Potato ripening period: stages of growth, how much it grows from planting to harvest

The relationship between the potato variety and the timing of its harvest

Due to the fact that in different regions the period for planting vegetables may differ due to climatic conditions, the ripening period of potatoes is determined differently. In addition, in order to get a rich harvest in a particular area, you should also consider the type of potato before planting.

Attention! The best option is to plant several varieties of potato tubers at once, which ripen sequentially.

The growing season of potatoes and the speed of their ripening can be divided into the following categories:

early variety - can be dug 50-65 days after planting;
the growing season of mid-early potatoes is 65-80 days;
A mid-season variety grows from planting to harvest from 80 to 95 days;
mid-late potatoes from sowing to full ripening are in the ground for 95-110 days;
The growing time for late-ripening tuber varieties is at least 110 days.

Therefore, it is necessary to choose a potato variety for each case separately. In addition, among the main factors influencing the harvest time, one can also highlight the growing season, taste, disease resistance, and the ability to survive the winter.

Cleaning time

According to agrotechnical requirements, the timing of potato harvesting depends on several factors. The most important of them are the potato variety and weather conditions. Let's consider each of them separately.

Potato variety

Each variety has its own ripening period. In general, all varieties are divided into 5 groups.

Early ripening. The growing season for early ripening varieties lasts about 67 days. Accordingly, we harvest early-ripening potatoes in July or August. Before you start harvesting, you should dig up a few bushes and look at the size of the tubers. If their diameter is 3 cm or more, you can start digging.
Mid-early. Ripen in 73 days. They are ready, as a rule, by the end of August.
Mid-season. They can be harvested 83 days after planting.
Mid-late. Harvesting times vary from 15 to 120 days after planting. The harvesting time for these potatoes usually falls in September.
Late ripening. The growing season is 135 days. Late-ripening varieties are harvested in the fall.

If you keep potatoes in the ground, they will decrease in weight somewhat. Also, crops harvested later than expected are stored much worse.

Weather and climate conditions

We take into account the weather forecast for the first autumn months. If rains are expected, we begin harvesting work before they begin. If you delay harvesting, the gross harvest of healthy potatoes will decrease. Early frosts will also have a negative impact on the keeping quality of potatoes. We dig up the crop in dry and sunny weather. The best time to dig up potatoes is during Indian summer. This should be done on a warm and sunny day.

In different regions of our country, climatic conditions differ. In some areas summer is long, in others it is short. Therefore, the ripening time for potatoes varies. The main guideline for the farmer should be the condition of the tops. Once the leaves begin to wilt and the stems fall to the ground, it is time to begin harvesting. Before harvesting potatoes, it is advisable to mow the tops. We begin digging up tubers 2 weeks after harvesting the tops. This time is enough for the tuber skin to become rough.

It is worth noting here that you should carefully select the potato varieties for cultivation. For example, the Krasnodar region is famous for its long and warm summers, so any varieties are suitable. But in the Ryazan region, summer is short and cold. The best varieties for this region are Nevsky and Iskra. Pay attention to what kind of harvest the selected variety produced in your region in 2016 and 2022.

Purpose of potatoes

We remove when the tops are green

Affects the timing of potato harvesting and its purpose. Areas intended for growing planting material are removed before the tops dry out. But by the time the potatoes are harvested, flowering should already be over, since during flowering the underground part of the plant is actively growing and developing. Potatoes intended for human consumption are harvested after the tops wither.

When collecting seed material, it is important to discard all damaged and diseased tubers. It is advisable to feed sick potatoes to your own animals or birds. Damaged potatoes can be eaten. But it has a short shelf life. Therefore, you need to eat it first.

We store potatoes that will be used for seeds in the new season separately. We pre-treat it with copper sulfate diluted in water. This treatment will prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases. If it is not possible to prepare planting material, it is advisable to purchase it from a peasant farm (peasant farm).

How to speed up the process

Sometimes you need to speed up the ripening process of the crop. This need arises if the harvest should be ready by the middle or end of September, but September is expected to be rainy. In this case, it is more advisable to dig up the crop in August. You can speed up the ripening of vegetables by:

Copper sulfate, which is sprayed on the bush 14 days before harvest. For 1 liter of water, take 5 grams of the chemical.
Magnesium chlorate, which is sprayed on bushes 5 days before harvest. For 1 liter of water we take 20 grams of the chemical.
Superphosphate. For 5 liters of water, take 1 kg of fertilizer.

