What varieties of potatoes are grown in the Leningrad region?

The weather in the Leningrad region can change very much per day, there are sharp fluctuations in air temperature. Snow melts from mid-April. The average temperature in July is + 16-18 degrees. Besides, very poor soils in the Leningrad region, podzol and peat bog, therefore, when digging, a large amount of fertilizer should be applied. In this review, we will talk about the features of planting potatoes in this region.

Landing dates

Potatoes are planted in early May, at this time, buds burst on birches and leaves appear from them. It is required that the earth at a depth of 10 cm has a temperature of at least + 8-12 degrees.

Landing distance

Potato planting scheme for ordinary beds

The distance between the bushes depends on the variety. For earlier varieties, holes are dug at a distance of 25 cm from each other, for later ones - 30-35 cm.

Features of growing potatoes in the Leningrad region

Choosing a landing site

Potatoes are a very light-loving plant and the area for it should be sunny, as well as, if possible, protected from drafts.

The place needs to be chosen sunny, but protected from the northerly winds. It is necessary to observe the crop rotation. Potatoes are planted in the place where beans, beans, peas, cabbage, cucumbers grew last year... It is even better if rye or mustard grew on the site before. Rye makes the soil loose and breathable. She will enrich the land with nitrogen and potassium. It is not advised to plant potatoes in the place where tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, that is, nightshades and strawberries, grew before. The best soil acidity ph = 5-5.5.

Digging the soil

In autumn, scatter 5 - 10 kg of manure, 20 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of double superphosphate per 1 m².

Then dig up the ground and make high ridges, then in the spring the earth will warm up faster. In addition, in the spring, after the snow melts and before planting, you can cover the ground with foil.

Landing rules in the Leningrad region

Sprouted tubers are planted.

A month before planting, select the healthiest tubers weighing 60-80 g, spread them on a flat surface in a warm place, illuminated by the rays of the sun, sometimes turn the tubers over. You can put the tubers in boxes filled with damp peat or sawdust, sprinkle them, sometimes sprinkle them with warm water. It is impossible for the sprouts to break, otherwise the potatoes will not sprout.

The rows are dug so that they are located from north to south.

Potatoes are planted in 3 ways:

• Digging on the site holes 8-9 cm deep.
• Forms high ridges and put potatoes in them to a depth of 10-12 cm.
• Plant tubers in trenches.

Summer in the region ends quickly, because of this, early and mid-season varieties are planted on the site. And potatoes of late varieties are planted in hotbeds and greenhouses.

Depending on the composition of the earth, holes are dug, less deepened holes are dug on denser and heavier soil. So, in clay soil, the depth of the hole is made 4-5 cm, and in sandy loam and sandy soil - 10-12 cm.

Also, if the ground is light, then make holes or furrows. A handful of ash is poured into each hole, a tuber is placed, and buried. The holes are dug, making an indent between them of 35 cm, and between the rows - 70 cm.

BUT if the ground is heavy, then plant potatoes in ridges about 12 cm high and about 0.65 m wide... Tuber crops on sandy loam soils are planted to a depth of 8-10 cm, and on loamy soils - 6-8 cm from the top of the ridge. Before planting, the ground is watered.

Care on the site

Watering

Before the buds appear, the soil is not watered, but when buds form and begin to bloom, the soil needs to be constantly moistened. Before watering, make sure the ground is dry to a depth of 6-8 cm. Water in the evening, pouring 2-3 liters of water under one bush. In drought, water the potatoes 3-5 times per season. Be sure to loosen the soil after watering.

Hilling

Hilling beds with potatoes

First, spud the bushes that are 14-16 cm high, then spud them after 2-3 weeks when buds begin to form. Huddle after rain or watering.

Growing in a greenhouse

In the greenhouse, you can keep the ideal temperature and humidity for potatoes, it ripens a little earlier than on the site, and there are no diseases and harmful insects.

Flowering potatoes in a greenhouse

You can plant potatoes in the greenhouse as early as April... Planting and grooming are the same as for a regular site. Fertilizers are poured onto the ground, dug up, dig holes, sprouted tubers are placed in each, covered with soil. The culture is loosened after watering, weeds are pulled out, spud and watered.

To further reduce the growth period of the culture, plant seedlings. 3-4 weeks before planting, sprouted tubers are planted in peat cups, sprinkled with earth, watered and loosened the soil.

Landing in greenhouses

Arcs are placed on the garden bed and covered with film, securing the edges. This will save the culture from recurrent frosts and sudden temperature fluctuations. Sometimes in warm weather, when the sun is shining, remove the film so that the moisture evaporates, water the crop, fertilize it, loosen the soil and close the greenhouse again. In greenhouses, tubers can be harvested 14 days earlier than on the plot.

Potato varieties for cultivation in the Leningrad region

It is best to plant elite varieties. They hardly get sick, they are not damaged by insects, in addition, their taste is better than that of other varieties.

Adretta

Adretta potatoes

The variety is drought-resistant. Has a high yield - 45 t / ha. The peel is yellowish, rough. Adretta's potatoes are unpretentious to the composition of the land, which is very important for the poor soils of the Leningrad region. He was awarded a tasting taste assessment - 5 points. Tuber weight - 140 g.

Spring white

Spring white potatoes

Tuber weight 80-140 g. The variety is moderately resistant to scab, Alternaria and viruses. But not resistant to late blight.

Aurora

Potatoes Aurora

Productivity - 250-300 kg / ha. The weight of the Aurora variety tuber is 90-150 g.

Naiad

Naiad potatoes

Productivity - 193-373 kg / ha. Tuber weight 72-126 g. The peel of the potato is yellow and the flesh is white. Resistant to nematodes and immune to cancer.

Pushkinets

Potatoes Pushkinets

Productivity - 32 t / ha. Tuber weight - 103-106 g. The peel is beige, the flesh is snow-white. The cultivar is immune to cancer and resistant to nematodes. Moderately susceptible to scab and late blight. Tasting taste assessment - 4.0-4.7 points.

