Potato bast

Everything old, sooner or later, returns: and this rule applies not only to fashion trends. The old potato variety of folk selection under the funny name Lapot was once forgotten and was replaced by more modern, promising varieties and foreign hybrids. Today, gardeners would be happy to remember the taste of childhood and start Lapot on the site, but finding planting material is not so easy. This potato is not in vain loved and remembered, because it is considered one of the most unpretentious and at the same time the most productive of all known varieties. If you manage to find at least a few Lapot potato tubers, they definitely need to be planted and propagated!

A description of the Lapot potato variety with photos and reviews of those who planted it on their site is given in this article. It will talk about all the advantages of the variety, list its few disadvantages, and give recommendations for growing.

Origin

Lapot potatoes were bred by unknown breeders, most likely, this potato came out “from the people”. The first regions where the variety was grown were Siberia and the Far East. That is why the names of potatoes Siberian Lapot or Bashkir Lapot are common among the people.

The first mention of the variety dates back to the 50s of the last century, but there is every reason to assume an even earlier “birth” of Laptya. Subsequently, Siberian potatoes spread almost throughout the country. Today Lapot can be found everywhere only in Transbaikalia.

Characteristics and properties

The potato variety Lapot is positioned as a mid-early table destination. Against the background of other varieties, Siberian potatoes are distinguished, first of all, by the size of tubers and, of course, by their yield.

The potato variety Lapot has the following description:

• the growing season is from 65 to 80 days;
• full ripening of potatoes occurs in the period from the second half of August to the twentieth of September (depending on weather and climatic conditions);
• the height of the bushes Bast shoes is average – about 50-60 cm;
• bushes are dense, well leafy, sprawling;
• leaves of medium size, light green shade;
• the flowers are large, snow-white, the flowering of the potato is abundant;
• the shape of the tubers is oblong, flattened – outwardly, the potatoes resemble rustic bast shoes;
• the peel is painted in a dark pink shade;
• the flesh of the tubers is creamy, with an average starch content (12-14%);
• the eyes of the potato are small, located superficially;
• under each bush there are 6-8 potatoes;
• the mass of marketable tubers is 100-160 grams;
• necessarily one tuber from the bush stands out in size – the mass of such “bast shoes” can be 500-600 grams;
• the yield of the Lapot variety is high – about 450-500 centners per hectare;
• decent taste – the root crop is perfect for frying, baking, stewing, cooking first courses and salads;
• the keeping quality of the crop is 94%, which is considered a good indicator for an early variety;
• potato Lapot is very resistant to weather manifestations, such as drought, long rains, return frosts;
• soil, like climate, any variety is suitable for growing a variety;
• Bast shoes are not immune to Alternaria and late blight, can be affected by other fungal infections;
• Potatoes are rarely infected with other diseases.

By the way, most agronomists do not recognize the existence of such a variety. They believe that Lapot is one of the wild varieties of potatoes bred in the Soviet era. It is believed that the predecessor of the Siberian national potato was such a variety as American or Northern Rose.

What is the reason for the love of farmers

Lapot potatoes have many advantages. Impressive in this potato, indeed, everything – not only external qualities. The strengths of the variety are:

• size and presentation of tubers;
• excellent taste;
• suitability for transportation;
• low damage to tubers;
• suitability for long-term storage;
• universal purpose – the table variety belongs to the category AB;
• resistance to cold (even during the period of spring frosts, potato shoots can not be covered);
• independence of productivity from the weather in the summer season (even in a cold summer Lapot will give a decent harvest, only the timing of its collection will be postponed);
• incredible “flexibility” of potatoes, allowing the variety to acclimatize in any climate and on any soil;
• a small percentage of tubers spoiled during storage (about 5-6%).

Of course, the description of the Siberian variety will be incomplete, if not to say about the shortcomings of this potato. Unfortunately, the variety also has disadvantages:

• very weak resistance of bushes to late blight of tops and Alternaria;
• frequent damage to tubers by a wireworm (larva of the click beetle);
• lack of quality planting material.

