Potatoes "Lasok": description of the variety and subtleties of cultivation

Potatoes "Lasok" is one of the most popular among all varieties of this crop.He was brought out by Belarusian breeders more than a quarter of a century ago. During this time, the variety has established itself as one of the best. Growing tubers is not at all difficult, but at the same time you will be simply amazed at the high yield and excellent taste of potatoes.

During ripening, the potato grows high and strong bushes that reach 1 meter in height. Lush inflorescences appear on the stems, and the leaves are completely covered with small rigid needles. They serve as a reliable crop protection from the Colorado potato beetle. Even if you plant the bushes are not too tight, they will still close. This approach ensures long-term preservation of moisture in the soil and leaves no weed a chance. All this has a positive effect on the quality and quantity of the future harvest.

The tubers themselves are oval in shape, the peel is painted in a light beige color. On average, the weight of one potato is about 200 grams, and the presence of starch in it is about 22%. Also in the tubers of this class there is a large amount of potassium and other vitamins that are beneficial to human health.

Potatoes "Lasok" is late-ripened. Fruits finally ripen in about 3-4 months after planting. Specific dates depend on the climatic conditions in your area, as well as the state of the land and the quality of care for tubers. The variety is excellent for cultivation in both southern and northern areas. Yield varieties just gorgeous. From one bush really collect about 15 root crops. These are 60 tons of potatoes per hectare. At the same time, Lasok is resistant to many viruses and diseases:

• black leg;
• phytophthora;
• nematode;
• rhizoctoniosis.

Mature potatoes are notable for their excellent taste and crispness. It is ideal for adding to all sorts of dishes: casseroles, stews, mashed potatoes. The grade differs in high nutritiousness and useful properties, is suitable for the children's and adult menu. After heat treatment, the tubers do not lose their beautiful color and shape. The taste of potatoes is rather tender, creamy.

However, with all the advantages of a variety there are certain disadvantages. The main one is a short shelf life, just a few months.

Before you bury the tubers in the ground, they must be prepared for planting. Most often by the spring, after winter storage, the tubers themselves begin to sprout. But if this for some reason did not happen or not all root crops sprouted, use any of the following methods:

1. Dry. Place the required number of tubers in a wooden box and place it under the light. As a result of the action of light, a special substance will be produced in the skin of the potato - solanine. Tubers will get a greenish tint. After such procedures, they will become unsuitable for food, but for planting they are perfect. Moreover, in the process of such processing you get seeds that will be protected from pests and diseases in the future.

2. Wet. For sprouting wet method you need to put the tubers in a box. Then fill them with humus or wet fine sawdust. It is important that at the same time the ambient temperature was at least +15 degrees. Within a few days you will notice an active propagation of sprouts.

Such procedures will prepare the roots for planting, and in the future they will get accustomed to the soil better and faster.

This potato is able to settle down on almost any type of soil. But experts recommend choosing a slightly shaded area. If you plant the tubers in an open area, which accounts for too much sun exposure, there will not be enough moisture in the ground.And this will inevitably affect the quality of seedlings.

Before planting, the soil should be carefully digged, plowed and buried. It is also necessary to completely get rid of any weeds. If possible, use organic and mineral fertilizers to feed the earth. This will positively affect the yield.

If, before the potato, grain, winter crops or leguminous crops grew on the plot, this will favorably affect the growth and development of tubers. Before you bury the seeds in the ground, they must be germinated. This is done at a temperature of 5 to 7 degrees. The best time for planting the Belarusian culture is April or May. The choice depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. The fruits are located in the ground according to the scheme 70x40. For the seeds are dug not too deep holes, the bottom of which is covered with sand, humus.

Belarusian potatoes completely unpretentious in the care. It needs exactly the same procedures as any other variety. The culture requires timely weeding, as well as hilling and watering. The amount of water in the soil should be moderate. Most moisture is required immediately after planting to reduce the number of watering in the future. Spud shoots are necessary only after they grow 10-15 cm up. This will help retain moisture and provide good nutrition to the root system.

Tubers do not need intensive fertilizer. But if you want to get the maximum yield, apply complex mineral fertilizers, diluted cow manure and urea to the soil. At the same time carefully make sure that a large amount of potassium does not fall into the soil. The excess of this substance reduces the quality of the crop and its quantity.

Since potato Lasok is highly resistant to viruses and pests, it is usually not affected by any diseases. Especially if you get rid of weeds in time on the plot, watch for the optimal level of moisture and fertilizer composition. However, sometimes the tubers are still affected by such a common potato pest, as the wireworm. This insect has an extremely high degree of survival and adapts to any conditions. Therefore, it is important to pay great attention to the prevention of the spread of such a pest. For this it is necessary to carry out a number of simple procedures:

• Put in mustard powder, onion peel, pine needles into the ground before planting.
• Add wood ash, chopped egg shells to the well.
• Conduct a thorough seasonal digging and loosening the soil.
• Ensure that there is no grass and other weeds in the area.

After harvesting it is necessary to completely remove the tops and weeds.

Like many other varieties of potatoes, “Lasok” begin to dig in early September or late August. At the same time for harvesting, you can use specialized equipment or dig up the tubers manually. After harvesting, the potatoes must be spread in a uniform layer in an open area and dried thoroughly for several days. Then all the fruits should be carefully selected to exclude damaged roots.

Only then the rest of the crop can be sent for long-term storage in the basement. If you neglect such a procedure, you risk getting a large number of spoiled root crops.

Since the potato variety "Lasok" for more than 25 years, gardeners managed to objectively evaluate all its advantages and disadvantages. After analyzing a large number of reviews on the Internet, we can safely say that people love this variety very much and prefer it to many others. Belarusians know a lot about potatoes, so the culture was successful.Most buyers are pleased that you can get a fairly large crop of root crops, without making almost any effort.

You do not have long to choose fertilizers for potatoes or look for a special place for planting. "Lasock" can adapt to almost any conditions.

Some gardeners who grow vegetables for sale, even face the distrust of buyers. After all, they think that such a large weighty potato could not germinate naturally without the addition of chemicals or GMOs. However, those who are familiar with this variety, do not doubt the quality of the crop. Also, many people appreciate the Lasok potato for its excellent taste. It produces excellent side dishes and additions to various dishes. Boiled tubers are beautiful and crumbly, and roasted tubs are tender and soft.

The only drawback that cannot be missed is the short shelf life of tubers at high temperatures. However, if you store the crop in a cool place, no problems will arise, and the potatoes will not germinate ahead of time.

How to grow a rich crop of potatoes, see the following video.