How to plant potatoes under a shovel: step-by-step instructions (preparation, care, harvesting)

When can you plant

There are certain deadlines for planting a particular potato variety. It all depends on the soil temperature, which should not be cold or too wet. You can plant potato tubers under a shovel when the soil warms up to at least +8°C and dries out enough to not stick together. The prevailing air temperature should also be above +10°C, and no prolonged cold spells are expected in the near future.

Such conditions occur in different regions of Russia at different times, therefore the landing dates are also different. The earliest date is the 3rd decade of March, at this time it is possible to plant early varieties in the southern regions. Mid-season varieties begin to be planted here at the beginning of next month. In the central zone, plantings begin in the 3rd ten days of April, in Siberia and the Urals - in the 1st ten days of May.

What varieties can be planted without digging?

There are no special varieties for growing without plowing. For planting, it is best to take zoned potato varieties for the North-Western region - they are resistant to excess moisture and give a good harvest after a long, cold spring.

Early varieties do not have time to produce the usual outbreak of late blight. The main disadvantage of early-ripening potato varieties is that the tubers cannot be stored for long periods of time. For winter storage, high-yielding mid-season and mid-late varieties with good keeping quality of tubers are grown.

Tuber preparation

The first stage of successful potato growing is preparing the tubers for planting. If it is carried out correctly, this will be a good incentive for the further growth of plants and the formation of an excellent harvest.

First, you need to purchase tubers of the variety you like or select from those grown on your own plot. In the latter case, planting material must be selected in the fall: from the tubers collected in the beds, select homogeneous, medium-sized ones. All of them must have completely intact peel. It is advisable to green them, for which they need to be kept in a well-lit place for 2-3 weeks.

In the spring, a month before planting, sort through the tubers selected in the fall, remove all damaged, rotten, and lost a lot of moisture.

1. First, disinfect by immersing the potatoes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 0.5 hours.
2. Then lay out in 1 row in a cool and damp, but always bright room.
3. Periodically spray the tubers with water (possibly with growth stimulants) to prevent them from drying out.

Germination should be carried out so that the sprouts of the tubers are short, thick and strong, and do not break off. This technique allows you to accelerate the germination of planted tubers by 1.5 weeks. Immediately before planting, they are also treated - sprayed with a solution of Heteroauxin (2 days before planting), powdered with ash on the day of planting, or sprayed with a solution of preparations containing boron, manganese and copper.

Planting potatoes in bags

This method of growing potatoes is loved by summer residents for its mobility: if necessary, bags of seedlings can simply be moved to a more suitable place. In addition, the method is very economical - it is possible to harvest almost twice as much harvest from a unit area.

The bags chosen are small, made of dense but breathable fabric (like those used for flour or sugar). They turn off the edges and fill them with fertile, slightly moistened soil with a layer of about 20 cm, then place several sprouted potatoes there and cover them with the same layer of soil. That's all! The bag is placed in a sunny place, preferably near a wall or fence, or slightly buried. In the future, you only need to water the plants as needed, and when they grow up, turn away the edges of the bag and add soil.

For bag growing to be successful, it is important to choose the right potato variety. Basically, early varieties with large tubers are used for this purpose.

Some gardeners modify the method - they select bags from dense polyethylene, fill them with soil to the top, and place the tubers in diamond-shaped slits on the sides of the bag.

Pros:

• tubers are not afraid of pests and late blight and do not rot;
• There is no need to hill up or weed the potatoes.

Minuses:

• a lot of humus (compost) is required;
• constant monitoring of soil moisture is required.

Selecting a planting site and preparing the soil

Potatoes in summer cottages and household plots should grow in open, well-lit beds. The soil should be such that rain or irrigation water does not stagnate in it; close proximity to groundwater is also not desirable. In terms of looseness and humidity, it should be moderate. The preferred type of soil is sandy loam and loam; peat is added to sandy soils; a lot of sand and ash are added to clay soils (but it is better for this type of soil to use other planting methods, that is, not under a shovel).

The predecessors of potatoes are garden crops that do not belong to the Solanaceae family. If potatoes were growing on the site this year, then it is better to choose another place and return it to its original location only after 3-4 years.

Soil preparation also begins in the fall: the area where the potatoes will be placed next spring is cleared of remnants of the previous crop and weeds, dug up at least as much as a shovel, fertilized - applied to each square meter. m compost, humus and ash. Humus or compost is placed at 7-15 kg per square meter. m, ash - up to 1 kg. You can sow the area with green manure, mow them in the spring and plow the greens into the ground 2 weeks before planting the tubers.

In the spring, the area is also dug up and leveled.

Planting options

Potatoes can be planted using various methods. It depends on climatic conditions, the occurrence of groundwater, the size of the site, and so on. Starting in the fall, the designated area must be cleared of weeds, dug up, and also fertilized. To do this, use humus or compost in an amount of 10-15 kg per square meter and ash up to 1 kg per the same area. With the onset of spring, the beds are dug up again, leveled, and then planting begins.

The usual shovel method

This option is most often practiced when growing vegetables on black soil. It is suitable for a small garden where groundwater does not come close to the surface. In this case, the planting depth is equal to almost half a shovel (bayonet) and is 12 cm.

