The choice of planting material is a responsible process. It is necessary to take into account many nuances: the degree of yield, the taste of the product, soil and climate requirements, as well as ripening time. Professional agronomists monitor the cultivation of potatoes on an industrial scale, and the planting areas occupy tens of hectares. Private farms are much more modest. Therefore, it is very important that the selected variety is affected by diseases as little as possible and produces a high yield even from a small area of land. Today, new potatoes from Holland have become popular among summer residents. Description of the variety, photos and reviews of Sifra potatoes are presented below.
Characteristics of the variety
Description of potato tubers
The tubers are oblong, regular in shape, and larger in size than other varieties. Their weight reaches 100-150g. The peel is light beige, smooth, the eyes are small. The pulp is creamy and contains 11-16% starch.
Taste qualities of Sifra
Summer residents note the good taste of potatoes. The tubers are moderately juicy, sweetish, and do not become soft when cooked. Fans of the variety talk about the piquant taste. Potatoes contain a large number of useful substances.
Landing dates
Sifra is a late-ripening variety.
Start planting only after the end of spring frosts. The earth should warm up at a depth of 10 cm and be no lower than +8 degrees. In the south of the country, the mid-season variety is planted in early April. In the middle zone at the end of April - beginning of May. In Siberia and the Urals it is closer to mid-May.
According to popular observations, birch leaves serve as a signal for the start of the potato sowing season. When they hatch, you can safely plant the crop.
Ripening time for Sifra potatoes
The variety is classified as medium-late in terms of ripening. The harvest can be harvested in 3-3.5 months. Potatoes are ready to eat in July. It finally ripens in September.
Potato yield on site
Productivity depends on the region of growth, soil fertility, and quality of care. Information on this indicator differs. In a number of areas, the yield ranges from 180 to 400 kg per hundred square meters, depending on cultivation conditions. There are cases of harvesting 530 kg per hundred square meters.
Description of Sifra potatoes: Productivity
Disease resistance
Sifra potatoes have good immunity to diseases such as cancer, golden nematode. The crop has good resistance to late blight.
Carry out preventive treatment of plants with preparations containing copper twice a season. Add ash to the holes at the time of planting to protect against rot and fungus.
Keeping quality of the variety
The harvest is well stored until summer. Potatoes will retain their taste and presentation for up to 10 months. To do this, it is important to comply with the storage conditions of the culture. The room temperature should not exceed +7 degrees, air humidity 60-65%. Indicators of quality preservation of the variety are not lower than 94%.
Sifra potato growing regions
The crop is grown in different regions of our country and neighboring countries. Recommended for planting in the North-Western, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Central Chernozem regions.
The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety
In addition to immunity to a number of diseases, high yield and aesthetic appearance, the Sifra variety has other advantages.
Unlike super-early ones, it is drought-resistant and can be stored for a longer time. Sifra shows no signs of degeneration. Potatoes of this variety are used in cooking for dietary and baby food and have a pleasant taste.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- sensitivity to sudden drops in temperature;
- special need for nutritious soil.
Reviews about the variety
Alexandra, Nizhny Novgorod
I bought potatoes with white smooth skin at the supermarket. Easy to clean, with a unique taste. Not very dry and not watery, retains its shape when cooked, slightly sweet. I decided to find out what variety it was, it turned out to be Sifra. Now I bought some seeds and want to plant them in my dacha.
Vera, Vladimir
We spend most of our time in the village, in our parents' house. The garden is large, we mainly plant it with potatoes. Neighbors shared a new variety, Sifra. We are very happy because we are getting a big harvest. We not only provide for ourselves, but also have the opportunity to sell. There are regular customers. This variety is very common in grocery stores.
Vasily, Murom
We have been planting the Sifra variety at our dacha for the 3rd year and have not regretted changing the seeds. Potatoes are easy to care for, the tubers are large and very pleasant looking. All our guests like the taste. The seeds were distributed to relatives. We will continue to breed this variety, because it has proven to be easy to care for and very productive.
Taste qualities of Sifra potatoes
According to characteristics and reviews, the Sifra potato variety has a richer taste when ripened late. The pulp is white, quite juicy, but not watery. Very tasty potatoes with pleasant sweet notes. Widely used in cooking. It can be prepared in a variety of ways: boiled, fried, baked or stewed. The correct shape of the tubers makes them easy to stuff. The puree comes out very tender and homogeneous.
Attention! These potatoes are not too high in calories and contain a sufficient amount of vitamins. Ideal for children and people on a diet.
Correct fit
The agricultural technology of Sifra potatoes differs little from other varieties. Dig up the soil for potatoes in the fall to a depth of 30 cm with organic fertilizers. When planting, pay attention to the predecessors of the crop. It is better to plant after beets, cucumbers, herbs, cabbage. Seed material must be heated at a temperature not lower than +15°. Germinate it first. The length of the sprouts at planting is on average 1 cm.
Potatoes love light soils. Plant in holes or trenches. On sandy soils no deeper than 12 cm, on clay soils - 5 cm. The distance between holes is at least 30 cm, between rows 60-70 cm. The soil should be moist when planting. The first shoots will appear in 15-20 days. You can see even more information in the article on preparing seed potato tubers for planting.
Harvesting and storage
The first digging of Sifra potatoes can be done in late July - early August. The deadline for final cleaning is the end of August or beginning of September. You can dig up tubers only in dry, warm weather. They are allowed to dry a little, and then sorted into large and small, and put into bags.
For the first 2-3 weeks, the tubers are stored in a cool, dark room (temperature 14-15 degrees). For the winter they put it in cellars or storages: the optimal temperature is 4-6 degrees, humidity is about 60%. Under these conditions, the keeping quality of Sifra potatoes is close to 100%.