Latona

Potatoes Latona

The peel is yellow, the flesh is yellowish. Tuber weight 90-140 g. Productivity is one of the highest - 50 t / ha. The variety easily tolerates heat and dry weather, as well as constant rains. Taste score - 4.9-5 points. It is immune to scab, ring and dry rot of tubers, viral infections. Not susceptible to nematodes. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to late blight of leaves.

Impala

Impala potatoes

Tuber weight - 88-150 g. The highest yield - 367 c / ha. The peel is yellow, the flesh is creamy. Taste rating - 4 points. Impala variety Resistant to nematodes and immune to cancer, weakly susceptible to common scab and viruses. But it is susceptible to rhizoctonia, powdery scab and late blight. Has a high resistance to stress. Resistant to dry summer and mechanical damage.

Zhukovsky early

Potatoes Zhukovsky early

The variety is not susceptible to cancer, nematodes, Alternaria, and black scab. Drought-resistant. The rind is pink and the flesh is white. Tuber weight - 100-120 g. Productivity - 400-450 kg / ha. Tasting taste assessment - 5 points out of 5 possible.

Bullfinch

Potato bullfinch

Tuber weight - 60-90 g. Average yields 350-450 c / ha. It is immune to cancer, scab and viruses, late blight and macrospore of tubers. But it can be attacked by a nematode.

Luck

Potato Luck

Tuber weight - 120 g. Productivity 42 t / ha. Variety Luck is resistant to rhizoctonia, scab, cancer, wrinkled mosaic, viral diseases. The variety is susceptible to late blight.

Which ones are early varieties

Early varieties include Adretta, Zhukovsky early, Pushkinets, Latona, Impala.

When growing potatoes in the Leningrad region, do not forget that the soil there is usually depleted, therefore add fertilizer when digging. For growing late varieties of potatoes, use greenhouses, hotbeds, plant seedlings.

Potatoes are a plant that requires heat and light. How to grow it in conditions of frequent changeable weather and excessive abundance of natural precipitation.

Features of growing potatoes in the North-West region of Russia

The climate in the Northwest region of Russia is influenced by Arctic, Atlantic and continental air masses. Winter here lasts from November to February. March is the sunniest of all months of the year, while April is foggy and cloudy. The hot period of summer is no more than two weeks, all other days are cloudy and precipitation. Autumn begins in mid-August. Not every potato variety is suitable for growing in this region.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a potato variety.

Landing time

Potatoes are planted, as a rule, in early May, when leaves bloom on birches. The specific date is determined using the lunar calendar. An important rule is to warm up the soil at a depth of 10 cm to no less than 8-12 degrees Celsius.

Potatoes are planted only in well-heated soil.

Site selection

A plot for potatoes is chosen sunny and protected from free winds. It cannot be planted in the same place every year. The best predecessors are cabbage, cucumbers, and legumes. But best of all, in the fall, in the place where you plan to grow potatoes, plant rye or mustard. Rye planted in winter will enrich the soil with nitrogen, potassium, and organic matter. It is a wonderful green manure that makes the ground loose and breathable.

Rye enriches the soil with nutrients useful for potatoes

Podzolic and peat bog soils, which require large amounts of fertilizers, prevail in the North-West region of the country. They need to be applied in autumn and spring, before plowing. The most suitable are poultry droppings and manure, in the fall you can apply fresh, but in the spring - only in a rotted state.

The soil for planting potatoes must be fertilized

In order for the soil to warm up faster in spring, in the fall it needs to be loosened or high ridges formed. Also, to speed up the process, you can cover it with a film after the snow melts.

Rules for planting potatoes in the northwest

In order to get an early harvest, only germinated tubers need to be planted. To do this, about a month before sowing, they are taken out of storage, the healthiest ones, weighing 60–80 grams, are selected, and germinated: laid out on a flat surface and kept in a warm, well-lit place, periodically turning over. You can put the tubers in boxes with wet peat or sawdust, sprinkle them, not forgetting to sprinkle with warm water from time to time. You need to be very careful with the sprouts, you cannot damage them, otherwise there will be no seedlings.

For planting potatoes, you need to use only sprouted tubers.

Potatoes are planted in three classic ways:

• Smooth - digging holes on a flat surface.
• Ridge - laying potatoes into formed ridges.
• Trench - planting tubers in trenches.

For each type of site, the method must be selected individually. For example, in waterlogged soil, growing in ridges is well suited. The soil in them dries out faster, and the roots of plants are better enriched with oxygen, which has a very good effect on the speed and quality of the fruits formed. Optimal planting depth for medium-sized potatoes — 8-9 cm, in the ridges — 10-12 cm. The basic rule for any method of planting potatoes is that the arrangement of the rows must be observed strictly from north to south.

For waterlogged soils, growing potatoes in ridges is well suited

Features of growing late varieties

Summer in the Northwest region is rather short, so only early and middle type of potatoes can be grown in the open field. To fully form their fruits late varieties, you need to use hotbeds or greenhouses.

Growing potatoes in a greenhouse

In the greenhouse, the optimal air temperature and humidity are created for the plants, they ripen earlier than in unprotected soil, and there are no diseases and various pests.

The greenhouse is the perfect place for potatoes

Potatoes are planted in a greenhouse earlier than in open ground, because the soil there warms up faster. In the Northwest region, this period usually begins in April. The cultivation process is the same: the soil is dug up and fertilized, a hole is dug, a sprouted tuber is put, sprinkled with earth, the plants are loosened, weeded, spud, watered.

Potatoes are planted in the greenhouse earlier than in open ground

To shorten the growing season of potatoes, which is important when growing late varieties, the seedling method is used. To do this, 3-4 weeks before the start of planting, sprouted tubers are planted in peat, plastic pots, or in cut bottles, sprinkled with soil or sand, watered and loosened in a timely manner. Plants obtained in this way take root better in the soil.

