Successful Kubanka potatoes of excellent taste: description of the variety, characteristics, photos. Growing potatoes in the Krasnodar region - soil, varieties, pest control Growing potatoes in the Krasnodar region - interesting technology: video
In Kuban, a regional statistical agency released the results of monitoring prices for vegetables, fruits and other important components of the daily menu of residents of the region. And it turned out that in Kuban the prices for potatoes are 7 to 10 times higher than in any Russian region. At the same time, the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Evgeny Gromyko claims that there is an oversupply of potatoes in Russia and they are not bought even for 4 rubles per kilogram.
Sochi residents are very rich people
In early September, public criticism from the then acting governor of Kuban Veniamina Kondratyeva the mayor of Sochi was subjected to Anatoly Pakhomov for food prices. It should be noted that the criticism was fair. Prices last year and at the beginning of this year in Sochi broke Olympic records. Looking at the price tags for vegetables grown in the region, the eyes become round, like a lemur, and a phrase from Mikhail Zhvanetsky’s famous monologue about a tank, price tags and a counter comes to mind: “Lap, lope!!!” And all because almost nothing is produced in Sochi.
Before the New Year, we already wrote about the difference in cost of covering festive table between Sochi, Moscow and other regions. Now the price gap is increasing every day.. In neighboring regions - Volgograd, Rostov regions, Adygea and Astrakhan region. potatoes cost 10-15 rubles cheaper than in the Krasnodar region. In addition, buckwheat, rice, bread, milk, meat, and fish are cheaper there. And if we talk about Kuban itself, then here, of course, are the most high prices for everything - in Sochi.
On January 23, in the Olympic capital, at the monument to the world leader of the revolution and the proletariat, the communists held a rally regarding old people’s benefits for travel and utilities. Elderly townspeople and social activists once again raised the issue of food prices, which differ significantly from Krasnodar.
“My fate has developed in such a way that for the last two years I have been living in two cities - in Sochi and Krasnodar,” says Natalya Kalinovskaya- assistant to the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from Krasnodar region Sergei Obukhov. “I envy the people of Krasnodar with white envy. I don’t understand why in Krasnodar a kilogram of potatoes can be bought for 8 rubles 50 kopecks, cabbage for 10 rubles, but in Sochi the price of potatoes in a store reaches 36 rubles per kilogram?! Meanwhile, the mayor's office has a whole department for pricing policy. So every time I go to Sochi from Krasnodar to see my mother, I have to carry potatoes and other products in trunks,” Kalinovskaya shared.
That’s why the head of Kuban, “walking” last September with the mayor of Sochi past food counters with price tags, said that Sochi residents are either all very rich people, or there is a terrible shortage of food in the city, or Sochi residents are starving, unable to get “vitamins” from farm beds.
Have you run out of potatoes in Kuban?
Returning to the top news about the cost of potatoes in the Krasnodar Territory, we will not discover America if we say that in Sochi more than 90 percent of all products are imported. This fact, along with rising prices due to holidaymakers and the absence of local farms, which died out during perestroika and preparation for the Olympics, gives rise to amazing prices. According to Krasnodarstat data, the cost of a kilogram of potatoes in the Kuban municipalities averaged at least 23 rubles. Record holders for prices - Sochi minimum price for “second bread” 35 rubles and Novorossiysk - 29 rubles. Cabbage - in Sochi 40 rubles, in the region - 27 rubles per kilo. Carrots municipalities In the Krasnodar Territory, the average price is around 33 rubles. In Novorossiysk it is about 40 rubles per kilogram and in Sochi - 47 rubles. Kuban apples in Sochi cost about 100 rubles, in the region - from 60 to 75 rubles. And we are talking about the fact that they grow beautifully on the soil of Kuban and can cost a penny. Especially, of course, potatoes.
Mystery of the year
Experts in the trade industry and suppliers say that this year in Russia there was a significant potato harvest, but for some reason this blessing of nature was bypassed in Kuban. Kuban potatoes have already reached almost the cost of bananas and oranges. Imported potatoes sold through chain stores do not go below 26 rubles, and local potatoes sold in markets are not affordable for every Sochi resident.
According to the head of one of the Kuban farms where potatoes are grown, the price at which potatoes are sold is influenced by weather.
“This year we couldn’t sell potatoes at a normal price because it rained and we didn’t harvest anything. We didn't get the price. Early potatoes were sold for 10-12 rubles. Previously, it was sold for 20-25 rubles,” the farmer said, adding that in Kuban, potato reserves have been depleted, and only seed material remains in warehouses. There is only one way out - to bring potatoes to Kuban, the breadbasket of Russia, from neighboring regions.
Deputy head of the ministry Agriculture Yevgeny Gromyko reported that big harvest potatoes, contrary to logic, led to strange results. The price turned out to be beneficial for the consumer, but not for the producers. In 2015, the potato harvest increased by 2 million tons and reached a total volume of 33.6 million tons.
