Effective methods and technologies for planting potatoes. How to plant potatoes for a bountiful harvest

Potatoes in Russia began to grow with light hand Tsar Peter the Great. It is unlikely that the Russian emperor then imagined that this vegetable would become one of the main products on the tables of Russians and that the Russian people would learn how to skillfully grow and get a rich harvest.

What is the seed - such is the harvest

To plant potatoes, you need to prepare in advance. Any gardener knows why this should be done. When we plant something, we always set ourselves the goal - to get a good harvest, but such a harvest that we are not ashamed of it. And most importantly, that the crop stocks last for a long time. Better - until the next harvest. It is worth paying attention to the seeds for planting potatoes. This is very important, since only good seeds you can get a rich harvest. We prepare seeds for planting in the fall during the harvesting of potatoes, setting aside tubers for planting for next spring.

We pay attention to the bushes that gave the highest yield of potatoes. For planting, small-sized root crops are best suited. The size of one potato should be the size of egg. But we must not forget about the tubers big size, since you will get much more yield from them than from small potatoes. And such potatoes will ripen faster. But do not forget that using large potatoes for planting is an unnecessary cost. Therefore, we stop at the best option- on tubers the size of an egg.

It is possible that when planting potatoes, you may encounter a small problem - there may not be enough seeds. Do not be upset - there are no hopeless situations. Here, large tubers will come in handy. We cut them in half, paying attention that each half has at least one “eye”, where the sprouts should come from.

In sunny, warm weather, do not forget to dry the seeds in the sun. This will ensure a good harvest.

If you buy seeds in a store, ask the seller for a quality certificate. If he cannot present such a document, it is worth considering whether you will get a good harvest. Such planting material is highly undesirable, as various microbes can enter the soil.

Before planting, potatoes must be held in the light. As you know, this is the best way for potatoes to turn green. We know that it is impossible to eat "green" potatoes, since such tubers contain the poisonous substance solanine, but when planting it is very useful to plant potatoes - this will protect our planting material from pests and rodents. This procedure must begin thirty days before landing in the ground. First, we prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and rinse potato tubers to protect against disease. Then we lay out the planting potatoes in wooden boxes.

Some gardeners are of the opinion that you need to germinate potatoes in the dark. But this is an erroneous view, because the potato sprouts will be long, but not viable and will easily break when planted. But in the light (although you need to avoid a direct hit sun rays), and at a warm room temperature, the potatoes will turn green quite successfully. Moreover, if you turn the tubers from time to time for the best effect, they will turn green evenly. In this case, the emerging sprouts will be thick and strong.

So, our planting material is ready.

preparing the ground

Have you taken care of the fertility of the soil where you are going to grow potatoes? Do not forget that you need to take care of it since the fall, when you harvested. To enrich the soil tired over the summer, it must be fed with fertilizer. The best and most natural is manure. Ten liters of rotted manure is enough for one square meter. For digging, you will need about fifty grams potash-phosphorus fertilizers to be paid in August-September. Thirteen grams must be added per square meter ammonium nitrate.

Digging up the ground in the fall, do not try to break up earthen clods. Autumn rains and snow will do it for you, and the ground will become soft.

Don't forget to stock up on ash. Ash, a product of burning tree species, is the best fertilizer for potatoes, as it contains a wide variety of trace elements, necessary for plants: potassium, calcium, phosphorus and others.

Time to plant

Now it has become very fashionable to plant vegetables very early. It got warmer a little at the end of April - and the owners of garden and garden plots rush into the battle for the harvest. They plant them, and then after the first frosts they bite their elbows: they say, seedlings, tomatoes disappeared ... Haste is not an assistant in this matter. So potatoes have their own planting dates, which are best adhered to, especially since 90 days are enough for this popular and nutritious vegetable to ripen. So you will have time to harvest, even if you plant potatoes at the end of May.

Before you start planting potatoes, you need to know the air temperature at which planting is possible. The air temperature, which is favorable, is not lower than ten degrees Celsius.

Landing technology

After making a hole, do not forget to add fertilizer to its bottom to protect against pests and to improve the quality of the soil with microelements. To improve the yield, add one handful of humus or wood ash. You can also use onion peel as a fertilizer. There will be fewer pests in your garden.

After you have placed all the ingredients in the well, you need to stir them. And only then plant potatoes. Looking ahead, I will say that one of my good friends treats planting potatoes in this way. For her, this is an art. On its site, the area for potatoes takes up very little space. But she gets an excellent harvest. From each bush, almost a bucket - this is the norm!

If the soil is denser, then the depth of the holes should be five centimeters. We plant the tubers upside down. In this case, the earth must be loose. The potatoes are planted in a hole, sprinkled with earth and take a rake to level the soil.

The most popular and easiest way to plant potatoes is “under a shovel”. One person digs holes, and another person throws tubers into the holes and adds fertilizer, such as manure or urea. To close up the tubers, you need a depth of no more than 17 cm. In this way it is very convenient to plant potatoes on small plot, the convenience of this method lies in the fact that it saves labor costs and landing in this way will be of very high quality.

The next method, or landing technology, is the "Dutch" technology. Planting occurs as follows: a row is dug with an approximate depth of about 20 cm, potato tubers are sorted out at a distance of about 20 cm from each other, it all depends on their volume, then the beds are buried.

However, everyone has their own way of landing. Although, it would seem, how can this process be diversified? Someone plants the tubers directly into the furrow, by eye determining the distance between the tubers. Others are more scrupulous about landing: they measure the distance, trying not to deviate from the measured centimeters. Then the shoots are friendly and even. To do this, you can measure the rope of the required size (I suggest 30 centimeters - this distance will be between the holes in one row) and tie the ends of this rope to two sticks.

When planting, pull the rope along the landing row, dig a hole near one of the sticks, then near the other, and gradually rearranging the sticks, complete the planting of the row. Say, too scrupulous? But what friendly and even ascending will be, that you yourself will be proud of yourself! In the same way, you can measure the distance between the rows. Only I would suggest increasing it to 60 centimeters. Although, if you small plot, you can reduce this distance a little. Bushes are formed not very high, and this does not affect the yield.

To fight the enemy from Colorado

Twenty years ago, potato growers did not know any special concerns when growing potatoes. In the spring, tubers were planted in the prepared soil, then, when the potato sprouts reached a sufficient size, they were hilled, and harvested in the fall. But about twenty years ago, a serious enemy appeared in Russian potatoes - the Colorado potato beetle. If you don’t keep track of it in time, all efforts during planting will be in vain and you can be left without a crop.

Therefore, in order to protect yourself and facilitate the care of potatoes during their growth period, it is a good idea to use special means such as "Prestige" and "Commander", which will help at least before flowering to get rid of the invasion of the Colorado potato enemies. The use of these funds is not difficult: before planting, the tubers are simply dipped into the preparation solution prepared according to the instructions and the colored tubers are planted in the ground. Tested: at least half a summer you will live in peace. And when the potatoes fade, no Colorado potato beetles are afraid of him!

In contact with

Almost every person has a cottage. And it doesn't matter whose it is - grandparents, parents or your own. And every year at the same time, everyone is in a hurry to grow a crop of vegetables and berries. One of these crops is potatoes, the cultivation features of which should be known to everyone. We will tell you how to plant potatoes the right way.

The optimal time for planting potatoes in the ground is end of April or beginning of May. Before this period, such an action cannot be done, because the culture can simply disappear in the cold earth. If the climate in your area is cool, then you should wait until the earth warms up. up to 10 degrees.

