How many days does it take for potatoes to sprout after planting?

In order to be able to timely carry out a set of measures to care for potato plantings, you need to know how many days it takes for potatoes to sprout. The timing of germination may depend on many factors, the possible influence of each of which should be considered.

For most of the population of our country, potatoes are the most commonly consumed food product. Potato planting work is carried out in May, it grows throughout the entire summer season, and in September it is time to harvest. However, in order for the fruits to be ready by autumn, you need to know how many days the potatoes should sprout after planting, and in what time frame the ripening process occurs.

Seed quality

You should not wait for early potato shoots if tubers of different sizes and with poor-quality sprouts were planted.
What kind of seed material should be:

• each tuber has several large eyes;
• large potatoes, approximately the same size;
• the sprouts are thick, not very long;
• there are no damaged areas or traces of putrefactive processes on the tubers;
• Before planting, potatoes were treated with moderate doses of fungicides.

Each shoot is formed from an eye, so shoots will appear only if they are present. Even one “empty” tuber can ruin the harvest in the hole. Ungerminated seed will become a source of rot or mold. Small nodules will germinate only after 4-5 weeks, but the seedlings will be frail and non-viable. For planting, experienced gardeners recommend choosing potatoes over 40-50 g. The amount of harvest harvested in the summer depends on how much the tubers weigh.

Even in the absence of visible damage, the seed can present unpleasant surprises after germination. It depends on how long the potatoes were stored and under what conditions. Tubers that have been overwintered in airtight bags or boxes are often unsuitable for planting. Seed material is carefully selected in the fall and stored separately from the main crop. The place for containers should be dark and dry.

Sprouts appear on time when all the rules for processing tubers before planting are followed. About a month before the onset of stable heat, the potatoes are sorted, inspected and substandard ones are discarded. Then the seed must be immersed in a solution of any fungicide.

How long does it take to soak:

• medium-sized potatoes - 10-15 minutes;
• large tubers - about half an hour.

Now the tubers need to be spread out in a dry place for ventilation and sprout formation. How long germination takes depends on the air temperature. For proper preparation of the seed, it should be provided with 12-15°C.

Only tubers with thick and powerful sprouts are lowered into the holes. The first shoots will sprout in 15-20 days. Potatoes with weak sprouts that look like fragile threads are best discarded. They simply will not be able to break through the soil even a month after the tubers are buried and will begin to rot, putting neighboring tubers at risk of damage.

Often, land owners make a big mistake before planting: they treat the tubers with highly concentrated solutions of pesticides. Toxic substances accumulate in the seed; it takes a very long time to germinate. Mole crickets will not eat such potatoes, but they are absolutely unsuitable for human food. Before using fungicides, it is necessary to dilute exactly the same as recommended in the instructions.

This is interesting: What to put in the hole when planting cucumbers

How to speed up the germination of tubers

In order for potatoes to germinate faster, their shoots to be friendly, the sprouts to be healthy, the seed must be properly prepared, and the seeds must be provided with comfortable conditions when planting.

For rapid germination, zoned seeds of 50–70 g in size are selected.

Vernalization of tubers, which includes:

• nutrient treatment;
• disinfection;
• warming up;
• germination.

To obtain an early harvest, stimulating cuts are made on the tubers. They serve to ensure that all forces are directed to the eyes and distributed evenly. This treatment increases the yield by about 13%.

Tubers are cut 2 months before planting. The cuts are made with a sharp, disinfected knife, which must be disinfected with a 5% formaldehyde solution after cutting every 6–10 tubers.

There are 2 cutting methods:

• transverse - made along the largest diameter so that only the jumper between the parts remains uncut;
• ring - made along the smallest diameter to a depth of 0.8–1 cm.

The ring cut ensures early, friendly shoots. Potatoes with this processing method should be placed in ventilated boxes and kept for about a month in a warm room with a temperature of +22–25°C.

Tubers cut into pieces also germinate quickly. They experience stress, causing sprouts to appear earlier. In addition, with this method the amount of seed material increases.

Treating Potatoes with Nutrients

Treatment of planting material with mineral fertilizers strengthens the seeds and stimulates the rapid growth of shoots. Potatoes soaked in a nutrient solution better resist diseases and pest attacks.

For germination, potatoes can be placed in peat soaked in the solution:

• superphosphate - 30 g;
• potassium salt - 20 g;
• water - bucket.

Seed material can be soaked for 1 hour in a nutrient solution 2–3 days before planting or periodically sprayed with it during germination. Before planting, the tubers are dried.

Soaking Ingredients:

1. Copper sulfate - 0.5 tsp, ash - 0.5 cups, water - 1 l.
2. Urea - 4 g, potassium salt - 4 g, superphosphate - 4 g, water - 1 l.
3. Urea - 1 tsp, water - 3 l.
4. “Nitrophoska” - 1 tsp, water - 3 l.

