How to plant and grow potatoes?

Since the time of Peter the Great, potatoes have become the “second bread” on the Russian table. Almost all owners of gardens and gardens in the first place planted this culture. Unfortunately, many are limited to planting in the ground and hilling, whereas even in a small area you can get a bountiful harvest, if you use interesting agronomic techniques.

Most often, gardeners do not think about choosing a place for a potato bed, guided by the residual principle: where it is free, we will plant it there. However, to get a good harvest you need to take into account many factors.

• It is better to choose heated solar areas protected from the wind.
• The soil should be light, with good permeability for water and air.
• Fertile black soil is the best option. But also suitable loamy soil and forest gray. It must be remembered that for clayey and sandy soils growing schemes differ.
• Potatoes do not tolerate the soil with high alkaline characteristics. Acid-base pH should be in the neutral zone: in the range from 5.5 to 7.5. Soil acidity can be determined by observing the grass that grows on the site. For example, it is known that plantain, horsetail and buttercup prefer an acidic environment; thistle, chamomile and clover - neutral. Experts advise with a high acidity ratio to lower it by adding lime or ash to the ground.

• Strongly moistened soil is not suitable for planting potatoes, therefore, if groundwater flows around one and a half meters from the surface, it is better to choose another place. If this is not possible, you will have to raise a bed or use alternative methods of planting.
• For the same reason, the sites in the lowlands are not suitable, because they hold water for a long time after melting snow and rain, and cold air stagnates.
• The location of the planting beds for potatoes should be changed, ideally, once every 4 years. For this culture alternate, which reduces the risk of soil depletion, plant contamination by pests and diseases. Vegetables recommended for alternation with potatoes: beets, pumpkins, cucumbers, beans, corn.

The term of planting potatoes varies depending on the region.

The main requirement is that the tubers must be laid in warm earth warmed by the sun. For this, it is necessary that before planting the average daily temperature is kept at the level of 8-10 degrees for 7-8 days.

An important factor is the level of humidity, which at the time of landing should not be below 75%. This can be checked if you squeeze the earth in your fist, and after unclamping to see how the earth crumbles. The overdried soil will be ground to dust, the wet earth will remain lumpy, and the normally moist soil will disintegrate into clods.

Long since people trusted in national signs based on observations of natural phenomena. So, if dandelion and birch with bird cherry blossoms, it means it's time to plant potatoes.

Some are guided in the management of the lunar calendar. However, you should not trust him completely, since the versions in different editions can differ and even contradict each other.

It is still reasonable to adhere to the regional focus on setting the deadline. The southern regions of Russia begin planting early varieties of potatoes in the second half of March. Medium-quality, as a rule, follow in late March. The first decade of April is shown for planting late varieties. For the Central regions of the Russian Federation, the month is April, usually near the end. On the northern border, on the territory of the Urals and Siberia, potato days begin in the first half of May.

The amount of the harvested crop depends not only on proper landing and proper care, it begins with careful processing of planting material.

Many experts recommend disinfecting the tubers, which will save them from various diseases and provide food.

Apply various types of processing.

1. Spraying or soaking in garlic-water solution. To obtain it, you need to take 10 liters of water for 1 kg of garlic. The duration of the procedure is three hours.
2. Spraying or soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate. Ingredients: 1 gram of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water.
3. Remedy against fungal diseases. The basis is a solution of potassium permanganate from point 2, from 3 to 5 grams of copper sulphate and from 12 to 15 grams of boric acid are added to it.
4. Nutrient mixture. If to the solution of paragraph 3 add 35 grams of urea and 50 grams of superphosphate, then spraying tubers will get excellent nutrition.

In order to speed up the process of ripening the crop, the tubers are germinated in advance. Do it better 2 weeks before landing in the ground.

Planting material is laid out on a flat well-lit place in a single layer. White sprouts in the process of germination are removed, leaving only the green without any specks.

