Planting potatoes according to Mittlider: growing in the Russian version in boxes and in beds according to the Mittlider method

Vegetable growing » Potatoes

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Kira Stoletova

Potatoes are an unpretentious product that does not require much effort to grow, but sometimes there are cases when the yield of a variety is poor, or rather very low. After such situations, people began to think about how they could fix it without using any chemical additives and began to come up with various methods. And one of them has gained worldwide popularity - planting potatoes using the Mitlider method. Although growing potatoes is a simple matter, achieving good yields in a small area is very difficult.

The principle of planting potatoes using the Mittleider method

The general essence of planting and growing potatoes and other vegetables according to Mittlider

Mittlider developed a method of growing vegetable crops, including potatoes, that allows a good harvest from a small area with minimal care. To do this, it is important to follow the methodology to the smallest detail, since a minor violation of the rules negates all efforts.

The general essence of the method consists of the following features:

lack of soil loosening during the growing season;
permanent location of beds and row spacing;
application of mineral fertilizers;
regular watering;
ideal lighting of the area;
mandatory horizontal arrangement of beds.

According to the presented theory, the entire area of the land plot is divided into ridges 45 cm wide and 9 m long at a distance of 100 cm from each other. The beds are fertilized, watered and cultivated without worrying about weeds in the rows, which stop growing due to the compaction of the earth.

Watering

Potatoes grown using the Mittlider method are very sensitive to dry soil. To ensure that the bushes do not need nutrition, it is necessary to water them every day. For this purpose, use a hose or do drip irrigation. When using a hose, the water flow is directed under the roots. Watering in the beds is carried out throughout the development of potato bushes, and stops after the flowers fade.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Growing potatoes according to Mittlider has a number of advantages:

there is no need to loosen the soil and hill up the beds;
saving space;
high yield rates;
versatility of technology.

Disadvantages of the technology include:

restrictions on the relief (slopes, lowlands, lands rich in peat and waterlogged areas are not recommended for use);
financial costs for the purchase of mineral fertilizers;
high requirements for lighting levels;
It is mandatory to have a nearby source of water.

Advantages of narrow beds

The main advantage of Mittlider beds is their width . With small ridge sizes, plants receive more light, oxygen and nutrients, and therefore develop much faster. After harvesting, the free space is sown with fast-growing lettuce, the roots of which, when rotting, replenish the substrate with organic fertilizer.

Other ways to grow potatoes:
Pros and cons of planting potatoes in ridges
Growing potatoes using Dutch technology
Growing potatoes using the Chinese method

Features of the technology

The location of the site plays a role, more precisely, the degree of its illumination and the orientation of the ridges. Lack of sunlight with regular fertilization will lead to the accumulation of nitrates in root crops. Fertilizer mixtures are applied in dry form, so an indispensable condition for the technology is daily watering.

Ridges are the main feature of this method. They have three requirements:

they should be narrow (45 cm);
have a flat horizontal surface;
they should have sides.

Narrow beds make it easier to care for potatoes. Each plant receives a sufficient amount of moisture and fertilizer. The smooth surface of the ridges and sides do not allow water to spread. Ensure uniform distribution of nutritional mixtures.

This technology does not involve hilling the bushes due to the small width of the ridges. Soil care comes down to weeding and mulching. An important role is played by preparing tubers for planting. It allows you to get an early potato harvest.

How to plant

According to the Mittlider method, potatoes are grown according to certain rules . At the same time, the climatic characteristics of the region are also taken into account.

Reference. Experts advise switching to narrow beds gradually, starting with a small number - 5-6 beds, the length of which does not exceed 8 m.

Preparing Potatoes

The technique involves careful selection of planting material . The author does not recommend using small tubers for planting, so seed material is selected from strong specimens.

Preparing tubers before planting in beds

Growing potatoes takes place in two stages . First, the potatoes are planted in boxes, after which the young bushes are transferred to the garden bed. This process stimulates plant development, which ensures high yields.

