Potato variety Skarb: an excellent option for planting!

Characteristics of potatoes Scarb

According to the description, the Skarb potato variety has thick, dense stems that form a low, semi-spreading bush. The leaves of the open type grow small, oval or oval-elongated. They are dark green with even smooth edges, sometimes with barely noticeable waviness. The Scarb potato blooms with white inflorescences collected in a medium-sized corolla.

Medium ripening variety with high yield. The peel is light golden or yellow, even, smooth. The eyes, evenly distributed throughout the potato, are small and shallowly planted. The pulp is yellow, tender, homogeneous.

Belarusian breeders recommend growing tubers in fertile soil to obtain the highest possible yield. For the same purposes, it is advised to follow the planting rules.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

Selection and preparation of a planting site
Potato Scarb is undemanding to the composition of the soil, so it can grow in any region. Good germination and productivity were observed in sandy and sandy loam soils. The preparation of the planting site is carried out in a standard way - it is plowed in the fall and added with organic fertilizers.

In the spring, after cultivating the land, wait for it to warm up to the desired temperature - 9 - 10 oC. It is not recommended to plant Scarb potato tubers in soil with high groundwater levels. The overall soil moisture should be moderate. Too dry soil will make it difficult for potatoes to root.

The best places for planting potatoes are small slopes going south or southwest. This arrangement will allow for proper lighting and will also help avoid moisture stagnation. Potatoes prefer light sandy or loamy soils. Grows well in peat and black soil.

Note! Heavy substrate with stagnant moisture is the worst place to plant potatoes. When planting vegetables in such a place, you should not expect fruiting.

Before planting, it is necessary to remove all weeds and feed the soil with organic fertilizers. Before persistent frost sets in, the area needs to be plowed or dug up - this will reduce the number of pests living in the soil.

Pros and cons of the Skarb potato variety

Tubers have many advantages, including:

• high, stable yield;
• good preservation;
• shallow, evenly spaced eyes;
• high percentage of marketable copies;
• low starch content;
• practically do not boil;
• low soil requirements;
• resistance to nematodes, viral diseases;
• taste qualities.

The description of the Skarb potato variety includes the following disadvantages:

• tendency to late blight of leaves;
• Colorado beetles and wireworms may attack;
• watery tubers;
• According to reviews, potato yields decrease from the third reproduction;
• the need to warm up the planting material before planting.

Description of the variety

Mid-season variety, suitable for table use. The plant is low, with dark green leaves and white flowers.

Scarb has low stems and white flowers

Tubers are oval, smooth. The peel and pulp are yellow, small eyes are shallow.

Scarb's tubers are oval, medium size

Quantitative characteristics of Skarb potatoes, table

The size of the tubers is clearly visible, it is small

The growing season of this variety is 90–110 days; compared to the very early varieties, its harvesting occurs a month later. The taste is good, although in the State Register of Belarus it is modestly rated from satisfactory to good. Used for various culinary processing: frying, boiling, soups and salads. When cooked for a long time it becomes crumbly.

A characteristic feature of the variety is its unfriendly and slow shoots with their subsequent leveling, as well as the need to warm up the potatoes during germination.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety, table

Video: appearance

Planting and caring for potatoes Scarb

The variety of Belarusian selection was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2002. The tubers must be heated in direct sunlight, otherwise germination will be poor. The ripening period for Skarb potatoes is 80 - 95 days from the moment the first sprouts appear, which corresponds to average ripeness.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

Scarb potatoes are undemanding to the composition of the soil, so they can grow in any region. Good germination and productivity were observed in sandy and sandy loam soils. The preparation of the planting site is carried out in a standard way - it is plowed in the fall and added with organic fertilizers.

In the spring, after cultivating the land, wait for it to warm up to the desired temperature - 9 - 10 oC. It is not recommended to plant Scarb potato tubers in soil with high groundwater levels. The overall soil moisture should be moderate. Too dry soil will make it difficult for potatoes to root.

Preparation of planting material

In autumn, medium-sized tubers are selected. In spring they are transferred to a warm place for germination. The sprouts should be thick, but not higher than 3.5 cm. Before planting directly, the Scarb potatoes are exposed to the sun and warmed up for 2 - 3 weeks. It is not recommended to cut planting material - this reduces germination.