If you remember, our grandparents would set the whole family to cut potatoes before planting. This was done only in cases where it was large. Small remained intact. When cutting, it is important to remember that at least three eyes should remain on the cut part.

In fact, a well-made incision on a tuber activates the growth of certain buds.

• Transverse. Potatoes are cut along one side almost in half, leaving an uncut distance of 1 cm. This manipulation allows the sprouts to form throughout the tuber and inside.

• Annular. On the potato, a shallow incision is made about one centimeter along the “equator”, which allows nutrients to stimulate the growth of apical buds.

Incision of tubers increases yields by up to 15 percent. It is necessary to perform the operation 2 months before disembarking. It is advisable during the cutting to dip the knife into a bright manganese solution for disinfection.

You can increase the yield by up to 10 percent, keeping the tubers in the nutrient mixture for 20 minutes two days before planting. In this case, 40 grams of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium-based fertilizers account for 10 liters of water. All methods are available for processing at home.

Each gardener and gardener has his own, over the years proven, method of planting potatoes. However, some enthusiastic people creatively approach the process of growing this culture and try not only traditional methods, but also new original designs.

It should be understood that when choosing a planting method, one should be guided not only by one’s preferences, but also by the climatic features of the region.

The height of the ridge depends on the level of soil moisture. If the site is in a lowland, groundwater flows too close to the surface or the area is characterized by frequent rains, then the potatoes should be planted in beds as crests. In arid climate, on the contrary, the height of the ridge is almost zero, this method is called a smooth fit.

The depth of the landing affects the mechanical composition of the soil. The lighter the soil, the deeper the hole:

• loamy soil - from 6 to 8 cm with a smooth fit, from 8 to 10 cm in the ridges;
• sandy soil - from 8 to 10 cm with a smooth method and 10-12 cm with a ridge;
• black soil - from 10 to 14 cm.

With any method of landing is usually recommended to adhere to general rules.

• Row spacing - 70 cm for late varieties and 60 cm for early ones.
• The distance between the holes is from 30 to 35 cm for late variety potatoes and from 25 to 30 cm for early ripening varieties.
• The standard depth is 4-5 cm for heavy soil, 8-10 cm for loamy soil, 10-12 cm for soil with a light composition.

Traditionally, the culture is planted in several ways.

This is the most famous old-fashioned way of planting potatoes. It is shown for loose soil. One of the negative traits is the dependence on weather conditions, since with excessive moisture the ground becomes heavy, the bulge of the tubers deteriorates, and their rotting is possible.

As a rule, landing is carried out by two, sometimes three. The first participant digs the hole, the second - lays out planting material and pours ash with humus. Sleeping holes can be done at the stage of digging out the next row, and you can attract another assistant.

Some methods for the formation of ridges can be attributed to the described method.

• Square nestingin which the plot is divided into squares with sides from 50 to 70 cm with a hole in the center. The gap between the sockets should be at least 50-70 cm.
• Chess. The holes are dug in checkerboard pattern.
• Two-line. In this case, two parallel rows are dug out with intervals between sockets of about 30 cm, and between double rows about 1 meter. The location of the holes relative to each other is usually chess.

In fact, this method is similar to the previous one. The difference is in the shape of the landing site. Tubers are laid in a groove 30 cm apart. From above it is better to sprinkle ashes. Then the recess is closed with the ground up to 6 cm thick with any convenient tool: chopper, rake or shovel. The aisle is usually left with a standard width of about 65 cm. Experienced agronomists are advised to use double rows for planting using a similar method. Then two parallel grooves dig around at a distance of 30 cm. Planting material is staggered every 35 cm. With subsequent care, the double bed is treated as one row.

This method has long been known among agrospetsialists and has a certain success on land with loose soil, poorly holding water. With it, you can get a great harvest, because the tubers are protected from overheating and drying in a hot climate. In addition, the planting material receives non-chemical fertilizer, which allows us to speak about the environmental friendliness of the method.