Seeds treated with fertilizers germinate almost a week earlier than untreated ones.

You can use ready-made fertilizers: “Baktophosphin”, “Reacom-Sr-Kartofel”, “Albit”, “Ekolist-standard”, “Ekofit”, “Nutrivant”, “Verva”, “Gumi”. These drugs enhance growth processes and increase anti-stress resistance.

Disease Prevention

Treating seed potatoes with fungicides protects them from diseases and pests. Healthy, strong tubers germinate quickly, and the yield increases by almost half.

Composition for processing:

• drug "Maxim" - 50 mg;
• drug "Prestige" - 60 mg;
• water - 1 l.

This amount is calculated for 70–80 kg of potatoes.

Ready-made preparations for treating seed potatoes: “Colfugo Super Color”, “Sinclair”, “Tabu”, “Matador Grand”.

A folk remedy for disinfecting and fertilizing planting material is treating tubers with ash. It contains a whole range of nutrients and is good at repelling pests. Potatoes are dusted with ash before germination - 50 grams per 10 kg of tubers.

Drying

When potatoes are dried, enzymes are produced that accelerate germination. It is carried out if there is no time for germination.

The tubers are laid out in one layer for several days until the beginnings of sprouts appear. The room temperature should be around +15°C.

Reasons why potato seedlings do not appear

There are several reasons why potatoes do not germinate:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Deep landing. The seed material should not be lower than 8 cm from the soil surface.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

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?

Potato germination

As has already happened, everyone plants potatoes in May, they grow all summer and, traditionally, harvesting in September.
Almost all gardeners do this, so the demand, as well as the profit from sales, is significantly small. Therefore, in order to grow a good harvest, and also make money on it, you need to know how quickly potatoes grow

and the reasons why you can lose the harvest.

How many days do potatoes usually take to sprout after planting?

When the earth has warmed up to 10 degrees, then the first potato sprouts begin to appear. This happens after about 25 days

.
If the temperature remains within +20 degrees for a long time, then seedlings may appear on the 15th day
.

When planting any sprouted potatoes, germination occurs after 7 days.

The first potato shoots appear at about 15-20 days, depending on the temperature

To quickly obtain early yields, plant should be shallow in the ground.

. Since when planted deeply, the tubers will be stuck in their development due to unheated soil. For quick germination, potatoes need to be planted in the top layer of soil.

If the soil moisture reaches 75%, then planting is undesirable; you need to wait a little. Putrefactive diseases can attack here.

Dependence on variety

Basically, sprouts of any potato variety appear a month after planting

. There are special types of potatoes that can be dug after 40 days from the moment the crop was planted.

These are the varieties:

• Early ripening
• Ultra early ripening.

If you choose large seeds for planting, then the fruits will be large

Tubers should be taken large, because they form a large bush and the fruits will be large.

To plant early potatoes, you need to take healthy seeds; they must be hard, not cracked and free from diseases.

Reasons for uneven germination

There are several reasons for uneven seed germination:

• Potato seeds were planted at different soil depths
  . Since the soil warms up unevenly in the spring, the germination rate will be different;
• The tubers had different shapes;
• When planting, the tubers sprouted unevenly
  ;
• Use of planting material of various varieties.

Risk of potatoes not sprouting at all

There were cases when the potatoes did not sprout at all. It seems that all the technologies have been followed, but not a single sprout has appeared. It was such a sad experience storing seeds in white bags

. Due to the fact that the potatoes spent the entire storage time in these bags, their germination rate came to zero.

Under no circumstances should seeds be stored in white synthetic bags.

Therefore, any gardener knows that tubers cannot be stored in white synthetic bags.

Tricks of gardeners to guarantee germination

For a good harvest, the variety, as well as the time of planting, play a role. But there are a couple of tricks to get the best cleaning effect.

1. Before planting potatoes, you need to fertilize the soil
   . The use of fertilizers is also necessary during the growth process.
2. When the tubers are just planted in the ground, they need to be watered with any type of complex fertilizer. After this, shoots will appear much earlier.
3. After planting, you can mulch with peat
   . This will protect the tubers from harmful insects.
4. After a couple of days, you need to loosen the soil
   so that the tubers are saturated with fresh air.

Timely loosening is one of the tricks for good germination

Block: 2/6 | Number of characters: 3243

Potato varieties for planting: photo, description

Early potato varieties:

• These potato varieties can be dug up within 45 - 60 days after planting
• "Ariel" is a potato with medium-sized tubers, yellow flesh and skin. Susceptible to late blight. The pulp is resistant to blackening. The variety quickly grows tubers, but with diseases this process slows down
• "Riviera" - potatoes with oval yellow tubers. Rarely subject to blackening. Not resistant to diseases, which is why it requires additional processing
• “Izora” is a potato with white skin and light flesh. It has a medium-sized bush, ready for harvest 50 - 65 days after planting. Has good taste. Not resistant to diseases
• “Impala” - this variety has high yields and large tubers. However, it is better to grow it in regions with warm climates.

