The weather in the Leningrad region can change very dramatically during the day, there are sharp fluctuations in air temperature. Snow melts from mid-April. The average temperature in July is + 16-18 degrees. Besides, in the Leningrad region very poor soil, podzolic and peat-bog, therefore, when digging, a large amount of fertilizer should be applied. In this review we will talk about the features of planting potatoes in this region.
Table of contents
Landing time
Plant potatoes in early May, at this time buds burst on birch trees and leaves appear from them. It is required that the earth at a depth of 10 cm have a temperature of not less than + 8-12 degrees.
Landing distance
The distance between the bushes depends on the variety. For earlier varieties digging holes indented from each other in 25 cmfor later - 30-35 cm.
Features of potato cultivation in the Leningrad region
Choosing a landing site
The place is required to pick up a sunny, but protected from the north winds. It is necessary to observe crop rotation. Potatoes are planted in the place where beans, beans, peas, cabbage, and cucumbers grew last year. It is even better if rye or mustard grew on the site before. Rye makes the soil loose and breathable. It will enrich the earth with nitrogen and potassium.It is not advised to plant potatoes in the place where tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, that is, nightshade and strawberries grew before. The best acidity of the soil is ph = 5-5.5.
Digging the soil
Then dig the ground and make high ridges then in spring the earth warms faster. In addition, in the spring after the snow melts and before landing, you can cover the ground with foil.
Landing rules in the Leningrad region
A month before planting pick the most healthy tubers weighing 60—80 g, Spread them on a flat surface in a warm place, illuminated by the rays of the sun, sometimes overturn the tubers. You can put tuber crops in boxes filled with wet peat or sawdust, sprinkled with them, sometimes spray them with warm water. The sprouts cannot be broken, otherwise the potatoes will not rise.
Rows are dug so that they are located from north to south.
Plant potatoes in 3 ways:
- On the site dig wells deep 8—9 cm.
- Form high ridges and put the potatoes in them to a depth of 10-12 cm.
- Plant tubers in the trench.
-
- Landing in the hole
-
- Trenching
-
- Planting potatoes in the ridges
Summer in the region quickly ends, because of this, early and mid-ripening varieties are planted on the plot. And potatoes of late varieties are planted in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Depending on the composition of the earth, digging holes, on less dense and heavy soil, dig less dug holes. So, in clay soil do the depth of the hole 4-5 cm, and in sandstone and sandy soil - 10-12 cm.
Also, if the ground is light, then make holes or grooves. A handful of ash is poured into each well, a tuber is placed, buried. The holes are dug, making a space between them of 35 cm, and between the rows - 70 cm.
BUT if the ground is heavy, then potatoes are planted in ridges approximately 12 cm and a width of about 0,65 m. On the sandy soils, tubers are planted to a depth of 8-10 cm, and on loamy soils - 6-8 cm from the top of the ridge. Before planting the land watered.
Care on the plot
Watering
Before the appearance of buds, the soil is not watered, but when the buds are formed and begin to bloom, the soil must be constantly moistened. Before watering, make sure that the earth has dried to a depth 6-8 cm. Water in the evening, pouring 2-3 liters of water under one bush. In case of drought, water the potatoes 3-5 times per season.Be sure to loosen the ground after watering.
Hilling
First, pile the bushes that are tall. 14-16 cm, then roll them up after 2-3 weeks, when the buds start to form. Spud after rain or watering.
Growing in a greenhouse
In the greenhouse you can keep the ideal temperature and humidity for potatoes, it ripens a little earlier than at the site, but there are no diseases and no harmful insects.
In the greenhouse, you can plant potatoes in April. Planting and care are the same as in the normal area. Fertilizers are sprinkled on the ground, dug up, dig holes, in each put the sprouted tubers, covered with soil. The culture is loosened after irrigation, the weeds are pulled out, the spud is poured and watered.
Planting in greenhouses
Arcs are placed on the bed and covered with film, securing the edges. This will protect the culture from recurrent frosts and sharp fluctuations in temperature. Sometimes in warm weather, when the sun is shining, remove the film so that the moisture evaporates, water the culture,fertilize it, loosen the ground and close the greenhouse again. In greenhouses, tubers can be harvested earlier on 14 days than on the lot.
Potato varieties for cultivation in the Leningrad region
It is best to plant elite varieties. They almost do not get sick, they are not damaged by insects, in addition to this, their taste is better than that of other varieties.
Adretta
The variety is drought resistant. It has a high yield - 45 t / ha The rind is yellowish, rough. Potatoes Adretta unpretentious to the composition of the earth, which is very important for poor soils of the Leningrad region. He was assigned a tasting taste rating - 5 points. Tuber weight - 140 g
Spring white
Tuber weight 80-140 year The variety is moderately resistant to scab, Alternaria and viruses. But not resistant to late blight.
Aurora
Productivity - 250-300 c / ha. Variety tuber weight Aurora 90-150 year
Naiad
Productivity - 193-373 c / ha. Tuber weight 72-126 year The peel of the potatoes is yellow, and the flesh is white. Resistant to nematode and immune to cancer.
Pushkin
Productivity - 32 t / ha. Tuber weight - 103-106 g. Peel beige, snow-white flesh. The variety is immune to cancer and is resistant to the nematode.Medium susceptible to scab and late blight. Tasting taste score - 4.0-4.7 points.
Latona
Yellow rind, yellowish flesh. Tuber weight 90-140 year The yield is one of the highest - 50 t / ha. The variety easily tolerates both heat and dry weather, as well as constant rain. Evaluation score - 4.9-5 points. It is immune to scab, ring and dry rot of tubers, viral infections. Not susceptible to the nematode. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to late blight of the leaves.
Impala
Tuber weight is 88-150 g. The highest yield is 367 c / ha. The rind is yellow, creamy flesh. Evaluation score - 4 points. Sort Impala Resistant to nematode and immune to cancer, weakly susceptible to scab and viruses. But it is susceptible to rhizoctoniosis, scab powdery and late blight. It has a high stress resistance. Resistant to dry summer and mechanical damage.
Zhukovsky early
The variety is not susceptible to cancer, nematode, Alternaria, to black scab. Drought resistant The rind is pink, and the flesh is white. Tuber weight - 100-120 year Productivity - 400-450 centners per hectare. Tasting taste score - 5 points out of 5 possible.
Bullfinch
Tuber weight - 60-90 gAverage yields are 350-450 centners / ha. It is immune to cancer, to scab and viruses, to late blight and macrospore tubers. But it can attack the nematode.
Luck
Tuber weight is 120 g. Productivity is 42 t / ha. Sort Luck resistant to rhizoctoniosis, scab, cancer, wrinkled mosaic, viral diseases. Variety susceptible to phytophthora.
Which of them belong to the early varieties
To early varieties include varieties Adretta, Zhukovsky early, Pushkin, Latona, Impala.
When growing potatoes in the Leningrad Region, do not forget that the soils are usually depleted there, therefore add fertilizer when digging. For growing late varieties of potatoes, use greenhouses, greenhouses, plant seedlings.