The main feature is the preliminary preparation of the site not in the spring, but in the fall, which implies the implementation of a series of successive actions.

• They dig a trench, the depth and width of which is approximately equal to the size of a bayonet spade (about 40 cm). The distance between the trenches is from 60 to 80 cm.
• The bottom is laid out with weed weeds and other waste: tops of squash and cucumbers, onion peels, weeds, fallen leaves.
• Top sprinkle the trench with earth and leave in this form until the spring planting.

In the spring, as soon as the lilac blossoms, the ground is filled into the hollows, since it has been crushed during the winter. Fertilizers are added in the form of ash, chicken manure and onion peel in a handful. Spread on top of the tubers with an interval of 30 cm and covered with earth.

Experts do not advise to often water the trench with potatoes. If summer is not dry, then one watering is enough during the flowering period. You can combine it with top dressing with brine. In this case, 800 liters of salt take 12 liters of water.

Agronomists with experience say that the trench method will be most effective in areas with aerated soil containing peat. The disadvantage is the slow thawing of peat deposits after the winter, which can move the landing period to two weeks. The method works less efficiently on loamy soil, the quality and quantity of dug potatoes decreases.

Recommended for areas with "heavy" land. Since it is hard physically to drive such a soil, it is better to use agricultural equipment such as a mini-tractor or a motor-cultivator.

Digging the area for planting carried out in the fall, not forgetting to add fertilizer and fertilizer.

In the spring, it will be necessary to form ridges up to 15 cm. Leave a distance of up to 70 cm in order to provide tuber protection from wetting and greater access to solar heat.

This method of deep planting is suitable only for soils with a light structure. Planting material is placed in the wells with a depth of 22 cm and filled up flush with the ground. The essence of the method is the elongation of the stem inside the soil. Since the tubers are formed along the entire length of the underground stem, its increase will increase the yield. After the first leaves appear on the bed surface, the soil should be regularly loosened, but hilling should be discarded.

Watering is recommended only in case of strong drying of the ground.

Alternative methods of planting potatoes developed by agronomists relatively recently and allow you to get a crop in cases where traditional methods are not applicable.

The method of planting in bags is advantageous to use when the area of ​​the site does not allow planting potatoes.

• First, a drainage layer is poured into the bag, on top of which the planting material is laid.
• Then you need to give the potatoes time to germinate.
• After the appearance of sprouts, the tubers are closed with special soil, purchased in any garden store. Such a soil mixture can be prepared independently, for which they mix one to one ground and compost.
• As the growth of the tops is necessary to pour the soil.
• Watering such man-made beds should be as the land dries. It should be remembered that in hot climates, watering should be abundant and frequent.
• Agronomists advise regularly to feed potatoes with various complex fertilizers.

The method “in the barrel” is an analogue of the method of growing potatoes in bags. In this case, metal or plastic barrels are used.

Before starting work, the barrels should be prepared: make holes around the perimeter to provide air access to the ground and avoid stagnation of water. Brief description of the method:

• by analogy with the bag, a special soil mixture is poured into the barrel;
• further laid the tubers, and powdered them with soil;
• soil should be added during the growth of the plant until the bed reaches a height of 1 meter;
• watering and nourishing potatoes is required regularly.

Option yield in boxes. This method, like the American approach, is based on the ability of potatoes to produce fruit throughout the underground part of the stem. As a ridge, boxes without bottom are used, which are stacked on top of each other as the bush grows. Experts propose as an alternative to use the method of building boards, stakes hammered around the perimeter of the beds. Board walls can be fixed by any means at hand: nails or wire.

For harvest in boxes follow a specific algorithm.