Mid-season potato varieties:

• “Dubrava” is a variety of Belarusian selection. It has medium round fruits with a dense brownish skin. Loves mineral fertilizers and is resistant to drought. Resistant to nematode and cancer. Moderately resistant to late blight
• “Skarb” is an oblong shaped potato variety with yellow soft skin and light yellow flesh. It is recommended to practice germination beforehand, since seedlings germinate quite slowly. Takes root well on all types of soils, resistant to diseases
• “Universal” is a potato with brownish-colored tubers and rough skin. The pulp is white. The variety is well stored and resistant to damage, pests and diseases

Late-ripening potato varieties:

The timing of planting potatoes is an important factor in obtaining a good harvest. There are several rules that will clearly help you choose the time to plant potatoes in any region:

• Soil and air temperature is a very important factor. In cold soil, potatoes simply will not germinate, and if the air temperature drops sharply, the sprouts will simply freeze
• The soil must have a temperature above 6 degrees at a depth of 10 cm
• The air temperature should not drop below -1 degree, there should be no severe frosts at night
• Another important nuance is soil moisture. After abundant melting of snow, you cannot immediately begin planting. The soil should be moist but loose

Approximate time to plant potatoes in different regions:

• In the Urals and Moscow region, it is better to start planting in the first half of May, after the May holidays
• In Siberia the temperature is lower, so planting begins in late May - early June
• In the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine - at the end of April - early May
• In the south of Ukraine - in mid-April

You can also check the lunar calendar for planting potatoes. However, you should not rely on it completely. After all, it does not take into account regional characteristics, but only the influence of the forces of the Moon on plants

The best predecessors for potatoes:

• Cabbage
• Beet
• Salad
• cucumbers
• Peas, beans
• Pumpkin
• Zucchini

Potatoes should not be planted after:

• Tomatov
• Pertsev
• Eggplant

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.

It’s better to start actively fertilizing the soil, hilling it up, 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.

Please note: Treatment with special compounds must be carried out exclusively in a protective suit. It is necessary to protect the respiratory tract, eyes, skin... 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

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.

Reasons for delayed emergence

Potatoes react sharply to negative changes in growing conditions. Severe temperature changes, frost, lack of moisture or nutrients can cause a delay in the appearance of sprouts, stunted growth or cessation of bush development. Vegetable grower mistakes also lead to a lack of seedlings. There are several reasons why potatoes do not sprout.

Weather

After planting, tubers react sharply to all unfavorable environmental changes. Potatoes may not germinate well for the following reasons:

1. A sharp drop in temperature or frost destroys plant tissues and causes cold burns on buds and immature sprouts. Negative changes occur especially quickly against the background of a deficiency of nutrients in the soil.
2. Strong soil moisture and prolonged rains immediately after planting provoke putrefactive processes on tubers. In damp soil, the respiration processes of potatoes are disrupted. Due to lack of oxygen, it rots.
3. If there is a lack of moisture, the planted potatoes do not develop. In drought conditions, the development of vegetative organs is slowed down.

Failure to comply with landing conditions

Sometimes potatoes do not sprout, but the tubers in the ground still develop and grow. This happens when the planting is too deep. If the soil on the site is loamy, planting is done to a depth of 7 to 8 cm. Loose sandy loam or peat soil requires planting tubers 10-12 cm from the top level. A thicker layer of soil over the sprouts makes it more difficult for them to germinate.

To protect hatched sprouts from low air temperatures, planting is carried out after the final warm weather sets in. To be safe, in regions with a cool climate, at first the sprouts are covered with agrofibre at night.

Poor quality planting material

After preparing the bed, the seed material is inspected, selecting only good tubers for planting. Small specimens without eyes or with signs of damage or rot are subject to rejection. Also, you should not plant potatoes with thin, weak sprouts or those that have been treated with potent fungicidal preparations. Small potatoes produce weak sprouts. Therefore, tubers weighing less than 40 g are not used for planting.

Important! Large potatoes are used as seeds. Such tubers contain a large supply of nutrients to ensure the development of young shoots.

Diseases

Sometimes the cause of poor germination is potato diseases. Seed tubers may be infected with black scab, late blight, potato canker, gray mold or other diseases. If the spring is cold and rainy, fungal diseases develop quickly. Pathogenic microorganisms spread with rain or dew.

To prevent diseases from developing, potatoes are planted in compliance with the rules of crop rotation. Pre-planting treatment of tubers also reduces the likelihood of diseases. To protect the soil from pathogenic microflora after harvesting, green manure is planted on it.

