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Each variety of potato grown by gardeners has its own characteristics. One requires precise adherence to planting dates, the other deteriorates when harvesting is delayed, the third is very sensitive to damage and weather fluctuations. Early ripe varieties are valued for the opportunity to get tasty potatoes faster than others. Variety “Gala” fell in love with vegetable growers for unpretentiousness to the soil composition. This potato grows well in any region.
Gala potatoes are medium-early, the short ripening period of the variety attracts vegetable growers. Harvesting can begin 75 days after planting in the ground. German breeders made every effort to breed Gala potatoes, which made it possible to create a universal variety type.
It is resistant to the usual crop diseases, grows in any region, gives a stable harvest, and endures weather fluctuations. From one bush with good care, summer residents collect from 20 to 25 potatoes. Not every variety has such indicators. In our article, we will try to consider the main topics for those who grow Gala potatoes – a description of the variety, photos, reviews.
Description of varietal potatoes Gala
For vegetable growers, the main characteristics of potatoes are important. These include:
- yield indicator;
- demanding care;
- varietal features;
- resistance to weather parameters, diseases and parasites;
- long-term storage capacity.
To get to know the Gala potato better, the description of the variety can begin with the appearance of the plant.
Bush. Semi-erect, medium height and intermediate type. The leaves on the bush are also medium in size, large, dark green, slightly wavy at the edges, allow the plant to endure heat without problems. White inflorescence corolla.
tubers. Also maintain average indicators in size and weight. The mass of one varies from 100 g to 120 g. The shape of the root crop is round-oval. The skin and flesh are yellowish. Eyes superficial, small. Gala potatoes do not darken after processing. Young tubers are easy to mechanically clean, which is also considered an advantage of the variety type.
The nutritional value of the vegetable is also great. The percentage of starch (up to 14%) allows the use of the Gala potato variety in dietary and baby food. Another valuable component is carotene.
Among the special advantages of the variety are nematode resistance and high shelf life. But the variety has disadvantages. Potato Gala may be affected by:
- Rhizocthoniosis. This is a fungal disease that manifests itself on the lower part of the stem. Proper preventive dressing of plants can save plantings.
- leaf curl virus.
- Late blight of tubers. Although this problem is very rare. More common defeat by late blight tops.
The few dangers that await the Gala potato during the growing period make it a competitive variety.
Another characteristic that brings Gala potatoes to one of the first places is high marketability. Not every variety has an indicator of 94%.
It tolerates transportation perfectly, so farmers are happy to grow a variety in their fields.
How to grow a useful variety
The first important step is the acquisition of seeds. Seed material is selected small in size without damage and signs of damage. Planting potatoes is done a few days after the seeds are warmed up in the sun. The Gala potato variety is planted in the ground, deepening the tubers by 15 cm. The distance between them is kept in the range of 75–80 cm. The seeds germinate together, all at the same time.
Soil requirements for the variety are low. More attention should be paid to watering and fertilizing, which will significantly increase the return on planted material. It is optimal for the good development of root crops to feed:
- before boarding;
- during the second rounding.
This technique will increase the safety of tubers until spring.
Planting potatoes is the second important step. To get a decent harvest, it is necessary to comply with the requirements of agricultural technology of culture.
How to carry out this process correctly? First you need to find out the basic requirements.
soil
If you have a light sandy soil, you are in luck.
Although the variety adapts perfectly to any soil, young tubers still have difficulty growing in heavy soil. Therefore, in the hole you get more potatoes than usual, but smaller. With heavy soil, the shape of the root crops is uneven and the volume of waste increases during cleaning.
One hundred square meters will require one ton of humus.
fertilizers
It is best to feed the earth in the fall. Then you can make any kind of organic matter – compost, humus, manure. Until spring, the substances will have time to decompose and dissolve in the ground. If you need to fertilize in the spring, anything but fresh manure will do. For 1 sq. m contribute from 5 to 8 kg of nutrient composition. If there is a shortage of compost, it is recommended to add it later. When potatoes are planted, a little compost and 1 tablespoon of wood ash are added to each well.
Seed preparation
Tubers for planting are chosen medium in size, small ones contain few nutrients and will not give enough nutrition to the root system. Take out planting material to the light, avoiding direct sunlight. Good for planting are tubers with strong sprouts, slightly green and with a dense skin. The length of the sprouts is 1 cm. Photo of tubers ready for planting.
Dates and scheme of planting
Soil temperature should rise to 10°C. This is the best option. In cold soil, tubers may rot. Be sure to follow the recommended landing pattern.
Hopes that a larger number of planted potatoes will increase the yield are absolutely unfounded. The thickened planting of potatoes leads to the oppression of each other by plants. Planting Gala potatoes under a walk-behind tractor greatly facilitates the work of gardeners. How to use the walk-behind tractor when landing can be seen in the video:
Gala potato planting care
Many summer residents, having planted potatoes in the ground, believe that other activities are unimportant. First of all, this concerns the hilling of plants. Even if they carry out this technique, they do not follow the rules of hilling. The ground must be in contact with the stems of the bush, otherwise there will be no additional roots. And simply raking the soil closer to the plant does not make any sense.
Feeding is a very responsible business. It is best to fertilize in the fall or spring before planting. With mineral compositions, you should be more careful, especially during the growing season.
Harvesting will be more fruitful if a week before it starts, mow the tops of all the bushes. The tubers stop growing and the skin becomes rough. Gala potatoes will be ready for storage. After digging, leave the potatoes in the soil for a while so the sun can help kill off the pathogens.
Some tips for summer residents who grow a variety on the plots:
- Maintain crop rotation requirements. In small areas, this is problematic, but you should try not to plant potatoes for a long time in one place. Another way out is to update the seed material.
- Inspect plants regularly for diseases and pests. Getting started early is the key to success.
- The ripening of the variety directly depends on the observance of all agrotechnical measures. Therefore, before planting, try to study the nuances of the Gala potato.
- Observe the temperature and humidity indicators during storage. So, you will keep the harvest much longer.