Selected tubers are first disinfected:

Soak in hot water (50-60°C) for 15 minutes.
Soak for 7-10 minutes in a solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate.
Place in boxes with soil for sprouts to appear.
Exposed to the sun.
Spray with superphosphate solution once a week.
As soon as the potatoes sprout, the tubers are cut into several parts so that each has a sprouted eye.

Preparing seedlings

To grow potato seedlings, the tubers are placed in boxes , the bottom of which is filled with a layer of sawdust, previously spilled with a 0.2% solution of copper sulfate. The thickness of such a layer should be approximately 3 cm. The planting material is laid out closely and sprinkled with a second layer of sawdust.

Filled boxes are placed in a cool (+12...+14°C), well-lit place. After short sprouts appear, the tubers are ready for planting. 2 hours before removing them from the boxes, they are spilled with a solution of complex fertilizer, for example, “Zdraven Aqua”.

Landing scheme and rules

Potatoes are planted in flat horizontal beds located in a north-south direction . Otherwise, moisture and fertilizer accumulate on one side, which leads to uneven development of plants.

Each tuber is transferred to the prepared hole along with sawdust and planted in a checkerboard pattern in two rows with the eyes facing up. The surface of the bed is sprinkled and leveled with a rake.

Planting tubers under straw

Some gardeners practice planting potatoes under straw, which protects the plantings from bad weather conditions and the germination of weeds .

The protective layer retains heat and moisture, and also helps saturate the soil with useful substances. Its thickness should be 10 cm.

Site breakdown

The marking of the ridges is carried out once a year. To properly divide the area for narrow beds :

Select a flat place, well lit by the sun.
They dig up the ground in the fall, removing plant roots and weeds, and apply fertilizer.
In the spring, using rope and pegs, mark out beds 45 cm wide, positioning them from north to south to achieve maximum light levels throughout the day. The distance between the beds is from 0.7 to 1 m.
Another rope is pulled in the center of each strip, along which a shallow groove is dug for applying fertilizer.
After adding the mineral mixture, the bed is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet. The soil is well loosened.
The soil surface is leveled with a rake.
On both sides of the beds, earthen sides (up to 10 cm high) are formed to save moisture and control weeds.
Prepare the holes by placing them in two rows in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 30 cm from each other. In this case, the depth of the hole ranges from 7 to 12 cm.
The row spacing is not dug up.
During subsequent plantings, nothing is changed in places.

To achieve the desired result, compliance with these rules is mandatory .

Mulching

To protect against the proliferation of weeds, drying out and heat loss, the beds are mulched immediately after planting . Natural materials such as rotted compost, hay, tree bark, humus, and chopped reed are used as mulch.

The listed substances will not only protect young plants, but also have a positive effect on the soil structure. In the cold season, it is not recommended to mulch plantings with polyethylene, and in the summer it is better to avoid organic materials.

Top dressing

Properly selected fertilizers are one of the important factors for successful potato growing . To do this, use mixtures of mineral fertilizers compiled by the doctor himself.

You can purchase them in specialty stores or prepare them yourself. The author of the technique advises carrying out three feedings during the growing season, using mixtures No. 1 and No. 2 of our own design: simultaneously with planting, when the plant reaches a height of 15 cm and before the buds open.

Mixture No. 1 consists of 40 g of boric acid and 5 kg of dolomite flour. For 1 sq. m of beds take 100 g.

Mixture No. 2 includes 0.5 kg of magnesium sulfate, 1.4 kg of ammonium nitrate, 0.6 kg of ammophos, 5 g of molybdic acid, 1.1 kg of potassium sulfate, 5 g of boric acid. For 1 sq. m take 50 g.

When feeding, add the first mixture first, then the second . When digging the soil, scatter 100 g of mixture No. 1 per linear meter, and then 50 g of mixture No. 2.