• The first box is installed on the supports of bricks, stones, cinder blocks and the like. This is necessary for ventilation.
• To prevent the boards from rotting, you can put polyethylene inside or treat it with a special water-repellent compound that remains after processing wooden structures.
• The paper is laid out on the bottom of the box, on which a drainage in the form of expanded clay mixed with one-to-one humus is poured in a thin layer.
• Next are stacked prepared for planting, pre-germinated potato tubers. They need to sprinkle with soil. If the street is still cool, the box must be closed with plastic wrap.
• After the stem grows above the wall, it is increased, and the earth is added.
• The build-up of the walls should be continued until the buds appear.
• In order to lengthen the growth process and delay the budding, agronomists advise to water the bed with manure compost and not to overheat the container.
• With the appearance of buds, the build-up of the walls stops, the standard maintenance in the form of watering and feeding begins.
• Harvested after complete withering away tops.

Other methods of planting potatoes are usually invented for any specific conditions or requirements.

For example, if your site is completely covered with grass, and there is no time and effort to dig it, you can ease the task and experiment yourself by using one of the original, inexpensive methods.

There are quite a few variations on this topic. The main thing is not to dig up the earth. Before using it, it is necessary to take into account that on a land of heavy composition the harvest will not be very high.

The sequence of actions for the standard method is as follows:

• dig a hole ten centimeters deep;
• it contains germinated tubers;
• on top of the potatoes sprinkled with compost 5 centimeters thick;
• spud is not necessary;
• prevention of attacks of pests and infections is best done regularly;
• during growth, mowed grass, weeds and fallen leaves are thrown under the potato bush;
• watering is necessary only when a threatening drought.

This method also does not imply a preliminary digging of the earth. Tubers spread on the grass in the form of a chess in two rows with an interval of 25 cm. It is better to leave the aisles up to half a meter wide. After that the bed is covered with mulch from fallen leaves, hay or dry sedge, you can use torn newspapers (just not glossy). To protect against wind, cover with a covering material, for example, lutrasil, from above.

The method is simple, but you should pay attention to the following subtleties:

• mulch requires quite a lot, so for large areas this method is inefficient;
• the mulch layer retains moisture, therefore it is unsuitable in damp areas, since it contributes to tuber rot and the appearance of fungal diseases;
• do not use hay from cereal for mulch, so as not to attract rodents to the site.

During growth, the mulch overheats and settles, so you need to constantly throw up grass and hay so that the tubers are always covered.

Fertilizers can be made at will. Watering is also not recommended, since the moisture that is released when the mulch layer overheats is enough for the bush. The appeared flowers need to be plucked. You can leave only one signal bush to determine the moment of harvest. It comes after their withering.

The method of obtaining potato harvest in sawdust is very similar to the previous one, only a mixture of sawdust, peat, ash and plant waste is used as mulch.

Experts say that you need to use the old rotted sawdust. The new material is characterized by high acidity, and this impairs the yield of potatoes.

• 1 option. Planting material spread on the grass with an interval of 25 cm and sprinkle with sawdust mixture on top.
• Option 2 - trench. Sawdust and organic waste are poured into the grooves dug up to 10 cm. Next, they laid out the tubers, which are closed from above with sawdust.

Further actions in both options are similar:

• as the sawdust settles it needs to be poured;
• water and fertilize optional;
• the crop is removed after drying the tops.

Minuses:

• planting is possible after the warm weather has improved, because there is a risk of tubers freezing;
• in the lowlands and areas with high humidity there is a risk of potato rotting, and also its decayiness decreases.

Pros:

• low-cost;
• sawdust can be used several times.

The method is similar to the above options: it takes a little effort, and increases productivity. The bottom line is to use straw to close the planting material instead of the ground. To do this, its layer must be quite thick. As the bush grows, the straw layer additionally grows. Proponents of the method advised to water, as usual, moderately, in dry periods - more often.