When planting under a shovel, adhere to one of the following schemes:

• Planting in holes or furrows. Gaps of 30-35 cm are left between individual holes, the distance between rows should be about 70 cm. As the potatoes grow, they must be hilled up, forming a mound around the stem.
• Square nest method. In this case, the tubers are planted at a distance of 50-70 cm from neighboring ones.
• Chess option. To do this, holes are dug with a shift in each next row so that the bushes grow in a checkerboard pattern.
• Mittlider scheme. It involves double rows, with approximately 1 m left between adjacent “twos”. Holes are dug in each row, retreating 30 cm. Planting is done in a checkerboard pattern. This approach can be used on any type of soil and significantly saves planting space. At the same time, the bushes receive a significant amount of sunlight, and there is no need to hill up the potatoes.

When planting, potatoes should be positioned with their sprouts facing up. With a linear arrangement of root crops, the easiest way is to use a board for marking. Standing on it, they dig a series of holes, plant tubers, and move the board to a distance suitable for row spacing. After this, the previous row is sprinkled with earth. This way you can get even rows of plants.

Comb method

It is used when the garden is located on heavy soils. The site is plowed into shallow trenches of 5-6 cm if the soil is loamy and 8-10 cm deep if it is black soil. After the tubers are laid out in them, ridges up to 15 cm in height are made on top. With this method of cultivation, the soil is well ventilated and heated. Water does not collect on the ridges, so there will be no problems with harvesting.

Landing in trenches

Not the easiest method of cultivating potatoes, but this way you can grow the earliest varieties. To do this, in the fall I make furrows about 20 cm in size. They are covered with mulch - sawdust, leaves and humus. Over the winter, such a cushion settles by about 5 cm. In the spring, sprouted tubers are laid out on this litter, and wide ridges are made on top.

Using straw

This method does not require plowing the garden. Straw is a breathable material, so roots grow quickly in it. The tubers are laid out on the surface of the ground without deepening them. A straw pillow is placed on top. As the potatoes grow, their tops are sprinkled with new portions of straw.

Planting from autumn

In those regions where winters are not too severe, tubers can be planted directly in the fall. This allows you to obtain an earlier harvest of root crops and prevents the development of late blight. For this method, planting depth is especially important. If you make it too small (up to 12 cm), the potatoes will simply freeze. If you plant in 30 cm holes, the seedlings will appear too late. The optimal depth when planting for the winter is 15-20 m, depending on frost. The beds must be covered with spruce branches or straw.

In containers

For this method of cultivation, containers are set up - boxes that are filled with organic matter. The fertile layer is replaced annually. The method is more suitable for regions with cold climates, as it allows you to grow early varieties of vegetables. The containers are oriented from north to south so that the plants have enough warmth and light. At the same time, the depth of planting tubers is small - about 6-8 cm.

If you do not follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners, the tubers will not have enough heat and moisture, and it will be difficult for the sprouts to break through the soil. The good development and productivity of this beloved crop directly depends on the depth of planting.

Technology and planting scheme

The technology for planting potatoes under a shovel involves placing potatoes in beds according to various patterns. It is preferable to plant tubers in ridges (approximately 15 cm high) in areas where groundwater is high. Between them you need to leave row spacing of approximately 0.5 m.

Schemes for planting potatoes under a shovel:

1. In grooves or holes. The distance between seed potatoes in a row and between rows will vary, usually it depends on the variety and is 30-35 cm and 60-70 cm, respectively.
2. Square-cluster method. Potatoes are placed at an equal distance from one another - 0.5-0.7 m.
3. In a checkerboard pattern. The tubers are placed in holes placed in rows, each of which begins with a shift between the bushes by half a distance.
4. According to Mittlider. Potatoes are laid in double rows, the distance between the rows when planting potatoes according to this scheme is 1 m. The holes in such rows are placed at intervals of 0.3 m and in a checkerboard pattern.

The direction of the beds should be from south to north for maximum illumination. Planting depth varies - from 5 to 10 cm, depending on the variety and type of soil.

Pros and cons of the method

Each method of planting potatoes has its own strengths and weaknesses, which are worth paying special attention to.

Pros:

• planting potatoes under a shovel allows you to get a good harvest with minimal resources;
• Potatoes grown using this method have high commercial quality;
• The harvested crop can be stored for 8 months.

Minuses:

• involves large amounts of energy because it is a labor-intensive method;
• It is difficult to provide potatoes with the right amount of nutrients, light, moisture and air.

Caring for potatoes after planting

Potatoes planted under a shovel are grown using standard technology, that is, they will need watering, fertilizing, loosening and, of course, hilling. This must be done correctly and on time so that the plants can develop as necessary and can demonstrate their full potential.

Watering

If the potatoes are planted on time and the ground has not yet dried out, then the moisture in the ground will be enough for them to sprout sprouts above the surface of the ground. After this, it is watered abundantly. Mandatory watering is carried out 2 more times - during the formation of buds and after flowering. Basically, this is enough for the potatoes to form a crop, but only if the summer is not very hot. If the drought lasts for a long time, additional watering is necessary. The last irrigation is carried out 2 weeks before digging up the tubers.

Top dressing

The first feeding of potato bushes is carried out a month after planting. At this time, you can use both mineral and organic fertilizers. During the first feeding, nitrogen should predominate in them. Use slurry in a concentration of 1 to 10, if it is prepared from bird droppings, then in a concentration of 1 to 20. For mineral fertilizers, use ammonium nitrate in the dosage specified in the instructions. The solution is applied to the irrigation grooves. You can simply sprinkle granules in them and then water the plants. Nitrogen fertilizers at this stage promote the growth of tops; they become tall, powerful and green, which is necessary for the formation of a future harvest.