According to Gromyko, the large potato harvest has led to an oversupply of it in the markets and tubers are not being bought even at 4 rubles per kilogram. But the mystery is why, with such a cost of potatoes in the regions of Russia, including Sochi and Novorossiysk, these potatoes on the market cost from 35 to 50 and even 80 rubles per kilo? From which overseas countries is it being brought to us?
Can subsidies for farmers reduce the cost of potatoes?
It became known that the Kuban government intends to review subsidies to farmers. According to the vice-governor of the region Andrey Korobki, in 2016, Kuban farmers are faced with the task of not only maintaining the positive growth dynamics in harvesting and processing, but also increasing production as part of the import substitution program.
“Now we need to think about how, in conditions of import substitution, we can not only feed Kuban, but also neighboring regions. All possibilities are open for this. The federal government is targeting the regions with effective measures that will stimulate an increase in agricultural production,” the official said.
The Ministry of Agriculture of the region, as reported by the press service of the government of the Krasnodar Territory, intends to devote Special attention this year, measures of state support and discussion of their criteria - the procedure for providing subsidies to farms will be changed and measures will be taken to increase salaries on farms.
“It is unacceptable when an enterprise receives tens of millions of subsidies, and the salary of workers is 9-10 thousand rubles,” the vice-governor emphasized.
According to the head of the accounting and financial department of the Kuban Ministry of Agriculture Svetlana Makarets, Every year the volume of state support for farmers increases. Over the previous five years, agricultural enterprises in the region received 35.8 billion rubles in subsidies. Moreover, if in 2014 this figure was at the level of 6.2 billion rubles, then in 2015 it was already 8.1 billion rubles, including 1.7 billion from the regional budget.
In general, the region allocated 1.9 billion rubles from the regional budget for the development and state support of agriculture this year. The total amount of state support funds in 2016 is planned at the 2015 level.
As for ordinary Kuban residents, people hope that thanks to such support, the price of potatoes on store shelves will decrease, but adequately - it will not be equal to the cost of exotic fruits.
Growing potatoes is the main business for thousands of Kuban farmers, tens of thousands of owners personal plots. Kuban, Krasnodar region - not the most best region for potatoes. This crop does not feel comfortable in hot, dry summers; record harvests cannot be expected here. But no one is going to give up this culture.
Potatoes require moderate temperatures and moisture for normal development. And high summer temperatures have a depressing effect on the development of tubers.
When the temperature is 35 degrees, all tuber development processes are suspended, and mass growth does not occur.
Soil, its preparation for planting potatoes
The soil of the northeastern part of the Krasnodar Territory, where my Novokubansky district is located, is weakly carbonate leached chernozem of heavy mechanical composition, with a relatively high content humus and high density.
The soil has great importance For . However, it must be borne in mind that young tubers have little strength to push apart heavy dense soils, such as the chernozems of the Krasnodar Territory. This feature suggests that the soil should be loose all the time. Dense soil prevents the growth of the root system, it develops poorly, and deformed, clumsy tubers are formed.
Even if you have small area, it is advisable to still observe crop rotation. The best predecessors- legumes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, except nightshades. And the ideal ones are legumes, clover, alfalfa. It would be nice, if, of course, you are allowed the area of your plot, in the year preceding planting potatoes, to sow it with peas or clover. After harvesting the green mass for hay (you will need it even if you don’t have any livestock - it can be used as mulch), the area for planting potatoes is dug up in the fall. This promotes better accumulation of moisture and air flow - tubers develop better in a moist, loose layer of soil.
Largest quantity organic matter for development garden plants leave perennial herbs eg alfalfa. A study of Kuban chernozems by agricultural scientists revealed the positive role of alfalfa in improving the agrophysical properties of the soil and increasing its fertility.
It is necessary to prepare the soil for planting potatoes in the fall. The first thing to do is to enter organic fertilizers. The best ones are rotted cow, horse, and bird droppings. It is better not to apply clean fresh manure. Only bring in rotted ones! Rotten cow dung- 4-5 kg per 1 sq. m. Horse - 4-6 kg per 1 sq. m. The dose of dry chicken manure is 0.2 - 0.3 kg/m 2.
With regular (once every 2-3 years) application of rotted manure heavy soils after a few years they become loose, structural (finely lumpy), which contributes to better penetration air, moisture to plant roots. The fertilizing effect of manure lasts for several years: the more manure applied, the longer it lasts. Many gardeners warn: with rotted manure you can introduce such a malicious pest as the mole cricket into the area.