For virgin land, the option is acceptable, since you don’t need to dig up anything, and weeds will damp the straw. Do not use cereal straw, so as not to attract rodents. For heavy soils after harvest, straw residues are buried in the ground, thereby improving its composition. For a lighter ground, it is possible to land not on level ground, but in shallow holes or grooves in order to preserve moisture. Fans of the method claim that the harvest will please with large and clean potatoes.

"Cardboard" methods are designed to facilitate the life of the gardener. The process does not require digging the soil, weeding out the leaves, it has a beneficial effect on the soil. However, it should be remembered that in this way you can plant potatoes only in small areas, because it requires a significant amount of cardboard.

Experts advise the use of cardboard boxes of furniture or large household appliances.

Before laying the cardboard on the ground, it should be moistened. The remaining weeds, decomposing, fertilize the soil, and the earthworms loosen it, which will positively affect the condition of the soil in the future.

Agronomists distinguish 2 options for planting potatoes using cardboard.

1 option "made of cardboard" is recommended for the cultivation of early varieties or cold climates. Harvest is easy to dig, as the cardboard bottom does not allow the roots to go deep. The method is suitable for any type of soil, except sand, the ridges from which are quickly destroyed, and heavy wet, because in this case the potatoes may begin to rot. The stages of preparation, landing and care are as follows:

• in the fall, the place chosen for the potato bed is covered with cardboard, there is no need to dig and weed beforehand;
• during spring work, the cardboard should be removed and dug trenches with a spade bayonet in size, and the intertrench distance should not exceed 70 cm;
• cardboard sheets lay out the bottom of the dug recesses;
• then sprinkle a thin layer of fallen leaves mixed with humus;
• next lay the tubers;
• high ridges must be heated above the planting material;
• watering should be moderate, preferably as needed;
• the crop is removed after the stems wilt.

Option 2 "under the cardboard" is not suitable for heavy soils and a humid climate. In the first case, the cardboard will not let the moisture that has accumulated in the soil and cause rotting or fungal diseases. In the second - the rain will just wash away the cardboard. The manipulations should be in the following sequence:

• the plot is covered with cardboard immediately before boarding;
• with a gap of 30 centimeters cut out the holes under which they dig a nest 15 cm deep;
• in the nests planting tubers and lay the ground;
• this method requires weeding when weeds appear;
• watering moderate and only under the bushes, so that the cardboard does not soften;
• as soon as the leaf leaves off, the harvest is ready.

The Chinese method involves the use of a large amount of fertilizer, which increases not the quality, but the amount of harvest from one bush.

In the autumn period, they dig out a pit of a meter per meter for each tuber of the well in the designated area. At the bottom of each pit it is necessary to lay compost heaps, adding ash. In the spring choose large tubers weighing 200 grams. To stimulate the growth of shoots on them, a transverse incision is made. Planting material germinated two weeks. Germinated tuber is put into each well and covered with fertile soil up to 25 cm. As soon as the first shoots appear, the bushes start to be treated with potassium-based fertilizers. Then they are covered with earth.

After the shoots again appear above the ground, the procedure continues. There may be several such repetitions. The main disadvantage of this method is a large amount of fertilizers, which degrades the quality of the harvested crop.

In recent years, the development of technology can significantly ease any work, including the gardener. Using the tiller gives you the opportunity to plant potatoes in several ways.

• Potato Planterwhich is hung on the block. This option is most appropriate for large areas, so pays for financial and labor costs. It should be noted that before the work of the motoblock, the site must be prepared: dig and fertilize. The nozzle performs all the actions in one run: it makes furrows, lays out the tubers and falls asleep trenches.
• Hiller each action is carried out separately, for which it is necessary to change the wheels to special lugs, adjust the track width using the “wings”.
• Under the plow. Instead of wheels, the grouser as well as the plow itself are also attached to the walker tractor. Before the earth is better to dig. The method involves the work of two people. One manages the motor plow when forming furrows and burying them, the other lays out planting material and organic fertilizers.
• In the ridges. The method is suitable for clay soil, the crests of which will not be blown by the winds and washed out by rains. Motoblock is used to heat up the mounds up to 20 cm high.