Seedling method of growing potatoes shortens the growing season

Growing potatoes in greenhouses

If the greenhouse is occupied for planting more thermophilic crops, then potatoes in the open field can be covered with foil or agrofibre, and it is better to make a greenhouse. To do this, you need to install arcs on a garden bed with potatoes and cover them with a film, securing the edges well. This shelter will help protect plants from temperature extremes. Periodically, in good sunny weather, the greenhouse will need to be opened to weather the excess accumulated moisture, water, fertilize the plants, loosen the soil and close it again. In greenhouses, potatoes ripen at least 2 weeks earlier, and the quality of the crop is much higher than that grown in the open field.

Greenhouse allows you to get an earlier harvest of potatoes

Care

Gardeners of the North-West region are constantly experimenting. They grow potatoes in barrels, buckets, bags, wooden boxes, under straw and hay, in the Dutch, Chinese way. Someone eventually switches to these alternative planting methods completely, while someone grows, as they say, in the old fashioned way. But whichever method you choose, the potatoes definitely need full care, otherwise there will be no high yields. It includes weeding, hilling, loosening the soil, watering and fertilizing, protecting against diseases and pests.

Most often, potatoes are watered with natural precipitation, but two weeks after germination, as well as during the beginning and end of flowering, plants need additional watering with top dressing. A good fertilizer is diluted mullein or nettle infusion. Thus, the potatoes are watered and fertilized at least three times during the entire growing period. This number increases during dry seasons.

Over the entire period of growth, potatoes must be watered at least three times.

Hilling plants, you save them from cold snaps, remove weeds, saturate the roots with oxygen, and stimulate the growth of green mass. The first time hilling is carried out at the emergence of seedlings, and then after watering and rains. Flowering signals the beginning of the formation of tubers, therefore, during this period, air access is especially necessary.

Hilling oxygenates the plant roots

Plants in the North-West region are most often protected from late blight, the development and widespread distribution of which is provoked by increased moisture in the air and soil. Ash is a good helper in this, the plants are watered with its solution, and the tops are showered in a dry form.

Late blight is a consequence of increased soil and air humidity

Of the pests in the North-West region, shrews are especially common, which are especially gluttonous. The benefit of these animals is that they eat a huge number of insects. The harm is the destruction of root crops.

The shrew is one of the most common potato pests in the Northwest region.

Potato pests of the Northwest region table

The best varieties for the Northwest region

Potato planting material directly affects the harvest. The best option is elite varieties. They practically do not get sick, and pests bypass them, in addition, their quality and taste are higher than other varieties. Among other things, they do not degenerate longer, but they cost an order of magnitude higher than other varieties, and not every gardener has the opportunity to purchase them.

Elite varieties are the best option for growing potatoes

It is better to plant several types of potatoes at once, with different growing periods, because it is not known what kind of weather this summer will please and what variety can grow and give a harvest.

Potato types

Potatoes are divided into three types:

• Early - 50-60 days from the moment of germination - ripens quickly, is very poorly stored.
• Mid-season - 70–90 days - has a long shelf life, has a good taste.
• Late ripening - more than 100 days - a lot of starch, good taste and shelf life.

Early varieties

Early potatoes ripen early, before late blight begins to spread. This is its undeniable advantage. The disadvantage is that it is very poorly stored, so it is most often grown in small quantities, and having dug it out, they try to cook it right away.

For the North-West region, many varieties of potatoes have been zoned. Basically, gardeners are guided when choosing their yield.

Best of early table

The best of the early varieties of potatoes photos

Mid-season potato varieties

Mid-season potatoes are the preferred type for the Northwest region, with an optimal growing season, good taste and shelf life.

The best mid-season varieties table

The best mid-season potato varieties photo

Late varieties

Due to the long growing season in the North-West region of the country, late varieties of potatoes are not grown outdoors. But due to their good taste and ability to store for a long time, some gardeners choose them and grow them in greenhouses and greenhouses.

The best among the late varieties table

The best of the late varieties of potatoes photos

Potatoes for growing in the Leningrad region

In the area under consideration, gardeners are also preferred to early potato varieties due to the short and humid summer.

Potato breeding common in the Leningrad region - table

The main requirements of gardeners for potatoes are the tolerance of unfavorable weather conditions, a short growing season, resistance to late blight and high yield.

Common varieties of potatoes in the Leningrad region - table

Photo gallery of common varieties

New potato varieties for the Northwest region

Despite the abundance of varieties, breeders are constantly breeding new potatoes, with good resistance to diseases and pests, beautiful and tasty fruits. For the Northwest region, such ones as Charoite, Manifesto and Damaris are suitable.

Manifesto is a mid-early variety. Tubers are oval, elongated, red, weight 100-130 grams, amber pulp, excellent taste. The yield is high (160-460 kg per one hundred square meters), depends on fertilizers, keeping quality is good. Resistant to golden nematode and leaf roll virus. Medium susceptible to late blight.

Manifesto - a variety without flaws

Charoite is an early potato variety; you can start digging tubers after 60 days from the moment of germination. For the rapid formation of fruits, it is popularly called the Rapid Ripening of Peter. Tubers are elongated, oval, yellow, weighing 100-140 grams. The taste is excellent, the yield is high (230–320 kg per one hundred square meters). Stores well. Resistant to cancer. Susceptibility to late blight is average. It is affected by the golden nematode.

Charoite is the best variety for the North-West region of Russia

Damaris is a medium early variety, with beige oval tubers of good taste, weighing 90–130 grams. A productive variety (180-450 kg per one hundred square meters), well stored. Resistant to diseases such as cancer, scab, mosaic, black leg. Medium susceptible to late blight. Not affected by golden nematode.

Damaris

Take a note of the variety you like and plant it on the site. Experiment additionally: look for and plant new varieties, apply new growing methods. Search directly for yourself, the best potatoes for your taste.

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Preparing tubers for planting and planting potatoes

Given the climatic and soil characteristics of the Leningrad Region, the choice of the optimal potato variety for planting is very important.The varieties differ not only in taste, color, shape of tubers and in the rate of ripening, but also in resistance to diseases and pests. Different varieties have optimum growth at different temperatures and moisture levels.

