How to get an early harvest of potatoes

Recommendation points

• How to prepare, select and process planting material
• When to plant potatoes
• Early planting methods
• Landing in open ground
• Landing under ridge embankments prepared in autumn
• Landing under covering materials
• Planting and growing potatoes under straw
• When to water potatoes
• What else can be grown on the site after the potatoes are harvested

In this article, we’ll look at ways to get an early harvest of potatoes. We will tell you how to choose and process seed material correctly, describe planting methods, features of watering and other secrets of growing early potatoes.

Having a small plot of land at your disposal, you can place and grow all the vegetables and fruits necessary for winter. There are many ways to plant vegetables sparingly so that they not only do not interfere with each other, but even help. For example, heat-loving crops such as beans and cucumbers can be planted alongside corn. But only when the earth is warm enough by the sun.

But potatoes can be planted in March-April, when the thermometer begins to exceed 1 ° C. There are many ways to grow a potato crop before the onset of the heat, but their effectiveness depends on the varieties and proper processing of the seed.

Potato variety	Region of Russia	Yield	Vegetation period	Features:
Red Scarlet	Central and South	400-600 c / ha	50-65 days	The peel is red, the flesh is yellow, It tolerates heat well, it is resistant to viral diseases
Impala	Central and South	500-600 c / ha	50-65 days	Yellow peel, creamy flesh, potato nematode resistant
Timo	In any region	400-600 c / ha	50-65 days	Brown skin, white flesh, resistant to potato cancer
Sturdy	Central	250-280 c / ha	50-70 days	Oval tubers, yellow rind, creamy pulp
Antonina	West Siberian	200-300 c / ha	55-75 days	Dark oval tubers, pale yellow flesh
Kholmogorsky	Northern	350-400 c / ha	55-70 days	Oval tubers, red skin, light yellow pulp

How to prepare, select and process planting material

It is necessary to select planting material at the time of harvesting potatoes. It should be borne in mind that we harvest the early harvest in late May – early June. Consequently, our seed potatoes will have to be stored for a longer period of time than tubers selected in the fall. In order not to let the potato germinate, it should be sorted out periodically, while rejecting the spoiled and with thin filamentous sprouts.

Potatoes usually begin to sprout in the spring, shortly before planting, while still in the basement. The development of sprouts in a cold room is slow, therefore such potatoes should be laid out in the boxes so that the main sprouts “look” up. When they are transferred to a warm room for germination, the sprouts will not break off during transfer and processing.

Seed potatoes should weigh 40–80 grams. All tubers selected in the fall are not immediately put into storage. They are left in the sun for a while until the potatoes take on a yellowish-greenish color. This means that the tubers are filled with solanine, a poisonous substance that is not suitable for human consumption..

In addition, insects wintering in the soil, including the Colorado potato beetle, which often begins to spoil the planting material while still in the ground, does not like its bitter taste. This kind of hardening excludes potato rotting during winter storage and ensures a high-quality harvest..

Important: Before planting, the tubers must be treated with a mixture of mineral fertilizers. Add a teaspoon of copper sulfate, boric acid and potassium permanganate to a bucket of water, wet the planting material in it, then sprinkle abundantly with wood ash. This will strengthen the defense mechanisms and accelerate the germination of potatoes..

When to plant potatoes

It is possible to plant early varieties in open ground at a temperature of +8 degrees. But no one can foresee the vagaries of nature. Sudden night frosts, despite the daytime temperature of +18, can destroy early seedlings. The basic rule is that the ground before landing should warm up to 15-18 degrees.

But by this time weeds are already breaking through and insect pests wake up, which begin to spoil the tubers that are in the ground..

Folk omen – you should start planting potatoes after the buds on the birches come to life and turn green

Early planting methods

There are several ways to grow early potatoes:

• landing with the onset of warmth;
• landing under covering materials;
• for pre-prepared ridge embankments.

Landing in open ground

This most common method of planting in the ground, heated to 10-15 degrees Celsius, is convenient for the southern regions of Russia. To avoid the harm that night frosts can cause, the sprouts on the tubers should be strong, but not too long. This will allow the plant to adapt to the cool ground and start growing when the tubers are warm enough. The name of an early potato variety “Sorokadnevka” does not always mean that it can be dug out after 40 days. If the tubers are planted in insufficiently heated soil, they will expect heat, which will increase the time before harvesting. The countdown of days to harvest should start from the moment the first shoots appear.