In addition to the methods described above, the growing process is classified by local place.

The most labor-intensive, since it requires careful maintenance of plantings, especially in areas of high-risk agriculture. You can land in any way possible, taking into account the climate and soil characteristics. The main requirements are: disinfection of tubers and their landscaping.

Watering should be moderate, optimally - three times over the entire period, not counting the natural in the form of rain. The first time there is a sprout, the second during the flowering period and the last - 2-3 weeks before harvest. Open potato beds require hilling if standard planting methods are used. As a rule, chopper process bushes after watering.

This method is good for obtaining early harvest in the southern regions of the country and in order to protect the weather from cold weather. In the list of benefits, the following factors:

• hilling can be neglected;
• fast growth;
• powerful root system;
• the crop ripens faster in 2-3 weeks.

Among the shortcomings can be identified: planting material may be subject to rotting or the emergence of a fungus, you can only use varieties suitable for early planting, for covering it is necessary to remove covering material.

Important conditions of this method are several important factors.

• Use of germinated potatoes of large size.
• Exposure of planting material after processing and landscaping in the buried state. To do this, use the boxes with peat, which is stored in a dark ventilated area.
• A place to disembark is to choose a sunlit, protected from the winds.
• Before planting, the land is treated with nutrient composition, for which 60 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of potassium sulfate and 1 gram of copper sulphate are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
• After landing above the ridge, arc-shaped overlaps are installed, to which polyethylene or other covering material is attached.
• For the first time, the greenhouse can only be opened for a short time a day after the sprout appears, but it can only be watered after 3 weeks. After the bushes reach the mark of 25 cm, vents are made in the film size of 8-10 mm.
• If the landing was in the first week of March, then the film could be completely removed only in the second half of May.

This method is suitable for growing potatoes year round. In this case, care is reduced to a minimum, and the yield is increased compared with other methods. The disadvantages include the high costs of maintaining greenhouses and their heating in the winter period.

It should be noted that it is important what the depth of the hole, trench or groove. And the depth, in turn, depends on the climate and soil condition. For example, if the natural conditions allow the tubers to be buried shallowly for early harvest, the question arises what to do to increase the quantity. Planting material can be laid up and down by sprouts, with which a number of factors are associated with increasing yields.

With any method of planting, especially for open ground, you need to take care of the revival of the land after the previous harvest. In order to improve the condition of the soil for planting potatoes, agronomists advise in the fall after harvesting to plant the area with green manure (1.5-2 kg of seeds per 100 square meters). In the spring, when they grow up to 15 cm, they are mown and buried in a bed, thereby enriching the soil with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

You need to choose them correctly. For example, the wireworm does not like mustard, rape or rape, but rye and wheat are loved, although they improve the structure of the soil. Plants of the legume family - beans, peas or lupins - will saturate the soil with nitrogen, and crucifers will increase the level of macro- and microelements.

April is the best time for the middle strip for potatoes, and May for the Urals and the Siberian side. It is possible to plant early varieties and late varieties in any climate, but it should be remembered that the vegetative time interval for potatoes is 90 days, so it will not work out quickly.

In fact, any technology is simple, if you understand it in advance.

1. Do not plant potatoes in cold land. That is, it should be established warm weather without frost. If there is no other way out, you will have to warm the soil yourself, for example, by covering it with black plastic wrap.
2. Tubers must be selective, free from disease and damage. The most effective planting large specimens. If they are cut, it should be borne in mind that each part must have at least three eyes. Tubers of medium size are better not to choose as planting material, since they usually grow on weak bushes. Small potatoes are planted in several pieces in 1 well.
3. Sowing seeds for household is not typical. Usually this is done by breeders in special laboratories or at large agro-industrial enterprises.

Sometimes use the option of planting with the use of manure.