Experts recommend artificially accelerating the ripening of crops only in exceptional cases.

You should not ignore the lunar calendar, which indicates favorable days for harvesting. These dates change every year.

Ripening time of potato varieties

The vegetation of a tuber crop has several stages:

from the moment of planting and the appearance of the first shoots until the formation of buds;
from the growing season to the last stage of development of green mass;
from the beginning of the slow growth of potatoes and the development of tops until their complete death, during which tubers are formed.

Attention!

These stages occur at different times and proceed differently depending on the area where the tubers grow (soil type and climatic conditions), as well as on constant and proper care of the crop.

Potatoes take a certain number of days to grow from planting to harvesting. In general, early-ripening vegetable varieties ripen much faster than late-ripening ones.

Early ripening varieties

When growing early varieties, potatoes ripen within 65 days. Consequently, the tuber will reach its maturity in July. If you plant it at the first signs of warm spring, seedlings will appear as early as May.

Early ripening varieties have advantages because the risk of late blight is reduced. This is possible due to the fact that the tops need to be removed at the end of summer. Early potatoes grow quickly, but cannot boast of high yields, since they contain starch and other dry substances in small quantities. Among the main varieties of early ripening potatoes are Alena, Ariel, and Zhukovsky early.

This type of vegetable is suitable for central Russia.

Mid-early varieties

The vegetable ripens from 65 to 80 days. After planting in fertile soil, potatoes grow quickly, but require regular and abundant watering. Popular varieties:

Rowanushka;
Scarlett;
Romano;
Ilyinsky.

In the composition of such potatoes, more than 50% of dry matter is starch.

Mid-season varieties

A tuber belonging to this species will give a rich harvest, and it ripens in early August. It must be planted on the site in early May, when the ground is completely warmed up.

Attention!

During cultivation during this period, the crop is susceptible to fungal and viral diseases. They often appear in the summer, when heavy precipitation is accompanied by sharp temperature changes.

Vegetable growers prefer the Dubrava and Sineglazka varieties. They contain a lot of starch fiber, which is why they are tasty.

Mid-late varieties

Mid-late potatoes ripen after flowering, and the growing season lasts 4 months. Therefore, it is not worth digging it up before this time - the tuber crop has not ripened. During this time, the required amount of dry matter accumulates in the culture. Ripe tubers need to be dug up in September, but not earlier than 120 days after planting. Plant seed in mid to late May.

Attention!

Vegetables that ripen late need additional moisture because there is not enough of it in the soil. Therefore, additional watering is allowed.

Summer residents prefer this type of potato because of its taste, good yield and long shelf life. The most famous varieties are Zdabytak, Zhuravlinka, Asterix.

This type of potato is disease resistant. It is better to plant it in southern soil so that it ripens completely. If the crop needs to be grown in central Russia, then the bushes need to be treated against late blight.

Late ripening varieties

This type of potato is characterized by long-term storage while maintaining its benefits and nutritional value for humans. Planting of the crop should be done in the second or third decade of May. It will be possible to harvest from the first autumn month. The basic rule that gardeners adhere to is that this type of potato should grow for at least 120 days.

The plant is resistant to frost, since in the last spring month the probability of a strong drop in the thermometer is reduced to zero. A late-ripening tuber crop is an excellent option for planting in the northern regions of the Russian Federation. The most famous varieties are Lorch, Atlant, Saturn.

Weather conditions when digging potatoes

Regardless of the potato variety you choose, the factors influencing early ripening and other features, the best weather for harvesting is warm and without precipitation. It is at this time that it is best to dig up tubers, since you can immediately start sorting them (dry potatoes are better cleared of soil).

Advice! Try to anticipate future climatic changes, since prolonged exposure to moisture during the desiccation period can spoil the potatoes and contribute to the appearance of rot on them.