If you are too late to fertilize the soil with organic matter in the fall, then rotted manure can be applied when planting. But there is one mandatory rule: place 150-200 g of rotted manure at the bottom of the dug hole. Be sure to cover it thin layer soil to protect the tubers from burning. If possible, you can add 5-10 g of wood ash (a tablespoon) and 10 g of bird droppings. Green manure is an excellent fertilizer for black soil. Firstly, they enrich the soil with organic matter and nitrogen, and secondly, green manure can completely replace the use of manure (3 kg of green mass can replace 1–1.5 kg of manure). By overheating, green manure makes the soil looser. They suppress the growth of weeds. Some green manure, such as mustard, repel wireworms. And it does not overwinter in an area sown with lupine. Colorado beetle.
Experienced potato growers advise planting potatoes in cultivated, fertilized, “ripe” soil. What land can be considered ripe? Squeeze a handful of earth with your hand and throw it down from waist height. Ripe soil will crumble when it hits the ground. If so, you can plant potatoes.
What potato varieties are best suited for planting in Kuban
In any region, varieties that are divided into early, mid-early, mid-season, mid-late and late are of great importance for growing potatoes. Assigning them to one species or another depends on how many days after planting you can start digging up the tubers:
- early - after 50–65 days;
- mid-early – after 65–80 days; and
- mid-season - after 80–95 days;
- medium-late – after 95–110 days;
- late - after 110 days or more.
Kuban farmers plant mainly early varieties for sale at the end of May-June. These are Impala, Early Zhukovsky, Udacha, Red Scarlet, Dita, Roko, Romano, Picasso, and others. They have also proven themselves well among gardeners.
I always plant several varieties, different in terms of ripening. It is difficult to predict what the coming spring or summer will be like. That is why you cannot plant just one. I plant early ones only to produce young potatoes. We eat almost all of it young. There is almost no space left for storage.
I will tell you about those varieties that I grew myself - I have something to tell about them.
Variety Impala
Impala For example, I really like the Impala. This variety has never let me down. She gives birth well every year. I think that it is very suitable for growing in Kuban. Very early. The bushes are tall (up to 70 cm), the flowers are white. You can dig up the bushes 40-45 days after planting. This is a variety of Dutch selection. The tubers are large, there are no small ones. Tubers quickly gain weight. Gives a stable harvest even in dry, hot summers. The tubers have time to gain weight before the heat sets in. The tubers are large, beautiful, smooth, oval, all approximately the same size. The peel is yellow, the flesh is light yellow. The eyes are small. The number of tubers is 7-8, sometimes more. It boils well. You can’t call it particularly crumbly, but when cooking, the surface of the potatoes seems to crack slightly and looks appetizing. It is very tasty in puree, soup, or fried. Doesn't darken after cooking. Impala is resistant to some viruses, to potato nematode, moderately resistant to late blight of tubers, tops, and scab.
Variety Roko (Rocco)
Rocko I consider this variety to be successful for growing in the Kuban only with sufficient rain in May or with sufficient watering during tuberization. Dutch variety. It belongs to the mid-season variety, so its tuberization period is later than, for example, Impala. Therefore, it will grow well, and the tubers will gain weight with sufficient moisture. You can dig up bushes no earlier than 60-65 days, sometimes even later. It is believed that this variety reaches full ripening in 80-95 days. Roko's tubers are very beautiful color, smooth, small eyes. In general, I plant it only because of the beautiful tubers. 😀 Medium height bush. The flowers are purple, but I had few flowers. The pulp of the tuber is cream-colored. The potatoes are not boiled. Tasty in soups, good fried, with a crispy crust. Roko is resistant to cancer, golden potato cyst nematode, moderately resistant to late blight on tubers and tops, resistant to wrinkled, striped mosaic.
Romano variety
Romano Mid-early variety of Dutch selection. The ripening period is 65-80 days, but the initial development is slow, so I start digging it up 50 days after planting. The bushes are tall, straight, the flowers are red-lilac. The tubers are more rounded than those of Roko. The peel color is pink. The color of the pulp is light cream. Quite productive. My number of tubers in the bush was 7-10. But not every bush could boast of such productivity. There were bushes with fewer tubers. Delicious. When cooked, it softens moderately. But good in soup or fried. The peel of this variety is quite dense. I really like it whole baked: the skin remains intact during baking, without cracks, and the flesh inside turns out crumbly. Good resistance to late blight on tubers, relative resistance to leaves, moderate resistance to scab, viral diseases, rhizoctonia, relatively resistant to mosaic views viruses, cancer.
Variety Picasso
Picasso Picasso - excellent variety for Kuban growing conditions. The taste of boiled potatoes and their friability are a strong argument for him.
And I’ll deal with the rats...
Resistant to potato nematode, fusarium, common scab, and cancer. Moderately resistant to late blight of tops, resistant to damage to tubers. I came across information somewhere that Picasso gives good yields and excellent taste when planted after mustard or lupine green manure. I have not verified this information.
In the fall, I usually scatter rotted cow or chicken droppings throughout the area. I scatter it every year, but less than the norm that is written about. I buy manure, so I don’t have a lot of it. I planted potatoes after the pumpkin, poured 1 tbsp into each hole. a spoonful of superphosphate + a handful of wood ash. Above covered with soil from the compost heap.
Controlling potato pests and diseases
Alas, growing potatoes is not without pests and diseases! I tried many ways to fight. It's hard to say which one is better or worse. Year after year - it’s not necessary. What was effective before may fail later. I will describe my impressions of using various drugs.
I used the drug Bankol against the Colorado potato beetle several years ago. Not a bad drug. One spray was enough potato bushes. Adult and young individuals of the Colorado potato beetle died almost immediately. No re-processing was required. But then, the potatoes left for seed produced weak thread-like sprouts in the spring. I had to buy seeds. I didn't pay attention to this circumstance. I treated the field with Bankol again - again I was left without seed material. Only then did I realize that Bankol suppresses reproductive function. I didn’t use it anymore, since I always used my own seeds, but it’s a pity... - I have not yet seen such an effect, I mean its ability to deal with the Colorado potato beetle in one treatment. The creators of the drug claim that within a week after treating the crops, Bankol decomposes into components that are finally neutralized soil bacteria. So if you don't leave the seed tubers - the best drug It is difficult to find against the Colorado potato beetle.
I used the products Commander, Confidor, Tantrek against the Colorado potato beetle. What can we say?... The products are effective, but 3-4 treatments are required. And this is already labor-intensive...
In 2012, I purchased the Prestige disinfectant for treating seed tubers against the Colorado potato beetle. I must say that the drug is not cheap - I hesitated for a long time before I decided to buy it. The instructions say that it effectively protects potato plantings from wireworms, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets, aphids that carry viruses, rhizoctonia, and common scab. Manufacturers of the Prestige disinfectant advise treating the tubers in boxes or nets, and then shaking them so that the drug is evenly distributed throughout the tubers. But my seed tubers had already sprouted; shaking them was inappropriate - the sprouts could break off. I processed and sprayed the sprouted tubers already in the hole. The preparation is bright crimson in color; when preparing the solution for treatment, the color of the solution becomes paler, but I still planted ruddy potatoes. The protection period from pests is 50 days, and from diseases - 40 days from the date of treatment. After this, the drug decomposes into non-toxic compounds. The instructions warn that potatoes after processing can be eaten no earlier than 50 days after planting. This is, of course, alarming. But numerous information from various sources convinces that the drug from the seed tuber rises up the stem, reaches the leaves, does not take part in the process of photosynthesis, and therefore cannot get inside the young tubers.
So, I processed the seed material when planting - and forgot about it. Then I saw that my neighbor in the country was treating his potatoes for the Colorado potato beetle - I decided to check my own. Imagine my surprise when I saw many dead adult Colorado potato beetles under the bushes!
This effect amazed me.
There is always a lot of work in the garden - I found myself many other things to do. Weeded, hilled, watered...
Then it was time for new potatoes. I counted not 50 days from the date of planting, as the instructions advise, but 60, just in case. Imagine my surprise when I saw Colorado potato beetles again different ages on the bushes. This meant that the effect of the Prestige drug had ended - the potato leaves again became edible for the beetles and their larvae.
Of course, the potatoes had already grown, the tubers had set and were full - the Colorado potato beetle did not pose any danger to it, but... it was an unpleasant sight. After all, these beetles will go away for the winter and then appear again in the spring. This is how I experimentally came to the conclusion that the Prestige disinfectant does not save potatoes from the second wave of the beetle. I had to treat the already grown bushes with another preparation for the Colorado potato beetle.
Growing potatoes - which technology to choose
It must be said that there are so many gardeners. Every year I exchange impressions and observations with other amateur potato growers. Every time I learn something new and interesting. Someone will tell you about a new variety, about its negative or positive properties, someone will share seeds, someone will talk about failures, someone will advise changing the planting date. Every story like this is like a coin in my treasury of knowledge.
Whatever variety you choose for planting, it is very useful to spray the tubers with a solution of copper sulfate before planting, boric acid, potassium permanganate (0.01-0.03%) and dusting the tubers with ash (20 kg/t or 20 g per kilogram of tubers - 2 matchboxes). Wood ash added during planting (a handful per hole) increases the starchiness of the tubers (crumbiness during cooking) by 1-1.5%. Copper sulfate accelerates tuberization, increases resistance to fungal diseases, boron increases productivity, as well as the starchiness of tubers, resistance to rhizoctonia, manganese promotes the accumulation of starch and vitamin C.
We usually plant potatoes in the last ten days of March. But, of course, the weather can adjust these timings.