1. Digging the earth. If the site is large, it is more expedient to attract equipment. You can dig up a small bed with a walk-behind tractor or a shovel. Manure can be applied before digging, as well as to each well separately during planting.
2. Then one person goes and digs holes or grooves in the trench method.
3. The second decomposes the tubers and makes over the fertilizer in the form of manure. You can attract a third assistant, then the fertilizer will scatter it.
4. The first worker while digging the second row simultaneously falls asleep first.
5. Further process repeats.

Motoblock is designed to automate the process of landing, facilitate human labor. Depending on the nozzles, it can either cut the grooves, or completely complete the process: dig up, cut trenches, lay the planting material and fill the grooves with earth.

To get a good harvest, you must follow certain rules of care for the crop.

As a rule, in areas with a temperate climate, plantings are not artificially watered; there is enough rainfall. However, in dry areas need to be watered, especially this is important when flowering. Such an operation increases the yield.

Experts advise not to overdo it with fertilizers. However, three times per season, this is necessary.

The first top dressing is carried out after the bushes have reached a length of 15 cm. For these purposes, you can use an aqueous solution infused with nettle or dandelion leaves. Or fertilize with a mixture of humus and urea. One liter will be enough for feeding 4 meters of potato beds.

The second time the fertilizer is applied in the period of budding. Agronomists advise to use a dry mixture of half-liter of wood ash and 50 grams of potassium nitrate, which can handle up to 12 meters of ridge. It is possible for convenience to dissolve the ingredients in 10 liters of water. Organic fertilizers should not be applied during flowering, as they will cause weed growth.

For the third time, fertilizing can be done on the 60-70th vegetative day to stimulate the formation of tubers. For this you can use any mixture based on phosphate and potassium.

As well as during the growing season, it is necessary to observe the leaves on the bushes. They can report the condition of the plant. Healthy color "face" - rich green. If the leaf has a pale shade, then this indicates a lack of nitrogen. It should be remembered that it is better to apply nitrogen fertilizers before flowering, otherwise all efforts will be spent on forcing the tops, and tuber formation will worsen. During budding, water the plant with a weak phosphorus solution.

Growing potatoes, as well as other crops, is aggravated by the presence of insects that feed on them. Therefore, in order to grow a good crop, you need to learn how to fight them.

It is better to use the old grandfathering techniques.

• To scare away the bear, you need to add to the wells of the powder from the shell of eggs and onion peel.
• Digging traps around the perimeter of the potato plot from the wireworm or Colorado potato beetle. Furrows filled with slices of "sweet" vegetables: beets, carrots or potatoes.
• Landing in the aisle or around plants, honey plants, which will attract helpers in the fight against pests - ladybirds. These include varieties with a strong odor - calendula, marigold, wormwood.

To loosen the ground is necessary if it is covered with a crust after a heavy rain. If you do not loosen the top layer, then the heat of the sun and the wind will make it more rigid. Cracking damages the root system, and the cracks themselves contribute to moisture loss.

The hilling process performs two functions: weeding and the formation of a slightly raised ridge.

Hilling protects root crops from repeated sudden frosts.

For work are used as a conventional hoe, and specialized agricultural technology, relevant to the processing of large areas.

The first treatment should be done after the shrub grows to 10 cm. Re-hilling is necessary at a plant height of 40 cm. The second time the process is designed to lift the ground above the tuber.

The first sign of potato harvest readiness is the dying off of the tops of the tops. Usually this should be expected by the end of the 90-day period. As soon as the lower leaves begin to dry, the ripening process starts: the accumulation of starch and other microelements responsible for the taste and flavor of the product.

Good is the yield at which one bush brings a bucket of potatoes. In order for the potato harvest to be well kept, it is necessary to follow several rules when harvesting.

