The potatoes did not sprout - causes and methods of eliminating the problem

Why potatoes don’t want to sprout, possible reasons and what to do

Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetable crops, which are cultivated almost everywhere. The process of planting and caring for bushes takes not only a lot of time, but also labor. To achieve the desired result, you must adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology and use only healthy planting material. But there are situations when potatoes do not sprout; finding out why this happens is not known to all beginning gardeners. To avoid such troubles, you need to know the main ones.

Advantages of seed growing potatoes

First of all, this is the financial side, which allows you to significantly save on obtaining varietal material in the form of tubers. Also among the advantages of the seed method it is worth noting:

• the seeds are absolutely healthy and have “built-in” immunity to disease;
• tubers grown from them can adapt to the climate of the region, just like the plants obtained from them;
• This adaptability persists for a long time, up to 8 years, which allows for a good harvest.

There are some disadvantages, first of all, the fragility of the seedlings. Unlike tomatoes, potatoes have softer stems and can be difficult to transplant. And although adult bushes hardly get sick, the seedlings themselves are defenseless against the “black leg”. And, of course, you will have to tinker with it, and you can get an uneven result.

How many days after planting do potatoes sprout?

When cultivating potatoes in regions with a temperate climate, the appearance of sprouts should be expected 21 days after planting. In the southern regions, tuber germination should be expected after 14-15 days, and in the northern regions - after 25-28 days. When planting already sprouted root crops (shoots 3-4 centimeters long), the period for sprouts to appear is reduced to two weeks.

Early potato varieties are vernalized for five weeks, using wet sawdust for this purpose. By the date of planting, such potatoes have formed not only shoots, but also a root mass. Root crops germinated in this way germinate within 7 days after placing them in the prepared holes.

Why do potatoes sprout poorly?

Among the main reasons for uneven germination of tubers are violations in planting, hole preparation, weather, defective seed potatoes, invasion of harmful insects and the development of diseases. To prevent poor potato seedlings, you need to familiarize yourself with each of the reasons in more detail.

Weather

Root crops planted in a permanent place are very sensitive to unfavorable environmental factors:

• Decrease in temperature indicators. Frosts have a detrimental effect on potato tissue. In addition, cold burns can occur on the buds and on mature shoots. The processes occur especially quickly in conditions of a deficiency of useful components in the soil. Planted potatoes either die instantly or suddenly stop growing.
• Increased level of moisture in the soil. Prolonged rains at the initial stage of the potato growing season provoke its rotting. In damp soil, root crops do not receive enough oxygen, which leads to their death.
• Lack of moisture. If dry weather persists for a long time, the development of the vegetative organs of the future bush is slowed down.

The seedlings stretch out greatly

If the seedlings are very elongated, weakened and unstable, there may be several reasons for this.

Incorrect sowing time

The rule is often neglected, believing that 1-2 weeks will not play a big role, but in vain! Calculate the timing for your conditions, taking into account the time for seed germination, the method of cultivation (open, closed) and the timing of planting in a permanent place. For different crops, even individual varieties, the timing may be individual.

Thickened seeding

The seedlings will grow weakly, competing with each other for a “place in the sun”, and will stretch out. Thickened crops are often affected by diseases, which can sometimes completely destroy all the plants in the box. Perform thinning immediately. Add lighting and lower the temperature by 2-3 degrees. Do not force picking into separate containers. If you are not going to dive, after thinning, place the boxes or other containers further apart, providing normal lighting to all plants.

Photo: Thickened sowing of cucumbers.

Heat

If it is above +25...+30 degrees, the growth rate increases to the detriment of quality development. Optimal values ​​are from +18 to +25 degrees. At night, it is advisable to move the containers to a cooler place - to the balcony door, to the corridor.

Excessive and frequent watering

Water according to crop requirements. This will be indicated by the drooping appearance of the seedlings and the dry top layer. Not adding is better than pouring. It is better to water early in the morning to avoid high humidity.