How to plant in spring - step by step process

To properly plant potatoes, you should follow the step-by-step instructions:

• A few weeks before landing, keep tubers warm, then cover the boxes with some translucent material and leave in a cool, bright place. When in the spring they release green sprouts, then it's time to plant them in the ground.
• Carrying out disinfection with boric acid or manure solution.
• Soil preparation for planting.
• Planting potatoes.
• Creation optimal mode for growth.

When green sprouts appear on the tubers - it's time to plant them in the ground

Planting potatoes in May

Potatoes need to be planted according to indications lunar calendar. In May, you can choose such dates 9th, 11th and 13th.

Until what date can you plant potatoes

When determining this date, it should be borne in mind that the vegetative period for this root crop is 90 days.

That is, if you planned to plant on July 1, then at the end of September you can fully harvest.

What days are not allowed

Folk omens say that potatoes cannot be planted in the ground on the following days:

• On Wednesdays.
• On Saturdays.
• During Palm Week.

If you neglect these rules, then the tubers will deteriorate and not give further growth.

Is it possible to plant potatoes in cold ground

Plant potatoes in cold earth you can’t, because it can simply freeze in such weather and you will lose the entire crop, it’s worth the time.

If you hurry and still take such a step, then you need to give Special attention warming up and ensuring good conditions his life activity to get a harvest.

Which one to use - large or small

It is customary to call small tubers samples weighing up to 30 grams, average - 30-80 gr, and large over 80 gr.

Very often, many gardeners use medium-sized potatoes, believing that this can become the best choice. But it is precisely such specimens that usually grow from weakened plants.

Most the best way there are only 2 landings:

• Plant small tubers, but immediately throw into the planting hole several pieces.
• Plant cut from large tubers. But on such objects there must be at least three eyes.

Is it possible to plant fresh tubers

If someone thinks that this method is unacceptable, then he is greatly mistaken. The use of fresh potatoes when re-planting allows you to improve the yield several times and relieve the owners of problems with the storage of seed material until the spring.

This method is best used for those countries in which the period without the onset of frost is 180 days. This is observed in Odessa, Kherson, Poltava and other cities. For Irkutsk, this method is not suitable.

A distinctive feature of this type of landing is that ascend new harvest will be slow.

What weather

Potatoes should be planted only when the frost has passed and the air temperature has risen. up to 14-16 degrees. The earth should warm up at this time up to 10 degrees.

Exists folk omen, according to which, the root crop should be planted after the leaves on the birch become the size of a coin.

How often to plant potatoes

Potatoes can be planted several times a year, given that the period full cultivation is 90 days.

How to properly plant in granulated feed

Granulated compound feed finds its application when digging up plots before the onset of winter. It is then that it is introduced into the soil to improve the characteristics of the applied soil.

Landing with manure

If you want to significantly increase the yield, then it is better to use manure for fertilizer.

It can be applied in 2 ways:

• Fertilizing the soil before winter period. It is applied in the amount of 10 kg per 1 square meter.
• Fertilizer in the hole. When planting occurs, after laying the tuber, sprinkle it with manure.

Motoblock or shovel

Potatoes can be planted in 2 ways:

• Manually using a shovel. Among the advantages of this technology, simplicity can be distinguished: one person simply digs a deep hole, and the second throws tubers and fertilizer. When the second one completes the sowing, the first one fills up the prepared hole. After the process is completed, the earth is leveled with a rake, which allows the water to remain in the earth.
• With the help of a walk-behind tractor. The advantage of this method can be noted the speed and low costs of manual effort. The process begins with cutting furrows, after which germinated seeds are thrown there. The holes can then be dug in manually or with a cultivator.

What are siderates and why are they needed

Siderata are plants that are grown to improve the fertile properties of the soil.

What gives such an approach?

1. Soil enrichment with nitrogen, which makes up some part in plant nutrition.
2. Loosening the soil and improving the structure.
3. erosion exception.
4. Land enrichment nutrients and organic matter.
5. Reducing the growth of weeds.
6. Elimination of pests and diseases.
7. Protecting the earth from overheating.

Boarding order

Tuber germination and soil preparation

To grow potatoes, you need to germinate tubers 2 weeks while removing white sprouts. Lay out the material for landing in a thin layer on the floor in a bright place. Readiness can be determined by the presence of green sprouts on the potato, but without additional spots.

If speak about detailed preparation soil, it is worth starting with its fertilization even before the onset of winter. When it's time to land, you should ensure the necessary moisture and loosening of the soil. Digging should be replaced with a bayonet using a pitchfork. This allows the earth to be enriched with oxygen.

Features of growing in the country

If you have your own dacha, then when growing potatoes, you first choose its variety.

After all, someone prefers a root crop with yellow crumbly pulp, and someone prefers white. After that you need decide on the method of cultivation, of which there are now many. But do not forget about fertilizing the soil.

Hilling

Potato hilling should be done after the plant rises 10 cm above the ground. This will allow, with the help of bedding, to provide the root crop with protection from frost. And after the potatoes grow to 40 cm, you need to fully spud the beds, well filling the aisles with earth.

Very often, leaves, branches or hay can be added to the bedding mixture - organic materials. This will keep moisture in the ground longer, and also prevent weeds from germinating for a long time.

Watering and care

After the potatoes have begun to bloom, the main condition for a good harvest is high-quality watering.

It should be 2-3 times if the summer is very hot, and if vice versa, then 1 time is enough. But weeds need to be removed much more often, as well as monitor the Colorado beetles.

Harvest

Initially, you need to harvest after 60 days after planting potatoes, but the main part should be waited until the tops are completely dry.

You need to clean the finished culture only with a pitchfork, so as not to damage the mounds. You can only grow crops in one place for 4 years, after which you need to give the earth a rest and move the plant to another place.

How to grow a "two-crop" way

In many southern countries gardeners use any method to grow as many crops as possible each year. And therefore, today a method for growing potatoes has already been developed. Twice a year, given that only early ripening varieties are used.

The features of the method are:

• Good samples of potatoes need to be washed and cut, after which keep in a special solution for one and a half hours.
• Germinate the culture for 10 days in the garden, covering with a small layer of soil.
• After that, on July 10, you need to land finished material in the ground and waiting for the harvest.

Growing potatoes is a simple process if you follow a few basic rules:

• Compliance with the process of preparing material for planting and soil.
• Creation of favorable conditions for germination.
• Plant nutrition.

If you follow all the above rules, you can achieve a good result even with a minimum of effort.

Many people think that planting potatoes is a simple matter, but in order for the harvest to please, and the work not to be wasted, it must be done correctly. The result depends on many factors: the quality of the seed material, soil characteristics, planting technology.

The amount of harvest depends on the correct planting of potatoes

Preparing the seeds

Choosing good seeds is half the battle. Procurement of planting material begins at the stage of autumn harvesting:

• vegetables are sorted, separating smaller ones for planting, large ones, left for eating;
• it is preferable to choose seeds from those bushes where the number of potatoes was maximum;
• the optimal size of the tuber, with a diameter of 4-5 cm, approximately the size of a chicken egg;
• you can take a little larger, they will ripen earlier, and the harvest on them will be a little more.

Potatoes that are too large can also be used as seed material, but certain varieties will end up with many small fruits, and the overrun will be significant.

Some gardeners believe that the lack of planting material can be filled by using cut potatoes into several pieces. This option has the right to exist when there are not enough small-caliber seeds. In this case, after cutting, the parts must be dried in the sun, sprinkled with ash. But the result will please if the weather is dry and warm. A rainy spring can ruin all planting material: since the surface without skin is easily exposed to diseases, becomes infected with a fungus, and rots.