When most of the potato tops have withered, it is time to start harvesting. If precipitation is approaching, you should hurry up with harvesting so that excess moisture at the end of the growing season does not provoke the development of putrefactive potato diseases. In order for potatoes to be stored well, you need to dig and sort them on a warm, sunny day closer to noon at an optimal air temperature of 12-17 C. Afterwards, the tubers are dried under a canopy and put away for storage. Potatoes intended for planting can be kept in the light (for landscaping).

By using agrotechnical techniques, selecting and preparing tubers for planting, you can increase productivity. Properly and timely harvesting will allow you to save potatoes until spring.

It is well known that when the green tops begin to dry out after flowering, then it is time to dig up root crops and clean the beds. This is considered the main sign by which gardeners are guided. It is better to collect potatoes in a warm, sunny period of time, preferably in the late afternoon, before it gets dark. In this case, the air temperature during harvesting should vary from 12 to 17 degrees.

It is necessary to begin harvesting dry tops and harvesting faster if precipitation is forecast. Abundant moisture at the end of the growing season can negatively affect root crops and provoke the development of fungal diseases.

It is recommended to dry the collected tubers in the fresh air, trying to avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Then send it to a dark, dry room for storage, which should be well ventilated and have high humidity. If the potatoes are intended for planting next year, then keep them in the light for some time before planting begins.

Each gardener has his own ways and techniques to speed up the ripening period of potatoes. To obtain healthy and presentable tubers, you need to pay special attention to planting rules, crop care and crop storage, and then enjoy the taste of potatoes all year round.

Factors influencing the ripening period of potatoes

It happens that tubers of the same potato variety begin to form at different times. This means that their ripening periods are different. This fact is influenced by various factors.

In particular, climate has a strong impact on the formation of the vegetable. Due to rain, he can get late blight, and at high air temperatures, root crops stop growing. But you can avoid such consequences and speed up the ripening of potatoes if you adhere to crop cultivation technologies.

Variety

Each type of tuber crop differs in the period and speed of ripening. Therefore, when purchasing seed material, you need to familiarize yourself with its features: ripening period, planting rules and care of potatoes.

Attention!

A vegetable that is constantly grown in the same area gradually degenerates. Therefore, it is worth changing the crop variety every 2-3 years.

The correct choice of potatoes affects the period during which it will go through all stages of development. You should also take into account why the gardener grows potatoes. For example, early ripening varieties are popular, but the yield is low and, due to the low dry matter content, the shelf life is short. Cultivating this type of crop for commercial gain has its advantages. For example, in the southern regions of the country you can get two harvests a year, and in the northern regions there is the possibility of cultivation.

Middle and late crops do not allow for a quick harvest, but they are tastier, the quantity of potatoes is larger and can withstand storage throughout the winter.

Growing region

Before planting a tuber crop, you need to take into account not only its ripening period, but also the climatic features of the region where the vegetable will be grown. In areas where spring frosts are not uncommon, it is better to postpone cultivation of the crop.

By choosing the optimal conditions for potatoes (weather, soil composition, variety), you can increase the yield. In addition, he will develop immunity to various diseases, and the quality will improve.

Boarding time

If the potatoes were planted too early than necessary for a particular variety, there is a high probability that the crop will die from frost, which is not uncommon in the spring. Therefore, it is necessary to study in advance the characteristics of the selected tuber and its features, and take into account the optimal period for sowing.

Attention!

Gardeners often plant potatoes in early May. But it is better to start the procedure without being tied to the month: the soil should warm up to 8-10 degrees Celsius.

Planting tubers later is also not a guarantee of a rich harvest, since the soil will be dry.

Fertilizer application

Abuse of fertilizers not only does not speed up the growing season of the vegetable, but can even harm the future harvest. Organic fertilizers in large quantities can have a detrimental effect on the quality of potatoes, because the nitrate content in its composition will increase.

Amount of moisture and air temperature

Excessive watering leads to delayed flowering, because the tubers are completely saturated with moisture, and their development is activated. But when there is a lack of liquid, the soil becomes dry and the growth of tops stops. After it dries, the vegetable develops quickly and its harvesting time is reduced. But the harvest is small and the potatoes are small.

Sudden changes in temperature can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the crop and, as a result, the number of small tubers will increase. At high temperatures, potatoes ripen faster, especially during the growing season and the formation of tubers.