Insufficient lighting

When growing early seedlings, use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps or phytolamps. Install reflective foil screens, extending daylight hours to 12–14 hours in February–March. As a rule, lamps are turned on for 1–2 hours before sunrise and for the same amount after sunset. Choose southern - ideally, eastern or western window sills.

Belated pick

Plants take on a fragile appearance and stretch out. Urgently pick them up into cups, providing them with the necessary feeding area.

Photo: Tomato plants of the Amur cliff variety after picking.

Caring for potatoes after germination: useful tips

Caring for potatoes after germination is very important, since it determines how the plant will develop and bear fruit. If the preparatory measures are carried out incorrectly, the potatoes will not sprout or will freeze in development.

Why do potatoes grow poorly? What to do if the plant develops incorrectly? Below we talk about all the features of planting potatoes and the reasons why potatoes may stop growing.

Normal potato development

How many days does it take for potatoes to sprout after planting? This depends on the temperature conditions of the area. Normally, the germination time of tubers after they are buried is about 10 days. Twelve days is also a variant of the norm. A longer period already shows that the plant is lagging behind in development. But in all areas? No, only farmers living in the south of the country need to sound the alarm after 13 days without germination. In the northern regions, the period for sprouts to appear is at least 15 days, and sometimes 25.

The germination time of potatoes depends on the variety. On what day do potatoes sprout after planting southern crops? In warm areas they germinate quickly, in less than 10 days. But if you mistakenly purchase them for planting in the north, the plant may even die. Northern crops are not susceptible to such problems and develop stably within 15 - 25 days, regardless of the landing area.

Related article: What to do if potatoes are frozen - how to process tubers

Any deviations in the development of the crop are a reason to check the growth conditions of the bushes. All the problems that may arise when growing potatoes are described below.

How to speed up the emergence of seedlings - advice from an experienced summer resident

Trying new potatoes as soon as possible is the understandable desire of every summer resident. It is quite possible to get early shoots, and therefore an early harvest of tubers in a small garden bed.

The easiest way is to cover the bed with film or agrofibre immediately after planting. You can use any film - black or transparent. A greenhouse effect is created under the film, the bed quickly heats up, and the shelter does not allow the soil to cool down overnight. How long it takes for seedlings to appear depends on the following factors: within 1 week (vernalized tubers) or 2 weeks (without germination).

For this purpose, it is convenient to plant a separate double row, and above it install a simple shelter on arches. In greenhouse conditions, potatoes can grow until summer weather sets in.

Problems that may appear early in development

Potatoes are sensitive to frost, temperature changes, drought, and lack of nutrients. In this regard, at the slightest deviation from proper care, the crop may stop growing or die.

The main problems that may arise immediately after planting the seeds:

1. No sprouts appear. This indicates that there are not enough nutrients in the soil or that the tubers have been damaged by insects. Another common reason for the lack of germination is the incorrect selection of variety or seeds.
2. The potatoes have sprouted and are not growing. This phenomenon is typical for cold regions with sharp temperature changes during the day and night. The soil can retain heat at night, but the air has a detrimental effect on young shoots, preventing them from growing in size. Also, lack of growth may be due to insufficient care.
3. The plant develops only in soil. Why don't potatoes sprout, but tubers grow? Most likely, the variety is southern and cannot grow in cold air conditions, but the soil temperature and nutrient content are sufficient for the development of nodules. Simultaneously with the appearance of sprouts, the tuber actively “whelps” - many small root crops develop, which prevents the growth of the stem. Why do potatoes whelp? The problem may be a poorly selected or weak potato variety, or unfavorable outdoor conditions. Or the potatoes are buried too deep.
4. Often sprouts appear, but in insufficient quantities - only half or even a third sprout. The remaining tubers produce stems later, after 10–15 days. Why do potatoes rise unevenly? The reason for this is poor seed material or uneven distribution of fertilizers. Sometimes farmers confuse varieties by planting early and late varieties together.

Problems during germination can be easily prevented by providing the potatoes with proper care. How to do this is described below.

Landing

To answer the question of how many days do potatoes sprout after planting, you need to take into account several factors:

• planting depth;
• soil quality;
• preparation of planted tubers;
• presence of rain in the region.