Landing rules

Planting holes are dug at a distance of 35 cm from each other, retreating 60 cm between rows. The recommended depth is half a shovel. On average, there are 45 - 46 thousand Scarb potato bushes per hectare. It is not recommended to bury planting material below 8 - 10 cm from the ground surface. To improve illumination, rows with this variety are arranged from north to south.

Watering and fertilizing

It is recommended to moisten the soil as it dries, but at least once a month. In the first stages of growth, Scarb potatoes do not tolerate excess water. In the spring, only rotted manure is added to the ground so as not to burn the young shoots, and in the fall it can be fertilized with fresh manure.

It is recommended to supplement watering of Scarb potatoes with the introduction of high-quality fertilizers. This can be nitrophoska - it is spread at the rate of 5 kg per hundred square meters, or nitroammiphoska - 3 kg per hundred square meters. Phosphorus supplements are useful for the root system; mineral supplements increase fertility.

You can add organic fertilizers: fresh or rotted manure, wood ash, chicken manure solution, manure. Only ash can be used in its pure form; other additives must be prepared. Chicken droppings are diluted with water at the rate of 1:20, left for 24 hours, then 1 liter is poured under each bush. Mullein is diluted with water 1:10 and superphosphate is added.

Warning! Feeding is applied in a balanced manner so as not to harm the Scarb potatoes, because excess nitrogen in the soil will lead to increased growth of tops.

Loosening and weeding

With the appearance of the first shoots of Scarb potatoes, gardeners pick up hoes. Loosening is carried out to improve the air exchange of the earth and preserve moisture. It is recommended to carry out weeding during the daytime - under the sun's rays, the weeds die faster and dry out. Repeat as the row spacing becomes overgrown, but at least 2-3 times per season. Weeding is combined with loosening.

Hilling

The appearance of the first shoots is a signal for the start of field work. To earth up sprouts of this variety, choose cloudy weather or the time after watering, morning or evening dew. Moisture, getting under the bush, allows the plant to sprout new shoots, increase the number and weight of potatoes, and protects against unexpected drops in temperature.

Attention! In hot weather, hilling is not recommended - the hot earth burns the young shoots, causing them to stop growing.

Features of cultivation

After the first shoots appear, potatoes require good care, because this affects the quality and quantity of the future harvest. The process itself consists of a number of specific actions:

• loosening and weeding;
• hilling;
• watering;
• feeding

Loosening is carried out about three times during the entire growing season, while weeding is carried out at the same time. About a week after planting, the area planted with potatoes is walked around with a rake. Surface loosening also allows you to remove young weeds. Repeat this procedure after germination.

In addition to loosening, an important process for Scarb potatoes is hilling, which promotes the formation of new roots and tubers, prevents overheating of root crops and reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil. During the entire season, the procedure is also performed three times:

• as soon as the seedlings reach 10 cm;
• two weeks after the first hilling;
• during the flowering period.

Hilling up potatoes also increases soil aeration, which ensures easier passage of oxygen to the tubers.

Important! Hilling and loosening is not recommended in hot weather, since very warm soil can slow down the growth of young shoots. The time after precipitation and watering is considered favorable for these procedures.

Like all root crops, Skarb potatoes need watering. It is especially important during the formation of tubers, but it is worth considering that at the beginning of the growing season, waterlogging of the soil can have a detrimental effect on the health of the crop.

As for fertilizing, Skarb potatoes respond positively to them. But at the same time, you should not abuse fertilizers, since a large amount of them can cause the plant to grow, and the formation of tubers will stop.

Diseases and pests

According to reviews of the characteristics of this variety, Scarb potatoes are not affected:

• potato cancer;
• golden cyst nematode;
• wrinkled and striped mosaic;
• wet rot;
• Alternaria blight;
• fusarium;
• vertilosis;
• common and black scab;
• blackleg.