This year, a neighbor in the country planted 10 holes during the February windows. Anyone who lives in Kuban knows that we have such a concept - February windows. There are very warm days when the air temperature warms up to 20°C, and sometimes it is even warmer. The sun is shining brightly, the top layer of the earth is also warming up quite well. So, my neighbor has prepared a small plot of land for planting since the fall. In the fall, he covered it with spunbond and another layer of film on top. Of course, this piece of land warmed up well in sunny days February. After landing, when it was warm, he removed the film and left only the spunbond. And in the evening I covered it with film again. In March, when the bushes had grown, he installed arches. I covered the bushes only with spunbond. And then he even removed it. I planted my potatoes in last days March, and it was already turning green with all its might, with buds here and there. He dug up these 10 bushes for food in the first half of April! He doesn’t know the name of the variety, he has been planting it for many years in a row, calling it “forty days old.” Ten seed tubers yielded almost a bucket of new potatoes, although the tubers were medium in size, but maybe it depends on the variety. Here you go, I described to you my neighbor’s technology for growing early potatoes in the Kuban under cover (spunbond or film).
But not only amateur gardeners grow early potatoes under spunbond. Many farmers plant early varieties under cover. They receive young potatoes for sale in April. I assure you, it tastes better than the imported Turkish one.
I believe that the favorable climate of the Krasnodar Territory makes it possible to obtain a harvest using various technologies growing. I tried different ones: I grew them from eyes, I also grew them from sprouts when there wasn’t enough seed material; grown in double rows with one ridge. I haven’t tried it under cardboard and mulch yet, but I’ll definitely try it. I think all these technologies are acceptable for Kuban.
On irrigated fields, you can get potato harvests twice during the summer. Watch the video: growing potatoes and getting a double harvest from the Arena peasant farm in the Gulkevich district of the Krasnodar Territory.
Good afternoon dear readers. This year, like last year and the year before, we will plant potatoes again. Of course, not all gardeners plant acres of potatoes. Many of us plant it in order to eat it while still young and tender. But every time we plant, we always want the harvest to be larger and tastier.
Potatoes, like many other garden crops, are afraid of drought, frost, and excess moisture. Therefore, the landing site must be chosen carefully. So that the earth would be softer and richer, so that the place would be ventilated. It is also advisable to combine the landing time with lunar phases so that the potatoes grow large and strong. About all these factors influencing good future harvest and we'll talk about it in this article.
The timing of planting potatoes in each region is different, since our country is large and heat comes to each region differently. When in the south you can already sunbathe in the north, the snow is just starting to melt.
So, in order for you not to miss the landing time, I will give ideal or close to ideal temperatures at which you can already plant potatoes.
Of course, I can say that approximately potatoes can be planted at the end of April - beginning of May. But again, in the south you can plant, but further across the country you can’t because in most regions there is still snow or the ground has not warmed up enough.
Potatoes, as you know, grow and develop in the ground, and there is no point in planting them when the soil has not yet warmed up. All the same, potatoes will begin to grow only when the temperature of the earth reaches its desired temperatures.
The optimal temperature for planting potatoes starts from 8-9 degrees plus. According to scientific data, such a temperature should be at a depth of approximately 10-13 cm. It is known that the earth will warm up to such a depth when the surrounding day and night temperatures are not lower than 8-9 degrees, for about a week. It is then that the potatoes will begin to actively grow and develop.
If the temperature is lower, the humidity is correspondingly higher. As a result, planted tubers may lie in the ground for some time and simply begin to rot.
But another outcome is also possible in this situation: the main parent tuber will produce small growths that will not grow and develop, thus the parent dies without leaving high-quality offspring.
The sprouts that appear on potatoes can, of course, begin to gradually develop even at +3, but this process will proceed very slowly and not very effectively. In addition, young shoots cannot tolerate subzero temperatures, and if there is a slight frost at night, most likely the sprouts will die and the potatoes will disappear.
From all this we can draw the following conclusion. You can start planting potatoes in unheated soil, provided that in 1-2 days there will be good warming. This is of course a risk, but those who don’t take risks, as they say, don’t drink champagne.
Even when planting, you need to pay attention to soil moisture. When the humidity is 70-75%, it is also not recommended to plant potatoes, since in a humid environment the tuber can very quickly become infected with rot and will not be able to produce high-quality offspring.
Determining humidity in percentage by eye is not so easy, especially for inexperienced gardeners. But there is a simple one folk way determination of humidity. My grandfather taught me this method, and my grandfather was taught by the chairman of the collective farm where my grandfather worked.
Take a handful of earth in your hand, squeeze it well and lift it to arm’s length. We unclench our fingers and throw a piece of earth onto the path. If the piece has fallen into pieces, then the humidity is below 75% and you can start planting, but if it remains intact, then it is better to wait a little until the soil dries out a little.
How to properly germinate potatoes before planting
About 2-3 weeks before planting potatoes, we take out the seed material from the cellars of barns and other storage places in order to awaken the potatoes after winter hibernation. We will wake up using the following methods.