Cleaning methods

Each gardener chooses what to dig for potatoes on his own. This can be done with hand garden tools, as well as with the help of machinery. A fork or shovel is suitable for cleaning small home garden beds. They have their pros and cons. A pitchfork will come in handy if the ground is heavy or wet. In this case, they are easier to work with than a wide shovel. But at the same time, tubers damaged by pitchforks will have to be eaten immediately; they will not be stored.

A potato digging shovel is ideal in dry weather and on light sandy soils. But she needs to dig up the bushes carefully so as not to cut the potatoes. There are especially many defects when working with a shovel in seasons when the harvest is especially generous. However, cuts on tubers after cutting with a shovel quickly dry out and heal. These potatoes can be stored for some time.

The harvesting process itself is not complicated. The bushes in the row are dug up one by one with a pitchfork or a shovel, the potato bush is lifted by the tops and the tubers are removed from it. Then they check the hole for the presence of specimens remaining in the ground. Next, prepare the potatoes for storage. The tops are burned.

But, collecting potatoes over large areas, digging them up with a pitchfork or shovel, is tedious, difficult and not profitable. Plus it's long. This will require many people to be involved in the work, which is not always possible. There is only one way out - to use technology. When harvesting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor, everything can be done in 1-2 days.

To quickly dig up tubers, prepare the area for the operation of the unit in advance. To do this, the tops, as well as existing weeds on the site, are pre-mowed. Cutting green mass is also used when plantings are affected by late blight and to accelerate the ripening of tubers in unfavorable seasons. In this case, work is carried out 2-3 weeks before cleaning with a machine.

They dig potatoes with a walk-behind tractor equipped with a potato digger, a plow (on heavy clay, damp soils), and a hiller. In order not to lose the harvest and to facilitate the collection of tubers, passes are made through the row. Naturally, for such work, the potato field should be planted under a walk-behind tractor.

Potato growing season

By biological feature we mean several stages that a plant goes through during the ripening process. During the first phase after planting, which lasts from 20 to 25 days, seedlings ripen. Then comes the flowering stage, which is divided into four stages:

budding - the tops reach their peak and begin to gradually die off. Activation of root formation;
growing season - the formation of buds above the ground coincides in time with budding in the ground. The development of underground tubers begins;
growth is the main, longest stage of flowering, during which tuber cells increase systematically. This phase lasts 40-65 days, which depends on the crop variety and other factors that affect the speed of ripening;
dying off of the green mass occurs 60-90 days after planting the tubers.

Attention!

In order for the potatoes to ripen faster at the last stage, you need to get rid of the tops 10-12 days before the harvest fails.

The total growing season lasts 70-140 days. The duration of this phase depends not only on the type of vegetable, but also on the conditions in which it grows.

What is potato growing season?

The growing season is the period of time during which the plant goes through the active growth phase. At this moment, the formation of underground shoots and the development of tubers at their ends is observed. Potatoes used as food are a vegetative organ in which all necessary nutrients accumulate during development.

The growing season of potatoes varies from 70 to 140 days. Also, the duration of this stage depends on the varietal properties, as well as growing conditions. Sometimes several varieties with different ripening periods are bred in one area at once.

Ways to speed up the ripening period of potatoes

The desire to obtain a ripe crop as early as possible may result in failure. Trying to grow potatoes as quickly as possible can result in poor product quality and a small harvest.

Late planting or unfavorable weather conditions greatly increase the flowering period. In this case, you should use accelerated ripening methods to get good potatoes with excellent qualities:

getting rid of tops is the simplest and most effective method, which should be used a week before harvesting;
use of copper sulfate - spray the plant with a solution, for the preparation of which the proportions should be maintained: 5 g of the substance per 1 liter of water. Treatment should be carried out 14 days before harvest, so that the green mass has time to dry and the tubers have time to form;
treating the plant with chlorate - this method will be effective if used after a season with heavy rains. To prepare the solution, mix 20 g of magnesium chlorate in 1 liter of liquid. Thanks to this, tubers are formed and the tops dry out;
using superphosphate - to prepare the solution, you need to dissolve 2 kg of superphosphate in a bucket of water;

Attention!