Bushes of this variety are often affected by late blight, sometimes by ring rot. The first disease appears as brown spots with a light edge on the lower leaves of the plant. It is caused by the microscopic fungus Phytophthora infestans, which reproduces by spores, so the disease progresses rapidly.

If late blight is not treated, after 2 - 3 weeks there will be no leaves left on the affected bushes, and you can’t expect a harvest from the plant either. In the initial stages, spraying the tops with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture will help. For prevention, the bush should be pollinated with tree resin.

Ring rot is a virulent disease that affects tubers and tops. It manifests itself as wilting of leaves, rotting of potatoes in the ground, storage. To combat the disease, you should avoid planting areas with possible infections. Removing infected tubers and warming them in the sun will also help prevent the spread of ring rot.

Among potato pests, Skarb loves the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm. All gardeners know the last parasite - it is a yellowish worm up to 5 cm long that gnaws at tubers. Prevention against wireworms involves regularly digging up the soil, loosening, weeding, and liming.

The fight against the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae attacking bushes - the use of chemical, biological, and folk remedies. It is recommended to collect pest eggs from leaves by hand daily. It is impossible to completely get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, but it is necessary to protect the tops during the period of active growth.

Nuances of cultivation and possible difficulties

To reduce plant maintenance, the planting surface should be mulched with straw or sawdust. Organic matter will prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture and the appearance of weeds, and it will prevent the soil from compacting. The bed will need to be watered, weeded and loosened less often.

In order to prevent diseases and pests, the following measures should be taken:

• treat seed tubers with fungicides before planting;

• follow the rules of crop rotation;
• periodically sprinkle the bushes with wood ash;
• spray the planting with fungicides and insecticides 1-2 times per season;
• treat the bushes with garlic infusion or a solution of mustard powder;
• plant marigolds or calendula around the perimeter of the garden.

If you need to treat the bed with fungicides and insecticides, then it should be done in the evening in dry, windless weather. Before using medications, you must wear a respirator, goggles, and closed clothing. After spraying, it is important to wash your hands and face with soap, or better yet, take a shower.

The belongings will be an excellent choice for gardeners who want to get an impressive potato harvest. This variety is distinguished by its keeping quality, disease resistance and unpretentious character. And according to the description and photo, its fruits grow large, uniform and have a pleasant taste and rich aroma.

Harvesting and storage

Scarb potatoes are unpretentious to storage conditions, but they will stay fresh longer if the temperature and humidity are suitable. In order for the tubers to ripen, you need to mow the tops 2 weeks before harvesting. Good drying will ensure the shelf life of Scarb potatoes. You can start digging up tubers from mid-September.

Before lowering the crop into the cellar, it must be gradually cooled to 2 degrees. The temperature in the storage should be 2 - 5 degrees, it should be regularly ventilated and air humidity monitored. The dormant period of tubers is 110 - 120 days. 93% of the total harvest lasts well until spring.

Advantages

Scarb potatoes are a mid-season variety; their ripening time can take from 100 to 120 days, depending on climatic conditions. One of its positive characteristics is the good keeping quality of the collected fruits. It is easy to preserve it throughout the winter if the necessary conditions are provided. Features of potatoes that make them more popular than other varieties:

• drought resistant;
• not susceptible to damage that nematodes can cause;
• has good characteristics against wet rot, scab, banded mosaic, black leg;
• good yield in any type of soil;
• does not darken during cooking;
• taste qualities are satisfactory.

Landing rules

Planting rules
Planting holes are dug at a distance of 35 cm from each other, retreating 60 cm between rows. The recommended depth is half a shovel. On average, there are 45 - 46 thousand Scarb potato bushes per hectare.

It is not recommended to bury planting material below 8 - 10 cm from the ground surface. To improve illumination, rows with this variety are arranged from north to south.

Hilling

Hilling up potatoes Scarb
The appearance of the first shoots is a signal for the start of field work. To earth up sprouts of this variety, choose cloudy weather or the time after watering, morning or evening dew. Moisture, getting under the bush, allows the plant to sprout new shoots, increase the number and weight of potatoes, and protects against unexpected drops in temperature.

Attention! In hot weather, hilling is not recommended - the hot earth burns the young shoots, causing them to stop growing.