Caring for potatoes after planting in open ground

Potatoes are not for nothing called the second bread. After a flour product, he is next in popularity, meeting on our table. And now at last he is planted. Many amateur gardeners stop there, hoping to "maybe" and "give a year" in anticipation of a good harvest. In fact, everything is in our hands, and now the potatoes need care not less than during the preparation for planting. But not all gardeners know how to take care of potatoes after planting. Proper care for the vegetable throughout the growing season is simply necessary to obtain abundant harvests.

Rukhlim - fighting with the main enemy of the planted potatoes

Caring for potatoes after planting should begin with loosening trampled during the initial process of the bed. This procedure will also allow to destroy the first enemy of the yet-not-grown potato - a weed that always and everywhere, in all weather conditions, rises first. Still not rooted weeds in this period are easily removed, while the root part, if it remains in the ground, dies. An important role in this procedure and the timing. After all, if you tighten and wait for friendly weeds and after that start harrowing, then, most likely, weed will not die, and soon again will turn green.

It is advisable the first - pre-emergence - harrowing to be carried out a week after planting the tubers into the soil. You can make loosening with a harrow or heavy rake. Hold the tool and work the soil diagonally to the beds to avoid accidental ejection of potato tubers onto the surface.

Such care for potatoes after planting, but before the emergence of the first shoots, not only helps fight weeds, but also improves the aeration of the soil, helps to preserve moisture in it.

Protect the first shoots from repeated frosts

In many regions of the country the return of frosts in early May and even in the middle of it is quite common. By this time, tubers are usually already planted, and caring for potatoes after planting in the soil in this case will include procedures that can protect the plant from such a scourge.

In order that the frost does not damage the crops, it is necessary to cover the first shoots with loose earth. The layer should be from 3 to 5 centimeters. If this is not done, the crops will not, of course, perish, the mother tubers will later be able to give new shoots, but the yield will noticeably decrease.

Hilling as a way to strengthen the bushes

Hilling as the care of potatoes after planting is necessary not only to protect the bushes from frosts, but also so that the bushes bent under the weight of the earth begin to divert the shoots in different directions. This will make the bush more spreadable, on the young stems the underground shoots will begin to grow more intensively, on which an additional crop will subsequently be formed. Hilling will protect young bushes from hitting overwintered Colorado beetle. In the soil, the first clutch of eggs of this potato eater will also perish.

It is necessary to hike several times per season, even early and early varieties. It never hurts. But do not zealous with the sprinkling of bushes to form additional stolons during the cultivation of early and mid-early varieties. Such a technique for increasing the amount of harvest is acceptable only for middle or late-ripening varieties. Otherwise, the bushes will spend all their efforts on the formation of the tops and will not form a sufficient number of tubers.

Tubers of plants will not encounter such a problem as planting and accumulation of corned beef, if the potatoes are planted in time after planting. Care should be carried out during the beginning of budding. Thus the soil must be moist, otherwise the procedure will not bring any benefit.

Potato flowering and care period

The first buds should become a sign that the soil is to be cut with soil tillage. During this period, it is undesirable, since the coarse stem loses its ability to form stolons. Protect themselves from weeds plants are now able to independently, because by this time the bushes are already closing in the aisle and in the ranks.

So caring for potatoes after planting during flowering will be a good mulching. For these purposes, you can use humus, pereprivshimi sawdust or needles. Mulch protect the soil from overheating and excessive moisture evaporation.

"Chemistry" with the mind

Of course, it will not be possible to fully protect the plant from chemical treatment, but it is possible to reduce the amount of chemical "pressure" if properly and skillfully combining fungicides, insecticides and growth regulators in solution. Together with pesticides in one container it is possible to dilute mineral fertilizers for foliar top dressing.

Foliar top dressing is carried out twice a month. Approximately 30 days prior to harvesting, such care for potatoes after planting (after flowering) should be completed by spraying infusion of superphosphate, which will promote ripening of tubers, improve their quality, starchiness and keeping quality.

Gently and selectively it is necessary to apply to advertised today growth regulators. It is necessary to initially choose one drug and use it only in potato-hard periods, or rather, before planting in the soil, during sprouting and just before flowering. Do not forget that the use of stimulants will require additional and enhanced nutrition.

Feeding, we provide a good harvest

Caring for potatoes after planting in the open ground implies a radical top dressing of bushes. During the growing season, the procedure is performed three times. It is better to do this on wet ground. The first fertilizer is produced during the growth of the leaves, if the bushes do not develop well enough or the leaves have a pale color. The second root feeding occurs during the bud formation period. This will speed flowering. The third root dressing will speed up the process of tuber formation.

It is advisable to use fertilizer solutions if the potato plantation is not very large. And how to care for potatoes after planting and how to fertilize it, if the plantation is more than 100 m²? If the sizes have passed for hundred parts it is better to use dry fertilizers, placing them under each bush.

Potato watering

Caring for potatoes after planting at first excludes watering. Since this can damage the proper formation of a good root system. Overmoistened soil will lead to the fact that the roots are not deep enough, and subsequently the bush will be more difficult to extract moisture and develop normally. The first watering should be timed to the first appearance of shoots. Watering should be moderate. During the formation of the bush, the need for water will increase. If the lower leaves on the bushes begin to wither, this is the first sign of a lack of moisture.

Most of all moisture potato bushes are necessary during the formation of buds and when flowering. Insufficient amount of liquid during this period will negatively affect the yield.

Water the potatoes with water that is heated by the sun's rays. Do it best in the early morning or evening.

Accurate with watering

How to properly care for potatoes after planting and how to properly water, should not tell all gardeners. These simple rules for people seeking to harvest a good harvest are well known. However, one unwritten rule is still worth recalling: wetting the leaves of the plant will only lead to the development of late blight of green mass. So, the stream of water should be directed from below and so that it does not blur the ridges that have turned out during the hilling, but in the inter-row.

Do not forget that watering should be before the next procedure of hilling.

On this you can finish an article on how to properly care for potatoes after planting. The advice presented above will help you understand the timing, sequence and nuances of all processes. And this, in turn, will be embodied in an abundant harvest.