It is necessary, first of all, to pay attention to what sort of ripening period you need.

According to the ripening period, potato varieties are divided:

• early (early ripening) (70-80 days for full maturation)
• medium early (80-90)
• mid-season (90-110)
• mid-late (110-120)
• late (120-140)

Recommended varieties of potatoes for growing in the Leningrad region

Early

Alova, Borodyansky pink, Vyatka, Zhukovsky early, Impala, Karatop, Strong, Latona, League, In memory of Osipova, Pushkin, Bullfinch, Timo, Khankkiyan, Luck, Felox, Fresco, Kholmogorsky

Medium early

Alvara, Breeze, Visa, Victoria, Gala, Detskoselsky, Elizabeth, Belorussian Lilya, Nevsky, Odyssey, Palma, Radonezh, Reserve, Rozhdestvensky, Ryabinushka, Santana, Sante, Svitanok Kievsky, Fairy tale, Madam, Charodey

Mid-season

Aurora, Aspia, Bronitsky, Dubrava, Zhivitsa, Peter's riddle, Krinitsa, Ladozhsky, Lugovskoy, Naiad, Nida, Petersburg, Resource, Rosamund, Romance, Scrub, Sparta, Seagull

Mid late

Inspiration, Lorkh, Nikulinsky, Ramensky

Late

Lasunak

Also see useful information on growing potatoes in the Do-it-yourself garden section

Second, decide what you plan to use the potatoes for. If for storage, keeping quality is important. How will you use it - for cooking or mashed potatoes, it is better to use potatoes with a high starch content (such varieties are boiled), for salads - on the contrary, with a reduced one. The resistance of the variety to diseases common in the region should also be taken into account. Of course, you should choose, first of all, among those varieties, quality seed material of which you can purchase.

High quality seed tubers, good preparation for planting and high quality of planting are of great importance in obtaining early friendly shoots and a high yield. For planting, it is necessary to use only healthy tubers of zoned crustacean potato varieties.

The best for planting are potato tubers weighing 50 to 80 g (the size of a hen's egg). However, with the appropriate planting depth and feeding area, you can get high yields of potatoes when planting healthy small tubers weighing 30-40 g and half tubers weighing from 90 to 120 g or the tops of large tubers, the weight of which should be 50-70 g.

To preserve and improve the potato variety and seed quality of tubers, it is necessary to select the most productive bushes with large healthy tubers that have the correct shape for the variety during harvesting of potatoes. The selection of seed tubers from the best bushes will increase the yield of potatoes next year by 13-22%.

Various methods of preparing tubers for planting can speed up the appearance of the most aligned and friendly shoots and increase the number of stems in the bushes.

Proper preparation of tubers for planting results in a significant increase in potato yield.

The most effective ways to prepare potato tubers for planting are:

• selection of healthy tubers
• sizing tubers by size and weight
• cutting large tubers
• germination in the light (vernalization) and germination of sprouts
• sprouting tubers in wet peat or sawdust
• heating tubers
• wetting tubers with solutions of fertilizers, methylene blue and other substances

Selection of healthy tubers

During storage, some of the tubers are affected by various diseases. Such tubers, getting into the soil, quickly decompose or germinate, but give rise to weak bushes. In addition, these tubers and bushes increase the disease of other plants, which significantly reduces the yield of potatoes. Therefore, the first work on preparing seed potatoes for planting is the selection of healthy and removal of diseased tubers.Careful selection of healthy tubers increases potato yields by 8 to 36%.

Calibration of tubers

Unsuitable emergence and thinning of seedlings, different growth and different productivity of potato bushes in the fields depend on many reasons. The main one is planting potatoes with uncalibrated, different in size and quality, whole tubers and their halves.

Given the different quality of seed tubers, they must be divided by size and weight into groups and planted separately. For planting with whole tubers, tubers weighing 30-40, 50-60 and 70-80 g should be selected; for planting in halves tubers weighing 90-120 g.

In the area intended for harvesting early potatoes, tubers weighing 70-80 g or the upper halves of tubers weighing 90-120 g should be planted. From tubers weighing 30-40 and 50-60 g and the lower halves, a high yield is obtained only with late harvesting.

Cutting tubers for planting

If for planting there is not enough seed tubers weighing from 30 to 80 g, then you can plant halves of tubers weighing 90-120 g and the tops of large tubers. Cut the tubers across and plant the upper and lower halves separately on a different feeding area.

Experiments have shown that cutting the tubers into two lobe halves is accompanied by damage to the apical buds, which reduces the potato yield by 12-16%. Cut tubers should be 3-4 weeks before planting and no later than a week. With early cutting of a tuber, a dry corky layer of cells appears on the cut, which protects the tubers from rotting in the soil.

Early cutting and planting of tubers halves does not increase potato diseases in the area, since the cutting time is easy to detect and discard tubers affected by various diseases.

Sprouting in the light (vernalization) and growing seed potato sprouts

This method of preparing tubers for planting is best for harvesting potatoes in the early stages of harvest.

During vernalization, a large number of buds germinate, root tubercles are formed on the lower part of the shoots, and during growing, the shoots and roots start to grow. After planting such tubers, shoots quickly appear together with a large number of stems in the bushes.

You can vernalize tubers in any bright room at a temperature of 12-15 ° C for 20-31 days. For vernalization, it is better to put tubers in boxes in 1-2 layers, tops up. To protect the tubers from wilting and improve the conditions for the appearance of sprouts and root tubercles, it is necessary to spray them with water every 5-7 days.

Vernalized tubers 5-7 days before planting should be poured into boxes with peat or sawdust moistened with a solution of copper sulfate (2 g per 10 l of water), or methylene blue (3 g per 10 l of water), or boric acid (2 g per 10 l of water ).

Correctly vernalized and grown tubers should have thick shoots 2-3 cm long and the same root length.

