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German breeders have created many varieties of potatoes. Among them is a highly productive and promising variety Natasha. It was obtained at the beginning of the XXI century. The new vegetable fell in love with gardeners in Europe.
vegetable growers also grow this potato variety. At first it was bred in personal plots. High early harvests attracted the attention of large agricultural producers.
Description
Potato bushes of the Natasha variety are not too tall, semi-erect, of an intermediate type. The leaves are large, with a noticeable waviness. The tops are light or dark green. The flowers are whitish, with a barely noticeable blueness against the background of bright yellow pistils.
Tubers of high-quality potatoes of the average size, oval, smooth, equal. Roughness is practically non-existent. The color of the peel is light yellow, with almost imperceptible eyes. On average, one potato weighs 96-133 grams. On the cut, the flesh is dark yellow. The value of the Natasha variety in a large amount of starch is 11,2-13,6%.
The photo clearly shows the tuber itself, leaves, flowers.
Advantages of the variety
Potatoes are just beginning to win the love of s due to their characteristics. Let’s consider them in more detail:
- Potatoes Natasha are early. The tubers are ready in 2,5 months after planting.
- More than a dozen tubers ripen in one nest of the Natasha variety. You can collect from one hectare from 132 to 191 centners of early potatoes. Look at the photo taken by gardeners. Before you is a harvest from two bushes of the Natasha variety.
- Good yield even in dry years.
- When transporting potatoes, there is practically no mechanical damage.
- Variety Natasha, judging by the reviews of gardeners who have tested selective potatoes, is undemanding to the soil, grows well in any garden.
- Varietal potatoes are characterized by high keeping quality. When creating favorable conditions, the safety of the harvested crop reaches 93%. The commercial qualities of the vegetable are not lost during the winter period.
- Potato variety Natasha is resistant to many potato diseases.
- The table variety has excellent taste and culinary characteristics. Due to the high content of starch, it turns crumbly. For lovers of potato salad, there is no better vegetable.
Diseases and pests
German breeders did their best: tubers and tops practically do not suffer from:
- golden potato cyst nematode;
- potato cancer;
- tuber rot;
- rhizoctonia;
- Y virus.
But this does not mean that having planted potatoes, you can not pay attention to it. The tops should be inspected from time to time.
Features of preparatory work
Since the Natasha variety belongs to early ripening varieties, when choosing planting dates, you need to focus on the temperature regime and soil readiness.
Seed preparation
Potatoes the size of a chicken egg or a little more are laid on the seeds. It must be stored separately from the main stocks. Seed potatoes of the Natasha variety must be pulled out of the cellar at least 30 days before planting. This is a necessary measure: the seeds need time to warm up, the eyes to wake up and hatch.
Germination of varietal potatoes Natasha should be carried out in a warm room, with good lighting. Not bad if the tubers will get direct sunlight.
When the eyes hatch, planting material of the Natasha variety is treated with Prestige and Heteroauxin.
Soil preparation
The soil is usually prepared in autumn after harvest. First of all, even small weeds are removed. Fertilizers are applied, humus or compost is best. In the spring, the garden is dug up, the surface is leveled.
Rules for planting potatoes
On large areas, when planting, use a cultivator or potato planter. If the area for potatoes is small, then work is done manually, holes are prepared with a bayonet shovel.
At least five tablespoons and 700 grams of well-rotted manure should be added to each well. It is not necessary to deepen the tubers of the Natasha variety so as not to create inconvenience when digging. Do not forget that when hilling, a ridge will still appear on top.
Planting is carried out in rows, the step between them is at least 0,7 m. The distance between the potatoes of the Natasha variety in a row is about 35 cm. This gap provides sufficient lighting and heating of the soil, the bushes are easy to weed and hill up. Each member of the family finds something to do when planting potatoes, as in this photo.
After planting work is completed, the garden is leveled with a rake. This is necessary to remove the crust on the surface of the earth (even with careful work, the soil is still trampled down) and the destruction of the root system of emerging weed rudiments.
How to look after
Potato Natasha, judging by the description, characteristics of the variety, photos and reviews of vegetable growers, steadily endures an unfavorable climate during the period of vegetative development. With the use of agricultural practices, a rich harvest can be formed.
Necessary actions:
- Weeds grow faster than potatoes. Until the first shoots appear, the garden needs to be harrowed several times. This can be done with a rake with large sharp teeth or a harrow. Two problems are immediately solved: thin threads of weeds are removed, which immediately dry out in the sun, and the crust is removed from the surface of the soil. The access of oxygen to the roots of the plant is increased.
- If there is a threat of frost returning, the shoots that have appeared must be “wrapped up” with their heads during the first hilling. In addition to preserving moisture inside the bush, such hilling does not allow weeds to live freely. It is necessary to raise the soil above the bush twice to increase the number of stolons and the formation of more tubers.
- If in the autumn the soil was fertilized well, when the tubers were planted, top dressing was applied, then for potatoes of the Natasha variety, top dressing under the root during the growing season is not necessary.
- As for watering, it is not recommended to carry out it in the presence of rain, because judging by the characteristics, the Natasha variety gives a good harvest even in dry years. You need to be careful with watering: excess moisture leads to rotting of tubers.
- Another important event that is necessary when caring for plantings is tracking the disease and the presence of pests.
Cleaning and storage
Many gardeners cut off the tops before digging to prevent diseases from entering the tuber. In addition, in this case, the skin of the potato becomes rougher, and the flesh itself is denser.
It is impossible to delay the cleaning of the Natasha variety. It is best to choose sunny weather to dry the tubers in the sun. Before storage, vegetables are kept in a dry, darkened room. After that, potatoes are selected for seeds, animal feed and food.
For storage in the underground, an elevation is made of boards so that air enters from all sides. Potatoes are poured into nylon bags or boxes with slots (as in the photo), stacked.
Useful tips from experienced gardeners look at the video:
