Late-ripening Dutch Picasso potatoes got their name in honor of the “pink” period of the work of the Spanish artist, sculptor and designer Pablo Picasso, which lasted from 1904 to 1906. He painted his canvases in pink-yellow and pink-gray tones. Each tuber of the Picasso variety truly resembles a work of art - the skin is painted in a light yellow shade with pink splashes in the eye area.
From the article you will learn about the features of the variety's agricultural technology, its advantages and disadvantages, methods of combating late blight and pests.
Characteristics of Picasso potatoes
This potato variety was bred in Holland. It was entered into the Russian register in 1995. Picasso potato tubers, according to the description of the variety and in the photo, have an attractive presentation. In Russia, this variety is also known under other names, for example, Ivan da Marya.
The plant is considered late. Directly from planting to harvest, 130 days pass. Productivity per hundred square meters is 200-300 kg. One bush produces approximately 20 potatoes. The shrub itself has spreading tops.
The fruits are oval-round in shape and contain few eyes. Tuber weighing up to 100 g. Potatoes got their name because of their color - the tubers are yellow-pink in color. It was in these shades that the famous artist worked at the very beginning of his creative career. At the same time, the starch content is not higher than 12%. Potatoes do not spoil during transportation. Has high safety parameters. If the storage rules are followed, it will not even germinate during the winter.
The Picasso variety tolerates drought and high temperatures well. Preferred regions for cultivation are Central and Central Black Earth.
Advantages and disadvantages
Table. The main advantages and disadvantages of Picasso potatoes
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Planting and caring for Picasso potatoes
The characteristics of the Picasso potato variety are suitable for many gardeners and for farmers growing potatoes for sale. But to obtain the maximum yield from one bush, all agrotechnical requirements must be observed. The variety is not considered capricious, but there are still some nuances regarding planting and care.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
When choosing a site, you should pay attention to the lighting. The optimal place is a sunny area, preferably in a lowland. The soil in the selected area should warm up to at least + 7 °C. This is the only guarantee that the tubers will not freeze in the ground.
It is advisable to prepare the soil in the fall. To do this, you need to add humus, rotted manure, ash and superphosphate.
To avoid a decrease in yield and the appearance of late blight, crop rotation should be observed. Transplanting potatoes from place to place in small areas is quite difficult. But there are some crops that are considered optimal potato predecessors:
- garlic and onion;
- cabbage;
- cucumbers;
- all legumes.
In this case, you don’t have to worry about the health and yield of potatoes. But it is not recommended to plant potatoes after tomatoes. These are relatives, which means that all pest diseases after tomatoes can damage the potato crop.
Preparation of planting material
2 weeks before planting, the seed material must be scattered in a warm room in 1 layer. Tubers should be selected small in size, approximately the size of a chicken egg. As soon as the tubers turn green and begin to sprout, the seed material is ready for planting.
Landing rules
There is a true folk sign according to which potatoes are planted in most regions - birch leaves have begun to bloom. For the Picasso variety, the optimal planting pattern is 45x70 cm. At this distance, thick and tall potato bushes will not block each other’s light.
To plant this variety, the site is dug up twice. For planting, it is better to germinate the tubers. In this case, they will give higher yields. For germination, tubers are placed in conditions with temperatures above + 10 ° C. Can be treated with special stimulating drugs to accelerate the appearance of sprouts. It is good to keep the sprouted tubers in a solution of boric acid and copper sulfate 2-3 weeks before planting. This will significantly strengthen the potato’s immunity.
If you cut the tubers to obtain a harvest in order to save money, the plant will have weak immunity, so experts advise using the entire tubers as planting material.
The depth of the hole or trench for planting is 10-15 cm.
Watering and fertilizing
The variety is demanding on feeding. It is difficult to achieve high yields without applying fertilizers.
You need to apply organic, mineral and nitrogen fertilizers during the season. Typically, fertilizing is carried out after the first shoots appear, then at the first buds, and also during flowering. It is undesirable to fertilize potatoes after they have flowered; this can negatively affect the harvest.