Sprouting tubers in wet peat or sawdust

Various dark ventilated rooms are suitable for germination of potatoes in moist peat, in which it is possible to have a temperature of 12-15 ° C and a relative humidity of 65-70%.

Darkness and a moist layer of peat or sawdust at a temperature of 12-15 C create conditions for the rapid development of shoots and roots.

A well-sprouted potato should have thick shoots 2-3 cm long and roots of the same length. This germination takes 12-15 days. An increase in the germination period is unacceptable, as this will cause a strong overgrowth of shoots and roots, their plexus and a decrease in yield.

If rainy weather delays the planting of potatoes, then you can stop the growth of shoots and roots of the sprouting potatoes by ventilating the room and reducing the temperature to 4-5 ° C.

For germination, the tubers are placed in rows in potato or tomato boxes and layered with wet peat or sawdust. At the bottom of the box and above the top tubers, there should be a layer of peat 4-6 cm thick.Peat or sawdust is moistened with a solution in the same way when growing vernalized potatoes.

Heating tubers

The purpose of heating tubers before planting is to create favorable conditions for the awakening of the buds. This speeds up the emergence of shoots and roots after planting the tubers in the soil. Seedlings appear 4-6 days earlier than when unheated tubers are planted. The yield in late harvesting periods increases by 7-13%. Tubers stored in a basement or in closed pits can be heated outdoors or in open rooms at a temperature of 8-15 ° C for 7-10 days. After warming up one day before planting, the tubers should be moistened with a solution of copper sulfate (2 g per 10 l of water).

Wetting vernalized, germinated or heated tubers improves potato growth and reduces plant disease. In our experiments, the wetting of seed tubers with solutions of copper sulfate, methylene blue and boric acid increased the yield of potatoes in different years from 3 to 37%.

Planting potatoes

Potatoes prefer loose, deeply cultivated, light to medium loamy or sandy loamy soils. The requirements for soil fertility in this culture are high. The soil should be dug up in autumn to a depth of 25-35 cm.

At the same time, it is recommended to plow more humus or compost into the ground (at the rate of 6-8 kg per 1 sq.m.), which will have time to decompose well during the winter.

Potatoes love well-lit, sunny places: Placing this crop in shaded areas leads to stretching of the plants and the formation of small tubers. It is not recommended to grow potatoes in one place for two years in a row, since in this case pests and pathogens accumulate in the soil, it begins to degenerate. The potatoes are returned to their original place no earlier than 3-4 years later. It can be placed after any vegetable or grain crop except tomato, pepper, eggplant, and strawberry.

The high quality of planting potatoes is of great importance not only for increasing the yield, but also for getting it in the early stages. The planting of tubers should ensure the fastest emergence of potato seedlings, development of the root system, improved nutrition and water supply to plants during the entire growing season.

The main indicators of planting quality are: planting time, planting rate and feeding area, depth and quality of embedding, shape of the field surface after planting, straightness of rows and uniform arrangement of tubers in rows.

In the Leningrad region, potatoes must be planted early

Early planting, as well as the use of various methods of preparing tubers for planting, accelerates the emergence of seedlings, the growth of roots and tubers of potatoes.

Late planting of tubers, even with a rapid emergence of seedlings, causes a decrease in potato yield. However, the very early planting of potatoes in "immature", cold, damp and poorly loosened soil is also unacceptable, since the tubers find themselves in conditions unfavorable for the growth of roots and shoots. In such conditions, the disease of potatoes with rhizoctonia and other diseases increases. At the same time, a large number of shoots die, seedlings appear uncooked, weak and sparse. Premature planting on wet clay soils is especially dangerous.

The best time to plant potatoes is from May 1 to May 15.

At this time, at a depth of 8-10 cm in loamy soils, a temperature of 8-10 ° C is established, and in sandy loam 10-12 ° C. ... In the early stages, vernalized tubers should be planted on light warm sandy loam soils.

Planting rate and planting density of potatoes. Numerous experiments and practice have proven that the highest potato yields are obtained in thickened plantings. Planting density and planting rate depend on potato variety, soil and seed quality, and weather.Early maturing varieties have less developed tops, so they need to be planted denser.

On fertile soils, the number of bushes should also be increased and their feeding area should be reduced.

Planting depth of tubers

In the conditions of the Leningrad region, heat and air access to the tubers are of decisive importance for the rapid growth of roots, shoots and emergence of potatoes. At the beginning of potato growth, there is always enough of it in the soil. Therefore, deep planting of tubers delays the emergence of seedlings and reduces the yield of potatoes. In our experiments, with shallow embedding of tubers, seedlings appeared 3-5 days earlier, the number of stems in the bushes increased by 12-17%, and the yield increased by 16-24% compared with the usual deep embedding.

The best planting depth of tubers is determined by taking into account the quality and condition of the soil, the weather, the quality of the seed tubers and the surface of the field after planting.

For whole tubers weighing 50-60 and 70-80 g and for halves of large tubers, the best planting depth on a flat surface is 8-9 cm and when planted in ridges 10-12 cm, and for small tubers weighing 30-40 g —6— 7 cm when planted on a flat surface and 8-9 cm when planting in ridges.

On loamy soils in rainy and cold springs and during early planting, the depth of planting of tubers should be reduced by 1–2 cm. In warm dry spring, on light soils and at later planting dates, it is advisable to increase the planting depth by 1–2 cm. However, you should always remember that in our northern conditions, planting tubers in the soil deeper than 12 cm and less than 5 cm significantly reduces the germination and yield of potatoes.

On loamy soils, in low areas and on sandy loam soils, planting potatoes in ridges has a great advantage over planting on a flat surface. They warm up well, which ensures better potato growth and tuber ripening. To plant the tubers in the ridges, it is necessary to make grooves 10-12 cm deep on sandy loamy soils and 6-8 cm deep on loamy soils on the treated soil surface with a hoe or a shovel, spread out the tubers in them and spud them with a hoe or rake so that they are sealed on the desired depth.