The second feeding is carried out before the bushes begin to bloom. At this time, they no longer need nitrogen, now they need phosphorus and potassium, so they use fertilizers containing precisely these elements: superphosphate, various potassium fertilizers (except chlorine-containing ones) and ash, as a natural source of these elements, as well as many others necessary for potatoes . They are applied in the same way as nitrogen - in the form of solutions after watering or in dry form before watering. Application rates are according to the instructions. There is no need to exceed the dosage.

The third feeding is carried out after the potato bushes have flowered. The same phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used and in the same doses as during the second feeding. Foliar spraying of leaves with solutions of mineral fertilizers is also carried out - before flowering. Preventive spraying with agrochemicals is carried out if they are recommended according to the characteristics of the variety, for therapeutic purposes - when signs of disease or pest proliferation appear.

Loosening and hilling

Loosening is carried out after each watering and rain, and also if the soil is too dense. This makes it possible to make the soil more breathable and less moist, so that the tubers in the ground can be prevented from rotting and so that the plants develop properly. At the same time, weeds and their shoots are removed.

The first hilling is carried out when the tops have grown by 15-20 cm, the second - 2 or 3 weeks after that, approximately before the start of flowering. If necessary, you can hill up 1 or 2 more times to straighten the ridges if the bushes are large or the tubers are peeking out from under the ground.

Planting

Potatoes should be planted when the night temperature is above +10 degrees. On average, this is mid-April. Depending on weather conditions, the process is shifted to the beginning or end of the month. Remember: late planting and lack of moisture will have a negative impact on the harvest, and cold soil during early work will destroy all the seed due to frost or disease.

To properly plant a vegetable under a shovel, carefully dig up the area. The rows consist of small holes, the distance between which is 30 cm. To make the beds even, drive in pegs and pull twine or thick thread. The depth of each hole is 15 cm.

There are three options for forming beds, so we’ll tell you a few words about each of them.

1. Honeycombs. The holes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Each new row moves one plant sideways.
2. Square. The entire area is divided into cells, inside of which there is a nest for potatoes.
3. Two-line. The plot is divided into long beds, the holes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The double row has a common ditch for fertilizer and watering. Paths up to 1 meter are made for passage.

Professionals recommend adding a handful of humus to the bottom, and only then laying the potatoes. By the way, to enrich the soil with nitrogen, plant beans nearby. Choose a sunny and dry day for work: excess moisture will negatively affect the harvest. After planting, level the ground with a rake.

Potatoes are planted in holes arranged in a checkerboard pattern

After a week, water your plantation and remove weeds. Regular loosening removes excess moisture and prevents the tubers from rotting. Weeds thicken the soil, making it airtight, which becomes an excellent breeding ground for infectious diseases. If the weather is rainy, then additional watering is unnecessary. Remember: do not overwater the potatoes, but hydrate as needed.

A month later, the plants are earthed up and the first fertilizer is applied. As soon as the plantation blooms, then feed the tubers a second time, doubling the dose. Before adding substances, be sure to water the potatoes so as not to burn the root system with chemicals.

Two weeks before harvest, gardeners cut off all the tops. Now the plant stops wasting energy on growing greens and accelerates the ripening of root crops and thickens the peel. Such potatoes are perfectly stored for 8 months and are not affected by rot and infections.

Now you know how to properly plant potatoes using the proven method under a shovel. By following our recommendations, you will get an excellent harvest with a minimal investment of effort and money.

Preparation of planting material

Recommendations on how to plant potatoes correctly are not limited directly to the principles of planting. The preparation of tubers and soil is carried out long before the start of the season: the first stage of work occurs in the fall, and the second in the spring, several weeks before planting.

How to prepare tubers for planting:

1. Procurement of planting material begins in autumn. Potatoes need to be carefully sorted, discarding spoiled, damaged and too small tubers. To increase the germination of seed material, it is necessary to keep it in the light for 2-3 weeks. Green quality tubers can be stored in a dark, dry and cool place.
2. In early spring, prepared potatoes should be inspected, rotten and spoiled tubers should be removed again. The mesh with the remaining material should be immersed in a weak solution of boric acid or potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes.
3. Prepared potatoes must be laid out in 1 row in a bright, humid and well-ventilated room. The air temperature must be at least 10°C. When indoor humidity is low, planting tubers should be regularly sprayed with water. Planting begins in mid-spring, so you need to lay out material for germination no later than the end of March. The germination period is 20-40 days. In chaff, sawdust, warm peat or humus, potatoes germinate twice as fast - within 15-20 days.
4. If there is not enough space for placement, you can germinate tubers in bags, after moistening the tubers with water. Holes must be cut in the bags. When germinating in bags, you need to more carefully monitor the condition of the planting material: immediately after the sprouts appear, it must be taken to a cool place.
5. After the sprouts appear, the potatoes are ready for planting. The sprouts should be small, because large and long ones are easily damaged during planting. Sprouted tubers can be stored on the balcony or in a cool, dry place for 1-2 weeks. 2-3 days before planting, you can treat the tubers with biostimulants (Albit, Mikon, Poteytin, etc.). Treatment with stimulants can be carried out before germination. To protect plantings from scab, gardeners treat tubers with a solution of ferric chloride
6. To increase starchiness, potatoes should be dusted with ash at the rate of 10-20 g of ash per 1 kg of root vegetables.

Choice of terms

It is impossible to determine the planting date of potatoes in advance - it depends on weather conditions. If the spring is long, then the soil will thaw later, but if the spring is early, then return frosts are likely, and the sprouts of early planted potatoes may be caught by frost. A preliminary weather forecast and sowing calendar will help you roughly determine when to plant potatoes in 2022.