When buying seeds at retail outlets, you should not chase after super-elite varieties. They will give a good harvest, provided that agricultural technology is properly organized, but the most productive are the elite categories. It would be useful to familiarize yourself with the quality certificate, if the potato claims to be varietal, the seller must have this document. Otherwise, there is a risk of buying infected seeds, from which you will not only not wait for the harvest, but also the soil will have to be rid of pests and diseases for several years.

Potatoes for planting should not be too large

Before boarding

About a month before the potatoes are planted, they should be taken out of the cellar to “wake up” the tubers. Here, too, the process must be approached correctly:

• the root crop is dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection and put in boxes for germination in one layer;
• for a week, planting material is kept at a temperature of at least 20 degrees;
• in the future, it will be correct to lower the temperature to 10 degrees;
• you should not keep a container with seeds in a dark place, then the sprouts will not stretch out, but will be strong and strong;
• during this period, it must be periodically moistened with water and turned over.

Humidification is alternated with spraying with a solution of ash and a mineral complex of fertilizers. This will make it possible for the seed material to become healthy, saturate with nutrients.

When sprouts of at least 1 cm appear, you can start planting. Tubers should first be treated with copper-containing preparations to prevent early phytophthora.

Tip: Potatoes can be pickled to avoid infection of seeds. The solution is prepared at the rate of: boric acid (20 g) per 10 liters of water. Then the seeds are immersed in the liquid for a few seconds.

Suitable for planting tubers with sprouts of at least 1 cm

Site preparation

Well, if the soil in the garden is light loamy and sandy, drained peat lands and forest soils are perfect. The culture tolerates heavy and acidic soils worse. Increased acidity is undesirable, potatoes grow worse on it, get sick more often, and pests attack weak plants. In this case, manure and lime will help improve the composition of the earth.

Rotation must be taken into account. A vegetable should not be planted earlier than 3 years after its previous planting. Good precursors for culture are:

• cabbage;
• carrot;
• beet;
• leafy vegetables.

It is especially important to prepare the ground:

• The area intended for potatoes is cleared of tops and the remains of previous plants. To prevent diseases and pests from spreading, it must be burned.
• It is necessary to fertilize the land with rotted organic matter: 3-4 kg of manure per m / sq.
• Dig deep into the soil under the shovel. Large clods of earth do not need to be broken, melt water and the rains will do it themselves, but the earth will not cake and will be soft and fluffy.
• With the onset of spring, add complex nitrogen-phosphorus potash fertilizers.
• It is imperative to loosen the earth or dig it up again using a shovel to a depth of 10 cm.
• If the site is located in a lowland, it is important to provide drainage to drain excess water.

The plot for potatoes should not be located in a damp place

When to plant

Landing time is a tricky issue. Depend on the area weather conditions, timing of culture maturation. You should not rush, it is better to wait for stable warm weather, but you don’t need to let the earth dry out too much either. Here you need to find the golden mean:

• Folk wisdom advises planting a root crop when small leaves appear on the poplar and birch.
• The best planting option is considered if the soil has warmed up to a depth of 10 cm to 10 degrees, and the average nighttime indicators also do not fall below.

If the tubers have sprouted, their sprouts are strong, then when the soil warms up to about 6 degrees, potatoes can be planted. Experienced gardeners assure that the harvest only benefits from this.

A strong potato sprout can withstand temperatures not lower than +6 degrees

Landing technology

What should be considered when planting potatoes? First of all, the space between the rows. Usually the recommended width according to the scheme is 80x35. If you plant more often, then problems will arise:

• the stems will darken each other, begin to stretch;
• they will be poorly ventilated, and this is a direct road to late blight;
• high-quality hilling will not work, as a result, some tubers will be open and turn green;
• sufficient aeration of the soil will not be achieved.

But if there is little land, it is allowed to shorten the gap if early ripening varieties are used on fertile black soil: their tops are not very powerful and high, so 60 cm is enough between rows.

The quality of the crop depends on the distance between the tubers, Usually the average recommended width between the holes is 35 cm. But here, too, there are options:

• small non-standard tubers are allowed to be planted at a distance of 20 cm;
• an early variety allows a width of 26 cm (you can use a shovel as a guide: this is about one and a half bayonet);
• late varieties and large tubers prefer planting at a distance of at least 30 cm;
• if you plant large potatoes on heavy soils, then the space should be increased to 45 cm.

Potato bushes should not be located close to each other

The depth of the holes also matters, the optimal depth of the root crop under the shovel is not less than 7 cm, but it makes no sense to plant more than 10 cm. Here, soil features also play a role, as does the size of potatoes:

• large seed material should be properly planted deeper, small, higher to the surface;
• for light fertile land, 10 cm is quite acceptable;
• in dense clay areas, the seeds are not buried deeply, 5 cm is enough.

With any scheme, the rows should be even, and the depth should be the same. It is good if a pinch of fertilizer, ash and humus is added to the hole during planting. It is necessary to plant potatoes with a sprout down, a layer will remain under the tuber loose earth, then the bush will turn out sprawling, it will be well ventilated and illuminated.

After laying the seeds, they are covered with earth and leveled with a rake, mulched with peat.

If you plant potatoes, taking into account all the subtleties, then in the fall you can wait for an unprecedented harvest. Over time, experience and secrets of success will appear, then every year the result will please more and more.

Potato is a very tasty root vegetable grown in all gardens of the country. But before you get big harvest, you need to spend a lot of time and effort on planting potatoes. It's about that how to plant potatoes, we will talk in our today's article.

It seems that there is nothing easier, and all gardeners and summer residents already know how to plant potatoes. There is a mass about planting potatoes useful information in the Internet, great amount magazines and books have devoted an uncountable number of articles to this topic. Nevertheless, starting to plant potatoes on your own, you constantly discover something completely new and unexpected. Experience in planting potatoes is accumulated by summer residents after each successful (or not very successful) harvest.

Quality potato seeds are the key to a good harvest!

I think it's no secret to anyone that the fundamental factor excellent harvest potato is what seeds are used when planting it. And you need to start harvesting seeds in the fall, during harvesting. Why in autumn? Autumn for selection seed potatoes is the most successful period. planting material potatoes should be taken from the bushes that gave best harvest. The size of tubers for planting material should be at least 4–5 centimeters. It has been noticed that the larger the tubers of planting potatoes, the earlier it will ripen, and the yield from each individual bush will be higher.

Some summer residents also plant sprouted seed eyes or chopped potatoes. Indeed, cut potatoes after a short drying in the sun and dusting with cut ash can give a very good harvest. Only for this you need ideal wet and warm weather. But if, after planting, the weather is rainy or cold, then there is a high probability that the cut potatoes will rot, without sprouting, or giving very weak sprouts.

Getting ready to plant potatoes

Soil and its preparation

The best soil for growing potatoes are sandy loam, light and medium loam; cultivated and fertilized soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils, as well as drained peatlands.

Not so long ago, people thought potatoes were good for hyperacidity soil. It has now been proven that potatoes growing on acidic soils are most susceptible to pests and diseases.
Potatoes are in dire need of nutrients ah, especially during tuberization.

Start preparing the soil for planting potatoes on next year follows at the end of this summer. Fertilizers are applied for digging: 13 g / m² of ammonium nitrate or 10 g / m² of urea, 10–13 g / m² of 30–40% potassium salt, 15 g / m² of double granulated superphosphate.

How to prepare seed potatoes for planting?

Seed potato tubers selected for planting must be planted in a bright place (under various canopies, in the shade of trees) so that corned beef poison is developed inside the tuber, which allows the potato tuber to survive for a long time. In this case, direct sunlight should be avoided. We have already considered the issue, so we will not repeat ourselves.