To quickly and easily plant the tubers on a flat soil surface (not in the ridges), you need to pull the cord and plant the tubers in regular rows along it. For the first tuber, make a hole, throwing the soil to the side with a shovel. Cover the tuber placed in the finished hole with soil from each subsequent hole. After planting, loosen the soil over the rows of tubers and the tracks between the rows with a rake in order to reduce the evaporation of water from the soil.

Prevention and control of late blight

Late blight is the most harmful disease of potatoes. The main danger of the disease is the enormous speed of its development. Under favorable weather conditions, the number of pathogen populations grows exponentially, and the growth of the disease in plantings of susceptible varieties untreated with a fungicide is so rapid that the entire field can be infected from single diseased bushes in 10-15 days, and the plants can be completely destroyed in 2-3 weeks. In Russia, the annual losses from this disease are on average about 4 million tons. In the years of epiphytoties, the productivity of varieties susceptible to the disease without the use of special protective equipment can decrease by 1.5-2 times, and yield losses can reach 50-60%.

Photofluorosis develops inside the potato leaves and causes the formation of dark spots. In conditions of high air humidity, a white bloom appears on the underside of the leaves around the spots on the border of healthy and affected tissue, which is the sporulation of the oomycete. Spores are carried by rain and wind, and spread to healthy potato bushes and infect them. Spots on infected leaves become visible 3-5 days after infection. In dry weather, the tops turn brown and dry out, in wet weather they rot.

On the stems, the disease manifests itself in the form of dark brown oblong spots, on which sporulation is noticeable in wet weather. With severe damage, the stems become brittle. Unlike leaf spots, stem spots can spore for a long time.

Tubers become infected through lenticels and skin lesions. Slightly depressed, sharply limited brown spots are formed on the tubers, the flesh under which has a rusty-brown color.

Two weeks before harvesting potatoes, you must mow the tops and remove them from the field. This accelerates the roughness of the skin of the potato and increases its resistance to photofluorosis. This procedure is especially important for seed potatoes. The dug out tubers are dried for 3-4 hours in the air. If there is a late blight infection or harvesting was carried out in rainy weather, then it is necessary to dry the potatoes for 2-3 weeks.

Seed potatoes additionally require 10-15 days of greening in the light. All seed potatoes must be harvested before August 15-20.

Preparations against late blight of potatoes

Treatment method: spraying vegetative plants.

A drug	Consumption rate g / weaving	Maximum frequency of treatments	Intervals between treatments, days
Abiga Peak
Avixil
Agate 25K
Acrobat MC
Alufit
Bordeaux mixture
Bravo
Ditan M45
Cupricol
Cuproxat
Kurzat
Metaxil
Novozir
Copper oxychloride
Oxyhom
Ordan
Penncoceb
Pylon
Poliram DF
Ridomil Gold MC
Ridomil MC
Sandofan M8
Sectin
Thanos
Tattu
Uthan
Cytoxim
Tsikhom
Unomil

Potatoes are a thermophilic plant. But not all gardeners live in the south. Scientists have tried to create varieties for various climatic conditions, and now we can say with confidence that even in unpredictable weather conditions, it is possible to get an excellent potato crop. You just need to choose the right variety and follow the planting and care rules.

Features of growing potatoes in the North-West region

The homeland of the potato is the warm, one might say, hot countries of South America - Peru and Bolivia, where the tubers were not only eaten, but also were the object of religious worship.

Potatoes are still honored in Peru

A lot of time has passed since then. The painstaking work of breeders has led to the emergence of new varieties of this wonderful vegetable. At the moment, potatoes can be grown even in places of so-called risky farming - for example, in the North-West region.

A feature of the region, located within the temperate continental climate, is the abundance of precipitation, which often leads to waterlogging of the soil. And the summer cannot be called too warm - the average temperature norm in July is only 14.3 ° C. In order to grow a good potato crop under such conditions, you need to use competent agricultural techniques and choose varieties that are not afraid of low temperatures and high humidity.

Site selection

The choice of a landing site plays an important role. The main condition for potatoes is a large amount of sunlight, which illuminates and warms the plantings. There is no need to be afraid that direct rays will burn the tops - if you use the correct agricultural technology, this will not happen. But the shadow will negatively affect the quality of the crop. It is advisable to protect potato bushes from the prevailing winds. And of course, you need to take into account the terrain, potatoes are planted only on flat areas.

Be sure to follow the crop rotation. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants are not the best precursors for potatoes. These plants harbor pathogens that can threaten potatoes. By the way, the pests of the representatives of the nightshade family are also the same.

It is impossible to plant potatoes from year to year on the same site. The site must rest for at least 3 years before being used again for planting. Legumes, root vegetables, cucumbers, cabbage will be ideal precursors.

Potatoes are a thermophilic plant, for planting you need to find the most illuminated place

How to prepare the soil

In order for a variety to fully reveal its qualities, it is necessary to take into account the structure of the soil and its nutritional value. The root crop prefers to grow in unrestricted conditions, it needs loose soils that conduct moisture well and have unhindered air exchange.

All types of podzolic soils, loams and sod-podzolic soils prevail on the territory of the North-West region, including the Leningrad region. These types of soils are not very suitable for growing potatoes. To improve their mechanical properties, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work before planting the root crop. It includes the following steps:

1. In the fall, they must dig up the site. The deeper the better. Before digging, rotted manure is evenly scattered on the ground - up to 6 kg, double superphosphate - 50–70 g, potassium - 30–50 g, ash - 300 g. The specified amount is calculated per 1 m2. Do not break large clods of earth. Under the influence of precipitation and wind, they will disintegrate themselves.
2. In the spring, digging is carried out only if the earth has become compacted during the winter period, and shallow, half a shovel's bayonet. Basically, it is enough to simply loosen the soil with a pitchfork. If the nutrients were not introduced in the autumn period, then they can be added a month before planting for digging or directly into the hole.

