is important to know how to plant potatoes.
The process of planting potatoes can be divided into three stages:
- Soil preparation.
- Seed preparation.
- Directly the landing itself.
Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.
How to prepare the soil?
Usually, the site begins to be prepared in the fall. After harvesting at the end of autumn, humus is scattered around the garden. His potatoes are very fond of and respond well to such dressings. The application rate is from 5 to 10 kg per square meter of the garden, depending on the degree of depletion. Then the site is dug up manually, or the tractor is started and in this form, uneven and with lumps of soil, it goes into winter.
If organic matter is not available in the required amount, you can add humus directly during planting, adding it to each hole. Also added to the hole ash.
With the onset of spring, they begin to re-loosen the soil, at the same time adding phosphorus-potassium fertilizers if necessary. Now the soil needs to be dug up shallowly and leveled with a rake.
Cooking tubers for planting
2-3 weeks before the planned planting, the potatoes are taken out of the basement for germination. It is advisable to pre-wash the tubers in potassium permanganate. If possible, they should be laid out in one layer, but if there is a lot of seed material, they can be folded in several tiers and left in boxes. Potatoes germinate in a warm and bright room (about 20 degrees Celsius) for about two weeks. The tubers are sprayed periodically - this will help speed up the awakening. Then it is taken out to a cooler place with an air temperature of up to 14 degrees Celsius.
Immediately before planting, the tubers can be treated against diseases with a boric acid solution. And etching with drugs from Colorado potato beetle will avoid the time-consuming and frequent spraying of the bushes.
How to plant potatoes?
You can start planting tubers no earlier than return frosts go away and the earth warms up. This happens at different times in different regions. If in the warm southern regions gardeners open the season already in April, then in the northern latitudes planting is possible only in May. There is no need to rush, because in the cold soil the tubers will simply lie without developing, and the tender tops will die from recurrent frosts.
You can plant potatoes under a shovel or using cultivator... In any case, it is necessary to leave enough free space between the holes and rows so that the bushes have enough light and air, and it is possible to process them.
The optimal distance between the holes is from 20 to 35 cm and between the rows - from 60 to 80 cm.
The tubers do not deeply deepen, 10 cm is enough, otherwise they may not get out of such a hole. If the soil is clay, the planting depth should be even less, up to 5 cm. The sprouts should look down - then the bush will grow lush. After the end of planting, the area is leveled with a rake. In conclusion, I would like to add that although growing potatoes is a rather troublesome business, it is not difficult and certainly profitable. In a productive year, you can get 10 buckets of potatoes from 1 bucket, which means that you can and should plant a crop.