Germination of potatoes should begin about 20-30 days before planting. Before germination, the tubers must be washed in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then the planting material is laid out in one (maximum two) layers in boxes. Boxes must be kept at a temperature of 20–22 ° C in a bright place, avoiding direct sunlight on potato tubers. Usually, potatoes begin to germinate in the dark, so long, weak sprouts appear that can easily break off during planting. Ideally, the sprouts should be green, strong and have a length of no more than one - one and a half centimeters. After two or three weeks, boxes with seed potatoes can be moved to a cooler place with an air temperature of about 10–14 ° C, for example, to a glazed balcony.

During germination, potato tubers need to be moistened by periodically turning over and spraying them. Tubers need to be sprayed every other day. For spraying, plain water, ash solution and mineral fertilizers. This alternation of spraying reduces the risk of potato disease, stimulates its growth. The solution must be prepared immediately before spraying.

A good place to grow potatoes is a greenhouse. Spread the potatoes on a straw bed and cover with plastic wrap. So you provide him with warmth, light and sufficient humidity - excellent conditions for the emergence of sprouts.

Before planting, potatoes must first be pickled, thereby protecting them from the effects of an aggressive soil environment. At the same time, after processing potatoes with special dressing preparations, a long-term effect is formed on the seed material. protective film. Almost no one, by the way, does this, and then all gardeners unanimously complain about various infectious troubles. There is no need to be afraid of these "chemicals", they are not absorbed into the plants. For pickling, a solution of 20 g of boric acid in 10 liters of water is used. Tubers in baskets or nets are immersed for a few seconds in the solution, and then dried.

Potatoes are ready for planting, but the ground has not yet warmed up - what should I do?

Very often summer residents have to deal with a situation where the planting potatoes are already ready, but due to the late spring it is not possible to prepare the soil for planting. In order to save the planting material, in this case, you can put the potatoes in grooves prepared in advance, filling it with humus, sawdust or ordinary earth. For insurance, you can cover the groove with a film. The tubers in such a groove will lie without problems for 1-2 weeks, after which it will be possible to plant them in a permanent place.

It's time to plant potatoes...

How and when to plant potatoes?

We have already talked about that, so today we will consider some general principles to be followed when planting potatoes.

First of all, pay attention to the choice of a place for planting potatoes. The most common mistake most summer residents make is that potatoes are planted for many years in a row in the same beds. But we all know perfectly well that the place needs to be changed periodically. At the same time, in order to obtain a good harvest, it is also necessary to fertilize the soil. If the ground contains a very small amount of sand, then the potatoes will grow poorly. In this case, the earth must be specially loosened with sand in order to ensure the supply of oxygen to the potato tubers.

The most suitable period for planting potatoes is around the time when leaves begin to bloom on birch trees. At this time, the soil should warm up at a depth of about ten centimeters to 9 ° C. By the way, there is such a popular sign that you need to start planting potatoes when birch leaves become the size of a penny coin.

Potatoes should be planted at a depth of 8-10cm, while the beds should be located from north to south, the recommended planting pattern is 80x35cm. You can plant potatoes more often according to the 60x60cm scheme, however, in this case, the stems will interfere with each other's growth. Densely planted plants are not blown enough, which increases the likelihood of late blight. In this case, high-quality hilling will not work, so many tubers will turn out to be green, and such potatoes are not suitable for food.

The best option is to plant potatoes with an indent of 90 cm between rows. In this case, hilling is easier and the tops work better for the harvest. Keep in mind that the larger the planting material, the less often you need to plant. Whatever planting scheme you choose, you need to plant potato tubers at the same depth, planting in even rows, leaving a layer of loose soil under the tubers. All this contributes to the creation of an optimal regime for plant growth.

If desired, during the planting of potatoes, you can make a separate hole for each tuber and fill it with fertilizer, ash and humus, and only then lower the potato there. After laying the tubers, the holes are covered with earth, leveling it with a rake.

How to cut potatoes for planting

Many gardeners after a lean year have to cut potatoes before planting in order to reduce seed consumption. Doing this is highly discouraged. By cutting just one diseased tuber, with the same knife you will infect several more potatoes. In this case, do not be surprised why then you will not have a crop. If you still have to cut seed potatoes, then do not forget to at least periodically disinfect the knife by dipping it in a concentrated solution of manganese or in a 5% solution blue vitriol. Another nuance is that the tuber must be cut not across, but along. After all, the highest quality sprouts appear on the so-called top of the tuber. By cutting the potato across, you will get two unequal halves, one of which will give good sprouts, while the second, on which there are no top "eyes" at all, can germinate much later.

What should be the planting potatoes?

It is best to plant potatoes the size of a chicken egg. The smaller the planting material, the weaker the bush will grow out of it, respectively, there will be less harvest on it. So why not plant the largest tubers, because they have a much larger supply of nutrients? Yes, but this will not lead to a significant increase in yield, and the consumption of planting material will increase significantly. So it's best to stay in the golden mean.

Planting potatoes, as we have already said, must be selected in the fall, moreover, from the most powerful bushes marked in advance with pegs. If you heed this advice and choose not the best tubers for planting, but tubers best plants, then for many years you will not need to buy seed potatoes, while the crop will remain stable. If the yield becomes worse over time, then you need to buy new planting material. It is recommended to renew seed potatoes at least partially once every five years.

How to choose seed potatoes in retail outlets?

Before you buy potatoes for planting, you should have an idea of ​​what you are buying.

Super super elite is a top class seed material grown from microtubers. It contains all characteristics of the variety and is free from different kind viral diseases.

Superelite – small size tubers that are a first year crop grown from super super elite tubers.

Elite- These are planting tubers, which are the second year crop obtained from super elite potatoes. They are considered the most productive. They are recommended to be used for landing.

Next come the categories of seed potatoes grown from elite tubers: first reproduction, second, etc. All these categories also give a good harvest, but they accumulate more and more various diseases from year to year. Potatoes after the third reproduction are suitable only for eating them.

The same potato variety should not be grown for more than 3-4 years, or it is necessary to renew all planting material after this period of time.

Before buying planting potatoes, be sure to ask the seller for quarantine and varietal certificates. In no case do not buy potatoes in the absence of such a document. Buying a pig in a poke, you run the risk of bringing serious pests and dangerous infections to your site. So, for example, such a quarantine object as a potato moth comes very close to the Perm Territory. And the potato moth is many times more serious than the wireworm familiar to all of us, since it eats away the entire tuber, which leads to a complete loss of the crop.

Do not forget to properly fertilize the soil before planting and periodically, since there are plenty of funds for this now!

Well, now you know how to choose the right planting material and plant potatoes in your area.

Rich harvests to you!

Potato is a popular and widely used crop that does not lose its relevance. It is not surprising that many people are wondering how to grow this culture on own site, while spending a minimum of time and effort and getting good results as a result.

Getting ready to land

Before moving on to the nuances of growing, you need to make sure that the prepared area is suitable for planting - otherwise you risk wasting effort and time. Before landing, you need to pay attention to several important factors:

1. Clay soil or sandy. Finding out this nuance is not difficult: we moisten a small lump of earth with water and try to mold something out of it. If the wet soil is plastic and easy to mold, it is probably clayey, if it crumbles in the hands, it is sandy. Both of them are suitable for growing potatoes, but for each of them you will need to use various schemes planting and care.
2. Soil acid. We pay attention to which weeds prefer to grow on the plot. If buttercup or plantain - the soil has an acidic reaction, if bindweed or thistle - neutral. To improve the structure acidic soil, bringing it closer to neutral, you can add ash, chalk or lime to the soil (1–2 kg per square meter).
3. Under what crops was this site used during the past year. Potatoes cannot be constantly planted in the same place, so it is necessary to alternate them with other plants so that the crop is less affected by diseases and pests, and the soil is not depleted. It is better to plant potatoes after table beets, pumpkins, cucumbers, legumes, sunflower, lupine or corn. We avoid planting it in the area where garden strawberries grew before, and do not return to the same place earlier than after four years.

