To get a full-fledged potato crop, you first need to choose a variety that will be adapted to cultivation in your region. One of the universal varieties in this regard is the Blue Potato. The features of its cultivation, as well as the pros and cons will be discussed below.
Selection history
The variety was bred in Russia about 30 years ago, in 1993 it was included in the register of selection achievements. The patent for the variety belongs to the All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Management named after Lorha. When the described plants begin to bloom, it seems that you have a cornflower bed in front of you, for which the variety got its name.
Did you know? The largest potato that has been grown to this day has weighed 11 kg.
The variety is zoned in the central and northern regions, but this does not interfere with the successful cultivation of it in the southern.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The ripening period of potatoes of this variety is 80–100 days from the moment of emergence of seedlings. Ripening rate directly depends on the region of cultivation: in cooler latitudes, potatoes ripen longer than in warm ones. The variety shows good preservation of flower buds even with return frosts. Plants can withstand short-term drought.
Potato Blue is resistant to a number of diseases characteristic of such crops, subject to timely preventive treatment. One of the remarkable features of this variety is the ability to grow in areas with a close occurrence of groundwater.
The ground part of the plant is distinguished by a lush green mass. Shoots are strong, highly branched. The leaves are lanceolate, of a leathery structure, with well-defined veins, painted in dark green. Inflorescences are compact, painted in blue or purple.
Tubers of medium size, oval. Covered with a gray mesh thin peel. The tuber surface is rough, covered with small and rarely located deep eyes. Fruits have good keeping quality and excellent presentation. From the time of harvesting potatoes to the next planting, following storage rules, 98% of the crop can be preserved.
The pulp is creamy white. It contains a minimum amount of starch, only 19%, which significantly increases its taste and friability during heat treatment. The pulp tastes good, literally melts in your mouth.
In addition to high taste characteristics, the variety is attractive for its productivity: from 1 ha, you can collect up to 500 kg of potatoes.
Advantages and disadvantages
Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a variety, you can increase its yield and take preventive measures in time to avoid infection with diseases and pests.
- Positive aspects of potato Blue:
- high taste indices;
- the ability to transport root crops over long distances;
- good tolerance of temperature fluctuations;
- high resistance to most viral potato diseases;
- the possibility of use in industrial production and commercial activities;
- high percentage of seed germination.
The only drawback is hollowing in some seasons. This phenomenon is manifested by the formation of large tubers that are not characteristic of the variety. At the same time, the root crops are hollow inside. This deficiency is easily corrected by replacing the seed every 2-3 years.
Planting and growing potato varieties
When planting potatoes of this variety, do not skip the right time, otherwise the production storability is reduced. Blue gives excellent results even when planting in soil that is not sufficiently warmed up.
Optimal timing
Golubizna potatoes can be planted in early May, when the soil temperature reaches + 7 ° C. If the weather is especially warm, then you can land in April.
Did you know? In 1995, potatoes became the first vegetable to be grown in outer space.
Crop rotation rules
To get a full crop, you need to follow the rules of crop rotation. Potatoes cannot be planted in the same place for 2 years in a row. Ideally, potatoes can be planted in their former place of growth no earlier than 3-5 years. However, this method is not suitable for everyone, since most of the site is usually occupied by plants of the Solanaceae family, which cannot be the predecessors and neighbors of potatoes.
You can use a three-field crop rotation system on the site.
With this approach, the area is divided into 3 parts and operates according to the following scheme:
- In the area intended for potatoes, green manure (winter) is planted. Before the onset of the first frosts, the greens are mowed and the soil is cultivated to a depth of 15 cm.
- In the second section, cabbage and plants of the Pumpkin family are planted (zucchini, squash, cucumbers, etc.).
- The third section is better to put under the legumes. You can also plant radishes, carrots, onions, herbs and beets next to potatoes.
- From the second year of culture, they begin to change places in a circle.
There is another system - two-floor. In this case, the area is divided into 2 parts. The first is reserved for potatoes, the second - for all other plants. After harvesting potatoes, green manure is sown in its place and acted as in paragraph 1 of the three-field scheme.
Soil requirements
Ideal for growing potatoes are loamy or sandy loamy soils. But thanks to the high adaptive abilities of the variety, it bears good fruiting on other types of soil.
Soil preparation is carried out in August-September. In advance, you should dig a selected area to a depth of 25 cm, fertilize it with rotted manure - 10 kg per m². After a week, you need to sow winter crops, mow them to frost and dig the soil again.
In late March - early April, the soil is again cultivated to a depth of 25 cm. Next, superphosphate is added - 500 g / m² each.
Did you know? Potatoes are used not only for food purposes, but also for the production of glue and ethanol.
Preparing planting material
Seed potatoes are picked even during harvesting, laying off the healthiest and most even medium-sized tubers. They are placed in wooden boxes and sent for storage with the rest of the products.
1.5 months before planting, you can begin to germinate planting material. Seed potatoes are taken from the cellar to sort and discard spoiled tubers. Then it is placed in wooden boxes in one layer and sent to a well-lit room, where the air temperature is + 18 ° C and the relative humidity is 40-60%.