The Lapot potato variety is not included in the State Register, it does not have an originating company, therefore it is impossible to find planting material in specialized nurseries. The only way to get tubers for planting is to buy them from private gardeners. And this does not guarantee the conformity of potatoes with varietal qualities.

Agricultural practices

Reviews of gardeners and summer residents testify to the extreme unpretentiousness of the Lapot potato, so it will not be difficult to grow it. But a minimum of effort, you still have to make – without this harvest, not a single crop will give.

Planting tubers

Potatoes need to be grown in an open area with plenty of light. Variety Lapot does not make any special claims to the composition and type of soil, but, like any garden crop, potatoes will not tolerate the close “neighborhood” of groundwater (they must lie deeper than 65-70 cm from the surface of the earth).

Potatoes will not like too acidic soil. In this case, before planting, it will need to be “deacidified” by scattering dolomite flour, crushed egg shells or sifted wood ash over the area.

Germination of tubers before planting has a very good effect on the overall yield of potatoes. Laptya root crops are germinated in a dark, well-ventilated room with a temperature of 13-15 degrees. It will take 20-25 days for good sprouts to appear.

On the eve of planting, potatoes are recommended to be treated with special preparations such as Maxim, Prestige or Integral. These funds will help strengthen the immunity of potatoes and increase its germination.

For planting Lapot potatoes, well-heated soil is needed – at a depth of 10 cm, it should warm up to + 7- + 10 degrees. Usually potatoes are planted in the last days of April, but in Siberia, planting can be postponed until mid-May.

The planting scheme for low-growing but sprawling Laptya bushes is recommended as follows: 35×60 cm. In regions with humid summers, you can further increase the interval between holes. The depth of embedding should not exceed 7-8 cm.

The nuances of agricultural technology

To get a decent harvest from large and tasty potatoes, a farmer must do the following:

1. Water potatoes of the Lapot variety at least three times per season: at the stage of budding, before flowering and immediately after it. If the summer turned out to be dry and hot, the number of waterings needs to be increased, potatoes can be watered every 5-6 days. The best irrigation method for potatoes is sprinkler irrigation. In August, it is necessary to water the bushes in the morning so that they are completely dry by the cool night.

   

2. To retain moisture longer in the soil, use mulch. Potato row spacing is best mulched with peat chips or mowed grass. Sawdust acidifies the soil, and mice can start in the straw.
3. Feeding have a very positive effect on the quality and quantity of tubers under the bush. The first time Lapot potatoes are fed at the stage of the appearance of the first shoots. At this time, plants need nitrogen, so potatoes are fertilized with ammonium sulfate, urea or ammonium nitrate. When tubers are formed, potato bushes will not interfere with feeding with phosphorus and potassium (superphosphate, potassium sulfate). Fertilizing the Siberian variety with magnesium has a very good effect – potassium magnesia, magnesium sulphate is introduced in the form of foliar dressings.

   

4. Lapot potatoes are resistant to diseases, and pests do not really like this variety. However, resistant Siberian potatoes also have weaknesses: plants suffer from late blight, alternariosis, tubers can be damaged by wireworms. To protect potato beds, it is necessary carry out preventive treatments antifungal and insecticidal preparations.
5. 10-14 days before harvest mow all the tops on potatoes Lapot. This method is an excellent prevention of tuber late blight, which the variety is susceptible to. After mowing, bare “stumps” of stems 5-6 cm high should remain. The tops must be removed from the site and burned.
6. Assembled the harvest is dried under a canopy during the day, making sure that the sun does not fall on the tubers. The potatoes that were selected for planting next year, on the contrary, are “green”, that is, they are kept in the sun for 10-12 days.

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Conclusion

Potato Lapot, although it belongs to the so-called varieties of folk selection, has not been dropped from the gardens and summer cottages of the country for more than half a century. This potato has very significant advantages: large tubers, high yields, unpretentiousness and resistance to external factors.

It is not easy to start a Siberian variety – it is very problematic to find high-quality planting material. But it’s worth a try – Lapot will pleasantly surprise you!