Some additional tips:

• if the land contains a lot of clay, during the preparatory period it is necessary to bring in a large amount of sand for digging, which will increase the looseness of the soil;
• manure should be applied only rotted, and it is best to do this in the fall. Such a measure will avoid a number of diseases and wateriness of tubers;
• with increased acidity, it is necessary to alkalinize the earth. But do not overdo it with the norm, a large amount of lime can cause scab of the tubers;
• sowing green manures such as rye or mustard before winter is an excellent way to increase soil fertility. It is carried out 1.5 months before frost.

Before planting potatoes, the soil must be dug up and fertilized.

Tuber preparation

Early potatoes can only be harvested if sprouted tubers are planted. About a month before planting, the selected potatoes are taken out of storage and sorted again. The most suitable tubers for germination are the size of a hen's egg.

1. For germination, a bright room with a constant temperature of 15 ° C is selected.
2. Potatoes are placed in low boxes or trays. A large number of tubers can be spread out on the floor.
3. Germinated potatoes should be flipped periodically and sprinkled lightly with water to keep them from shriveling.

If you are a little late with the start of germination, and the planting time is running out, there is one wonderful method - a peat-humus mixture with sand. It is poured into containers, potatoes are placed on top. Temperature and light indicators should be the same as for germination by the usual method. Periodically wetting the tubers with water will help them quickly grow sprouts with a root system. The only disadvantage of this method is that you will have to plant it manually and very carefully so as not to damage the fragile roots.

Potatoes are germinated before planting.

Landing dates

Many gardeners of the North-West region consider the beginning of flowering of bird cherry and the blooming of young leaves on birch as a guideline for planting potatoes. The main thing is that at a depth of 8 cm the earth has time to warm up to 10оС.

During planting, the features of the spring period should be taken into account:

• if the spring is cold and damp, potatoes should be planted shallowly - 8–10 cm so that the tubers are properly warmed up;
• in warm and dry weather, you can bury the tubers deeper, 10-15 cm.

Planting methods

In the Northwest region, gardeners choose the same planting methods as in other regions.Someone prefers to use the classic "shovel" method. This method is mainly used on small flat areas located in the southern part of the garden. Its advantages are simplicity and time saving.

Planting potatoes in holes is used in small areas

The ridge method is more suitable for heavy soils, in which the potatoes grow deformed and shallow due to lack of space for the development of tubers. The same method is used in swampy and often flooded areas, where potatoes can simply rot in the water.

The ridge method is used in clay or flooded areas

Many gardeners in the region try to plant their potatoes in furrows or trenches, directing them from south to north so that the potato bushes can get more light and heat. Ridge and trench methods are suitable for owners of walk-behind tractors and large plots of land.

Trenches should be located from south to north so that the potato bushes are well lit

With the above planting methods, you can get good yields of early and medium early potatoes. The fast growing season allows the tubers to mature in a short time. But in the climatic conditions of the North-West region, when grown in open ground, medium-late and late varieties do not always manage to form a crop in time. What to do? The answer lies under the tape in the literal sense of the word. So that late varieties of potatoes can please you with the taste and size of the tuber, use greenhouses and film shelters (greenhouses).

Potatoes are planted in a greenhouse much earlier than in open ground. This is possible because the soil in an enclosed space warms up much earlier. In addition, in greenhouse conditions it is quite easy to maintain the temperature necessary for the growth and development of potatoes. The planting technology is the same as in the open field, but there are more advantages:

• you can grow potatoes 8 months a year;
• harmful insects are practically absent;
• care requires minimal costs;
• the yield in the greenhouse is much higher than in the open field.

There are many benefits to growing potatoes in a greenhouse

A film shelter or greenhouse will also allow you to plant potatoes a little earlier. The plastic wrap will protect the tubers from frost, and you will get the harvest 2 weeks earlier. It is very easy to build such a shelter. Metal arcs are installed on the potato bed, a transparent film is stretched from above and fixed at the base. But growing under cover has one caveat. As long as the potato sprouts sit in the ground, they don't need ventilation. But the emerging seedlings need air. The film delays it, so you have to periodically lift it. And when the tops grow 15 cm, holes are made on the surface of the film in a checkerboard pattern to ensure ventilation of the shelter.

In a greenhouse, potatoes are not afraid of frosts

Another important point when growing potatoes under a film is to maintain the temperature inside the greenhouse. If the weather is sunny, then the ground under the structure can warm up to 40 ° C and higher. This high temperature will stop the development of tubers. Therefore, in sunny weather, the film can be removed, but if the frost returns, the structure should be returned to its original appearance.

Care

The agricultural technology of potatoes grown in the North-West region is not much different from the generally accepted one, with the exception of hilling and watering. If the weather is damp during the growing season, then you do not need to water the potatoes. At the beginning of development, the plant has enough water and nutrition, which are in the mother tuber. But when the moment of budding comes, fluid intake increases. And if during this period there is hot weather without rains, then the potatoes must be provided with abundant watering.

Hilling in difficult climatic conditions is carried out more often - up to 3 times. For the first time, the sprouts are covered to the very top of the head to avoid exposure to frost.At each regrowth of seedlings, the procedure is repeated until the threat of recurrent cold snaps has passed.

The row spacing will have to be loosened at least 2 times. This procedure retains moisture in the soil and enhances air exchange in the roots. For the North-West region and the Leningrad region, where it often rains in summer, loosening is even better than moisture. In addition, loosening is an excellent way to combat weeds, and this is especially important at the very beginning of tuber germination. In addition, many pests, including wireworms, do not like this procedure.

Hilling and loosening potatoes in the Northwest region is a very useful procedure

Of course, potatoes will not do without nutrients, especially the late varieties. Taking into account the mineral fertilizers introduced during planting, potatoes need at least two additional fertilizing: the first time before the first hilling, the second - during the flowering period. It is more advisable to combine top dressing with watering or carry it out after rain. Preference should be given to organic fertilizers - a solution of chicken manure (1 part to 15 parts of water) or ash (2-3 tbsp. L. Under a bush).

Unfortunately, diseases and pests do not bypass potato planting. For the North-West region, the main problems are late blight and scab. For the prevention of these diseases or at the first sign, be sure to treat the bushes with Abiga-Peak or BisolbiFit preparations.