The signal to start planting is the condition of the soil. Since the tuber contains a lot of moisture, there is no point in planting it in frozen and cold soil - the processes occurring in the tissues will stop. Planting should begin when the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 6-8 °C in the southern regions, in colder climates - to 10-12 °C, and the daytime temperature will remain around 15-18 °C. In addition, the moisture has not yet had time to evaporate and the soil is still wet.

If there is not enough moisture, then the planting depth is less than usual (8-12 cm) and will be only 5-6 cm; in heavy soils it is better to plant on ridges 6-8 cm high. Folk signs indicating that nature is ready to plant potatoes:

• the bird cherry color fades (usually flowering occurs during the coldest period of May);
• on a birch tree the leaf reached the size of a penny coin;
• The dandelion has formed a ball with seeds.

According to the lunar calendar

According to the lunar sowing calendar, it is recommended to plant root crops and bulbs on the waning moon, when all liquids rush down. At this time, it is good to add organic matter, feed the plants, weed, and destroy pests. You should not expect a complete coincidence of weather conditions and favorable days, but you can choose a landing day.

Potato planting calendar in 2022:

The table of favorable days indicates the period of the flawed Moon; the unfavorable period includes the days of the New Moon, Full Moon, the growth of the Moon and its presence in the sign of Aquarius (sterile sign). In June, planting after the 10th is possible only where tubers of early varieties have time to ripen before the cold weather. Landing days fall at the end of the month.

Planting dates in different regions

The approximate time for planting potato tubers by region can be found in the tables below.

For Russia

For Ukraine and Belarus

Varieties and terms

To obtain fresh young potatoes for use in the summer season, early varieties are planted, and mid- and late-ripening varieties are stored for storage. When calculating the planting date, the growing season must also be taken into account - for different varieties it takes from 40 to 140 days.

Varieties by ripening time:

• ultra-early – 40-55 days;
• early ripening – 60-80 days;
• mid-early – 80-90 days;
• mid-season – 90-100 days;
• medium-late – 100-120 days;
• late – 120-140 days.

Planting potatoes in 2022 will be successful if you choose the right planting day, focusing on the climate of the area, and prepare the site and seed material in a timely manner.

Soil preparation

It is recommended to plant potatoes under a shovel in sandy and loose soil. Clay soil reduces productivity because... prevents the passage of water and the growth of seedlings.

Well-lit areas with low groundwater levels (at least 5-6 m from the surface) are suitable for planting. It is advisable to plant potatoes where sunflowers, beets, cucumbers, corn or pumpkins grow. After planting potatoes, it is recommended to take a break of several years.

Root crops grow well in soil with a pH of 5.5-7.0. A sign of suitable acidity is a large amount of dandelions, clover and wheatgrass.

The essence of the method

If you need to plant tubers in small beds, many gardeners use the “shovel” planting method. This means that when planting potatoes in open ground, they are planted almost to the depth of a spade bayonet.

This planting method is often used on light and loose soils, where groundwater lies quite deep. After planting potatoes in this way, many gardeners create small earthen mounds around the stems of the plant, because the bulk of the productive stems are located deep in the ground, and there is no need to rake a lot of earth onto the plant.

Before planting, the land should be prepared

1. In the fall, the area needs to be dug up and fertilizers (manure, superphosphate, potassium sulfate) applied. Instead, you can plant green manure plants (rye, phacelia, mustard) on the site. At low pH, you need to deoxidize the soil with ash, dolomite flour, lime or another reagent. You can also apply fertilizers in the spring: superphosphate, compost, humus, etc. are used for this.
2. Spring cultivation depends on the method of preparing the land in the fall. When using green manure, 2 weeks before planting, you need to mow the plants on the site and dig up the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm, introducing stems rich in microelements. With another method of autumn preparation, you can loosen the soil with a pitchfork to a depth of 10-15 cm. Wet or clay soil is loosened. Then they dig up and level before planting.

After preparation with a walk-behind tractor or a walk-behind tractor, the soil should stand for at least 2-3 days.

How to prepare the soil?

To plant potatoes, you first need to prepare the ground, which can be done in two ways. In any case, preparations begin in the fall, since the potatoes are planted in the spring.

Continuous application of fertilizer

Gardeners scatter manure, bird droppings or compost over the garden bed, and then dig up the soil and loosen it with a rake. It is recommended to remove any weed roots found in the area.

To prepare excellent fertilizer for potatoes, you can use this method:

1. Remove all unnecessary mass from the garden in the form of various plant residues, weeds, roots and other plant components.
2. Place all this in a compost heap or pit - a specially designated place where the collected compost will rot.
3. Over time, it will become an excellent fertilizer.

There is another way to get organic fertilizer - to plant green manure crops on the plot in the fall, and in the spring, mow everything and manually bury it in the ground. Soon the crops will begin to rot, fertilizing the soil, so after 2 weeks you can plant the potatoes using a shovel.

If you are unable to prepare organic compost, you can use mineral fertilizers that are sold in stores.

Applying fertilizer in rows

If you need to dig up the soil and apply fertilizer at the same time, you can use this method:

1. Just dig up the area with a bayonet shovel, removing all the weed roots so that they do not germinate further, otherwise in the summer you will need to spend a lot of time weeding.
2. Apply fertilizer to the dug row, distributing everything evenly with a shovel so that there are no gaps.
3. When digging the next row, cover the first one with soil so that the fertilizer remains in the bed, and not on the surface, and nourishes the potatoes during their growth and germination.
4. In the spring, when digging the area, mix everything well again.