It is necessary to disinfect all planting material with a weak solution of manganese. Dilute the water in a bucket and gradually fill it in and remove the potatoes from the solution, or take a sprayer and simply spray the laid out potatoes on the floor. It is advisable, of course, to lay a film under this matter.
After this, leave the potatoes for 7-9 days at a temperature of 15-20 degrees.
Immediately before planting, carry out calibration by sorting out the potatoes. Potatoes the size of egg. Maybe a little more or a little less. If there are too large tubers, we simply cut it into two parts and plant it like everyone else.
When the sprouts on the potatoes reach 1 cm in length, you can begin planting. We carefully place the tubers in boxes or buckets and transport them to the planting site.
How to plant in open ground correctly
Well, it’s difficult for many of you to say. And they will be partly right. After all, every gardener has his own rules and principles on how to plant potatoes correctly. However, you look and read further in order to compare how right you are.
Potatoes, like any other crop, have their own rules and planting conditions, subject to which you can get a much larger harvest.
The most common mistake many gardeners make is planting potatoes in the same place year after year. If you have no other place to land. It is best to fertilize the soil abundantly with manure or humus after the harvest has been harvested. So that by the next season the soil will replenish its supply of mineral and organic substances.
As they say experienced gardeners the distance between the rows should be at least 90 cm. And I would immediately like to argue, what kind of garden should there be to plant, for example, 10 rows. From my own observations, I can say that a distance of 40 cm between rows is quite enough. Since there is enough space for ventilation and for hilling. Of course, if planting is done with a walk-behind tractor, then we adjust the distance between the rows for each walk-behind tractor separately.
Now regarding the depth of the tubers in the soil. In this article we look at the method of planting potatoes under a shovel. And the depth of the tuber should not exceed 10-12 cm. Before putting the potatoes in a row, it is worth loosening all sides of the hole so that it is easier for the sprouts to make their way, and also so that there is good access air. Before planting, you can add a shovel of sand and a little ash to the hole to nourish the soil.
When can you plant potatoes in Kuban?
In the Krasnodar Territory they plant potatoes on Evdokha. Evdoshka came to plant potatoes. In 2018, this date falls on March 12. As my mother says, you need to plant at least 2-3 holes to appease Evdokha. And then the potato harvest will be good.
Well, in general, they plant the same as in all other regions, only when the soil and warmth allow it. If it is warm in mid-March, then it will be possible to plant in mid-March. Although it rarely happens that potatoes are planted in mid-March. Mostly by mid-April the beginning of May.
Fitting under film
Some gardeners start planting potatoes earlier than usual in order to get young potatoes earlier. Early varieties are usually planted. And in order to get the first cherished harvest by May 1 or June, you need to start planting in February. But in some regions there may still be frosts at this time, so the rows of potatoes are covered with film. This way the potatoes sprout faster. Under the film the temperature is much higher.
After planting the potatoes in the holes, cover the rows with film and press it down from the edges to prevent it from being blown away by the wind. But you should not stretch the film too much, as the first shoots may not grow upward, but sideways, or may even break.
Before the first shoots, ventilation is not necessary, but when the first shoots appear, they will need access to air, so you sometimes need to remove the film. Over time, the shoots will stretch out and it will be necessary to install arches and leave ventilation holes.
With arcs there will be an order of magnitude less hassle. They are made from steel rod or willow twigs. On average, the height of the arches for greenhouses for potatoes is 30-40 cm. It is easier and better to grow potatoes in greenhouses since the seedlings have more freedom to grow and more air. But this method also has its drawbacks: you need to constantly monitor the temperature in the greenhouses so that the young potatoes do not overheat and die from the high temperature.
Method of planting under straw
Everyone has happily forgotten about this method of planting, and not deservedly so. Potatoes were planted under straw 100 years ago. The peasants did not have much time and therefore threw the remains of hay or straw onto the rows and did not bother about special care for her.
Thus, almost the entire summer they did not need to spend time and effort caring for and weeding the potatoes, and the harvest was simply magnificent. Under the layer of straw there was always exactly as much moisture as needed. Also, earthworms grew and developed well in the straw, which actively loosen the soil in our place. Weeds simply do not grow - this is the most important advantage in this method.
Favorable days for planting according to the lunar calendar
Looking at the temperature map, we can say that in almost the entire country except the south, they begin to plant potatoes in May, when the air and ground temperatures warm up quite well. But in the last spring month there are not many times in which you can plant, but even in such a short period it will be possible to choose the moment to plant.
The most favorable days are considered 4, 7, 8, 9, 19, 24, 31 May. It is on these days that the moon will be in the “potato” phase. And the planted potatoes these days will actively grow and develop for the benefit of the living and healthy.
I have already read a lot of letters about how to get a good and early one. And most readers write about how to plant it correctly.