It should be used in the evening or after the growing season.

germinating tubers before planting in the ground - the procedure must be carried out in a well-ventilated room. The daytime temperature should be 15 degrees plus, and in the evening - not lower than 7 degrees plus Celsius. The vegetable will germinate in 12-28 days. After the first shoots appear, they need to be treated with a solution for which 15 g of sodium chloride and ammonium nitrate and 55 g of superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters of liquid. After 48 hours, water the potatoes with plain water. Thanks to this, after planting it will grow faster;
wilting - arrange the tuber in one row and after 10 days, eyes will form on it. After this, you can begin planting.

These procedures will lead to the fact that signs of potato ripening will appear much earlier, so you can dig up tasty young potatoes without fear of damaging them.

How to speed up the ripening of potatoes

The onset of harvesting dates does not always coincide with the end of the growing season of potato plantings. It is not recommended to dig up unripe root crops, as they will suffer more mechanical damage, will be unstable to diseases and will not be able to survive winter storage.

Only the onset of a sudden early frost can justify harvesting new potatoes, since the tops will begin to take nutrients from the tubers for restoration.

In more favorable cases, with some time left, maturation is accelerated in one of the following ways:

Mowing tops. A week and a half before harvesting, the green stems are mowed to a height of 10–20 cm. This is perceived by the plants as a command to complete growth and the tubers begin to ripen.
Application of desiccation. This is the use of chemicals - copper sulfate or magnesium chlorate for spraying potato bushes, after which the leaves and stems quickly lose moisture and dry out.
Senication is also a chemical method. Plants are sprayed with a superphosphate solution, after which their growth slows down and the outflow of nutrients from the tops to the tubers increases.

Did you know? Potato chips were invented in response to a customer in an American restaurant who complained that the French fries were cut too large. The cook fried him potatoes, chopped as thinly as possible.

The use of such techniques makes it possible to reduce the amount of mechanical damage to root crops to a minimum and obtain a high-quality harvest in rainy summer conditions or in low-lying areas.

When to dig up potatoes

Each crop variety has its own ripening time. The main signs of ripening will help you understand that the tubers are ready for harvest:

The tops have dried out - in early varieties this happens in mid-summer. You can harvest the crop after all the potato tops on the site have dried.
Weather conditions - it is necessary to dig up tubers on a dry, sunny day.
Sowing - if the vegetable is planted at the end of May, then ripe fruits can be harvested no earlier than September. You can also determine the readiness of a vegetable by the color and condition of the tops.

Harvesting should not be done in the morning, since frost may already appear at this time in the fall. Therefore, it is better to do this in the evening. Otherwise, the potatoes will quickly wither and become unfit for consumption.

When digging up a tuber crop, you need to take into account not only its variety, planting time and signs of ripening, but also the weather. The air temperature should be in the range of 12-17 degrees Celsius with a plus sign. Thanks to this, the product will not deteriorate during storage.

If the weather forecast predicts precipitation, then you need to quickly get rid of the dry grass and collect the potatoes. Otherwise, high humidity at the end of flowering will have a detrimental effect on the crop, leading to the development of fungal infections.

Attention!

It is better to harvest in the evening in warm weather - you can immediately sort the vegetables.

The collected potatoes should be dried in the fresh air, but avoiding direct UV rays. After this, store in a dark place with good ventilation and high humidity.

Features of harvesting

Potatoes are harvested separately by variety in dry, sunny weather, but not too early - when the morning frosts have passed and the air temperature has settled within +10...+17°C. Seed material is selected from the most productive and healthy bushes.

The dug up tubers are dried and sorted by size, discarding damaged and diseased ones. Root crops cut with a shovel can be left for drying and storage, and those damaged with a pitchfork can be taken for processing. Remains of tops and weeds must be collected and burned to prevent the development of diseases and contamination of the soil.

Dried and sorted potatoes are transported for storage in prepared and disinfected dark rooms with air temperatures up to +3°C and humidity up to 80%, with natural ventilation provided.

Did you know? Potatoes have a unique compatibility with other products. The number of first, second courses and desserts prepared from these root vegetables reaches two thousand.

Ripe and healthy tubers of early varieties, if harvested in a timely manner and properly stored, will easily retain their quality and nutrients until November, and late potatoes will successfully overwinter without losing their taste and benefits.