To ensure active growth of potatoes, you can use a mixture of fertilizers, for the preparation of which you mix 5 kg of manure and no more than 30 g of potassium phosphate.

Scheme of planting potatoes under a shovel

The basic principles of planting that planters argue about are what depth to place the tubers, how to arrange the beds and how to distribute the seed.

With a continuous planting method, there is a high risk of tops closing, which complicates care and harvesting. It is advisable to plant potatoes in ridges or beds.

Depending on the size of the plot, preferences and other factors, you can choose one of the following planting schemes:

• two-row according to Mittlider (the distance between pairs of rows is 1 m, between rows in a pair is 30-50 cm, the gap in a pair is used as a watering ditch);
• checkerboard pattern (tubers in the rows are offset relative to each other, the distance between the rows is 50-60 cm);
• square-cluster scheme (the plot is divided into squares, in the center of which 1-2 tubers are planted, the distance between the rows and bushes is 60-70 cm).

The landing is carried out as follows:

1. Make holes 10 cm deep.
2. Pour a handful of humus, compost or other fertilizer into the hole, carefully lay out the tuber, and fill the hole.
3. Form a bed. After planting, level the ground with a rake.

Harvesting

Picture 5 High-yielding method of planting

Harvesting activities are carried out in dry weather. 10 days before digging up potatoes, the tops are cut off, which allows the root crops to accelerate ripening and the skin to become stronger.

Using a sharp shovel, holes are dug and the soil is turned over. The tubers are collected in buckets. The harvest dug up in this way can be stored for about 30 weeks.

By controlling the process of crop rotation and observing agricultural techniques for growing crops, you can grow healthy vegetable bushes, which will subsequently delight the owner of the plot with a hefty harvest.

Caring for potato seedlings

1-1.5 weeks after planting, you need to weed the area to remove weeds. Before the bushes appear, you need to regularly loosen the soil to provide the roots with oxygen and water.

When the potato tops grow to 20 cm, you can begin hilling - raking soil from the rows under the bushes. This procedure is performed with a hoe or flat cutter once every 2 weeks. When the bushes grow, hilling can be stopped.

A month after planting, the potatoes are fed with fertilizers. The second and third times, fertilizing is carried out after flowering and after flowering of the plants. Before applying fertilizer, seedlings should be moistened. Watering is done 1-2 times a week.

2 weeks before harvesting, stop watering and cut off the tops.

First hilling

If you planted using the Mittlider method, there is no need to hill up the crop. With other methods, ten days after planting, it is necessary to loosen the soil to saturate the soil with oxygen, and at the same time, if necessary, remove weeds. Important! After planting the crop, no matter what method was used, the holes are filled up, and the surface must be leveled with a rake, breaking up clods of earth.

Hill up for the first time when the tops reach a height of 20 cm. Carry out the procedure carefully so as not to damage the shoots. They are pulled apart, held by hand, and covered with soil, leaving only leaves on the surface.

Preparation of planting material

Potato tubers are prepared for planting in the fall. At the same time, rotten and damaged root crops are excluded. At this stage, you should remember: strong, healthy potatoes will bring a big harvest. In turn, rotten tubers can contaminate the soil and cause rotting of root crops in neighboring holes.

To increase the resistance of tubers to diseases in the fall, they are kept in sunlight for 20 days. In this case, the tubers acquire a green tint and become unfit for consumption. Planting potatoes are removed in a cool, dark place until spring.

In spring, potatoes are taken out and transferred to a bright room for germination. Immediately before planting, all tubers are inspected for rot. Sick root crops are disposed of.

The history of the appearance of potatoes in Russia

Potatoes have been cultivated in fields for over 5,000 years. It was known to the ancient people, who found it while digging for edible roots. In Russia, it appeared thanks to Tsar Peter I, who ordered the cultivation of potatoes in all peasant farmsteads. But this decree was marked by popular unrest and resistance to the new vegetable.

The common people did not immediately understand that they needed to eat tubers, so they only ate green ovaries. They were poisonous and people often died afterwards. The Old Believers generally nicknamed the overseas vegetable the devil’s apple and refused to eat it even on pain of death. Potato riots followed. Only in the second half of the 19th century was the vegetable rehabilitated. Over time, potatoes fell in love with all the people and replaced the widely used turnips from the tables. Now the hearty vegetable is consumed in 130 countries around the world.

Soil preparation

In autumn, potato beds are plowed and humus is added. In the spring, before planting potatoes, the soil is plowed again, disinfected and fertilized. Ash, compost, urea or saltpeter are used as fertilizer. Fertilizing the soil allows you to increase productivity.

If the soil on your site is clayey, but you plan to plant potatoes under a shovel, take care of high-quality and abundant fertilizing of the soil. Fertilizer application not only increases productivity, but also directly affects the quality characteristics of the soil, making it lighter and looser.

Determine the soil type . You can determine the type of soil in your area using a simple test. Take some soil from the garden bed and lightly moisten it with water. Try to sculpt some kind of figure out of it. If the soil holds its shape well and does not crumble, it is clayey; if it crumbles, it is sandy. Sand or wood ash will help improve the soil characteristics on your site if the soil is clayey, peat if it is sandy.

Reaction . After determining the soil type, test it for reaction. To do this, remember which weeds grow in what quantity in the garden bed. If buttercups and plantain grow predominantly, the soil is acidic, bindweed and sow thistle predominate - neutral. To reduce the acidity of the soil, add lime, ash or chalk to it. For 1 sq. meter will require 1-2 kg. fertilizers This procedure will help bring the soil composition closer to neutral.