Try to plant tubers germinated in the ground - this will speed up the emergence of sprouts and increase the final yield.

The most common landing patterns

Both the schemes and methods of planting potatoes can differ significantly from each other - this is due to the composition of the soil and the climatic conditions of a particular region. So, in northern and rainy areas, in areas where ground water are in close proximity to the soil surface or in excessively heavy soil, it is more expedient to plant potatoes on ridges. AT arid conditions apply a smooth landing, and in the middle lane alternately alternate it with a ridge one.

The mechanical composition of the soil also affects the depth of planting. The lighter the soil and the warmer and drier the climate, the more planting material is buried in the soil, and vice versa. With a smooth landing on loams, the potatoes are deepened by 6–8 cm, with a ridge - by 8–10 cm. On sandy and sandy soil a smooth planting to a depth of 8–10 cm or a ridge planting is more expedient, in which the tubers are covered with earth by 10–12 cm. In the southern regions and the chernozem zone, the depth increases to 10–14 cm.

Choose a planting pattern, focusing on the indicators of the mechanical composition of the soil and climatic conditions

The standard row spacing is 70 cm and varies depending on the selected planting method. Between the tubers, they usually leave from 25 to 40 cm of free space based on their size: large potatoes are planted after 40 cm, medium ones after 35 cm, and 25–30 cm is enough for small ones.

When planting potatoes, always place the beds from north to south so that the plants do not lack sunlight.

Basically, gardeners are guided by the planting schemes, which are listed below.

Row spacing:

• 70 cm - for varieties with late ripening;
• 60 cm - for early potatoes.

Distance between tubers of standard size:

• 30–35 cm - for late potatoes;
• 25–30 cm - for early varieties.

Planting depth:

• 4–5 cm - on heavy clay soil, as well as on moist soils;
• 8–10 cm - on loams;
• 10–12 cm - on light, well-heated soil.

Conservative landing methods

When deciding on the most appropriate method, remember that each method will only give good results if the soil composition and climatic conditions suitable for growing potatoes in this particular way. So, an excessively shallow planting depth is not suitable for sandy soil, and too deep is contraindicated in clay soils. For all traditional methods cultivation remain unchanged only the basic requirements.

Landing under a shovel

The main and most common method, most often referred to as "grandfather", is justified on light and loose soils, where groundwater is quite deep. A significant disadvantage of such a planting is the dependence of tubers on weather vagaries: for example, if the beginning of the season turned out to be rainy, due to excessive dampness, the roots of plants begin to die off, which has an extremely negative effect on their development. If it rains shortly before digging potatoes, the tubers can be saturated with moisture, as a result of which the keeping quality will deteriorate. In clayey, excessively wet and heavy soil, the use of this method is impractical, since there is a high probability of developing fusarium and rotting potatoes.

It is much faster and more convenient to plant together: the first will dig holes, and the second will follow him on his heels and lay out the tubers. You can attach a third assistant to the event - he will level the ground with a rake on the already planted rows.

To keep the holes in a straight line at an equal distance from each other, run a rope across the site to provide a guide.

The principle of this planting method is as follows: rows of holes are dug in the area after a certain interval, into which planting material is laid. At the same time, the earth from the holes of the next rows digs in the previous ones.

To make the rows of holes come out as even as possible, drive in a peg from two opposite ends of the plot and stretch a rope between them.

With this planting, the beds can be formed in three ways:

1. Square-nested. The plot is conditionally divided into squares, and a hole (nest) is placed in each, observing a gap of 50–70 cm between the nests.
2. Chess. Holes of adjacent rows are staggered relative to each other.
3. Two-line. Two rows of holes (lines) are located almost close. The gap between the holes is approximately 30 cm, between the double rows - up to a meter. The holes themselves are staggered.

When planting, add a handful of ash and humus to each well

Pour a handful of humus and ash into each of the holes, and then put a potato tuber on top. During the season, be sure to spend at least one (and preferably two) hilling. Plants should be watered once a week (during dry periods - twice), the first watering is carried out after the appearance of sprouts. Two weeks before digging potatoes, watering is completely stopped.

Planting in ridges

This type of landing is similar to the previous one. The difference is that potatoes are planted not in holes, but in shallow grooves.

1. Two pegs are driven in along the edges of a pre-prepared section and a rope is pulled between them.
2. A groove is formed under the rope, in which tubers are laid out at intervals of 30 cm and each of them is sprinkled with a tablespoon of ash.
3. Then, with a rake (or a chopper - whichever is more convenient for you), the grooves are closed with earth on both sides so as to cover the planting material by 6 cm.
4. 65 cm recede from a freshly planted row and proceed further in the same way.

According to experienced agronomists, when planting in ridges, it is better to use the double row method.

Some agronomists argue that it is best to use the double row method for such planting, that is, to reduce the gap between two adjacent rows to 30 cm, expanding the row spacing to 110 cm. At the same time, the tubers are laid out in grooves in a checkerboard pattern, observing a gap of 35 cm. in the future, the double bed is looked after as one row.

Like landing under a shovel, this method is not suitable for heavy clay soils, since the likelihood of rotting of tubers and infection of plants with fungal diseases increases. But on soils of light mechanical composition, it will be fully justified.

Landing in trenches

Main advantage this method that it increases the fertility of the soil. This method keeps the tubers from overheating and drying out in hot climates, and is most useful in areas with loose soil that does not hold water well.

Trench planting has been a success since the beginning of the last century. This method is considered one of the most fruitful - provided the weather is good, you can get up to a ton of potatoes from one hundred square meters. At the same time, the tubers receive proper nutrition without chemical fertilizers.

Planting potatoes in trenches increases soil fertility

Prepare the site for this method should be in the fall.

1. At the site, a rope is pulled and a trench is dug under it with a depth and width of a spade bayonet (35–40 cm), laying the excavated earth along the left edge. Row spacing - 60–80 cm.
2. The bottom of the trenches is covered with plant remains and food waste - weeds, squash and cucumber tops, onion peel, flower stems, etc. Fallen leaves from trees are placed on top, sprinkled with earth and left until spring.
3. Planting begins at the same time as the lilac begins to bloom. First, a little earth is poured into the trenches from the tops of the ridges, then every 30 cm they lay out a tablespoon of ash, a handful of chicken manure and onion peel.
4. Planting material is placed on top of the fertilizers and covered with earth.
5. To protect the sprouts from frost, they are spudded as they appear. If there is no severe drought, the plants are watered once - during the flowering period.

Potatoes planted in trenches can be fertilized with a solution table salt at the rate of 800 grams per 12 liters of water. Top dressing is carried out only once a year, combining it with watering.

According to some gardeners, the trench method gives good results on well-aerated soils with a high peat content. True, in this case, planting will have to be carried out 1–2 weeks later than the standard dates, since peat tends not to thaw for a long time in the spring. And when using such a planting on loam, both the quality and quantity of the crop are significantly reduced.

Landing in the ridges

If you own a site with heavy, overly moist soil or groundwater is very close to the surface, feel free to choose the ridge method. It is especially good if it is possible to use equipment for tillage - for example, a tractor or a motor cultivator.

Choose ridge planting if you have the opportunity to work the soil with a tractor or motor cultivator

1. The selected site is prepared in the fall, digging it up with the introduction of the necessary dressings.
2. In the spring, ridges about 15 cm high are formed on the plot at a distance of 70 cm from each other and planted in them. As a result, the tubers will be protected from excessive wetting and well warmed up by the sun's rays.