In the first period of the growing season, cow and bird droppings are most often used, and in the second - potash and phosphorus fertilizers.
Picasso should be watered once a week using the drip method at the rate of 4-5 liters of water for each bush. After flowering, the number of waterings should be reduced to once every 2 weeks. If the summer passes with sufficient rainfall, then watering may not be necessary.
Loosening and weeding
Experts recommend loosening the next day after watering. This procedure helps deliver oxygen to the tubers and make the soil lighter.
Weeding is an important agrotechnical activity. Weeds not only interfere with potato growth by blocking light, but can also be carriers of diseases. Weeding is best done together with loosening the soil. You should also be sure to remove weeds as they appear and not allow the beds to become overgrown. This way, the yield will be significantly higher, and the potato bushes will not have to be additionally treated for diseases.
Attention! Lush tops can interfere with weeding and pest control. This is a small minus of the Picasso variety.
Hilling
Hilling is another important event in agricultural technology. It is necessary to carry out the first hilling when the potato bushes are only 7 cm in length.
Then repeat the procedure two more times until the potatoes finish budding. Hilling is carried out on loamy and clayey soils. On sandy soils there is no point in the procedure. It is also not recommended to hill up potatoes if the soil temperature reaches 26 °C and the air temperature remains high. If at the same time there is still not enough moisture in the soil, then the procedure can harm the plant.
If you don’t want to hill up potatoes, you can initially plant them under black covering material.
Hilling helps increase productivity by 30%. In addition, the procedure helps:
- improve plant lighting;
- protect the plant from drying out;
- protect tubers from sudden temperature changes;
- increases the resistance of potatoes to winds and spring frosts;
- prevent the appearance of new weeds after weeding.
Hilling can be done with a hoe, shovel or hand hiller.
Possible growing difficulties
Although the Picasso variety has a good immune system and is considered resistant to many diseases and parasites, insufficient care of the crop can lead to some diseases and pest infestations.
Important! When working with fungicidal or insecticidal solutions, it is imperative to use protective equipment in the form of gloves and a respirator. And if the wind speed reaches more than 10 m/sec, the spraying procedure should be abandoned.
Among them:
- Late blight. For preventive purposes, during the season the bushes are treated 5 times (with an interval of 7–10 days) with the fungicides “Acrobat MC” (40 g per 10 l of water), “Ekopin” (1 g per 10 l of water), “Fitosporin-M” ( 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water). Treatment methods and the number of irrigations are indicated in the instructions for the preparations. If late blight infection does occur, all affected foliage is identified and destroyed, and the bushes are treated with chemicals “Oxychom” and “Ridomil MC” (treatment is carried out several times with an interval of 14 days).
- Scab. A fungal disease that affects the underground parts of plants, due to which the affected tubers change their taste and are poorly stored. Control measures include: sulfate-containing fertilizers (for acidic soils), use only compost for fertilizer; crop rotation.
- Colorado potato beetle and its larvae. The following insecticides are suitable for treatment: “Aktara” (applied before flowering, when the first shoots appear); “Aktellik”, “Fitoverm” (in case of mass appearance of parasites); “Colorado” (multiple spraying per season is acceptable, but no later than 20 days before harvesting potatoes); "Confidor Maxi (Extra)" (according to instructions).
Diseases and pests
The Picasso potato variety tolerates most diseases well and has strong immunity. Resistance has been recorded to the following diseases:
- nematode;
- leaf curling;
- cancer;
- fungal diseases;
- Fusarium
The only pathology from which crops should be protected is late blight. The main symptom is a white limescale coating on the outside of the leaves. If the crop is not treated in time, the tubers will also be affected, on which dark brown spots will appear and spread to neighboring bushes. This could destroy the entire crop. Preventive measures to combat this disease:
- bushes should not grow too densely so that they are properly ventilated;
- Hill up the potatoes at least 2 times before budding;
- treat the tubers with special preparations against late blight;
- observe crop rotation and do not plant potatoes after other nightshade crops.