Alternation of crops . Experienced gardeners and gardeners know that you cannot plant the same type of vegetable crops in the same bed every year. In the case of planting potatoes, this rule is also relevant. It is necessary to alternate planting potatoes with other types of vegetable crops, which will reduce diseases of root crops or damage to them by wireworms.

Potatoes have good germination and yield rates if they are planted in beds previously sown with sunflowers, beets or pumpkins. also plant potatoes after cucumbers and corn . The area chosen for planting potatoes should be well lit and accessible for watering.

Potato processing

Weeding

A week after planting, it is worth loosening the soil. During this time, a dense crust formed on the ground, preventing the germination of plant stems and the access of oxygen. Weeding is carried out weekly. This helps fight weeds that negatively affect root crops.

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For weeding work, a rotary or mesh harrow, paws and a weeder are used.

Hilling

Shoots appear in 3-4 weeks. Now after planting you need to hill up the potatoes. A walk-behind tractor will help with this. For hilling, one, two or three row hillers are suitable. If desired, you can apply fertilizer by installing an additional nozzle.

Potato harvest

The walk-behind tractor is used not only for planting, but also for harvesting potatoes. By autumn, the potato tops dry out and everything is ready for harvesting. You need to dig potatoes in August - September, in dry weather. For digging with a walk-behind tractor, a mounted plower or potato digger is installed.

But you can get by with a single-row hiller, which will lift the soil and the potatoes will lie along the edge of the ridge. All that remains is to go through and collect the potatoes. Planting and processing potatoes with a walk-behind tractor is not the only area of ​​its application. Technical innovations have made the work of summer residents much easier.

The walk-behind tractor has now become a necessary tool for cultivating land. The unit is well worth the investment. You can see how walk-behind tractors can be used, in addition to planting potatoes, on the “Advice from an Old Plowman” website.

The choice of attachments depends on the owner’s requests. Using the example of planting, hilling, weeding and harvesting potatoes, you can see how using a walk-behind tractor makes life easier for gardeners.

Planting potatoes is a difficult task. It takes a lot of effort and time. To make the work of gardeners easier, Russian companies have developed wonderful equipment - a walk-behind tractor. The most famous and popular brands are “Salut” and “Neva”.

They are easy to operate, last a long time and rarely break down. But there are some rules that must be followed when planting potatoes. This article will tell you about the correct fit and nuances in using a walk-behind tractor.

Scheme of planting potatoes under a shovel

It is necessary to start planting potatoes when the night air temperature reaches 10 degrees . There is no point in planting earlier - the first shoots will appear after the soil has warmed up well.

There are two ways to plant potatoes under a shovel:

1. Linear landing - the holes are located on the same line;
2. Staggered landing.

The distance between the holes must be at least 30 cm. When planting linearly, it is necessary to maintain an interval between rows of 60 cm. The soil between the rows will be required for hilling potato seedlings. Late-ripening potato varieties have thicker tops, so the distance between rows must be at least 70 cm.

The hole in which the seed potatoes are placed should not be too deep . In the lower layers of the soil the ground is much colder; therefore, deep planting increases the time of emergence of seedlings. The optimal depth is 10 cm.

If you decide to plant potatoes at a later period, when the weather is quite warm and dry, reduce the depth of the hole to 4 cm. The same depth is necessary when planting tubers in clay soil. Its dense structure does not allow heat and moisture to pass through well and increases the time for the first shoots to appear.

After we have decided on the planting pattern and distance, we proceed directly to the planting work. We dig a hole and place the potatoes in it so that the sprout faces up . We cover it with earth. We plant the rest of the potato tubers in the same way.

If you use a linear fit, then to facilitate the work process, you can use a board. To do this, measure the width of the bed and select a board of the appropriate length plus 10 cm. The width of the board can be arbitrary, but you must take into account: a board that is too narrow can break from the weight of your weight, and a board that is too wide is inconvenient to work with. We place a suitable board on the ridge similar to the line where the holes are located. Standing on the board, start digging holes. After digging one row of holes and placing potatoes in them, move the board to a distance equal to the row spacing and fill the holes with soil. Make the next row and repeat.

Using a board for linear planting of potatoes has its advantages. The ground is not trampled down during work; the holes are located on the same line. As a result, you will get even potato rows.

After the potatoes are planted, it is necessary to level the surface of the ridge. This is done using a rake. This will give your garden a more well-groomed appearance and prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from the soil.

Dependence of tuber depth on planting time

When climatic conditions allow, gardeners try to plant potatoes earlier, while the soil is still saturated with moisture after the snow melts and spring rains. During this period, it is allowed to adhere to the minimum planting depth. The upper layers of the earth contain a sufficient amount of moisture; in addition, tubers in cold soil will receive heat from the sun during the day.

When planting late, the soil is often dry but warm. These two factors push the gardener to bury the tubers as deep as possible. At shallow depths, the potatoes will already be hot, plus there is a moisture deficit.

When summing up the solution to the question of what depth under a shovel to plant potatoes, we can draw the following conclusions: the maximum parameter is 12 cm, the minimum is 5 cm. Minor fluctuations up to 1 cm up or down are not dangerous. Serious neglect of the recommendations will lead to a decrease in yield.