Among the pests, the most common are golden potato nematode, Colorado potato beetle, potato aphid and wireworm. To prevent the invasion of unwanted guests, it is necessary to correctly carry out agrotechnical techniques. You can plant fragrant herbs - their smell will scare away pests. And of course, crop rotation must be observed.

Photo gallery: diseases and pests of potatoes common in the North-West region

Review of the best potato varieties for the Northwest region

When growing potatoes, it is necessary to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region. In the northwest, most gardeners prefer to grow early and mid-early potatoes. But even the late varieties, as practice has shown, should not be abandoned. Moreover, late potatoes are valued for their taste. To better understand the varieties, let's get acquainted with their characteristics.

Early and mid-early varieties

Early potato varieties are considered the most popular among gardeners, and this is not surprising. Who would refuse young and fragrant potatoes with dill? And there are many advantages during cultivation:

• it will not take long to care for early potatoes, because only 50–70 days pass from the moment the tops emerge to harvest, and for medium early potatoes, it takes 10 days more;
• due to the short growing season, potatoes practically do not get sick with late blight, which means they are less exposed to chemical treatment for diseases.

But there is also a drawback - short storage. Varieties of early ripening have a very thin peel, which is why the tubers quickly lose moisture, becoming unpalatable.

Table: potato varieties of domestic selection

Photo gallery: potato varieties of domestic selection of early and mid-early ripening

Table: varieties of potatoes of foreign selection

Photo gallery: foreign varieties of potatoes of early and mid-early ripening

Mid-season varieties

Mid-season varieties ripen 80–90 days after germination. Such potatoes have a high starch content (over 15%).

Table: mid-season potato varieties

Photo gallery: mid-season potato varieties

Mid-late and late varieties

These potato varieties are not very popular in the Northwest region due to the short summer. They just do not always have time to ripen, because their vegetative period lasts from 95 days to 4 months. But these potatoes taste great and can be stored for a long time.Gardeners who dare to grow late potatoes under a plastic cover or in a greenhouse will probably be happy with the result.

Table: potato varieties of medium late and late ripening

Photo gallery: mid-late and late potato varieties

Potato varieties for the Leningrad region

In terms of climatic indicators, the Leningrad region is not much different from the North-West region. The short and humid summer gives way to rainy autumn. In such conditions, bushes and root crops often suffer from late blight and rot. Of course, gardeners first of all try to plant early varieties of potatoes - there is less risk and a very quick return of the product.

Early varieties of potatoes for the Leningrad region

Both domestic and foreign varieties are grown in the region. Among the domestic ones, Zhukovsky is the early leader, his characteristics have already been described. The following varieties have also proven themselves excellent:

1. Bullfinch. It is appreciated for its excellent yield - on the 45th day it is possible to harvest up to 130 c / ha, on the 55th it is already 210 c / ha. The maximum yield indicator is 354 c / ha. Can be stored perfectly - keeping quality 95%. An early ripe variety for dining purposes. Potatoes weighing from 59 to 90 g have an oval-rounded shape. The rind is not quite smooth, reddish in color. The pulp is white. The starch content is almost 16%. Taste rating from good to excellent. Along with most domestic varieties, Bullfinch perfectly resists the nematode and the causative agent of potato cancer.
2. Spring. This variety is obtained by crossing different types of potatoes, so you can use your own material for germination and planting for a long time. Spring is not afraid of viral infections, it tastes great. This variety has more varieties:
   • Spring is white. The variety is famous for its milky white pulp.
   • Spring is yellow. Due to the high content of carotene, it has a yellow pulp.
   • The spring is early. The grade is very different from earlier aging. It is grown through seedlings and harvested at the end of June.
3. Adretta. A wonderful variety from German breeders. It tastes great and is rarely viral. The only problem is that due to the susceptibility of tubers to rot, it is very poorly stored.

Photo gallery: early potato varieties for the Leningrad region

New potato varieties

Some varieties left the race, unable to withstand the competition, and some have not left the podium for many years. But science does not stand still. New varieties of potatoes with improved qualities appear.

1. Ivory Russet. This variety was included in the State Register in 2015. Refers to early maturing. On the 45th day, you can collect from 62 to 121 c / ha. On the 55th day, the yield is already 153–208 c / ha. The maximum figure of 420 c / ha is impressive. An elongated root crop is clothed in a yellowish peel. The eyes are small and insignificant. The pulp is white, contains up to 18.2% starch, and tastes good. Tuber weight 82-181 g.
2. Charoite. Included in the State Register in 2014. The shell is yellow, the flesh is slightly lighter. Contains almost 17% starch. The average weight of an elongated-oval root crop is 100–143 g. Marketability of tubers is 82–98%. The maximum yield is 382 c / ha. He is not afraid of cancer, he can fight late blight and striped mosaic with moderate efforts. It is attacked by the golden nematode.
3. Christelle. The newest grade. Year of entry into the State Register 2017. The oval-rounded root crop weighs 94–138 g. The eyes are located at shallow and medium depth. The skin and pulp are the same color - yellow, but the pulp is slightly darker. Good to excellent taste. Contains up to 14.7% starch. The maximum yield is 617 kg / ha. Resistant to striped mosaic and cancer, nematode-resistant. Can get sick with late blight tops and tubers.

Be sure to take the opportunity to try to grow new selection. Perhaps you will find exactly the variety that will become a favorite on your site.

Do not be afraid to experiment and plant different varieties of potatoes on your site.It is quite possible to grow even late potatoes in the conditions of the North-West region. Of course, you have to work hard, but the result is worth it. It's so nice to grow your own young potatoes, and in the winter, the supply of this vegetable will also not be superfluous.

Good day! My name is Irina. I live in a wonderful place - Crimea. By education - an educator. I love nature and animals very much. I have been fond of floriculture for a long time, but I have just begun to master garden wisdom. My motto is live, learn. Rate the article:

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