Potato ripening period from planting to harvest: growing season

Pests

Sometimes planted tubers are eaten by insects while still in the soil. Potatoes attract May beetle larvae, wireworms, and mole crickets. To combat them in the fall, the soil is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet. A week before the planned planting date, mole crickets and other insects are caught on the site using beer traps. At the time of planting, crushed eggshells are added to the prepared hole. During the period of active growth of bushes, the soil under them is mulched with onion peels.

Benefits of early planting

Many gardeners believe that potato seedlings appear more slowly when planted early. Because of this, most people postpone sowing until the temperature stabilizes. In fact, early planting also has a number of advantages:

• strengthening the plant's immunity;
• When planting early, the soil does not have time to dry out much;
• productivity increases.

When planting late, due to lack of moisture in the soil, abundant watering is required, which can cause rotting of the seed.

Another significant advantage of early planting of potatoes is that the weeds do not have time to germinate, and subsequent hilling will make it easier to deal with them.

When planting early, summer residents also recommend germinating seed potatoes so that seedlings appear faster

Among the agrotechnical features of early planting, the following should be noted:

Interesting on the topic:

Apple tree variety Black Diamond: description and photos, reviews

Mar 3, 2022

Beijing cabbage Cha-Cha: growing and caring for outdoors...

Mar 2, 2022

• seed tubers cannot be deepened too much, since the earth has not yet warmed up well;
• The row spacing must be at least 60 cm, and the distance between the holes in the row should be maintained at 30-40 cm;
• Organic fertilizers must be added to the bottom of the holes;
• The planting is covered with film to avoid freezing of the seed material.

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.

Uneven shoots

It happens that potatoes take a long time and sprout unevenly. If temperature standards were not violated during planting, then you should understand other reasons:

1. Different shapes of tubers. Large specimens need more time to germinate, while small ones hatch first. Small seeds produce nonviable shoots that quickly die.
2. Mix of varieties. Each species has its own development time, so the processes appear unevenly. If the potatoes rise unevenly, then this is an indicator of the farmer’s carelessness.
3. Depth. Planting is carried out according to a strictly selected scheme. If the holes are not the same size, the tops will hatch late.
4. Uneven germination.

If you plant potatoes according to the rules, then the likelihood of a problem occurring is reduced to zero. The longer a person spends time in the first days, the less trouble awaits in the future. Errors are difficult to correct; they can only be prevented in the initial stages.

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.

Reviews

Victor

“I’ve been growing potatoes since childhood. At first I did this with my parents, but as an adult, I bought my own plot and started gardening, following their experience. I advise you not to overfeed the soil with fertilizers; 1 handful of rotted manure per tuber is enough. Potatoes always germinate well, and the harvest is pleasing.”

Elena

“When my husband and I just bought a plot of land and tried to plant crops for the first time, it didn’t work out. We prepared thoroughly for next year, read many forums on the Internet and asked the advice of our neighboring grandmothers. As it turned out, the soil needs to be treated regularly for parasites, and not just when Colorado potato beetles appear on it. It is exposed to pests throughout the year, which is why it dies. Now, strong bushes always grow on my plot, and a decent harvest ripens.”

Follow simple rules for planting and caring for crops, then the potatoes will sprout in normal time and will continue to develop well until the end of the season. If you didn’t get a good harvest, then don’t despair and don’t give up gardening. Buy a new variety of tubers, find possible growing errors and correct them.

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.

1. Sandy soils dry out faster. Water does not linger - it erodes or goes deeper.
2. 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.

1. Early potato varieties “awaken” faster and form sprouts within 15-20 days.
2. 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.

Temperature

One of the important indicators of successful seed pecking is well-warmed soil. If the soil is below 8°, then agricultural work cannot be started. To prevent the sprouts from freezing, it is necessary to determine the average daily temperature at a depth of 12 cm.

To determine the landing period, you can use folk signs. Root crops are buried in the ground after perennial plants have begun to bloom, and birch leaves have become the size of a penny.

If the earth warms up to 10° C, then the potatoes wake up within 25 days. When the temperature increases to 20°C, hatching occurs on the 15th day. An early harvest can be harvested if sprouted tubers are planted. This option reduces the time by a week from the variety declared by the manufacturer.

“For the southern regions, the onset of phase 1 (emergence) after 20 days in most cases is a deviation from the norm, but for the northern regions this period is quite acceptable.”

The depth of planting can also affect germination. The earth is slowly warming up in the lower layers, which negatively affects growth. The thicker the soil layer above the seed, the longer it takes for development. In addition, pipping depends on soil moisture. Wet soil does not hold temperature well and does not allow air to pass through; tubers rot from lack of heat and oxygen.

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

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

1. Manually sort and remove tubers that are too small and diseased (rotten, softened, have holes, etc.).
2. Rinse the remaining tubers well in running water to remove all the soil, and remove the thin (thread-like) light shoots from them.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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.