Features of growing early potatoes

Growing early potatoes is not much different from ordinary ones. However, there are some nuances in this matter that must be followed. To grow it, you must follow the following rules:

• First of all, you need to choose suitable planting material, namely early-ripening zoned varieties suitable for your region. The weight of each potato must be at least 60 grams.
• To obtain an early harvest, it is necessary to germinate the planting material 20-30 days in advance; manipulation will speed up the processes.
• Particular attention should be paid to fertilizing the soil before planting early potatoes. The fact is that early ripening varieties will not have time to “feast” on the organic matter in the soil during their growing season. Therefore, it is rational and correct to fertilize the soil with mineral fertilizers (this is written a little higher).
• The scheme for planting early potatoes is almost the same, only the distance is a little less. It is recommended to maintain a gap between rows of 60 cm, and between tubers of 30 cm.

general characteristics

The growing season of potatoes lasts for one season (from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn). It goes through several phases of vegetation: germination, growth, bud formation, flowering and ripening. After flowering, round green fruits with seeds are formed. Be careful not to let children try to determine what they taste like. They are poisonous because they contain solanine.

In place of the planted tubers (the size of an egg), bushes of several shoots (from 2 to 4) appear. They reach a height of 30-50 centimeters. The color of the potatoes, the shade of the leaves, and the height of the bushes depend on the varietal characteristics. Fruit-bearing shoots (stolons) form under the bush. Miniature nodules form on them, ranging from 5 to 16 pieces.

Potato sorting

The collected tubers are sorted, selected for planting and for use as food. Large and standard potatoes are used for planting. If there are a small number of tubers, large tubers can be cut, leaving at least 2-3 buds (eyes). The “substandard” goes into animal feed.

The importance of maintaining distance

When you plant potatoes in the ground, it seems like they have plenty of room to grow. However, the peculiarity of the fruiting crop is the formation of a large family. More than 10 tubers can grow from one potato. Their exact number and size depend on the variety and care conditions.

If the planting material is initially planted close to each other, the ovary will occur. Problems will begin later as the tubers grow. They will no longer have enough free space, they will quickly deplete the soil and absorb moisture. The result of not maintaining the distance will be a weak harvest.

Advice! It is also unprofitable to make a large margin of distance due to the lack of saving of usable space. Empty areas will be overgrown with grass faster, and you will have to weed more often.

Recommendations for landing

At what depth to plant potatoes and the distance between holes is determined by:

• crop variety,
• soil composition.

The optimal depth for planting potatoes on light soils is 0.1 m. For planting on heavy loamy areas, dig holes 0.8 m deep. Potatoes are planted on clay soil, going 40-50 mm deep. An important criterion that determines the length of the hole is the size of the tubers. Compact potatoes are not planted as deep as large ones, but you should not deviate from the standards by more than 30 mm.

The recommended width between rows of late potatoes is 0.7 m, and for early potatoes 0.6 m. In a row, a step of 0.23 m is taken for early varieties, and 0.3 m for late ones. Such standards are relevant for potatoes of normal planting size.

Smooth landing

The depth of planting potatoes in the black soil in the southern hilly areas is 0.12 m. This planting option is called under a shovel. To begin with, make markings. How long to make holes in black soil depends on the location of the site. Planting is carried out after deep plowing.

This method was used during the Soviet Union during the development of virgin lands. After processing, the tractor left huge layers on which it was simply impossible to make ridges. The crop was planted 0.05 m deep under a shovel, crushing large lumps of earth with a pitchfork. Constant loosening, fertilizing, and hilling helps to significantly increase productivity and make the land suitable for planting crops in the future.

Ridge planting

The depth of planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor is 15 cm. The width between the holes is 65-71 centimeters. The method is used in areas with close groundwater. This method is relevant for regions with dense soil that does not allow air to pass through well.

A walk-behind tractor is often used because someone in the village has the necessary equipment. People try to minimize manual labor. But this method is not suitable for every type of soil. For example, loamy and sandy soils retain moisture very poorly, so there is an increased risk of reduced yields when planting using the ridge method.

Trench landing

The depth of planting potatoes in trenches on sandy soils and loams that do not retain moisture well is from 120 to 150 mm. The potatoes should be pressed slightly into the ground. The trenches are laid at a distance of 70 cm from each other.

Potato tubers should be planted at a distance of 0.4-0.6 m. This marking can also be done with a walk-behind tractor. To plant potatoes without wasting extra energy, you can use a potato planter - a special attachment for a walk-behind tractor.

The method is not suitable for soils that retain moisture or regions with close groundwater. In this case, the potatoes will simply suffocate and rot in the ground, or late blight infection will begin.

How to grow potatoes from seedlings

Usually, to plant potatoes, gardeners use tubers of suitable size left over from the previous season. They are immediately planted in the ground and wait for germination. But sometimes it is useful to carry out the seed renewal procedure. The easiest way to do this is to grow potatoes from seedlings from a tuber. This method of cultivation allows you to get a rich harvest of early ripening potatoes. We'll tell you how to do this.

Most often, the seedling method of growing garden crops is used for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. But potatoes can also be grown using this method. True, it is not particularly popular, since it requires some effort from the gardener. But if you set a goal, you will certainly be pleased with the harvest with its fast ripening time and excellent taste. Already at the end of June it will be possible to collect the first tubers.

Treatment of tubers before planting

Preparations should begin in early February. You will need several tubers of your favorite varieties. They must be even in shape, without damage or defects.

At the first stage, the selected potatoes must be soaked for 30 minutes in a special disinfectant solution, which is prepared according to the following recipe:

• Water – 10 l,
• Potassium permanganate – 4 g,
• Copper sulfate – 6 g,
• Boric acid – 2 g,
• Potassium sulfate – 30 g.

All ingredients are mixed and poured with warm water for better dissolution. Tubers are placed in the resulting substrate.