Ridge planting is justified exclusively on structured and moisture-intensive soils. Since loose and light soil tends to crumble under the influence of precipitation, exposing potato tubers, and the sun and wind quickly dry out the ridges, in arid climatic conditions, plants will need additional watering.

Deep landing (American way)

So-called american method suitable for light soils that dry out quickly. Planting is carried out according to the scheme 22x22 cm, while the planting material is deepened into the ground by 22 cm. When the first shoots appear on the surface, the soil near the plants begins to loosen periodically, but hilling is not carried out. The rest of the care is standard - watering as the soil dries out, preventive treatments and timely treatment if necessary.

American planting causes the potatoes to form a very long stem, which increases the final yield.

The peculiarity of the American method is as follows: in order to reach the surface of the soil, the plants are forced to form a very long stem. And since the tubers can be located along the entire length of this very stem, the final yield increases significantly.

Many experimenters claim that the American planting method is indeed effective, but it cannot be used on heavy clay soils.

New landing methods

Of course, conservative planting methods have many advantages, but many gardeners are wondering how to minimize the physical and time costs of planting potatoes and further care. Therefore, craftsmen do not get tired of inventing original ways that require as little time and effort as possible. These methods can be useful to busy people, as well as lovers of experiments, who will not be too upset even if the experience of growing potatoes in a new way turns out to be unsuccessful.

Planting in bags

The main advantage of this method is that it allows you to get a potato crop in absolutely any area, even where it is impossible to grow it. traditional ways, since not the soil from the plot is used for planting, but a certain soil mixture. However, in dry and hot climates, plants will need very frequent and abundant watering.

The method described below is suitable for tiny areas that do not have room for a traditional plant:

1. You need to take a regular bag and pour drainage into it, and put potato tubers on top.
2. As soon as sprouts appear on the potatoes, they are covered with a mixture of earth and compost (1: 1). When the tops become taller, add more soil, repeating this procedure if necessary.
3. Watering is carried out as the soil dries out, fertilizing is carried out regularly with complex fertilizers according to the instructions.

Planting potatoes in bags is a great option for small plots

Landing in barrels

The method is very similar to the one described above, but in this case, not bags are used, but metal or plastic barrels without a bottom.

1. Holes are made around the perimeter of each container (so that the soil is better supplied with air and water does not stagnate in it) and a mixture of compost and earth is poured into them.
2. Potatoes are laid on top of it and covered with the same soil mixture.
3. In the future, soil is added to young bushes as they grow until the barrel is filled per meter.
4. Plants are regularly watered and fertilized.

If you provide potatoes with proper care, you can get about a bag of crop from each barrel.

For planting potatoes in barrels, metal or plastic containers without a bottom are used.

Planting in barrels can be done in any area, since the land from the plot is not involved in cultivation, however, under conditions of very hot summers or in a dry climate, barrels with potatoes will have to be watered more often.

Planting in boxes

Like the two previous methods, planting in a box is fully justified on a site with any soil composition. In drought conditions, plants will also need more frequent and abundant watering.

The principle of cultivation in this case is similar to the American one, that is, it is based on the fact that potatoes can form tubers along the entire length of the stem placed in the soil (respectively, the longer the stem, the better). A design feature is the building up of the walls of the box and filling them with soil as young bushes grow. To do this, you can drive stakes into the ground and fasten the walls of the boards to them with wire, or simply stack boxes of the same size without a bottom on top of each other.

Planting in boxes is carried out as follows:

1. We install the box on bricks so that the bottom does not touch the ground and is well ventilated.
2. We cover the bottom of the structure with a layer of paper and cover it with a layer of light soil (ideally, expanded clay screenings with humus in a ratio of 1: 1).
3. We lay the germinated tubers on top and cover them with soil. If planting is done early, cover the box with polyethylene.
4. When the potato sprouts begin to rise above the box, add a second floor to the structure and again fill the plants with soil. We repeat the manipulations until the appearance of buds. To prevent budding from starting too early, water the potatoes with manure compost and keep the container from excessive heat.
5. Having noticed the appearance of buds, we stop building the container and take care of the culture in a standard way (we water, feed, carry out preventive measures, etc.). Watering is easiest through pipes with holes.
6. After the complete withering of the tops, when the crop is fully ripe, you need to disassemble the structure and select the tubers.

To avoid rotting boards, with inside boxes can be lined with foil.

Original and unconventional methods of planting potatoes

As a rule, non-standard planting methods are invented by gardeners to facilitate a specific task. For example, a plot for potatoes is completely overgrown with grass, and there is neither strength nor desire to dig it up. Thus, the problem gives a reason to come up with an original and inexpensive way to solve it.

Planting potatoes without digging

There are quite a few options for such a planting, but they all boil down to one principle: the soil should absolutely not be dug up. Including weeds should not be removed from the soil - shortly before planting, they are simply mowed, leaving roots in the ground.

There are no specific requirements for the composition of the soil during such planting, so you can experiment in almost any conditions, starting from the planting schemes described at the beginning and the basic cultivation rules. But on heavy, overly compacted soils, the quality and quantity of the final crop will be much lower.

Planting potatoes without digging does not require pre-treatment of the soil

One of the methods of planting without digging the soil looks like this:

1. Carefully remove the soil with a shovel to a depth of about 10 cm.
2. We put the prepared planting material in the ditch and sprinkle it with earth or compost for 5 cm.
3. During the entire growing season, we dump various plant residues under the bushes - leaves, weeds, etc. At the same time, we try so that the stems of the bush are not gathered together, but, on the contrary, fall apart as far as possible from each other. We do not spud.
4. We water very rarely, only in severe drought. If desired, preventive treatments can be carried out, and if necessary, potatoes should be sprayed with preparations for diseases and pests.

Landing in the grass

When using this method, you also do not need to dig the site. Potatoes are simply laid out on the ground, right on the grown grass, in two rows. The interval between the tubers is 25 cm, the row spacing is 40–50 cm. In order for the tops to be well lit by the sun in the future, it is better to spread the potatoes in a checkerboard pattern.

When planting in the grass, the beds are mulched with hay, foliage or dry sedge.

After planting, the site is mulched with hay, dry sedge or leaves. Some gardeners even cover the tubers with torn black and white newspapers. To prevent the mulch layer from being damaged by the wind, you can cover it from above with lutrasil.

A significant disadvantage of growing under mulch is that it takes a lot of it, which means that this method is unlikely to plant a large area. Mulch prevents the evaporation of moisture, so this method of growing should not be used on excessively moist soils in order to avoid rotting of tubers and plant damage by fungi.

Do not use cereals for mulching, otherwise mice and rats will start in the garden.

During the entire vegetative period of the plants, torn weeds, grass and hay are sprinkled on the bed, making sure that the tubers are well covered, since the mulch layer will settle when overheated. No fertilizer can be applied. Watering is also not necessary - when the plants overheat, the moisture from them will go into the soil, providing the plants with everything they need. When the potatoes bloom, cut off all the flowers, leaving them on only one bush - this way you can determine the time of harvest. When the flowers on the control bush have withered, compost and remove the tubers.

Landing in sawdust

This method is similar in principle to the previous two. Planting material is distributed over the site, keeping a distance of about 25 cm, and sprinkled on top with a layer of sawdust mixed with peat, ash and plant waste so that the sawdust completely covers the tubers.

Use for planting not fresh, but old, half-rotted sawdust, as fresh ones have high acidity and can significantly worsen the final harvest.