Landing under ridge embankments prepared in autumn

This method justifies itself by the fact that at a temperature of 8-10 degrees, you can start planting. If you cut the ridges in the spring, you will have to wait until the sun warms them up. The surface of the autumn hills warms up quickly after the snow melts.

Landing takes place as follows. A layer of rotted manure, compost or other organic material is applied to the depressions at the bottom of the embankment. Potatoes are placed on it, sprouts up, pressing a little. On top of the potatoes, once again apply a 2 cm layer of compost. It is not necessary to sprinkle the tubers using the entire hill; 5–8 cm of the heated ridge surface is enough.

The remaining embankment is used gradually, after the ground in the ridge warms up and the first shoots appear. It will go for 3-4 hilling shoots. Thus, before harvesting, the hill is completely transferred to the potatoes. When using this planting method, the weather conditions of the region should be considered. In case of cold snaps, the tops should be “put” and sprinkled with soil from the ridge. As soon as the sun comes up, it will reach up again.

Landing under covering materials

This method has long been giving the most positive results. Spunbond is a dense, but light enough fiber that can withstand frosts up to 5 degrees. Almost until flowering, potatoes are under white agrofibre. Watering can be done either by drip or sprinkler. Air and moisture freely flow through it, but heat does not escape. After the weather stabilizes and the agrofibre is removed from the site, it can be easily washed, dried and stored for 5-8 years.

Growing potatoes under black agrofibre is somewhat different. Planting material is planted under a special marker that allows you to measure the exact distance between the planted tubers. After landing, the entire area is covered with black spunbond and covered with earth so that the wind does not blow it off.

When the first shoots appear, the film must be cut in these places. In order not to repeat the procedure several times, using the same marker, you should cut it in those places where there are no shoots yet.

Notes for the gardener: Black agrofibre is more used as a mulch when growing strawberries and strawberries. It may not be removed from the site for 3-5 years. This helps to protect the area from weeds. The main thing is to choose the right fiber.

Planting and growing potatoes under straw

This growing method does not require deep cultivation of the garden. It is enough to make small furrows or simply loosen the soil with a garden rake and spread the planting potatoes. Sprinkle it with earth or compost and cover it with last year’s straw. Layer thickness preferably 20-30 cm.

This method has its pros and cons. The advantages are that:

• shoots do not “break through” with difficulty through the ground, but freely stretch out through soft straw;
• young tubers are not compressed by the earth, therefore they grow faster;
• there are no weeds thanks to sawdust mulch laid between the rows;
• natural moisture is kept under the thatch flooring, so there is no need for watering;
• it is difficult for the Colorado potato beetle to break out of the ground in these areas, since the soil is not loosened. It is inconvenient for him to make his way to the green tops on straws;
• the crop is easily harvested by turning the deck over with a forks. After that, the potato lies on the surface of the inverted straw as a whole bush..

The inconvenience, perhaps, is only in the fact that such a site looks cluttered and sloppy due to the piles of straw. With strong gusts of wind, you have to press it with branches or other material so that it does not fly apart..

When to water potatoes

There are two ways of irrigation – sprinkler and drip. Both methods are quite effective, but drip irrigation has some advantages over sprinkling.

Drip tubes are installed from the spring. The owner does not need to rearrange, drag, and adjust the system. Since watering is carried out directly on the roots of plantations, the crops are not afraid of cold weather and heat. You can moisten the soil at any time of the day as needed.

It is not advisable to use the sprinkler method in hot weather, except for the option when water is sprayed all day. Otherwise, if the tops were watered in the morning, hot weather during the day promotes drying out and wilting, which inhibits the growth of tubers. Night watering is the best option for sprinkler irrigation.

What else can be grown on the site after the potatoes are harvested

After harvesting the potatoes, more thermophilic crops can be grown in the vacated area. For example, corn along with beans or seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and early cucumbers. This will allow you to grow several types of necessary vegetables at once in a small area..