Reviews

Ilona, Moscow region
I have been growing potatoes for sale for many years, so it is important to me that the vegetable is beautiful, ripe and of high quality. Therefore, when planting, I take into account weather conditions, ripening speed and harvest time. Fertilization is also important, so I use organic matter. But it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the result will be the opposite.

Igor, Arkhangelsk My garden plot is located in a lowland, so I have to speed up the ripening period of potatoes. There are many different techniques, but I use topping. Thanks to him, the tubers begin to quickly form and ripen. The harvest is good. This technique does not in any way affect the taste and quality of potatoes.

The ripening time of the tuber depends on the variety. But gardeners can speed it up using various methods. The main thing is to follow all the recommendations and the potato harvest will not suffer.

When can you harvest?

A summer resident who regularly inspects the site monitors the condition of the tops. As soon as it begins to fade, they begin to harvest. It makes no sense to keep tubers for more than 21 days after the start of the active phase of withering of the tops. Skeptics say that potatoes will continue to grow without losing their taste. Botanists object. The prolonged presence of already ripened potatoes in the ground will make it impossible to store the crop for a long time after it has been harvested.

The second rule is that the tops do not always wither as cold weather approaches. If it happens that there is frost on a hike, and the deadlines are not met, you need to take action. The summer resident accelerates the ripening of seedlings. The faster this is done, the less chance there is of losing the harvest. Botanists urge caution. Acceleration of ripening is carried out taking into account the planted variety and soil characteristics.

Germination timing and seed preparation

You need to start germinating tubers in advance. The timing depends on the region where you plan to grow potatoes.

Table: timing of potato germination

Region	Start of germination	Sowing in the ground
South of Russia	End of March - beginning of April	End of April
Central regions of Russia	Early April	First ten days of May
Ural, Siberia	Second ten days of April	Mid May

Having decided on the timing, you need to prepare the seed for germination. For this:

Manually sort and remove tubers that are too small and diseased (rotten, softened, have holes, etc.).
Rinse the remaining tubers well in running water to remove all the soil, and remove the thin (thread-like) light shoots from them.
Then place the potatoes in the disinfectant solution. To prepare it, dilute potassium permanganate (1 g) or boric acid (10 g) in a bucket (10 l) of water. You need to keep the tubers in it for 30 minutes.
Rinse the tubers again in clean water, and then dry them in a warm (+22–25 °C), dry and dark room for 3 days, spreading them out in 1–2 layers.

If stored incorrectly (in a too warm and humid room), the tubers can germinate on their own ahead of time, which is usually discovered quite late. In this case, lower the temperature to +1–2 °C and provide the tubers with complete darkness. It is not advisable to remove or shorten processes if their length is less than 20 cm.

Overgrown potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place until planting.

Reasons why potato seedlings do not appear

There are several reasons why potatoes do not germinate:

The wrong variety was planted. All planting material is classified into 3 types - early, mid-season and late-ripening. For central Russia, only the first two are suitable. Late-ripening vegetables will not have time to fully ripen before the onset of cold weather. Choose only the variety that suits the type of soil on the land.
Poor quality of seed potatoes. Select it carefully, sort the good material from the rotten and insect-eaten. Thawed seeds are also not suitable. Approximately all one planting tuber is 80-85 g.
Incorrect care. A common reason why potatoes do not germinate well is the lack of fertilizing. Fertilize the soil with rotted manure; it contains all the necessary nutrients for good plant growth. Superphosphate, humus and potassium nitrate are suitable as top dressing. Prepare the soil for planting in late autumn, add fertilizer to it and dig it up.
Deep landing. The seed material should not be lower than 8 cm from the soil surface.
Adverse weather conditions. If frosts suddenly return, and it rains continuously in late spring and early summer, then there is no hope for earlier germination.
Growing in unsuitable soil. Land with high acidity and close proximity to groundwater is not suitable for the germination of root crops. In order to cope with the first problem, add dolomite flour or wood ash to the soil.
An insufficient amount of light is necessary to supply the plant crop with nutrients; without it, it becomes depleted. Choose the most sunny place on the site for planting.
Early boarding. If the potatoes have hatched, it means that the planted material was deepened into cold soil. Therefore, it did not sprout, and the tubers form a large number of small potatoes around themselves.

