How to increase potato yield
Experienced summer residents know that when planting potatoes, it is important to follow a number of rules, only then will it be possible to harvest a rich harvest. We share secrets on how to increase the yield of potatoes even in a small garden plot

We have potatoes – the main vegetable, and given the fact that the plots of most summer residents are small, it is important to plant it correctly – only in this case it will please.

We select seeds

The key to a good harvest is small tubers weighing 50 – 100 g (the size of a chicken egg). It is they who are used for planting and it is they who will help increase the yield of potatoes. If there are few seed potatoes, small tubers (10–20 g) will also go, but they are planted in holes of 3–4 pieces.

It is much more important to plant healthy potatoes. Inspect each tuber carefully – they should not have diseases, pests and mechanical damage, in general, not a single speck.

Preparing tubers for planting

Selected tubers must be germinated before planting. First, hold them for 2-3 days at room temperature. Then lay it on the floor or in a box, always near the window so that light falls on them (1). In this case, the tubers should lie in one layer. In this case, the sprouts will turn out to be strong, plump, dark green with a purple tint and no more than 1 cm. Otherwise, they will stretch and begin to break when planted.

The tubers germinate for 2 weeks, after which they can be planted.

In the middle lane, the optimal landing time is from May 1 to May 10. But if the spring is long, cold, then it is better to wait a little – the tubers germinate at a soil temperature of at least 7 ° C (2).

But if for some reason you are late, do not worry. There are cases when summer residents planted potatoes in mid-June (!). They dug it a couple of weeks later, but they did not lose anything in the harvest. True, when planting late, the beds will have to be watered, especially in dry summers. Otherwise, the tubers will not germinate.

If large tubers were left on the seeds, cut them into 2 parts before planting. Make sure that each half has 2 – 3 good sprouts. Cut tubers cannot be planted immediately – they can rot. They need to be dried first. Ideally, a day or two. But if there is no time, it is quite possible to limit yourself to a couple of hours.

By the way, potato tubers have one unpleasant feature – the eyes on the top of the tuber germinate much earlier, and the lower ones wake up later, or even do not sprout at all. But the more shoots a bush has, the higher the yield. This problem can be solved by banding – make an incision across the tuber to a depth of about 1 cm. After that, nutrients will stop flowing to the top and stimulate the growth of the lower buds. Ringed potatoes need to be kept in a warm room for a couple of weeks before planting.

Choosing a site and improving the soil

Potato is a photophilous plant, therefore, to increase the yield, it should be planted in the lightest areas. In the shade, the tops of this crop stretch out, the leaves turn yellow, flowers do not form, and, as a result, very few tubers are obtained, and even those are small (2).

A few days before planting, mineral fertilizers and organics are applied. The main thing to remember: fresh manure cannot be brought under the potatoes – from it the tubers become watery and tasteless. In addition, the tops will be more affected by phytophthora, and tubers – by scab. You can use only humus and rotted compost.

Of the mineral fertilizers, it is most convenient to use complex fertilizers, for example, nitroammophoska (according to the instructions).

When all the fertilizers have been applied, the soil is dug up onto a shovel bayonet.

If the area is large and there is little fertilizer, you can add them directly to the wells. Take for one well: 400 g of humus, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of wood ash and 1 teaspoon of superphosphate. All this is mixed with the soil right in the hole. How much fertilizer to apply – you can always read on the label. By the way, phosphorus is especially important for this crop – it enhances the development of the root system, the growth of tubers and increases their starch content (3).

Popular questions and answers

We asked questions about growing potatoes agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Is it true that potatoes degenerate over time?

There can be no talk of genetic degeneration – the potato reproduces vegetatively and its varietal characteristics remain unchanged. 

But the quality of planting material deteriorates over time, because diseases accumulate in the seed tubers. Therefore, from time to time, potatoes need to be updated – to buy and plant super-elite and elite.

After what crops can potatoes be planted?

The best predecessors for potatoes are cucumbers, cabbage, peas, root crops, corn, strawberries. But after nightshade crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants), it cannot be planted – they have common diseases and pests.

How to protect potato seedlings from frost?

Since a lot of potatoes are usually planted, it is unlikely that it will be possible to cover it with a non-woven fabric. But there is another way – if, according to the forecast, sub-zero temperatures are expected, the seedlings must be covered with earth completely, which is called “with the head”. But as soon as the threat of frost has passed, the plants must be unraveled. Under the ground, they can spend a maximum of 5 days, but it is better not to leave them there for more than 2 days.

Sources of

  1. Yakubovskaya L.D., Yakubovsky V.N., Rozhkova L.N. ABC of a summer resident // Minsk, OOO “Orakul”, OOO Lazurak, IPKA “Publicity”, 1994 – 415 p.
  2. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 – 416 p.
  3. A group of authors, ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 – 208 p.

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