• Two weeks before harvest, dry stalks are mowed. It is necessary for the root crop to build up a thick skin, eyes to form on the tubers.
• The period of collecting early varieties of potatoes from July to August. Mid-season cleaned in the second week of August, later - in early September.
• Dig the crop should be in dry weather, because it must be dried in the sun and after one or two weeks kept under a canopy.
• It is impossible to keep potatoes in the ground for a long time, because the autumn rains will over-sweat the tubers with water and worsen the keeping quality.

To ensure long-term winter storage, potatoes must be prepared.

• Immediately after it was dug, the potatoes should be left for a couple of hours in the sun to dry. In addition, ultraviolet baths are the prevention of fungal infections.
• Dry ground on the tubers gently shake off so as not to damage the potatoes.
• Then the crop is transferred under a canopy for 1-2 days to peel dried.
• After drying, the crop is transferred to a dark room. At home, for these purposes, sheds are used, where potatoes are scattered on the floor with a layer thickness of half a meter or left in open bags. For 10-14 days, the potato skins will become more dense, and infected tubers will manifest themselves.
• Next, you need to sort the sick and damaged roots, which should be destroyed.

• The rest is packed up again depending on the needs: for food - larger, smaller ones - for feed to domestic animals or birds. At the same stage, you should immediately select the seed for the next year.
• After packaging, the crop is decontaminated with antifungal agents such as "Fitosporin" or "Baktofit" and dried.
• Having completed all the procedures for sorting and processing, potatoes are laid out in storage tanks.
• Temperature conditions in the vaults are very important. It should be stable and not exceed +5 degrees. At low values, the potato will freeze and become sweet, at high values ​​it will begin to germinate and become flabby. The best place for potato storage are cellars and potato pits.
• Storage areas should be protected from the invasion of rodents.
• Humidity in the potato storage requires moderate, good ventilation is obligatory. It is better if the floor is lined with sand, and not with linoleum or cement, which accumulate waggle.

As a rule, in a household the harvest is small, therefore it is more expedient to store it in boxes or bags. If there are boxes in the cellar, there should be a distance between them for ventilation. If the potatoes are stored in bags or large boxes, then the thickness of the layer is adjusted, focusing on the conditions of ventilation.

Any bins should not touch the floor and walls. For bags it is necessary to build shelves, for drawers - shelving. All devices will provide better ventilation of the cellar and better preserve the potatoes.

Before storing the crop in the cellar, it is better to pre-disinfect it. Our grandparents used whitewash for this purpose: in 10 liters of water they dissolved 2 kg of slaked lime and 0.2 kg of copper sulphate. If disinfection is not carried out, the risk of infection of the tubers with the larvae of the potato moth or fungus increases.

The case is similar to the cellar. However, the design of the basement is somewhat different from the cellar, so it is very important to monitor the optimum humidity. It is better to use whitewash as a disinfection. Storage places to organize like a cellar.

Until now, some summer residents keep potatoes in pits, although daily access in this case is extremely difficult. For the organization of such storage should dig a hole 1.5 meters deep and about two meters in diameter. The bottom is covered with straw up to 40 centimeters thick. Next, pour out the potatoes, not reaching the edge of the pit by 40 cm. The crop is closed with a straw layer flush with the ground. A board is laid on top, and the whole structure is covered with earth up to 80 cm.

In urban areas there is no cellar, not everyone has vegetable cells and sheds, but everyone has balconies. It should be noted that only the glazed and closed version can be suitable for storage. For the safety of the potatoes set the boxes, which are of two options.

• The usual wooden box. Potatoes are just poured into it and the fabric is covered with matching. This method can be used only up to -10 degrees in areas with a temperate climate.
• Special thermos for storing vegetablesincluding potatoes, which is preferable for a colder climate. It is made of two wooden boxes, nested in each other, the space between which is filled with foam. The lid also has a layered structure. For heating with a strong drop in temperature outside the window, you can use the usual darkened bulbs at 25 watts.

On how to plant potatoes, see the following video.