The depth of planting potato seeds depends directly on the quality and composition of the soil. If the soil is sandy and light, planting to the depth of a spade bayonet is allowed. If the soil contains clay that does not allow air to pass through well, planting should be done no deeper than 10 cm, otherwise the seedlings may not emerge at all. If potatoes do not grow well from year to year, gardeners who own such land proceed as follows:

• plant potatoes in boxes filled with imported or prepared soil;
• or dig wide holes and fill them with compost;
• add ½ cup of ash;
• a handful of onion peels;
• a handful of crushed egg shells;
• 1 tbsp. l OMU fertilizers;
• mix, and the tuber, which has previously been dipped in a tar solution, is placed on a nutrient cushion and covered with compost;
• When planted this way, the potatoes sprout quickly and develop well. and gives a large harvest.

What causes abnormal growth?

Not all of the root causes due to which potato development may slow down or stop are listed above. There are many more factors that influence the growth of culture.

Potatoes do not sprout - reasons:

1. Small seed. You cannot plant those nodules that have not reached 25 g in weight. The exception is potato varieties with small tubers.
2. Poor quality seed material. If the tubers have black spots, cut spots, or serious deformations, then they are unlikely to sprout.
3. Seeds purchased from grocery stores. In hypermarkets, vegetable products are processed so that they last longer. Preservatives reduce the viability of the tuber; it is less likely to sprout than potatoes purchased at a greengrocer's store.
4. Pest attack. Mole cricket and some other insects (and their larvae) eat tunnels in tubers and can destroy the entire crop.
5. Lack of nutrition. Minerals must be supplied to the plant system regularly. It is necessary to fertilize and fertilize the soil before sowing. If these measures are not taken, growth will slow or stop.

Weather conditions have the greatest influence. If drought occurs, the plant dies. Even with a sufficient supply of minerals in the kidney, it cannot function normally, because nutrients do not enter the root system without fluid. Excess moisture at the onset of heavy rains is also dangerous. It can lead to rotting of the tubers, which will prevent them from sprouting at all.

If frosts or night cold snaps suddenly begin, the potatoes will sprout more slowly. It may die if the soil temperature is too low or stop developing by going into “hibernation” - the state in which the tubers are stored during winter.

Having understood why the potatoes sprout unevenly, you should move on to eliminating the problem.

How to eliminate delays in plant development

Potatoes don't sprout - what to do? Even if the potatoes have already been planted, you can still improve the conditions for their germination: start watering and fertilizing correctly. Secondary planting of tubers is also allowed, although it takes a lot of time and effort and does not always eliminate the reason why potatoes do not sprout.

Related article: Planting potatoes before winter: instructions, pros and cons

It is better to start actively fertilizing the soil, hilling it, and covering the sprouts with a tent made of special material. Covering the culture is especially important. Plantings should be covered at night, before the onset of cold weather in the evening. This action is relevant in spring and during the cold periods of summer. Shelter reduces the risk of sprouts dying due to frost and allows them to develop normally even in very cold spring nights.

Don't overdo it with fertilizer. It is enough to water once every two weeks with fertilizers dissolved in water. In this case, the water for dilution should be warm; it should not be poured too much in one place.

All weeds should be removed from the soil - they can take away nutrients and hinder the development of the plant. If treatment against parasites and diseases has not yet been carried out, this should be provided. While the sprouts have not yet sprouted or have not reached the “age” of 2 weeks, you can safely cultivate the soil.

The last resort is digging up the beds and removing bad tubers. Unsprouted, rotten and pest-infested nodules will only harm neighbors by rotting. If the seeds were planted too close, some of them will have to be removed and others discharged. Then development can begin with renewed vigor.

If even after these measures the potatoes have not sprouted, what should I do? Completely change the seed material. Potatoes that do not sprout even after proper planting with constant care are simply defective and unviable.

Reviews

Katerina, Yaroslavl.

