When planting potatoes, it is very important not only to choose the area with fertile soil, but also to prepare the seed. This procedure is responsible, requires great attention and commitment. Nevertheless, it is precisely the prepared material and the correctly chosen planting dates that play almost the key role in the subsequent gathering of a rich harvest. In the article we will tell whether it is necessary to cut potatoes before planting and what crops can be planted next year.
Table of contents
Terms of planting potatoes
Traditional
Rich harvest of potatoes directly depends on the correct timing of planting. After all, favorable conditions have a great effect on plant growth and the formation of tubers.
As a rule, we have these procedures timed to the May holidays: thanks to weekends, people have free time, so necessary to work in the garden.
However, it is not necessary to make a start only from this factor, because by this time the soil may not have time to warm up, the threat of night frosts persists, which negatively affects the germination of tubers.
When planting early due to insufficient warming up of the soil, the development of the plant will be slowed down, but when it is overdue, moisture will evaporate from the ground. All this will have a negative impact on the harvest.
It is better to start work at a time when the soil is warming. up to 8 degrees to a depth of 10 centimeters. As a rule, at this time there is no threat of strong frosts and the plant begins to fully develop. But the time when the earth will be heated to the required temperature depends directly on the climatic conditions of a particular region.
When to plant potatoes in the middle lane and Bashkiria
The optimum period for planting potatoes in the middle lane is usually end of the first decade of may. It can continue until the beginning of June. But the experience of gardeners shows that even with the later periods it was possible to collect a great harvest, but this requires attendant weather conditions.
In Bashkiria in the spring at the beginning of May, there is usually a sharp cooling, so hurry to plant tubers in the ground is not worth it. It is recommended to wait for the onset of sustainable heat, which comes after the May holidays. Based on this, the planting period for potatoes in this region is in the middle of MayThe last one is for June.
Deadlines
Deadlines for planting germinated potato tubers in the ground vary by region. In some areas, climatic conditions allow you to collect two crops, but this is a separate topic.
In order to collect an excellent harvest and not to waste energy, they try to plant out planting material until mid-June. But in practice there are cases of a later landing. This can be done if it is possible to provide the plants with watering. Otherwise, in good soil, good tubers will not grow.
But when late planting due to lack of moisture, tubers will not be able to develop normally and reach large sizes.
Preparing for landing
Need to cut the tubers before planting
Ideal for planting tubers medium size. But it often happens that you have to plant a rather large potato.
The question arises: is it necessary to cut it or is it better to use it entirely? If you use too large landingmaterial, the result will be few tubers in the future harvest, but they will be just as large.
The fact is that sprouts can be fed for a long time due to the nutrient reserves of the mother potato. Only now this option is unprofitable. In order to optimize future harvest and reduce the cost of planting material better still cut large potatoes.
When using fine material, the future harvest will turn out to be as fine as the mother tuber will have few nutrients and the plants will not be able to fully develop.
How to cut
The procedure will be as follows:
- Immediately before the landing itself, healthy material is selected;
- The tuber is cut along or across in such a way that at least one peephole remains on each part (it is better if there are 2-3 of them);
- Immediately after cutting the potatoes are sent to the ground.
You can cut far before planting. not all varieties. Some of them simply cannot reproduce in this way.
In order to prevent the development of diseases, the knife that cut tubers is recommended to be periodically disinfected.
There are opponents of the fact that tubers are worth cut exactly on the day of planting. These people claim that in this way, viruses and disease-causing bacteria can penetrate through a dry open wound.
In addition, the basal buds will not have time to awaken, and such a plant will lag behind in its development from those whose planting material was cut in advance. But on personal experience, it has not yet been possible to verify this: in our village, no one in advance does this procedure.
How to plant
Planting sliced potatoes in their scheme does not differ from the usual fine planting. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that some slices may not give sprouts, so it’s better make some thickening (percent 5-10). Even in this case, the consumption of seeds will be significantly less than when using whole potatoes.
Plants grown from lobules develop slightly weaker. That is why they require special care.The soil should be fertile, well-heated, loose. Weeds should be cleaned in time, feeding and fertilizing.
Landing sideratov on the site would be appropriate. Planting should be carried out only when the soil warms up at least to +7 degrees. The depth of planting is chosen somewhat less than for whole tubers and is 6-8 centimeters.
Why it is necessary to alternate cultures in the garden
Why should the earth rest after potatoes
Practicing gardeners have already noticed that if each year they plant potatoes on the same bed, then yield is significantly reducedand the size of the tubers gradually leaves much to be desired. This can be explained by the fact that this plant consumes a large amount of nutrients and trace elements of a certain type.
Naturally, after each season the amount of these substances decreases, and the harvest of the next year is less and less nutrition. That is why after 1-2 years of potato cultivation, it is recommended to plant such crops at this place, which for their development use a slightly different set of trace elements.It is important that the earth has time to relax.
Subsequently, much of the harvest will be spoiled. If cultures alternate periodically, then such negative factors will disappear.
What crops can be planted after potatoes
Practice shows that after the potato next year you can sow far not all cultures. Best of all for these purposes fit these:
- pumpkin;
- beet;
- spinach;
- radish;
- turnip;
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- pumpkin;
- bow;
- squash;
- legumes.
At the same time, it is also important that it will grow next to the root crop. It will be best to take the neighboring beds cabbage, corn, garlic, beans, horseradish or eggplants. It is also a good idea to grow greens nearby.
What can not be planted
That is why you can not plant them on the same place where last season harvested this root. These cultures include:
- tomatoes;
- pepper;
- eggplants.
All other plants normally develop in the areas occupied by the earlier potatoes. More in the table above.
Growing potatoes, getting a rich and healthy crop is a science. After all, for this you need to be able to accurately determine the timing of planting, select high-quality material and properly cultivate the soil. Finished products are produced from cut tubers with the same indices as from whole ones with the right approach.
You should also periodically make on your site crop rotation, the effectiveness of which has been proven by more than one generation of practicing gardeners.