Seed potatoes: varieties (characteristics and description)

Potatoes in our latitudes are considered the main vegetable crop. It can be found on every garden plot. But very few people pay proper attention to this vegetable. But after all, as they say in the famous saying, what you sow, you will reap. In order for the harvest to be of high quality, it is necessary to select competently good potato seeds.

How to choose the right seed potatoes

When selecting seed potatoes, you need to carefully consider the appearance of the tuber. The correct potato should be of the following form:

• Tuber size should be with a chicken egg, but you can take a bit larger.
• There should be no damage.
• Seeds of potatoes should be without disease.
• Potatoes that are already sprouted are allowed to plant. This will help him to ascend quickly.

It is also worth correctly calculating the number of seeds. It is accepted to take about 20-30 kg for one hundred square meters of land. If the potatoes are too large, then before planting it is divided in half. So, if you sorted out the quantity, you should consider all the most famous varieties, their features and characteristics.

Variety of Karlen

Potatoes Karlen refers to mid-ripening type of harvest. Suitable for cooking, frying and storing. The right tubers grow round-oval in shape, with a thin skin. It tastes mild and pleasant. When planting potato tubers are protected from the nematode. From one hectare of land you can get about 45 tons of such potatoes. One tuber can weigh up to 100 grams. The rind and flesh of the ripe fruit is yellow. Potatoes Karlen in the bush can be high. It is recommended to plant about 40 cm apart. During the period of tuber formation, a constant and abundant watering is required. Before planting, in order to avoid various putrefactive diseases, it is required to dress potatoes of seed grade Karlen etch.

Sort of Romantse

Next, consider the variety Romantse. Potatoes grow oval in red. The skin is thin, the flesh inside is yellow. Eyes are not deep on the surface of the tuber. In weight one fruit grows about 130 grams. Seed potatoes are unpretentious. In the ground, this species is resistant to all diseases and viruses. This grade is suitable for long-term storage. It is recommended to plant tubers from each other at a distance of 30-35 cm. For early planting, it is Romance that is suitable. Potatoes take root and grow in any climatic latitudes. Before planting the tubers can not be processed. This sort of potato belongs to the early-ripening species, ripens after about 90-95 days. The plant grows quickly with a tall bush with lilac flowers. From one such root, you can get from 35 to 40 pieces of tubers. It is pleasant to the taste. Suitable for cooking in any form.

Variety Riviera

This sort of potato is considered to be early. It is suitable for cooking and short-term storage. Tuber can be round or oval in shape. His skin is red in small scales. The color of the pulp is pale yellow. The weight of a single fruit of a potato can reach 150-170 grams. Seed potatoes of the Riviera are rated by breeders by their taste qualities by 5 points out of 5. The bush grows medium-high, with a large number of lilac flowers. Tubers of this variety are not subject to such diseases as cancer, golden nematode, rot, and various viral infections. Potatoes are resistant to long droughts, so you can not be afraid for the quality of the crop.

Variety of Vega

This is another representative of early potatoes. The tuber is round-oval with yellow skin and flesh. There are practically no eyes on the fetus. Suitable for cooking in any form. Potatoes Vega loves moisture, therefore, before the flowering, the bushes should be watered. The weight of one tuber reaches 85-100 grams. From one hectare of sown area you can dig up to 400 centners of the crop. Tubers are able to withstand cancer and golden nematodes. The potato crop is high. His flowers are large, white. Potatoes are resistant to droughts and excessive dampness. This variety can be stored for a long time. Like any other variety, potatoes need to be treated with tubers before planting, so that the protective properties increase.

Variety of Inara

This sort of potato appeared quite recently - in 2013. Refers to early ripening. It takes 95-100 days to mature. Until recently it was used only in the central part of Russia, but gradually the variety began to gain popularity in other regions. The weight of one tuber reaches 120 grams. Tuber long oval with small eyes. The rind and flesh are yellow. From one bush you can get 10-12 pieces. The shape of the potato is oval, with a yellow skin and flesh. Suitable for storage, and also has excellent taste qualities. This species is considered the fastest-digesting. The potato variety of Inara is resistant to various pathogens. Bushes grow medium length, bright green and with white flowers.

The varieties considered are relatively new. To harvest a harvest of joy, you need to know how to properly plant potatoes and take care of it.