There is another option for such a planting: they dig grooves about 10 cm deep at the site, cover them with a layer of sawdust mixed with organic matter, spread sprouted tubers on top of them and sprinkle with sawdust.

Do not use fresh sawdust for planting - this may adversely affect the yield.

During the growing season, add sawdust as needed to keep the potatoes from being exposed. There is no need for watering and fertilizing. After the haulm has withered, rake the mulch layer and select the crop. The sawdust left on the site can be used for next year.

Many gardeners note that with this method, the tubers are likely to freeze, so planting should be done only after the threat of late frost has completely passed. On excessively moist soils and in conditions of a very rainy summer, rotting of potatoes and a decrease in keeping quality are possible.

Landing under cardboard

This method greatly facilitates not only the planting itself, but also the process of preparing the soil, since before laying the cardboard on the ground, weeds do not need to be removed from it - they will subsequently die off by themselves from lack of air and sunlight. It also does not require preliminary digging of the soil. The only thing you need - a large number of cardboard. Always make sure the soil is damp before laying cardboard on the ground. If the soil is dry, be sure to water it.

It is better to use large cardboard sheets, such as those thrown away by furniture stores or appliance stores.

Planting under cardboard has an extremely beneficial effect on soil fertility, since the weeds that remain under it, decomposing, act as fertilizer. The earth under the cardboard retains moisture well, there are a lot of earthworms in it, which make the soil more loose.

Of course, this method is unlikely to be suitable for a large area, since quite a lot of cardboard will be required. In addition, it will be necessary to constantly monitor that the covering material is not blown away by the wind. Cardboard tends to decompose, therefore it is not suitable for repeated use. However, such a planting has a lot of advantages: the gardener will not need to remove weeds and spend time digging the soil, the soil structure will improve, and, accordingly, the final yield. Yes, and you will have to water the plants only during a very severe drought.

This landing method implies two options.

A bed of cardboard

The main advantage of this planting is that the ridges formed above the bed well protect the tubers from freezing. Therefore, this method is most often used when growing potatoes in cold climates, as well as when planting early varieties. Cardboard prevents the germination of weeds, and filling the trenches serves as an excellent fertilizer for plants. In addition, potatoes planted this way are much easier to dig out because the cardboard bottom of the trenches prevents the roots from going too deep into the ground. This method is justified on almost all types of soil, with the exception of sandy and excessively moist clay soils: in the first case, the ridges above the trenches will collapse very quickly under the influence of external factors, and in the second case, seed material may rot.

1. Since autumn, they cover the soil with a layer of cardboard without any pre-treatment (that is, digging or removing weeds) and press it down to the ground so that it is not blown away by the wind.
2. In the spring, the cardboard is removed and made in the trench area with a depth and width equal to the bayonet of a shovel.
3. They take the used cardboard and lay it on the bottom of the recesses, sprinkling a layer of humus and half-rotted grass on top.
4. On top of it, at a short distance from each other, prepared planting material is placed and trenches are filled up so that the distance between them is 60–70 cm, and high ridges are obtained above them.
5. Water the beds as needed.
6. After complete withering of the tops, the crop is dug up.

Bed under cardboard

In this case, the site is completely covered with cardboard before planting. This method can be used on almost all types of soil (except for excessively moistened, since the cardboard prevents moisture from evaporating), but it is likely that when planted in heavy soil, the quality and quantity of the final crop will decrease. Avoid making beds under cardboard in a rainy climate - an abundance of precipitation will cause the covering material to soak, which will nullify your efforts.

When planting under cardboard, you can cover the soil both in autumn and immediately before planting

1. Approximately every 30 cm, X-shaped holes are made in the cardboard and 15 cm deep holes are dug under them.
2. A potato tuber is placed in each of them and sprinkled with earth. When weeds appear, they are immediately removed.
3. Watering is carried out in very dry times and only under the bushes (to avoid soaking the cardboard).
4. After the tops die off, the cardboard is removed and harvesting begins.

Since it is not very convenient to plant potatoes in an area that is covered with cardboard, you can resort to alternative method planting: first dig holes, lay tubers in them and sprinkle with earth, and only after that place covering material on top and make holes for future bushes.

Landing with motor-block "Cascade"

When planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor, gardeners mainly aim to facilitate their own work, so they think little about such nuances as climatic conditions or mechanical composition soil. In principle, this is true, since this method is successfully used on all types of soil, although planting methods may vary somewhat.

Using a walk-behind tractor, you can plant potatoes in several ways:

• hiller,
• mounted potato planter,
• plow
• into the combs.

The first three are used on light soils, and the last is suitable for clay soils, where groundwater is in close proximity to the surface. Planting with a potato planter is justified only when working with a very large planting area, since its purchase requires considerable cash costs. True, some agronomists get out of the situation by constructing this unit with their own hands.

It is more convenient to plant with a walk-behind tractor using a potato planter

This method requires pre-treatment of the soil - the soil must be dug up in advance with the application of all necessary fertilizers. If a potato planter is used, the whole procedure is carried out in one pass, since this unit is equipped with a furrower, a hopper for planting material and disk hiller for filling furrows. Instead of wheels, lugs are put on the walk-behind tractor and the parameters of the potato planter are set in accordance with the instructions.

When landing with a hiller, lugs are also installed instead of wheels. The width of the wings of the hiller is made minimal, and the track width is 55–65 cm. Furrows are made along the track width with a walk-behind tractor and potato tubers are laid out, observing a gap of 20–30 cm. After that, the lugs are changed to ordinary wheels and the furrows are covered.

Landing with a plow involves the installation of lugs and the plow itself. It is much easier and faster if two people participate in the event: one controls the unit, and the other lays out the tubers. The plow is inserted into the soil to the depth of the shovel bayonet: in this way, furrows for potatoes are formed. After placing the seed material, the previous furrow is covered with earth from the next one.

Ridged planting is only suitable for well-moistened soils. With the help of a walk-behind tractor, ridges 15–20 cm in height are made on the site and potato tubers are planted in them.

Planting in a greenhouse

This growing method has several advantages. Firstly, if you provide the greenhouse with proper heating, you can almost feast on young tubers. all year round. Second, landing closed ground allows you to get more yield, and the plants will be less damaged by pests. Yes, and weeding in a greenhouse is much easier than in an open area.

Potatoes planted in a greenhouse are less damaged by pests than those growing in an open area.

To grow in a greenhouse good potatoes, you will need to carry out the following manipulations:

1. In autumn, the soil in the greenhouse is prepared by filling it with manure or humus and carefully digging it up.
2. Choose medium-sized potatoes and germinate the tubers in a well-lit and warm (13–17 ° C) room, turning occasionally. To speed up germination, you can put the potatoes in a basket and sprinkle with wet peat or sawdust.
3. In the greenhouse, even rows are drawn every 20–40 cm, holes are dug 5–7 cm deep, sprouted potatoes are laid in them and covered with a layer of manure. A week later, the manure layer is increased.
4. The first top dressing is carried out after the sprouts reach a height of 5–7 cm.

Potatoes planted in a greenhouse need very frequent fertilizer. Water it abundantly, once every 10-12 days. Be sure to loosen the aisles, carry out the hilling procedure and remove pests from the leaves.

Abundant watering of potatoes in a greenhouse increases the yield several times.

Landing under the film and agrofibre

Growing under covering materials justifies itself on any soil, helps to get a consistently high yield, protect tubers from late frosts, and, if desired, make good money selling young potatoes. At the same time, there is nothing complicated in agricultural technology, and even beginner gardeners can easily master it. The use of covering materials increases the yield by 15–20%.