Caring for the Sifra variety
Care includes timely weeding, watering, hilling, fertilizing and combating diseases and pests. When you don’t have time to frequently weed the plantings, mulch the ground with dry grass. Place it between the rows when the potatoes are planted.
The variety does not require watering before flowering, unless the year is dry. During drought, water once a week. At the time of flowering, the soil should remain slightly moist. As soon as the soil has dried to the depth of a finger, water it, preferably in the evening. Use 2-3 liters of water per bush.
Hilling up potatoes is necessary for better formation of tubers. Do this at least 2 times per season. For the first time, when the tops are about 15 cm tall. The second time before the potatoes bloom. Rake the soil to the base of the bush. We have already written about hilling potatoes, be sure to check out these tips.
It is useful to fertilize the soil with organic fertilizers. When planting, it is advisable to pour ash into the hole. Feed the plant three times: as soon as shoots appear, before and after flowering. Alternate mineral fertilizers with organic ones. If you want to increase your yield, look at what you need to fertilize your potatoes with.
The variety has strong immunity to diseases; their prevention is discussed above. Known pests: Colorado potato beetle, wireworm, May beetle larva, moth, aphid, potato golden nematode.
Preventive measures to control potato pests:
- Treatment of tubers before planting with preparations, for example “Taboo”.
- Deep plowing of the site in the fall.
- Timely weeding and hilling.
- Planting plants with a repellent odor.
- Use when planting ash, 1-2 handfuls per hole.
When parasites multiply, use chemicals according to the instructions. Do this before or after flowering. We have all seen yellow larvae in the form of caterpillars; these are wireworms - the larva of a click beetle. See how to get rid of wireworms on potatoes.
Pests and diseases
The originator claims good resistance of Sifra potatoes to cancer and potato nematode. The indicator for late blight is average. Bushes can also suffer from various pests - aphids, Colorado potato beetles, wireworms, mole crickets, May beetle larvae and others. Therefore, summer residents observe mandatory preventive measures:
- Treat Sifra potato tubers with an effective fungicide before planting.
- Sprinkle a little ash into the planting holes.
- Do not plant potatoes in one place for more than 3 years in a row. Also, do not plant in a field where tomatoes previously grew.
- Plant marigolds, calendula, aromatic tobacco, and coriander nearby.
- Place fresh sawdust in the spaces between the rows, pour out a weak tar solution, and periodically dust the Sifra potato bushes with wood ash.
- As a last resort, periodically treat the plantings with fungicides and insecticides.
To prevent the appearance of fungi, bushes can be treated once with a fungicide:
- "Quadris";
- "Home";
- "Fitosporin";
- "Maksim";
- Bordeaux mixture.
If there is a strong invasion of Colorado potato beetles and other pests, the plants are sprayed with insecticide solutions:
- "Colorado";
- "Spark";
- "Fufanon";
- "Agravertine";
- "Confidor".
Advice! If the bush is already affected by late blight, it is better to immediately dig it up, take it away and burn it to avoid infecting neighboring plants. The same should be done with the tops after harvesting.
Thanks to preventive treatments, the likelihood of pests is significantly reduced
Increasing potato yields
The yield of potatoes is affected by the use of green manure after autumn cultivation of the site. Sow white mustard immediately after harvesting and dig up the soil in October. Sow rye and oats before winter and dig up the area in the spring. This fertilizes and disinfects the soil.
In addition to manure, add specially processed food waste. To do this, use con. Treat planting material with special preparations before planting. Renew the seeds every 4-5 years so that they do not degenerate.
There is a shock way to increase yield. Agronomists are engaged in ringing, i.e. make a transverse cut in the upper part of the tuber. This awakens sleeping eyes and increases the yield.
What is the reproduction of potatoes?
The plant's propagation methods are similar to how other crop varieties are propagated. The most common is tubers. Gardeners practice dividing potatoes, propagating with eyes and peels. These methods are similar.
The task is to awaken sleeping eyes, because... In potatoes, only the apical eyes germinate. When dividing a tuber, such eyes, along with the pulp, are cut off and planted separately for rooting. Sprinkle the rest of the potatoes with soil for germination for a week. Then divide the tubers into pieces according to their eyes and plant them in the garden.
When propagating by eyes, also divide the potatoes into parts according to their number. Plant in rooting boxes. When the sprouts have reached 10 cm in height and the air has warmed up to + 10 degrees, plant them on the site. Propagation by peel is similar. At the same time, cut the peel thicker.
Use potato seeds when the variety is degenerating. They are found in green apples, on the tops. While harvesting, leave a few bushes until they dry out and collect the seeds. Sow them at home in February. 45 days after the sprouts appear, plant them in the garden.
In practice, potato propagation methods by sprouts and cuttings are rarely used.
Growing and care
The variety does not require abundant watering before flowering. Moisturize it only during severe droughts:
- The first watering is carried out a week after germination with warm water in the evening.
- Then moisten abundantly during the flowering period.
- Water the third time after flowering.
Feed young bushes with organic matter. Starting from the flowering period, its use is not recommended. During flowering, tubers form; their formation requires fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium, preferably in granules. Mineral complexes are also effective.
Do not apply fertilizing to dry soil - this will cause burns to the roots.
The bushes are earthed up for the first time a week to a week and a half after germination. Soil from the rows is poured in a heap around each plant. Hill up again after 2 weeks. The procedure is necessary to increase productivity and form new roots. Hilling is also carried out in moist soil.
Regularly loosen the soil and weed out weeds.