After 3 weeks, the surface of the potato will turn green, and sprouts will appear from the eyes. At this stage, they should be moistened with water and covered with a film, left in this form for another 7 days. When the sprouts reach a length of 1-2 cm, the potatoes are ready for planting. At this stage, it is necessary to reject: for planting, specimens with too long and thin sprouts are not suitable.
To disinfect the fruit, 1% solution of copper sulfate is used. They are sprayed with root crops a few days before planting.
Landing technology
Wells are made at a distance of 40 cm from each other. The pitch between the rows is about 60 cm. The size of the landing pit is 10 × 10 cm.
To scare away pests and enrich the soil with nutrients, 2 tbsp. Are placed in each well. l wood ash or 1 tbsp. dry chicken droppings. Then, in the wells, 2-3 potatoes are sprouted up and buried. After landing, the ground is leveled with a rake.
Features of potato care after planting
To get a good harvest, it is necessary to provide appropriate care to the plants. Fertilizers introduced at the planting stage last for 3 weeks.
Watering is carried out through a drip system located along the beds and having an exit under each bush. This approach to soil moisture will provide reliable protection against late blight. Each bush takes 3-4 liters of water.
Important! An excess of moisture in the soil leads to the development of fungal and viral diseases.
Hilling is impractical in arid conditions, otherwise the rhizomes will overheat and yield will drop. Under normal climatic conditions, the procedure is performed twice during the period of active vegetation: the first time - when the sprouts reach 12 cm, the second - when they reach 20 cm. Manipulations are carried out in the morning or in the evening. From the center of the aisles, the soil is raked under the bushes, making a mound of 10-15 cm.
In hot, arid regions, instead of hilling, loosening the soil between rows and mulching it with compost or green grass should be carried out. This will enrich the root system with oxygen and retain moisture in the soil longer. Also, do not forget about the removal of weeds - they often become the cause of the spread of pests and draw nutrients from the soil intended for potatoes.
Understand that the plant lacks vitamins, it is possible by its appearance. If the shoots are weak and thin, it is necessary to add urea - close 20 cm of each powder under each bush to a depth of 5 cm. To speed up flowering, when the first buds appear, an ash solution is added: 500 g of ash are added to 10 liters of water and boiled for 30 minutes. After straining, add 3 L of water and add 2 L of working solution for each plant.
Top dressing at the flowering stage helps to accelerate the growth of the root system. At this stage, organics or superphosphates are used. Manure is bred with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and contribute 0.5 l under the bush. Fertilizing with superphosphates, 200 g of the drug is diluted in 10 l of water and 1 l is applied under each plant.
Potato diseases and pests
Potato variety Blue is resistant to many diseases.
But with a gross violation of the rules of agricultural technology, it is worth fearing the following ailments:
- Phytophthora - manifests itself with an excess of moisture. Brown stains appear on the stems, and the root crops are affected by rot. To get rid of the problem, the following solution is prepared: 1 tablet of Gamair and Alirina-B, 1 ml of liquid baby soap is added to 10 liters of water. Processing (spraying) is carried out every 8 days until the symptoms disappear completely.
- Macrosporiosis - the ground part and the root system are covered with dry brown spots. Treatment with a solution of the Bravo preparation will help - 20 ml per 10 liters of water.
- Scab - dry and wet rot of the ground and root parts. The disease requires an integrated approach to treatment.
- Aphid - a pest that affects potato shoots during the growing season. For warning, parsley or dill is planted next to the potatoes. It is eliminated with the help of the drug Fitosporin, diluted according to the instructions.
- Colorado beetle - The most common pest that affects any varieties of potatoes. In the fight against it, the drug "Actara" is effective. 1.2 g of the drug is added per 10 l of water. Processing is carried out one-time.
- Orange whitefly - sucks all the nutrients from the leaves. A 3% solution of green soap will help in the fight against insects.
Harvesting and storage
The main advantage of this variety is the resistance of root crops to mechanical damage. Even tubers cut by a shovel are perfectly stored all winter; they are not infected by rot.
They start digging potatoes in August. But this is an approximate time, since the phase of potato readiness for storage will be affected by the climate, the characteristics of the care and the time of planting. The main criterion by which the readiness of tubers for harvesting is determined is the tops. If it fades, changes color, then the root crops have reached the necessary stage of maturity.
10 days before harvesting, you need to cut the tops. Digging potatoes is better in dry, windy weather. When digging out the roots, they are laid out in one layer on the ground and left to warm for 1-2 hours under the sun. Then the products are sorted in boxes and left for a month in a dark room, where the air temperature reaches + 12 ° C, and humidity - 50%. After that, you can send the tubers to the vegetable store. The optimum storage temperature for potatoes is not lower than + 6 ° C.Important! Do not store potatoes for a long time in the light. — under the influence of sunlight in the peel and the upper layer of pulp, solanine accumulates, causing poisoning.
Potato Blue is attractive for its quality characteristics. In addition, the plants take root well in all weather conditions and give a stable crop even on scarce soils.