“I’ve been growing potatoes on the same plot for many years. And the potatoes began to yield little, so I completely changed the seeds and planted them in another bed, adding compost and ash to each hole. I couldn't be happier with the harvest. I collected more than half a bucket from each bush. Now I haven’t planted potatoes in the same bed for more than 2 years, and every year I try to plant at least a few potatoes, but new ones, and see what kind of harvest they produce.”

Sergey Ivanovich, Vologda region.

“I’ve been planting potatoes in my garden all my life. How can a pensioner live without it? I tried many varieties, but we may have frosts in early June, so you can’t plant them early, or you need to cover them from frost and stretch the film. I plant several early varieties and several mid-early ones. I bring the tubers home in April and green them, plant some in sawdust, and some lie in a shoebox. I then put the part that is in sawdust in a box and pull the arcs and keep it like that until mid-June. Then I take off the cover. I get the harvest 2 weeks earlier and eat it in the summer, leaving a little for seeds.”

With good care, you can get up to 8 kg from one potato bush. But to do this, you need to store good seed material until spring, take it out in time for greening and bud sprouting, and process it before planting. The land in which you intend to plant potatoes also needs to be looked after to replenish the nutrients taken by the plants. Only then will the potatoes sprout well, grow and produce a harvest.

How to properly prepare a crop for planting

Having understood why potatoes do not sprout well, you can easily ensure “prevention” of the slow development of potatoes. You need to start preparing tubers a month before planting.

Seed material needs to be selected.

• small tubers;
• damaged seeds;
• rotten units;
• specimens affected by diseases.

It is very important to bury the seeds correctly. Planting too deep is the main reason why potatoes do not germinate, but produce tubers in the ground. The nodules should be 10 cm from the soil surface. Tubers can be planted only when the soil temperature reaches 10 degrees. The level of warming of the earth is measured with a separate thermometer; the temperature of the soil and air do not coincide. The earth warms up to 10 degrees Celsius at the end of spring, when the air temperature is about 20 degrees.

Before planting, it is advisable to treat the tubers with copper sulfate. This will reduce the incidence of culture.

After planting you need to regularly:

• water the sprouts;
• hill up bushes;
• feed the plants;
• carry out procedures against pests.

Dmitry K., 39 years old, farmer:

“Before sowing the seeds, I select the affected tubers, treat the seeds with copper sulfate and plant as soon as the soil warms up to 10 degrees. This is enough for the sprouts to appear simultaneously and on time. Further development already depends on care. Those planting areas that are cultivated less frequently develop worse. The priority areas, where my workers constantly carry out hilling, watering, approval, of course, give more yield and the plants there are more developed.”

Anastasia F., 78 years old, vegetable grower:

“Previously, potatoes did not grow well because I hardly followed the planting rules. I buried the tubers “on a whim,” but it turned out that they were too deep. When I learned all the rules for planting tubers and applied them in practice, the development of the bushes went much faster: they sprouted twice earlier, yielded several times more, and there were almost no unsprouted tubers.”

Georgy N., 52 years old, vegetable grower:

“I always take good care of the planted tubers. I water, fertilize, treat against parasites promptly and regularly. I highly recommend treating the soil against insects in advance. They can destroy the entire crop in late summer or all the seed in the spring if protection is not provided against them. Even if all planting rules are followed, half of the tubers may die.”

If you follow simple rules for sowing and caring for potatoes, problems with germination will completely disappear. Much knowledge comes with experience, so if the tubers do not sprout the first time, you should not immediately give up vegetable growing. Over time, any person will learn to properly care for the crop.

Related article: Gothic potato tubers (spindle): symptoms, fight

Land quality, planting methods

The quality of the land directly affects potato germination and yield. When plowing the land in autumn, it is recommended to add rotted manure, compost, deoxidizers (ash, chalk, lime), and nitrogen-free fertilizers to the soil. Fresh manure is not applied to the soil due to possible burns of plants. If these tips are ignored, the land becomes depleted and becomes infertile. It is impossible to grow a full-fledged potato crop on such soil; moreover, the tubers infect the planting soil with their fungal diseases. Therefore, experienced gardeners try to plant potatoes every year in a new area, observing crop rotation, constantly feeding the soil and planting green manure.