At the end of the half-hour soaking, the potatoes should be removed, dried and placed in a well-lit place for three weeks. Every 7 days the tubers are treated:

• In the first week, spray the potatoes with a mixture of 2.5 liters of water and 1 cup of ash.
• In the second week, treatment is carried out with a solution of 0.5 liters of superphosphate and 2.5 liters of water.
• In the third week, the tubers are sprayed with an infusion of chicken manure at a rate of 1:20.

These measures help strengthen the immunity of potatoes, increase endurance and prepare them for emergence.

Planting potatoes for seedlings

In early March it is necessary to start planting. For each tuber you need to prepare a separate container. To do this, you can take large sour cream cups, cut-off 1.5 liter bottles or juice or milk boxes. If you have pots from indoor plants, you can use them. The main thing is that the tuber is freely placed and can be removed without damage. The potatoes are covered with soil and left for another month.

In the last week of April, you can begin planting seedlings in their permanent place. To do this, shallow holes are dug, a handful of ash, humus and 1 tsp of superphosphate are added there, the earth is dug up again and the tuber is placed inside. For the first week after planting, the seedlings should be kept closed, for example, with spandbond.

To prevent the appearance of aphids, you can spray the emerging seedlings with Fitoverm solution (1 ml per 1 liter of water). Repeated treatment should be carried out after 10 days.

After another month of planting, it is necessary to hill up, after which everything should be left to develop, as with the classical method of cultivation.

Potato harvest from seedlings

The grown tuber bushes do not look as powerful as the others. Already in the first month of summer, the tops on them begin to turn yellow and wither. This means that the potatoes in the ground are ripe, and it’s time to start digging. The resulting harvest may not impress particularly demanding gardeners, but if you plant it next season, you will be amazed at the quality of the harvested tubers.

Growing potatoes from seeds

Specialized stores offer a huge selection of potato varieties. Of course, the easiest way is to throw ready-made tubers into the ground and wait for the harvest. But it is from seeds that you can grow a crop of unsurpassed quality with a little extra effort.

It is best to opt for early (Triumph, Farmer, etc.) or mid-early (Virgo, etc.) varieties that are resistant to fungi and viruses. Fast growth period reduces the risk of disease development.

How to sow seeds correctly

In the second half of March you can start sowing seeds. It is advisable to work with each variety separately and then check them for quality.

At the first stage, each variety is laid out in its own container with water and placed in a warm place, for example, near a radiator. After about 7 days, you will notice tiny shoots appearing.

To plant seed material, you need to purchase universal soil. It is necessary to carefully plant the seeds in the prepared box or cups so as not to damage the fragile sprout. Maintain distance so that plantings are not too close to each other. Do not crowd the potatoes; it is better to take a second box if there are a lot of seeds left. After this, the earth is watered and covered with polyethylene.

Make sure that the soil is always sufficiently moist, ventilate the seedlings so that condensation does not accumulate inside, but avoid drafts.

How do seedlings grow?

The shoots gain strength very quickly. By the end of April, the stems stretch out and leaves appear. At this stage, it is important to ensure that the bushes do not intertwine with each other. If it turns out that the seedlings have sprouted too close to each other, it is necessary to thin out the plantings.

How to plant potato seedlings in the ground

Around the first days of June, you can start planting seedlings in a permanent bed. Depending on the condition of the bushes and weather conditions, this can be done a little earlier or later.

Prepare the holes for each plant in advance; first fertilize the soil in them with a pinch of ash and superphosphate. If you have not previously carried out the procedure of hardening the shoots, then the first week you will have to shade them. Maintain a distance during planting, taking into account future hilling.

Care in the ground

Potatoes grown from seeds do not require any special care. It needs to be watered, hilled and loosened. Some gardeners recommend plucking blooming buds. It is recommended to carry out two treatments per season. The first time it is better to do this with humate, and the second time it is most effective to use complex mineral fertilizers. This treatment not only strengthens the immunity of potatoes, but also prevents the appearance of pests, including the Colorado potato beetle.

Harvest

Harvesting can begin as early as mid-September. The notes you take will help you determine from which bush you managed to dig up the best potatoes. Some of the tubers can be left for storage, and small potatoes can be left for sowing next season. Tubers that grow from this type of seed will later produce a much larger harvest than in the first year.

Diseases and pests

Potatoes are susceptible to diseases. It is most often affected by:

1. Late blight, which can be eliminated by using an infusion of 100 g of garlic and 1 bucket of water.
2. Leaf chlorosis, which can be cured by spraying iron sulfate.
3. Timely harvesting will help avoid infection with black scab.
4. Cancer, after collection, the remains of the diseased plant are burned and not planted in this place for 5 years.

How to plant potatoes in open ground

One of the rules that applies to pests is compliance with crop rotation. Potatoes grown in one place for several years are susceptible to attack by Colorado potato beetles, which overwinter in the soil and, when the weather warms, come out and occupy the bushes. Prevention methods include weeding, mulching and mechanical control (collecting individuals and shaking off the larvae into a bucket).

Other inhabitants of the soil also love to eat potatoes. The mole cricket does a lot of damage to potato bushes. In order not to attract it to the garden, you should lay out poisonous baits and carry out deep plowing. Tubers are spoiled by click beetles and wireworms. Fungal infections arise and develop at the site of the wounds they leave on the vegetable. How to deal with them? It is good to plant potatoes in the place where legumes grew last year.

On a note! Poisoned baits can be used against beetles. Chemical remedies will also be effective.

Monitor crop rotation, follow agricultural practices, carry out care measures on time - then the potatoes will be healthy and tasty.

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