Many summer residents can’t wait to quickly taste young potatoes grown with their own hands. Therefore, early varieties of this crop grow in almost every garden. Let's find out which varieties to choose in order to always have an excellent harvest.
Early potato varieties are divided into:
- ultra-early (ripen 45-55 days after emergence);
- early ripening (grow 60-70 days);
- mid-early (harvest can be harvested in 75-80 days).
By planting potatoes of an early variety, you will be able to dig up mature tubers in the first half of summer. It's time to enjoy the fruits of the new harvest, especially since the cellar with autumn supplies is already empty.
However, keep in mind that early and ultra-early varieties are stored worse than late ones (no more than 5 months). Therefore, if you do not intend to grow such potatoes for sale, plant them in small quantities.
It is best to plant several varieties of different ripening periods on the site: in the summer you will eat plenty of early potatoes, and in the fall you will harvest late varieties to save them until the next season. After all, your own potatoes are always better than store-bought ones. In addition, you have the opportunity to choose a variety that everyone will like.
Alyona
The tubers of this early-ripening table potato variety have an oval shape, light red skin and white flesh. It is rarely affected by dangerous bacterial and fungal diseases, so the variety does not require painstaking care and frequent feeding.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 172-391 | 86-167 | 60-70 | White | |
Ariel
The fruits of the ultra-early variety Ariel ripen even before there is a threat of late blight infecting the plant. This is a definite plus. And besides, the tubers ripen very quickly, so during the summer-autumn period you can manage to collect two or even three harvests.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 400-600 | 90-120 | 45-50 | Light yellow | |
Ripening time
Each of the varietal varieties differs in terms of ripening, i.e., the period that passes from planting to harvest. When to dig different types of potatoes can be determined by familiarizing yourself with the ripening time.
Thus, super early varieties are ready for harvesting 40–60 days after planting. The ripening time for early ripening varieties is 50–60 days. Harvesting of early potatoes begins after 61–70 days. Mid-early varieties begin to be dug 71–90 days after placing the seeds in the ground.
Zhukovsky early
The tubers of this early-ripening variety are large with pink skin and white pulp, which does not darken for a long time. The fruits contain little starch (about 10%), which means that even those who strictly monitor their waist size are allowed to eat them. These potatoes are great for frying and store well. Zhukovsky early is quite resistant to late blight, nematode and scab.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 400-450 | 100-120 | 50-65 | White | |
Popular varieties for different regions
The region plays an important role in obtaining a high-quality harvest: despite the fact that early varieties are unpretentious in care and resistant to temperature changes, they still need enough sun and an optimal level of soil heating. Consider this fact when choosing the optimal variety for your strip.
- Early potato varieties for the Moscow region and the middle zone : “Friendly”, “Vyatka”, “Slavyanka”, “Uralsky Early”, “Udacha”, “Ariel”, “Sosnovsky”; “Spring”, “Zhukovsky early”, “Timo”, “Nevsky”, “Lugovskoy”.
- Early varieties for the Urals : “Impala”, “Latona”, “Prigozhy 2”, “Adretta”, “Sante”, “Aurora”.
- Early varieties for Siberia : “Amorosa”, “Zhukovsky”, “Karatop”, “Freske”, “Rozhdestvensky”, “Romano”, “Uladar”, “Red Scarlet”, Lileya.”
Impala
The ultra-early variety Impala is characterized by high yield and good keeping quality of tubers. They have yellow skin and flesh. Root vegetables store quite well and are low in calories due to their low starch content (about 15%).
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 550-620 | 90-150 | 45-55 | Yellow | |
Lily
This early-ripening table variety is praised for its excellent taste. In addition, he does not suffer from the main potato diseases. Lily tubers are round-oval, the peel and pulp of the fruit are yellow.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 350-400 | 102-200 | 75-80 | Light yellow | |
Red Scarlet
This mid-early table variety is especially popular in the central and southern regions of Russia. It is distinguished by good yield (about 600 c/ha) and fairly large fruits, the weight of which can exceed 100 g. And they look very appetizing - the skin of the potatoes is red and the flesh is yellow.
The great advantage of this variety is the fact that the tubers retain their color even after heat treatment. And Red Scarlet almost never suffers from common potato diseases (cancer, late blight, etc.).
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 400-660 | 85-120 | 75-80 | Yellow | |
Features of growing potatoes in Siberia
The agricultural technology of Siberian potatoes is somewhat different from the technology for growing this crop in other regions of Russia and the countries of the former USSR. The soil here warms up late, so planting begins no earlier than May, and in the eastern regions of Siberia - at the end of spring. If potato growers in the middle zone have the opportunity to dig up early potatoes already in June, then in Siberia, meanwhile, seedlings are just beginning to appear. No techniques, including vernalization, help to noticeably speed up the appearance of green shoots.
A month before planting, tuber crops are taken out of storage for germination. This technique is very important, since in the short northern summer the plants must sprout quickly and have time to receive the energy of the sun. Tubers with sprouts and root primordia that have already appeared are planted in the beds.
In Siberian conditions, planting sprouted potatoes is an important condition for obtaining a good harvest.
Planting methods
Potatoes are planted in Siberia in several ways:
- one-line,
- tape,
- comb
The one-line method is the most common. Tuber crops are planted in rows at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other, with 60–70 cm left between rows. With this planting method, potatoes can be planted shallowly - to a depth of only 10 cm - since hilling will subsequently be carried out.
When planting potatoes using a single-line method, the distance between rows is 60–70 cm
The tape planting method is used in industrial cultivation. Potatoes are planted in two rows. The distance between the rows is 30 cm, the gap between the tapes is 110 cm. With this method of planting, hilling can be carried out with a tractor, the roots of the plants are not damaged.