Regardless of which material is chosen, it will be necessary to prepare the site in advance. To do this, in the fall it is dug up to a depth of 22–25 cm with the introduction of organic matter and ready-made complex fertilizers. After the snow has completely melted, you can cover the area with polyethylene and leave it in this form until planting.

To make the snow on the site melt faster, form raised beds in the fall.

Medium-sized tubers (70–80 grams) are selected for planting and germinated at 10–15 °C. To enjoy young potatoes early, choose early or extra early varieties.

Features of growing under the film

Potatoes are planted in the ground, keeping a gap of 20–25 cm between the tubers. The row spacing is 60–70 cm. The planted area is covered with dense polyethylene on top and its edges are fixed with earth, bricks or water bottles to protect it from gusts of wind.

Having covered the plantings with polyethylene, fix its edges so that the material is not blown away by the wind

Before sprouts appear, potatoes do not need airing, but young shoots already need fresh air. Therefore, after their appearance, the film is lifted from time to time, and when the bushes reach 10–15 cm in height, ventilation holes are made in a checkerboard pattern every 15 cm.

Control the temperature under the film - if it is too high, the growth of young shoots will stop.

Alternatively, you can install a frame 30-35 cm high above the bed and stretch the film over it - then the plants will receive more air. The rest of the agricultural technology does not differ from the traditional one: water as needed, fertilize and make sure that pests do not appear on the bushes.

Growing under polyethylene will help protect the tubers from frost, so it is advisable to use it in cold climates.

Growing under agrofibre

Agrofibre, or spunbond, is a non-woven material widely used for covering plants. Its main advantage is that it is moisture and breathable. In addition, light agrofibre good quality Washes well and can be used over and over again.

For covering potato beds, spunbond with a density of 20-30 grams per square meter is suitable. They cover the plot with them in the same way as with polyethylene, fixing the edges. You can stretch the agrofibre on the frame, so that in the future the bushes will be more spacious. Since this material is perfectly aerated, it will not need to be removed periodically.

If you are using black agrofibre, make cross holes for each bush

Depending on what goal you are pursuing, you can use both light and dark spunbond. White is usually wide and suitable for multiple uses. The black one is disposable, and it does not let light through, since it is designed to protect against weeds. If you use black agrofibre, after covering, make cross-shaped cuts in it for each bush.

When planting under agrofibre, please note that it will not be able to properly protect plants from frost. Therefore, if the temperature drops to -6 ° C, cover the beds on top with polyethylene. polyethylene film and light agrofibre is removed after stable warm weather is established on the street. Dark spunbond is left until harvest.

Hilling begins when the sprouts reach 15–20 cm in height, and watering is carried out once a week. Two weeks after planting, potatoes are fertilized with urea (15 grams per square meter), and potash fertilizers are applied before budding begins. The first digging of the crop can be carried out already in May (depending on the timing of planting), and the main harvest is carried out from the end of June to July.

More ways to get a good harvest

In addition to those described above, there are several more original ways landings that allow you to get a good result. These methods are not suitable for everyone, but some gardeners really like it.

Method P. Balabanov

The method was developed by the potato grower Pyotr Romanovich Balabanov, and its essence lies in carrying out two hillings even before the emergence of seedlings so that in the end the tuber is covered with earth by 20–25 cm. Balabanov argued that this method greatly facilitates the work of the gardener and increases productivity.

The maximum number of potatoes obtained by the Balabanov method is 119 from one bush.

Landing is carried out as follows:

1. On a prepared site in autumn or in early spring form ridges 15–20 cm high and sow them with green manure. A couple of days before planting potatoes, the plants are pruned, leaving the root part in the ground. No organics, no mineral dressings do not contribute.
2. Only large tubers weighing at least 100 grams will fit for planting. Planting material must be germinated, dipped for 10–15 minutes in a protective solution (1 tsp of potassium permanganate, boric acid and copper sulfate per 10 liters of water) and powdered with ash.
3. A shovel is stuck into the center of a pre-prepared ridge, tilted slightly and the potatoes are carefully placed in this slot so that a 6 cm layer of soil remains above it. The interval between tubers is 30–40 cm, row spacing is up to 120 cm.

Planting activities are carried out after the soil warms up to 8–10 ° С. A week later (but always before the first shoots), the potatoes are spudded with a layer of earth of 6 cm, and this procedure is repeated after 7 days. During the growing season, the plants will need to be spudded twice more. Watering is carried out at least three times - at the beginning and at the end of budding, and then at the beginning of flowering. According to Balabanov, planting by this method will allow you to get up to a ton of potatoes from one hundred square meters, and the harvest will delight even in the driest years.

Gardeners who planted potatoes in the manner described above claim that it justifies itself only on the condition that the summer is not too hot and dry. Otherwise, the tubers are very small.

When planting by the Balabanov method, it is not necessary to dig holes for potatoes

Please note that only loose, fertile and slightly acidic (pH 5.5-5.8) soil is suitable for using the above technology. For heavy soil, this method is absolutely unacceptable.

folk method

This method was developed by one of the inhabitants of the Tula region. It consists in carrying out the following manipulations:

1. In autumn, the soil is dug up on a shovel bayonet. At the same time, manure is introduced into the soil.
2. In the spring, the site is dug up again - this time 15 cm deep, while introducing Nitroammofoska.
3. The plot is delimited alternately into strips 20 and 80 cm wide. Sprouted potatoes are laid out along the edges of the strips every 30 cm. From wide strips, the earth is raked onto the tubers, covering them by 2 cm.
4. High hilling is carried out three times per season (with the threat of late frosts, the sprouts are hilled high).
5. When the street stabilizes good weather, carry out the first fertilizer with Nitroammophos. Then two more feedings are carried out with an interval of 10 days.
6. The stems of two adjacent rows are stacked on top of each other and spud so that a flat mound is formed, and a couple of days before harvesting they are mowed at a height of 15 cm from the soil surface. This is done so that the stems take up new roots and give more yield.

Gülich method

This method of planting is suitable for owners of large plots, since its point is that each bush receives a maximum of free space.

1. The plot prepared for planting is divided into squares measuring a meter by a meter.
2. In the center of each square, a roller of rotted manure is built in a circle, covered with loose soil and a large potato is planted with the top down.
3. When shoots begin to go from the tuber, they pour the soil into the center of the ring formed by them.
4. As soon as the first leaves appear on the sprouts, add more earth.
5. Repeat these manipulations until a multi-tiered bush is formed.
6. Water as needed, fertilize several times.

According to agronomists, with proper observance of all instructions, one such bush can produce up to 16 kg of potatoes.

Growing a crop using the Gülich method allows you to get up to 16 kg of potatoes from a bush

Peel Potatoes

Very original method, allowing you to get a crop with virtually no use of seed material.

1. In the spring, peeling potatoes are harvested and put into open paper bags.
2. As soon as the temperature in the street approaches zero, they take the collected to the greenhouse, spill it hot water a small corner, laid out on top of the cleaning, covered with soil or several layers of newspapers and covered with snow.
3. When the soil warms up to 12 ° C, sprouts will appear from the peel. They will need to be planted instead of regular seed, a handful in each hole. Further care standard.

The experiment with growing potatoes from the skin can be carried out on any soil and in any climate, setting aside a small plot of the garden for it. Since this method is practically cost-free, you are unlikely to regret it even if it does not justify itself.

If you do not have a greenhouse, germinate the cleanings on the site, covering them on top with plastic wrap.

Video: effective potato planting methods

There are a great many methods of planting potatoes - both quite conservative and original new ones, and it is simply impossible to list them all. Each gardener will be able to choose from this list the most suitable method for him, and by providing potatoes necessary care, boast an excellent harvest.