To prevent the disease, spraying potato bushes with garlic solution or sour milk also helps.
When the first symptoms of late blight appear on the leaves, it is necessary to treat the bushes with chemicals as soon as possible.
It is very important that the most common potato pest, the Colorado potato beetle, does not like Picasso. This is also indicated in the description of the variety. But for prevention, it doesn’t hurt to plant garlic around the potatoes.
Consumer reviews:
“Excellent potatoes, this is the fifth year we’ve been planting them. At first they were afraid that there would not be enough fertilizer, but they acted according to the instructions. And then we decided to try using one garden bed as an example to do without chemicals. Growing quickly, everything is on time. We value Picasso potatoes for their taste and for the fact that they retain their appearance until spring. Fried is especially good,” Maxim Krasnov, Lipetsk.
“We were afraid of late blight, so we treated the material with Prestige before planting. Excellent variety, strong. The Colorado potato beetle doesn't like it, which is another plus. The taste of Picasso potatoes is excellent. I recommend it to everyone,” Svetlana Guseva, Krasnodar.
“Picasso potatoes have strengths and weaknesses. Little chemicals are needed, the leaves are not attractive to the Colorado potato beetle, not capricious. This is good. But not everyone likes the taste; there are more interesting varieties. Besides, it doesn’t clean well, you have to pick out every eye,” Irina Sokolvyak, Tula.
Picasso potato yield
According to characteristics and reviews, the Picasso potato variety has good yield. Suitable not only for growing in the country or in the garden, but also for industrial production. From 1 hectare, under the right conditions, agricultural techniques harvest up to 500 centners. Compared to most known varieties, this is a high yield parameter. One bush produces up to 20 fairly large tubers. From one hundred square meters he gets 250 kg.
It is better to dig up potatoes in dry and sunny weather. Harvest time is mid-September. In order for the root crops to become stronger in mid-August, when the tops turn yellow, it is advisable to cut them off.
Description of the variety
Late-ripening Picasso potatoes are a product of the Dutch breeding school, entered into the domestic State Register in 1995. According to information in the Register, it is recommended for the central regions of Russia, but is successfully grown by gardeners in all regions of the country.
The author's registered name was given because of the unusual color of the tuber peel - yellowish-pink, very reminiscent of the paintings of the great Picasso in a certain period of his creativity. In our country, the variety has also received other names among the people - Ryabukha, Matryoshka. It is distinguished by its productivity, unpretentiousness in agricultural technology, and excellent taste.
Storage
A distinctive feature of the Picasso variety is its high keeping quality. Germination parameters until spring, subject to storage conditions, are practically zero. For storage, it is necessary to dry the tubers in the fresh air immediately after digging. Be sure to clear them of soil and sort them thoroughly. Any tuber showing signs of disease or rot should be discarded to prevent it from ruining the entire harvest.
For those who do not grow potatoes themselves, it is also better to purchase Picasso for winter storage.
Optimum storage temperature + 4 °C. It is better to use bags or nets for storage. If you store potatoes in bulk in the cellar, the thickness should be no more than 1 m so that the tubers do not overripe and excessive moisture is not created. In the room intended for storage, there should be no condensation or humidity on the walls. This is an important condition for the safety of not only potatoes, but also all products for the winter.
Peculiarities
An excellent feature of this variety is that it has impressive keeping quality. This particular variety is best purchased for the winter due to the almost zero probability of germination. The potatoes themselves are suitable for preparing any dishes; they do not turn yellow when cut and do not tend to boil over. Moreover, the crop tolerates transportation well, so it is also suitable for trade transport.
We bring to your attention interesting materials about the various properties of potatoes, including medicinal ones. Read all about the benefits and harms of raw potatoes, why solanine is dangerous, why you eat sprouts and drink juice.
REFERENCE! Picasso also became very popular due to the fact that he can withstand almost any vagaries of weather. Accordingly, it can be grown not only in the regions prescribed in the Register, but also in many others.