Growing potatoes wisely without weeding and hilling Planting potatoes is possible without the usual actions including digging up the plot, weeding and hilling...
High-quality care of potatoes after germination is important. If neglected, potato growth may suddenly stop at any stage of development due to lack of nutrients, disease or insect damage. To prevent this from happening, deepen the planting material into the ground only in warm weather, feed depleted soil, and disinfect the tubers to prevent infection or pest invasion.

Application of green fertilizers on the site

When growing potatoes, summer residents refuse to use chemicals. The reason is not the desire to accumulate nitrates in tubers or the impossibility of using such substances. In any case, botanists offer an alternative. As mentioned earlier, green manure crops, the number of which is insignificant, have a positive effect on the soil. There is no risk of chemical accumulation in tubers:

Cereal crops - early-ripening and late-ripening potato varieties grow well near rye. The summer resident rids the beds of weeds and pathogenic fungi. Another “plus” of rye is that it quickly loosens the soil. Even on depleted soil, large tubers grow.
Legumes – phacelia and beans will help increase the yield. Both crops are rich in nitrogen, which reduces soil acidity. Legumes are planted near potatoes immediately after harvest in early September.

Mustard is a plant that botanists classify as universal. The growing season of seedlings will take place without the risk of being attacked by bacteria, fungi, and weeds. The only caveat is that mustard and legumes are alternated every year. The reason is that mustard is not rich in nitrogen. If the rule is ignored, the growing season will be incomplete.

Seed quality

When planting potato seed, different sizes of tubers were used, then you should not expect a good harvest.

In order for the year to be fruitful for potatoes, you need to take the choice of seed seriously. He must have:

With the presence of eyes;
Tubers are the same size;
No damage or purulent formations;
Not long, but thick sprouts

Presence of eyes

will lead to rapid germination of potatoes. If the tubers do not have them at all, then such potatoes will not germinate and will simply rot in the hole.

If small tubers were used, the seedlings will be frail and not viable. The average size of planting material should be approximately the size of a chicken egg

Seed material that is cracked or contains putrefactive formations will not allow the bush to develop normally. You need to carefully sort through all the potatoes for unnecessary formations.

Potatoes are not taken for planting from leftovers. For planting you need to take selected seeds

Experienced gardeners know all the intricacies of planting potatoes. A beginner needs to approach this process more seriously. At the first successful planting, there will be potatoes left for food, but also good planting material.

The article will provide tips and techniques for growing potatoes.

Potatoes are the main crop in many countries around the world. It is grown in their garden plots by many summer residents. However, potato yields are not always as high as we would like.

For greater yields, you need to choose the right potato varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests
You need to experiment with planting methods, because the method may differ in each region. It depends on the climate, soil conditions, humidity
The right fertilizers can ensure health and proper growth for your potatoes and increase productivity
Protection from pests and diseases is an important stage in growing potatoes. Colorado potato beetles and late blight are the most common problems in all regions
Land preparation, hilling and weeding of bushes also affect the quantity and quality of the harvest.

Caring for potatoes after germination

A mandatory requirement for obtaining a good potato harvest is careful and timely care of the emerging sprouts. First of all, this concerns the harrowing of the site and its hilling.

Harrowing

If gardeners can handle a small area of planted potatoes with a rake, then a garden larger than 2–3 acres is better treated by harrowing. We are talking about using a tooth, mesh or rotary harrow, which is attached to a walk-behind tractor or tractor and loosens the soil.

It is harrowing that contributes to:

quick and effective destruction of weeds due to the fact that the teeth of the harrow pull out their unstabilized roots (while the dried weed serves as a good fertilizer for the soil in the future);
sufficient supply of planted root crops with oxygen;
saturation with moisture, which is often lacking in spring.

The first harrowing is recommended to be carried out already 4–5 days after planting the potatoes. It is recommended to repeat the procedure every 7 – 10 days. As soon as the first shoots begin to appear, work stops completely.

Hilling

Hilling up potatoes is also a mandatory step in caring for sprouting potato stems. The process itself involves loosening the soil between the rows, which then rises and falls to the root part of the stems. This is necessary primarily for the development of stolons and the appearance of new root crops, sufficiently saturated with air and moisture.