When to plant potatoes

In order for the harvest to be good, you need to correctly determine the grade of potatoes. There are species that take root only in a certain territory with a characteristic climate. As it is already known, all varieties are grouped according to early fertility. Proceeding from this, the terms of the planting of seed potatoes are determined:

• The early potatoes are planted in early April. Harvesting can take an average of 55 days, but these varieties are not suitable for storage.
• Medium-early potato. Also put in April. Dig up the harvest after 60-65 days. But in planting such a variety there is one small nuance - you need germinated seed potatoes.
• The middle-ripe can be planted from April to May. Maturation falls on the first days of August. For this, potatoes need 85-90 days. Tubers of these varieties must necessarily undergo treatment for diseases and viruses.
• Mid-late and latest grades. Plant this kind from May to June. It takes 120 days to mature this crop. This potatoes are removed at the end of September.

Many gardeners to obtain a good crop plant several varieties of potatoes at once, which will mature gradually, for food and storage. It is not recommended to plant this culture until the soil temperature reaches 8 degrees above zero. The optimum depth for planting in the spring period is no more than 10 cm.

Basic Rules for Planting Potatoes

The presented rules will help to plant the seed potatoes correctly, and in the end get a good harvest.

• Rule 1 . The soil for planting potatoes must be prepared in advance. It is disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried.
• Rule 2 . Cultivate better potatoes in a sunny place.
• Rule 3 . Choose the optimum depth for planting seed potatoes. It depends on the planting area. In northern cold regions potatoes are planted at a depth of 10 cm, in arid regions - 20 cm, and in terrain with clay soils - 8 cm.
• Rule 4 . Density of planting. Everything depends on the variety: the early ones are denser than the late and middle-late ones.
• Rule 5. Calculate the rate of seed potatoes. So, for example, on 100 square meters for planting whole tubers of medium size will need about 600 pieces, small tubers - about 750-800 pieces and planting potato seedlings - 1000 pieces.

Knowing the basic rules of planting, you still need to decide on the method. There are several of them.

Methods of planting potatoes

You can proceed directly to planting by selecting seed potatoes. Varieties are different and need an individual approach. Let's consider several ways of planting potatoes:

• Method 1 . Traditional method of square-nesting. To do this, break a piece of land into squares measuring 50 x 50 cm and make rows in which the seed potatoes are planted.
• Method 2 . A variety of ribbon planting, only occurs in 2 rows at a distance of 30 and 100 cm. The tubers are not buried, but sprinkled on top with a layer of land not more than 3 cm. A wide distance helps to properly care for the potatoes. This method increases the efficiency of the crop by an average of 30%.
• Method 3 . Trench method. Digging trenches depth of 20-25 cm and a width of 35 cm. At the bottom lay the remains of plants and weeds, top covered with a layer of humus, ash and fertilizer. Top with seeded potatoes of seed potatoes and sprinkled with soil. The distance between the trenches is about 70 cm.
• Method 4 . Growing in separate flower beds. According to this method, each tuber of potatoes is planted in a separate bed of tires or barrels. Inside, all the necessary nutrients are filled and potatoes planted.
• Method 5 . Planting under the straw. This method can be used to plant any seed potatoes. For this method, any variety is suitable. Straw helps to retain moisture and prevents weeds from growing. Potatoes do not need hilling.

The cost and place of purchase of seed potatoes

Buy potatoes only from trusted suppliers. There are specialized stores that sell seed potatoes. Varieties are quite diverse, they can easily get confused. Therefore, ignorant gardeners should get a good consultation first. Buying on the market, it is worth to be extremely attentive, as there can give incorrect information about what is on sale seed potatoes. The price starts from 20 rubles per kilogram.

Potatoes are the most unpretentious vegetable crop, which does not require additional care. Having bought seed potatoes, you can choose the preferred way of planting. To date, there is a large number of species of this vegetable. Above is presented only part of the list of early and mid-ripening vegetable culture. If there is no possibility of additional irrigation and care, this seed material will in any case give a good harvest.

In the article, we examined the seed potatoes. The varieties presented above are adapted for planting in any territory of the Russian Federation. The considered ways and rules of planting will help to get a good and high-quality harvest.