With the strip method, potatoes are planted in double rows.
Ridge planting is used in areas where there is a lot of rainfall or groundwater is close to the soil surface. The ridges are artificially raised to a height of 20 cm, leaving 70 cm between the rows. This method of planting allows you to collect an early harvest on waterlogged and heavy soils.
Potatoes are planted in ridges where water comes close to the soil surface
Watering
The amount of water greatly affects the size and quality of the potato harvest. Throughout the growing season, it is necessary to carefully control the soil moisture. During the dry season, it is necessary to supply water to the site at least 5 times:
- For the first time, potatoes are watered 2 weeks after the mass emergence of seedlings.
- The second important period is the budding of plants. The approximate watering rate at this time is about 7 liters of water for each plant.
- If the ground becomes dry at a depth of 7 cm, then the plantings must be additionally moistened.
Drip irrigation is the most economical way to water potatoes, which requires minimal physical input
Hilling up potatoes
Even in the south of Siberia in June there are often severe frosts on the soil. It is advisable to mulch rows with potatoes that have not yet sprouted with mown grass or other plant debris. Before the seedlings appear, the field is not weeded, so as not to accidentally damage future seedlings.
After planting, it is advisable to mulch the potato beds to protect the seedlings from frost.
The first hilling is carried out immediately after emergence. It allows you to achieve three goals at once:
- cover the plants with soil to protect them from night frosts;
- rid the plantation of weeds;
- loosen the soil and thus improve root aeration.
The first hilling of potatoes is carried out immediately after emergence
The second hilling can begin when the plants reach a height of 15–20 cm.
Pest protection
In Siberia, potato tubers are damaged by the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm. There is no mole cricket in the region, a pest that plagues potato growers in more southern regions.
Pests can be eliminated using chemicals such as:
- Prestige;
- Aktara;
- Force;
- Bankol;
- Emesto Quantum.
On private farms, the Colorado potato beetle is collected by hand.
In small areas, Colorado beetles are collected by hand
Photo gallery: preparations for potato protection
Harvest
Early potatoes in Siberia are harvested from mid-August, other varieties - from mid-September to the second week of October. Tubers are dug up when the stems begin to dry out. A week or two before harvesting, the potato tops are mowed to protect the tubers from late blight. This technique also contributes to better storage and transportation of the crop, since after mowing the leaves, the skin on the tubers becomes rougher.
One to two weeks before harvesting, the tops of the potatoes are mowed down to protect the tubers from diseases.
Luck
The name of this variety speaks for itself. It takes an honorable first place among common early varieties in terms of yield, storage period and disease resistance.
Potato tubers are oval-shaped with white skin and the same pulp. They contain 13-15% starch.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 300-500 | 120-250 | 60-70 | White | |
Agricultural technology
Caring for early ripening varieties comes down to using standard cultivation techniques, but with some nuances.
Watering
If necessary, water the potatoes after all sprouts emerge from the ground. The second watering is possible when the first, usually fused, leaves are formed and stems with leaves develop.
The third watering corresponds to the phase of bud emergence and flowering, when 4–6 shoots with watery tuber primordia appear on the stem underground. The tops grow intensively, and starch is formed in the tubers. The plants' need for water and nutrition becomes maximum. Lack of water during this period can cause flowers to drop and tubers to stop growing. Soil moisture should be between 70–80%. After flowering is completed, soil moisture is reduced, since with increased liquid consumption the potatoes become watery and are easily affected by fungi and bacteria.
Loosening and hilling
When soil crust and weeds appear, loosening is carried out no deeper than 5 cm. In this case, mechanical damage to the plants should not be allowed, since potato sprouts and roots are not restored.
Uladar
This ultra-early table variety is valued for its undemandingness to soil - it grows well in almost any type of soil. Tubers of round or oval shape with light yellow pulp are difficult to boil, but they are stored for a long time.
| Purpose | Productivity (kg/100 sq.m) | Tuber weight (g) | Maturation (days) | Flesh color |
| 127-353 | 91-140 | 45 | Light yellow | |
Plant different varieties of potatoes on your plot, including early ripening ones, and in one season you will collect several harvests of excellent, tasty potatoes - enough to eat with fresh cucumbers and stock up for the winter.
Features of planting and preparation of planting material
In most cases, the beginning to mid-May is considered favorable conditions and the period for planting early potatoes, but only on the condition that there is no promise of a cold snap to sub-zero temperatures. The depth of embedding depends on two factors - the type of soil and the size of the root crop. They are planted in loose soil to a depth of up to 19 cm, and in heavy soil - up to 9 cm. Parameters may vary depending on the tubers and the level of soil moisture.
The main thing that is recommended to pay attention to is warming up the soil cover within +10-12 at a depth of 8-12 cm. If you ignore this condition, this will lead to freezing and rotting of the planting material. Also, early and ultra-early potatoes should be planted only with existing sprouts, which can be eliminated when planting medium and late varieties.
The potato harvest depends on the preparedness of the planting material. What does it mean? Potatoes are pre-sprouted, and this can be done in several ways.
- Sprouting potatoes at a temperature of +10-17 degrees. The first shoots will appear within three weeks. Planting material is laid out in a well-lit room.
- Potatoes are placed in containers with moist soil, sawdust or peat. Temperature +10-17 degrees.
- Potatoes can be placed in plastic and left to germinate for several weeks in a cool place.
Sprouted planting material must be handled carefully so as not to damage the sprouts on which the future harvest depends.