There are several ways to plant potatoes depending on the composition of the soil, and failure to follow these rules can lead to a lack of sprouts:

1. Planting in holes. Holes are made in the ground at a certain distance and seeds are planted in them. Carry out everywhere, except for clay soils.
2. Landing on ridges. Produced when the site has dense, clayey, poorly permeable soil. Ridges about 15 cm high are poured and tubers are planted in them.

Why don't potatoes sprout?

If the weather is warm and the soil has warmed up under the rays of the sun to 8-10 C°, the first potato shoots appear on the plantation in about 10-12 days. However, in long springs, when May suffers from a lack of sunny days, and the atmospheric thermometer does not rise above +20... +22 C°, the sprouts need a little more time to break through the layer of soil and please the summer resident with their growth. Under such conditions, they appear on the surface no earlier than after 20-25 days.

Be sure to ask experienced gardeners or agricultural specialists how many days it takes for potatoes to sprout after planting directly in the climate zone where you live and plant the prepared tubers. For example, for the southern regions the onset of phase 1 (emergence of seedlings) after 20 days in most cases is a deviation from the norm, but for the northern regions this period is quite acceptable.

But, unfortunately, it also happens that all the deadlines pass, and there are still no green rows in the garden. Anxiety and related questions involuntarily arise. Why don't potatoes sprout? What prevents him from gaining strength to grow? What to do: wait for shoots or replant?

Planting order

In order for planted potatoes to germinate on time, you need to ensure proper preparation for planting and care of the crop. All work begins in the fall and continues throughout the growing season.

Plot

Potatoes prefer to grow in nutritious soil, so humus is added to the soil during digging. For normal development, one bucket per 1 sq.m. is enough. In spring, the soil is thoroughly plowed, removing plant debris. The lack of microelements affects not only fertility, but also the germination of raw materials.

When choosing a site, give preference to a well-lit place. In the shade, the crop develops poorly, and the timing of hatching from seeds may be delayed. Do not forget about the rules of crop rotation - do not plant vegetables after nightshade species. Recommended predecessors:

• green manure;
• zucchini;
• garlic;
• legumes

A week before planting, you can start laying out the beds. Remember that the plant will not produce a bountiful harvest in soil that is too dense, so it is necessary to “dilute” the structure with sand. Two tablespoons of superphosphate are poured into the bottom of each hole, after which the plantation is covered with polyethylene.

Preparation of raw materials

To get a good potato harvest, you need to take only high-quality varietal seeds. Under favorable conditions, potato seedlings appear a month after planting. However, there are varieties of the popular root vegetable that will produce a bountiful harvest 6 weeks after being buried in the ground. If you want to get young potatoes, then we recommend choosing early-ripening and ultra-early varieties.

Harvesting begins in the fall after the last harvest. Select correct, even tubers, without damage or stains. The raw materials are left for several days under the diffused sun for greening. Such fruits are perfectly stored until the next season, and low-quality specimens appear immediately.

In the spring, the sorted and sorted seeds are transferred to a room with access to light and a temperature of 15 to 20 C. We advise you to lay out the products in two layers on racks or in vegetable boxes. After 3 weeks, shoots with roots appear on the potatoes. Before starting work, remove all unsprouted specimens or those that have an irregular shape (single, thread-like).

If you don’t have time to sprout potatoes, then you can give preference to heating. The procedure begins 10 days before planting in the ground. To do this, the raw materials are left in the dark at an elevated temperature - 18-20 C. A longer stay in such conditions leads to the formation of long shoots, which break off when buried in the ground.

Large tubers take longer to germinate than small ones. Huge fruits take a long time to form large bushes with a highly developed root system. If you don’t want to get giant specimens, then give preference to medium-sized raw materials - no larger than a chicken egg.

You cannot take tubers without eyes, otherwise you may not see shoots at all. The potatoes should be healthy, without cracks or dents. In addition, it is prohibited to store seed material in white plastic bags. Under such conditions, pipping is zero.

