Contents
Gardeners spend a lot of time each year searching for the perfect variety to meet specific requirements. Let’s talk about potatoes. If we take the five most popular varieties in our country, then Adretta will definitely be among them. In the top lists on various sites, he takes leading places for a reason. We will find out what is so special about it, and why it is often advised to grow Adretta potatoes. Description of the variety, photos, reviews and information on growing this potato will definitely become useful.
Short description
Potato “Adretta” was bred in Germany not so long ago, it is about twenty years old. During this time, this table potato has gained popularity not only at home, but also abroad. The thing is that root crops are famous for:
- high productivity;
- excellent taste;
- fairly fast ripening.
Every property matters. The flesh of the potato is yellow. Previously, tubers with this color of pulp were used only for livestock feed and were considered tasteless. For a long time, only “Adretta” was a variety that not only liked a person in terms of taste, but also struck with its friability and tenderness. This is influenced by the average starch content, about 16%. On the basis of this variety, a large number of new ones were bred, which did not always retain their taste, but were also not bad.
A few words about fodder potatoes
Today, not only gardeners, but also potato buyers are already accustomed to potatoes with yellow flesh and even a little purple, and not just the usual white, but two decades ago, Adretta was a unique variety. Before its appearance, yellow potatoes were used only as fodder in livestock farms, since their palatability was unimportant.
German breeders in the late 90s made a splash, since the Adretta variety was the first to have a yellow core and was unusually tasty. According to experts, it was this quality that became decisive in such a rapid growth in popularity.
Consider a comparative table of parameters for a given potato variety. This will help those summer residents who have not yet decided on the choice of variety. Ripening time, technical details and small nuances – all this is very important even when growing such a familiar crop as potatoes.
Table
This table describes the ‘Adretta’ potato variety.
| Parameters | Variety description |
|---|---|
| Description of the plant | Compact shrub with light green leaves |
| Ripening rate | Medium early, 75 days from germination to technical maturity |
| Features of sowing | Grown in open ground, sown no later than May, depending on the weather conditions of the region, to a depth of 7 centimeters according to the scheme 60×35 |
| Care | Weed control and keeping the soil loose |
| Description of root crops | The tubers have a mass of 100-150 grams, aligned, oval |
| Resistance to diseases | To late blight, to cancer, to the stem nematode |
| Productivity | 40-80 kilograms per square meter |
The roots themselves have small eyes, the skin is very thin, has a yellowish tint. Many gardeners at least once saw the Adretta potatoes, the description of which we have just given, on store shelves. It is often grown commercially.
Cultivation
Unpretentiousness is a quality that is greatly appreciated by everyone who has ever been engaged in independent cultivation of vegetables and root crops. This is a very complex process that requires attention, patience and a lot of work. Being engaged in cultivation, each gardener hopes to get a rich harvest of excellent quality with high keeping quality. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, especially for beginners.
In order for the harvest to turn out to be rich and healthy, it is not enough to choose the right variety. Proper cultivation is the key to success. Potatoes of this variety have excellent agrotechnical qualities:
- unpretentious in cultivation;
- resistant to major diseases;
- has a high yield;
- tolerates low temperatures well.
Before sowing the seeds, it is recommended to soak them in water for 1-2 days. This will allow them to ascend faster. Water should be at room temperature.
The best soils for her:
- light loams;
- sandy;
- sod-podzolic.
Do not add manure that is detrimental to the taste of the soil. Consideration should also be given to groundwater. They should be located no higher than one meter. Adretta seeds are tubers that can be planted in open ground as early as April if you live in the southern regions. You can pre-harden them:
- put the soaked seeds in the refrigerator overnight (temperature + 1-2 degrees);
- during the day to withstand warm temperatures (+ 22-24 degrees).
If the gardener lives in a more severe climate, it is advised to plant potatoes of this variety first in boxes, then dive and move to the ground. Although you can wait for the May heat, especially since the variety ripens quickly enough. In order to protect the plant from additional viruses, the tubers should be sprayed with a fungicide before planting.
The optimal temperature conditions for growing the Adretta variety are as follows:
- in the afternoon + 15-17 degrees (possibly higher);
- at night + 7-9 degrees.
Top dressing is desirable to be carried out carefully, without overdoing it. During the rooting period, they are required. Ash and superphosphate are perfect for these purposes. The latter is also used during the flowering period. Please note that the Adretta variety requires timely watering and loosening of the soil. It is not genetically protected from the Colorado potato beetle, but suffers little from it.
It is also necessary to fight weeds and sow the plant in open areas. Potatoes love the sun. If the area is shaded, the tubers will be small, and the bushes will stretch upwards.
In general, it is not difficult to grow it, some tips from a gardener who independently bred this potato are presented in the video below.
In addition to questions about growing a variety, many summer residents are concerned about the storage and preservation of quality in this period. Let’s talk about this topic.
Storage
Do-it-yourself potatoes grown on the site, I want to keep as long as possible. They sort it out, cover it on cold days. For s, this root crop is of paramount importance, as it is used in food very often. For every citizen, it is desirable that potatoes not only be stored for a long time, but also do not lose their taste. As for the Adretta variety, it corresponds to these qualities.
When growing, the temperature outside the window can often drop. Varietal potatoes acquire an unpleasant sweetish taste from this. In a situation with this variety, you can not be afraid of small temperature differences.
This quality is ideal for both cultivation and storage. It is necessary to place the ripe Adretta root crops in a cellar with excellent ventilation. This also applies to other varieties of potatoes. Pre-harvest sorted for the presence of rot and damage.
Improved “Adretta”
Often, when coming to a gardening store, buyers are faced with the fact that they are offered to replace this favorite variety with another one. It may be called “New Adretta” or “Gala”. It was really bred on the basis of German potatoes, but it has some differences and is defined as an independent variety type.
Gala potatoes are represented by the same yellow tubers with dark yellow flesh. It is also tasty, keeps well and is almost no different in care. However, its yield is less, therefore, when grown under the same conditions, Gala will yield up to 26 kilograms per square meter. It should be noted that this is a lot. This variety is also in the top five.
Reviews
The Adretta variety has been grown for a very long time and has not lost popularity throughout this time. As we have noticed, they tried to improve it by introducing new types. It is very difficult to gain a foothold in the market, but Adretta not only retained its dominant position, but also managed to win the hearts of newcomers. Consider a few reviews of those who have grown this variety of potatoes more than once.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the description of the potato variety also contains small disadvantages, this does not affect the popularity of the Adretta root crop. Often, gardeners grow several varieties at once, and at the end of the season they make a comparative analysis. This is also relevant in this case.
Potatoes of this variety are worthy of attention and the highest rating. If you have never planted “Adretta” before, be sure to try it in the spring. The taste will not leave anyone indifferent, small eyes make it easy to clean the tubers before cooking, and the growing process will not be difficult. It was these qualities that initially attracted gardeners from various regions.