Classic hilling

In the process of classical processing of potato rows, soil is raked from the rows. As a result, the sprouted tops mostly end up under a layer of soil.

Advantages and disadvantages of forty days

The short period of tuber formation makes it possible to grow potatoes of this variety in all climatic zones of Russia, and in some even to harvest several harvests per season. Another advantage of Vesna is its resistance to most diseases. Most of all, the forty-day-old is afraid of late blight because of the humidity and temperature changes characteristic of the period of its active growth. To summarize, the variety has the following advantages:

rapid growth of edible tubers;
high productivity;
good taste;
resistance to most diseases characteristic of the culture.

The 40-day plan also has its own disadvantages:

low drought resistance, does not bloom when there is a lack of moisture;
low safety of ripe fruits;
requires well-warmed soil, so it is advisable to cover it when planting early.

Caring for potatoes after germination

If the potatoes sprout well, the first thing to do is to provide regular watering, 2-3 times a season during dry summers. Moisture is necessary for it to bloom and the fruits to begin to ripen. Twice a summer, hill up the plant crop as it grows and loosen the soil. This is necessary so that the underground stems are better strengthened and second-order tubers can already appear on them.

If weeds grow on the ridge, remove them immediately. Firstly, they interfere with the full development of the root system, and secondly, they consume nutrients from the soil necessary for the ripening of tubers. Be sure to inspect adult bushes regularly. If pests appear, destroy them with special means against adult insects and their larvae.

How soon do potatoes sprout after planting?

You can wait a very long time for the first shoots in a potato bed or not at all. Region of residence, characteristics of the variety, compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, experience of the summer resident - many factors determine the duration of this time.

Some vegetable growers mistakenly believe that the onset of stable warmth after winter is the right time to plant potatoes. However, the sun's rays warm the soil after a certain time:

in the southern regions - from 4 to 5 weeks;
in the northern regions - 2 months or more.

For potato tubers to begin to germinate, the soil temperature must be at least 10°C. From a botanical point of view, a potato tuber is a modified plant stem. In cold soil, the circulation of juices slows down, negative temperatures lead to the appearance of rot.

Hint: if planting time is running out, and the soil has not yet warmed up to the required 10°C, holes or furrows for tubers should be made 5-6 cm deep. After the emergence of seedlings, the first hilling compensates for shallow planting.

In addition to temperature, air humidity also influences the time it takes for a bed to be ready for planting. After winter, the soil is oversaturated with water - until the excess moisture evaporates or goes deeper, potatoes cannot be planted.

How quickly the water drains depends on the presence of sand or clay in the soil.

Sandy soils dry out faster. Water does not linger - it erodes or goes deeper.
Fertile loams retain moisture well. Such a bed requires additional time: approximately 1 week compared to sandy soils.

A heated bed with well-structured soil is covered with friendly shoots in 20-25 days.

In addition to objective weather factors, the timing of emergence of seedlings is influenced by the preliminary preparation of tubers. An experienced summer resident will take care of the vernalization of the seed: he will warm up and germinate the tubers in accordance with the growing season of a particular variety.

Early potato varieties “awaken” faster and form sprouts within 15-20 days.
Late ripening potato varieties have a slightly slower metabolism and form sprouts of 1-2 cm 20-25 days after the start of vernalization.

In the process of germinating tubers, you should focus only on the condition of the sprouts; it is undesirable to allow them to grow more than 4-5 cm. During planting, fragile long sprouts break and form roots less well.

The average time for emergence of seedlings after planting is calculated:

southern regions - 10-15 days;
middle latitudes - 2-3 weeks;
northwestern region - 3-4 weeks.

Directly from the cellar or vernalized, any potato germinates within the time period required by nature of 3-4 weeks. During germination, the sprouts feed on the reserves of the mother tuber; due to this method of agricultural technology, the period of emergence of seedlings is shifted.

An important trend has been noted - the warmer the bed, the faster the seedlings appear. Warming the soil to 18°C reduces the duration of seedling emergence by 1 week. Pre-germination of tubers gives approximately the same effect - minus 6-10 days compared to unsprouted potatoes.

If seedlings have not appeared within 4-5 weeks, urgent measures must be taken.