Preparing furrows for potatoes in the fall
They are right, of course, but I think the most important thing is preparing the soil in the fall. I personally prepare the beds at this time. I dig rows, throwing back the earth.
I put any decomposing organic waste in the furrows: stalks of corn, sunflowers, a little pigeon droppings, I even use a bird feather! Then I dig next row and with the soil taken out of it I cover the furrow filled with organic matter. And I cover the top with another thick layer of fallen leaves (photo 1). And so everything goes into winter.
Planting potatoes in the Krasnodar region
I plant in the spring, at a strictly defined time - March 22. By church calendar on this day the feast of the forty martyrs of Sebaste is celebrated (my grandmother always planted exactly 40 tubers, and they never failed her). I plant in three rows in a checkerboard pattern. By the way, I carry out the landing using an interesting tool that I read about in a magazine.
On the shovel shaft, at a height of 10-15 cm from its working tip, there is a crossbar 25-30 cm long (photo 2). I press it with my foot, the shaft goes into the ground, I pull it out - the planting hole is ready.
I put a pinch of ash in it, and on top I put a tuber with sprouted small sprouts-roots. I fill the hole with my hand or foot. After this, I sprinkle some hay, straw and leaves on top of the ground.
Beds for Kuban potatoes
My potato beds are fenced: their width is 80-90 cm, their length varies. The passages are covered with old linoleum, roofing felt, and boards. Along the edges of the beds I place low arches, onto which I attach covering material without tension. I press its edges to the ground with boards. That's all. Even if it’s frosty, the emerging potatoes are warmed by leaves and straw.
In mid-April I open it, remove the weeds and close it again: the nights are still cool. I completely remove the covering material only if it is very hot. This is how potatoes grow in organic matter (photo 3). And I start digging the harvest in mid-May. And immediately in place of the dug up bushes I plant cucumber seeds, and How to deceive tubers
But good harvest can't wait without good things planting material. Therefore, now I want to talk about how to preserve tubers until spring. All difficulties with storing potatoes are due to the fact that it is impossible to maintain in the basement desired temperature 2-3° when it’s warm outside.
But even in December “overboard” it can be no lower than 10°. Last year, for example, the good frosty days could be counted on one hand. And what's the big deal? Yes, in sprouts on potatoes! The tubers destined for food will not benefit from them, but the planting ones will feel bad - due to the large sprouts, the yield will decrease.
Here's how I solve this problem. I'll start with the same early potatoes. In our region, many harvest two crops: the seed dug in May is replanted in August (harvested in October).
Until the second planting, I store the tubers in plastic vegetable boxes that have sides 10-15 cm high. At the bottom of each of them I spread newspapers in two or three layers and place seed potatoes, always in one row (photo 4 ). I place the boxes in a stack in the corner of the room, without covering them with anything, but so that a direct line does not fall on them. sunlight. Occasionally I spray the potatoes with a spray bottle for spraying flowers. Sometimes, to make the sprouts “bloom,” I trim their ends with scissors.
And most importantly, in the top drawers the sprouts themselves grow no more than 2 cm and do not stretch any further, they freeze. The trick is that these potatoes are waiting to be covered with soil, so they don’t put out more “tails,” but that’s exactly what I need!
It’s clear that the tubers in the lower boxes “think” completely differently (after all, they are almost in the dark, since there are several floors of boxes above them), and their sprouts grow as they should. So you have to break them off, but this is not a lot of work. Comfortable. This way the potatoes are stored without any hassle until August. I also store the one I dig up in the fall.
If you doubt the correctness of my method, try it. Make one box in the fall and place it somewhere in the corner, you’ll see for yourself. I also doubted it at first, and my family laughed at me when I told them about my idea. But successful experience convinced everyone. Now I always keep my seed potatoes this way. I also store all the potatoes for eating in the same boxes (I stack them, though in two layers). Everything fits very well. And even in this anomalous warm winter I only had to go through it once, and only for the sake of order.
Neither cabbage nor birch trees on potatoes
And now I want to talk about other garden topics, no less important than growing and storing potatoes. For example, . Some summer residents scream because they cannot cope with it. I, too, tried my best to combat it: I grew plants inside buried plastic cups without a bottom, wrapped the stems of seedlings in hard cellophane (the plants felt sick, but it didn’t protect them from pests), buried bottles of beer and bait, fertilized them with chicken droppings. autumn (cabbage grass has become smaller, but has not completely disappeared).
Mulching potatoes
The solution was found on its own when I began to densely mulch all my plantings, even began to cover the passages with mowed grass and large stems (photo 5). And for the first couple of years in the spring, the cabbage plant crawled to the surface almost dead. I didn’t immediately understand what was going on here. Only after delving into the literature did I understand everything for myself.