Landing

In order for potatoes to sprout, you need to bury them to a depth of 8 to 10 cm; the recommended planting pattern is 80x35 cm. Some gardeners prefer to place the tubers more densely, but densely planted vegetation will interfere with development. The tops are poorly blown by the wind, which increases the likelihood of getting late blight.

When growing root crops, it is important to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology. Knowing how many days it takes for potatoes to sprout, you can provide the most comfortable conditions for a crop such as potatoes. After the potatoes are planted, you can breathe easy and not worry, because potatoes do not sprout quickly and a sufficient amount of time must pass for this

But when there are no shoots for quite a long time, you involuntarily begin to worry and wonder how long it takes for potatoes to sprout and what is needed to speed up this process?

After the potatoes are planted, you can breathe easy and not worry, because potatoes do not sprout quickly and a sufficient amount of time must pass for this. But when there are no shoots for quite a long time, you involuntarily begin to worry and wonder how long it takes for potatoes to sprout and what is needed to speed up this process?

Reasons why potato seedlings do not appear

Weather

Planted tubers, just like developed plants, are “afraid” of the vagaries of nature. The greatest threat to planting material is posed by the following phenomena:

• Frost. When the temperature drops sharply, tuber tissues die. Buds and stronger shoots also suffer from cold burns: without a “storehouse of nutrients” they quickly die or their growth sharply slows down (if they are partially damaged).
• Increased soil moisture. Heavy rainfall during the first phase of the growing season leads to rotting of the planting material.
• Drought. Without moisture, the development of shoots on the root crop is inhibited or stops altogether. (Even with the required amount of micro- and macronutrients!)

Diseases and pests

Only planted potatoes are a tasty morsel for insect pests living in the soil that have awakened after hibernation. Among the most notorious malware:

They are particularly voracious: they make tunnels in tubers and nibble on sprouts. Living in large quantities on a site, they can destroy up to 80-100% of seed tubers.

Various fungal diseases also prevent the emergence of seedlings:

• late blight;
• rhizoctoniasis (black scab);
• gray spot
• potato cancer
• dry rot, etc.

Improper storage of seed

Inept or unscrupulous preparation of tubers for planting reduces their germination rate by 50-100%. To avoid such an extremely negative result, it is strictly prohibited:

• store tubers in plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene) bags;
• do not sort them before planting (do not select damaged and infected tubers);
• do not germinate;
• prepare tiny tubers for planting (less than 15-20 g);
• treat with fungicides/insecticides and growth stimulants, increasing the application rate;
• use potato varieties that are poorly adapted to the climatic conditions of the region.

If you need to buy potato seeds, under no circumstances should you go to a supermarket or grocery store to buy them. Tubers intended for human consumption are usually treated with a special chemical solution so that they retain their presentation longer and do not sprout.

How to achieve high germination of potatoes?

1. Sort through the potatoes: discard diseased and damaged (bruised, cut) tubers.
2. Place the seed material in shallow boxes (optimally in one layer). And then place them for 2.5-3 weeks in a well-lit room in which the air temperature is at least 15 C°.
3. Throughout the entire vernalization (germination) stage, spray the tubers with water at intervals of 6-7 days.
4. Consider weather conditions when choosing a day to plant potatoes.

Experienced gardeners recommend that in the process of planting a plantation, one should focus on the “three tens” rule, or three signs: 10 C° - soil temperature; 10 cm - depth of the planting hole; 10 days is the period for the appearance of shoots. According to them, this is the best recipe for getting rid of the disturbing question “why don’t potatoes sprout?”

1. Immediately before planting, treat the sprouted tubers with copper sulfate (the concentration of the solution should not exceed 2 g per 10 l).

Take these five operations as a mandatory minimum, and the chances of a high potato harvest will increase many times over.

Sources:

https://moefermerstvo.ru/kartofel/pochemu-ne-vshodit https://ogorod-bez-hlopot.ru/uxod-za-kartofelem-posle-vsxodov.html https://glav-dacha.ru/pochemu- ne-vskhodit-kartofel/