Important! Fertilizers are applied into a special groove up to 5 cm deep, made in the center of the bed, and sprinkled with earth. During watering, nutrients penetrate the soil and are absorbed by the roots of the plant.

Watering mode

Since potatoes planted in beds are shallow, they need frequent watering . Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture level daily. If the soil is dry at a depth of 6-8 cm, it is moistened at the rate of 1-2 buckets of water per linear meter. Watering is carried out both manually and by drip, following the center line of the bed. Soil moisture is stopped at the end of the flowering period.

Daily care

Daily care of potatoes consists of watering, which is carried out from the moment of planting until the end of flowering of the bushes, and removing weeds from the beds. With proper organization of plantings, all other care activities take place according to the technology plan.

Harvesting technology

After flowering, the tops of early varieties begin to age . The stems of mid-season varieties turn yellow in August. To speed up this process, the tops are turned to one side and left in this position for 18 days. When the green part of the plant withers, the tubers are dug up. The harvested crop is kept for two weeks in a cool, dry room, after which it is sent for storage.

Tuber care

After planting potatoes, the vegetable needs careful care, including regular fertilizing, constant watering, and removal of weeds. It is important to ensure that the soil does not dry out under the potato bushes. Each plant should receive the same amount of water and fertilizer in the garden. Fertilizing must be done before germination. Then another and a third are carried out, while the bushes in the beds also do not need hilling.

What difficulties may arise and how to avoid them

When growing potatoes using narrow bed technology, some difficulties arise due to violation of the basic rules of the method .

Incorrect watering mode

In the absence of daily watering, the beneficial substances added as fertilizers do not dissolve and do not penetrate deep into the soil. As a result, they accumulate on the surface, having a detrimental effect on plants. In addition, a crust forms on the surface of the earth, preventing the access of air.

Lack or excess of fertilizers

When feeding the bushes, you should use mixtures No. 1 and No. 2, developed by Mittlider himself , and strictly follow the recommended dosages of fertilizer application. Otherwise, a good result is not guaranteed.

Poor mixing of fertilizers

When applying fertilizers, it is necessary to carefully dig up the soil so that the nutrients are distributed evenly for the harmonious growth of the bushes along the entire length of the ridge.

Uneven beds

If the bed is sloped , water and nutrients will collect on only one side of the bed, resulting in an uneven growth rate. Therefore, it is necessary to level the surface allocated for the beds as much as possible.

Other

When making nutritional mixtures at home, it is necessary to use elements strictly according to a certain composition in order to prevent their excess. That is why it is not recommended to use complex mineral fertilizers as a component.

What types of potatoes are suitable?

Any variety of vegetable is suitable for growing potato tubers using the Mittlider method. In this case, the maturation period is not taken into account. Depending on the desired result, early, mid-season or late are chosen. Gardeners who have tried the method at least once claim that it is preferable to plant zoned potato varieties. Regardless of the variety chosen, the same fertilizer is used.

Reviews from gardeners about the method

Gardeners speak positively about the Mittlider method.

Vitaly, Perm : “This year I tried Mittleider’s beds for growing potatoes. The technology is great for small plots of land, as it provides a larger yield than can be obtained using the traditional method.”

Anna, Leningrad region. : “The Mittlider method in the Russian version is quite effective and gives a good potato harvest. The absence of the need for hilling is a big plus in growing this way.”

Svyatoslav, Oryol region. : “The technology makes it possible to save effort and time, because wide paths simplify access to plants.”

Amendments to the version for Russia

In the Russian version, instead of the recommended fertilizers, you can replace them with an infusion of chopped herbs and water. With properly selected fertilizers, potatoes self-clean through photosynthesis.

But if the area is not well lit or watered enough, then nitrates will accumulate in the potatoes , so it is better to use green fertilizer.

As a result of using the Mitlider method, 15-25% more potatoes are harvested than from a garden where potatoes are planted in the traditional way.