After all, cabbage grass lives only in loose, dug up soil. And she prunes the plants, creating open spaces so you can bask in the sun. Please note: it is not found in forests and meadows, because there is no open land! And here is a thick layer of mulch. In general, over time, in the mulched beds, there were no cabbage plants at all.
The same mulch now saves me from weed, which is called birch. Weeding it is a waste of time and effort. I have more than 12 acres of land, and this weed does not exist. What am I seeing in hundreds of local gardens? For example, people harvested potatoes in July, and the rest of the time the land stood bare. And this is in the heat of 40° in the shade! For us, the birch tree is an aggressor, but for the earthling, it is a dear daughter, who will protect her from the heat with her body. Therefore, the growth rate of the weed is cosmic.
What am I doing.
In the summer I always have mustard seeds in my pocket. For example, I cut out a head of cabbage early cabbage– and immediately sowed several things. Until the entire bed is free, the mustard will grow. I’ll break it at the root and put it here. The earth should always be covered: in summer from heat, in winter from frost.
In autumn, you can add more fallen leaves on top. Photo 6 shows how my beds spend the winter.
I have tried all the proposed methods for many years - I am responsible for them. I myself use a lot of advice regularly. I had to give up some after the experiment; they didn’t suit me personally.
Svetlana Vladimirovna ZARYA. Krasnodar region. Timashevsk
Maybe someone will find my request surprising, but still: please send me
IN Lately The impact of climate warming on crop yields is becoming increasingly noticeable. Yields are falling, the shelf life of crops during storage is decreasing, many popular potato varieties are degenerating, but only recently they were successfully grown in Kuban. Droughts are no longer something unusual and occur almost every summer. Since climate warming is occurring throughout not only Russia but also the planet, these tips for growing potatoes in a dacha or plot, described for Kuban, may be useful to residents of Central Russia.
According to their own biological features Potatoes are not some fancy crop that requires special conditions for its development. On the contrary, it is a very plastic culture.
For example, in middle lane In Russia, in the private sector, even today, potatoes are grown according to a very primitive scheme: planting - hilling - harvesting. Of course, the yields are not record ones, but average and good.
This is explained by the fact that natural conditions This zone is very favorable for potato cultivation. It has a temperate climate, regular and even rainfall and a light mechanical soil structure.
The southern zones, on the contrary, due to their soil and climatic conditions are not suitable for growing this valuable food crop. Unfavorable factors such as heat, drought, high solar lighting and chernozems heavy in mechanical composition sharply inhibit the growth and development of potatoes, which ultimately results in high yields and rapid degeneration and changes in the seed qualities of tubers.
Nevertheless, potatoes have been and will always be grown in the south. For example, in the Krasnodar Territory alone, more than 100 thousand hectares of arable land are annually allocated for this crop. This is explained by the fact that today, for most families, potatoes have become the second bread.
In addition, imported potatoes alone cannot solve the nutrition problem in the region. And finally, despite the unfavorable conditions, potatoes grown in our region taste and nutritional value far superior to potatoes imported from other places. Prices in city markets speak volumes about this.
Today, more than 95% of potatoes are grown by private owners, in dachas and personal plots, each of which uses its own, based on personal experience technology. It is clear that in such conditions it is very difficult to immediately increase potato yields everywhere.
First of all, when recommending a particular technology, the following facts must be taken into account: first, the summer resident-potato grower does not have modern technology for growing potatoes; second, the average level of income of potato growers is not so high as to require the use of expensive chemicals.
First of all, you need to choose appropriate place for growing potatoes.
In the southern zones, including the Krasnodar Territory, potato crops should be placed on well-supplied soils - irrigated lands, floodplain areas with low relief, in river floodplains, in fields with high level standing groundwater, on hillsides and foothills.
What crop rotation to follow when planting potatoes
Replanting potatoes in their original place is recommended no earlier than three years later.
Therefore, it is also important to choose the optimal crop rotation, which must meet two main requirements: 1) contribute to obtaining high yields; 2) be cost-effective.
For farms growing potatoes, you can use a shortened, three-field crop rotation:
1. winter wheat or spring barley;
2. perennial herbs;
3. potatoes.
Summer residents-potato growers, who have limited space at their dacha or plot, can use a more economically advantageous crop rotation, where the preceding crops are table and fodder beets, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, pumpkin (except for nightshades).
However, in their dachas, many potato growers, due to limited space, are unable to use even simple crop rotations and are forced to grow potatoes in the same place year after year.
In the world practice of potato growing, such facts are also known. For example, in Scotland and the mountainous regions of Armenia, peasants grew potatoes after potatoes for more than 25 years and reaped average yields.
This proves in principle that potatoes can be grown in monoculture, but it is not advisable. Firstly, potato yields in these areas are low. Secondly, the risk of plant infection with such harmful diseases as late blight, rhizoctonia, and common scab increases sharply (5 times or more).
The sources of infection of these diseases are affected plant debris remaining in the soil after harvesting.