When planting a plant, if you want to speed up the harvest, it is better to germinate the tubers. To do this, place them in a well-lit place with a temperature no higher than 15 °C. Another useful solution would be to stimulate tubers using useful solutions, for example “Zircon” or “Epin”. It is worth planting your seed on the beds in the spring, when the main frosts have already passed, but all the moisture has not evaporated from the soil.
IMPORTANT! Picasso's tops grow very strongly, so it is worth leaving 50 cm gaps between tubers.
In the future, the plant will need several more feeding sessions, with which the harvest will be the richest and most delicious. Read more about how to feed potatoes, when and how to apply fertilizers, and how to do it correctly when planting. And also what are the best fertilizers and what are the benefits of mineral fertilizers.
Weeding and the first hilling should be carried out when the seedlings reach 6 - 7 cm in height. The second hilling will need to be done before flowering, when the first flower buds appear. Read about whether plants need hilling, how to do it, how to do it correctly manually and using a walk-behind tractor, whether it is possible to get a good harvest without weeding and hilling.
If there has been no rain in your area for a long time, then the plants should be watered yourself. Once every 10 days will be enough. Mulching will help control weeds.
Reviews of Picasso potatoes
Sviridov Gennady Yurievich, 45 years old, Novgorod region
I have several varieties of potatoes growing in my garden. I have been planting Picasso for several years now as a late plant for winter storage. The variety is practically disease-free; it is important to treat it against late blight. I treat it with garlic solution. If you plant garlic around potatoes, you will also forget about the Colorado potato. At the same time, large, oval tubers are perfectly stored until spring and do not germinate. I recommend to everyone.
Shparin Viktor Sergeevich, 38 years old, Rostov
I am an experienced farmer, growing and selling vegetables. I really like the Picasso potato variety. Withstands long-term transportation well. There is practically no need to reject products, no matter where in Russia I take them. The yield is also attractive - 400 centners per hectare. In terms of agricultural technology, the variety is not capricious, which is important for industrial cultivation.
Features of harvesting and storage
When the above-ground part of the bush dries out and the skin of the potato tubers becomes rough, it is necessary to start digging up the crop.
Hand tools are ideal for this purpose - a bayonet shovel, garden fork or small-scale mechanization equipment.
After this, the dug up potatoes are dried under a canopy for several hours and sorted by size. Next, the potatoes selected for long-term storage are transferred to the basement, where they are stored in bins, boxes or wicker baskets.
During storage, the air temperature must be maintained within +1 +2 degrees Celsius. In this case, air humidity should not exceed 60%. Once a week you need to go down to the basement and check the above parameters.
You also need to monitor the condition of the tubers for the presence of rotten specimens. If there is a smell of rotting in the basement, then you need to immediately carry out a manual sorting of potatoes to find rotten specimens and then remove them from the given room. We recommend material on the rules for collecting and storing potatoes.
With the correct storage system, potatoes of this variety can be successfully stored for 5-6 months.
Characteristics, description and photo
general characteristics
Potatoes "Krona" belong to the table varieties of medium-early ripening. Young vegetables are harvested approximately 85 days after seedlings appear in the beds. Large ripened tubers are dug up after 100 days.
Advice
The yield of the variety is very high. The potatoes keep well and are not too starchy.
Vegetables are unpretentious in care, resistant to short-term drought, adapted to the lack of regular fertilizing, but for harvesting high-quality potatoes, feeding the crops with useful substances will not hurt.
Description of appearance
Escapes
Medium spreading shrubs with erect stems. The average height is 0.5 m. The surface layer of rich green foliage is matte and with clear veins. Corollas on the tops of the stems are formed with large flowers of snow-white shades. The edges of the foliage are slightly wavy. The variety has a powerful root system.
Roots
Tubers of the “Krona” variety are medium in size, their diameter ranges from 4 to 7 cm. The vegetables are quite heavy. The potato is oval in shape, with a smooth surface with slightly visible eyes. The juicy pulp has a yellow tint, and the thin peel is lemon-colored. From 10 to 16 tubers are collected from one bush. The potatoes do not darken when cut.
