Vernalization of potatoes before planting in the ground

The place that the potato takes in our diet is one of the main. No wonder it is called the second bread. For many, this vegetable is a necessary component of everyday and festive dishes. Some gardeners and truck farmers practice independent growing of potatoes. And they achieve considerable success in this. Here the main thing is to take into account some subtleties and observe agrotechnical conditions. Everything is important - from seed selection to proper planting. The vernalization of the potato before planting also plays a significant role. About this and talk in this article.

Nutritional indicators

It's no secret that potatoes are an important food crop, which is not only a valuable product on our tables. It is used as feed for livestock and raw materials for industrial purposes. The nutritional value of this vegetable is very high. Potato contains up to 25 percent starch, 0.3 percent fat and 2 percent protein. These indicators depend on the cultivar. Also, it contains many vitamins of groups C and B. According to the nutritional value, three kilograms of potatoes can be compared with a kilogram of cereals. If you comply with all the conditions of agricultural technology, then from 100 square meters you can get up to 350 kilograms of potatoes. But the vernalization of potatoes before planting is very important.

Pros of vernalization

To germinate and prepare the planting material is simply necessary. Growing potatoes is not easy work. Therefore, I would not want to waste time and effort for nothing and lose a significant part of the crop. The vernalization of potatoes before planting is a minimum program, which immediately yields significant results. This is a cheap and affordable way to prepare the seed material. Sprouting allows you to select healthy, strong tubers before planting and get a good harvest. Germination in this case is 100 percent. Vernalization allows to accelerate the formation of the crop.

Harvesting of planting material

Prepare seed potatoes better from autumn. To do this, select the best tubers that are not affected by disease, not cut and not crushed. Infected planting material will give sick tubers every year, which is not very good. Varieties of seed potatoes should be resistant to temperature changes, to pests, diseases and putrefaction. Also it is necessary to take into account the level of development of the tops, the period of flowering and maturation, the maturity of the tubers and the duration of their rest period. Planting material must be adapted to agrotechnical conditions. During the storage of seed potatoes, its contact with rodents should be ruled out.

Dry vernalization in the light

This method is the simplest, although there are various options for its organization. The vernalization of potatoes before planting requires light and tare to house the tubers. Temperature does not matter much. The main thing is that the planting material does not freeze and do not burn. For vernalization it is necessary to choose the right container. It is better to take one in which it will be convenient to deliver the tubers to the landing site. Perfectly suitable for germination boxes plastic or wooden. We lay potatoes in two rows, but no more. Now, until the time of landing, it is not necessary to get it from there. If the volume of potatoes is very large, the lower tubers will have thin long sprouts, which is not very good. In addition, the process of sorting out the poor planting material becomes more complicated. The vernalization of potatoes before planting in the ground requires a sufficient amount of light. There is no need for direct sunlight. It is enough to have one window in the room. In the process of germination, which lasts about 1-1.5 months, it is necessary to reject not germinating or weak tubers. This is the minimum condition that will allow you to get a good harvest of potatoes.

Wet germination

This is another way of vernalization. You can combine dry and wet germination, which will give even better result. This vernalization allows you to select the most suitable tubers. First spend a dry germination in the light, and then wet. Germination increases to 100 percent. Potatoes that have sprouted in the light may not form roots in the future. The rejection of infected tubers becomes more effective. If an elite seed material is purchased, then such a method will keep it from degeneration for a long time. Wet germination allows you to harvest a week earlier.

How to conduct wet vernalization

Wet vernalization of potatoes before planting is carried out a week before the process. For this, the sprouted potatoes are covered with wet sawdust or peat. The bottom of the boxes must be covered with a film. It is necessary that moisture does not flow, and sawdust remains moist. Then water is poured into the bucket (nutrient solutions can be used). The germinated tubers are dipped in water together with the sawdust, and then they are placed in a box in not more than two layers. At the end, fill the bucket with sawdust and lay the moist material on the potatoes. The latter must be completely closed. Sawdust can be slightly wrung out or give excess moisture to drain. This vernalization of potatoes before planting is the maximum program that will allow obtaining an excellent harvest. Boxes should be covered with foil and stacked, so that they take up less space. We must constantly monitor that the sawdust in the boxes does not dry out, especially from above. The roots of the tubers will appear very quickly. It is very important not to miss this moment. Too long roots will become tangled. When planting, the potatoes will be difficult to separate from each other, which will lead to the breaking off of the shoots. Each tuber should have a good amount of roots. The vernalization of the potato before planting makes it possible to get amicable shoots.

A few important rules

The preparation of the seed material involves several steps. First of all, potatoes must be decontaminated. For this use a solution of copper sulfate and boric acid. Carry out this procedure 40 days before disembarkation, that is, before germination. It is also possible to carry out stimulant growth treatment. These drugs are "Mikom", "Maxim", "Vermistim" or "Prestige". The most important stage is the vernalization of the potatoes before planting. Soil cultivation is also an important procedure. Sometimes apply ringing and kerbovku eyes. In this case, they are cut from above, below and at the sides. It is necessary to carry out this procedure very cautiously. And finally, dusting, that is, spraying potatoes with wood ash to increase yield and starchiness. The totality of these measures leads to 100 per cent seedlings and high yields.