Another versatile and productive potato variety from the category of the newest selection finds is Krasavchik. Originally recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region, it became popular in other territories of Russia, Ukraine and Moldova. Thanks to its unpretentiousness and good taste, it continues to win the sympathy of potato crop lovers. If you wish, you can get seed potatoes with the promising name of Handsome.

Characteristic

The Krasavchik potatoes were bred by Russian specialists and breeders of the A.G. Lorkh Research Institute of Potato Farming in 2009. This variety is adapted to the ecological conditions of chernozem areas, has excellent parameters and has excellent taste characteristics.

According to the originator's definition, the vegetable is classified as a variety with an early ripening period - the growing season lasts about 3 months (80-90 days) after the emergence of shoots. You can get early production of potatoes by covering the plot with agrofibre or film.

 

Krasavchik potatoes were brought out by Russian experts

The starch contained in the tubers reaches a level of 12 to 18%, which makes the variety a popular table variety. It is used in the food industry for the production of dry mashed potatoes. The vegetable is used as a raw material for chips and fries. For the preparation of many dishes, hostesses are happy to choose Krasavchik potatoes.

Description of the variety

Alena potatoes

The bushes of the plant are not too tall, erect, slightly spreading.

The flowers are anthocyanin (violet-azure or bluish) shade, collected in corollas. The green leaves of the intermediate type are averaged.

The attractive-looking tubers fully correspond to the name: potatoes are colored red-pink with cream-colored flesh. They are oval and smooth, with a thin skin. The buds-eyes are small and shallow, which is an important point in the culinary processing of any table variety.

One of the advantages of the variety and its peculiarity is its high yield rates. With proper care, you can get up to 280 quintals of vegetables from each hectare. Moreover, the size of large potatoes is also decent: there are practically no small ones, the average weight of a large tuber is 90-170 grams.

Growing and care

Potato Lux

Compliance with the rules of planting and agricultural technology is a pledge and condition for obtaining a full harvest.

 

Potatoes of this variety are preferable to plant in the place where cereals and legumes grow.

Seat selection

It is preferable to plant potatoes of this variety in the place of growth of cereals and legumes, siderates (rye, mustard, clover, alfalfa, lupine). A good result will please the bushes located in the beds, which in the previous year were occupied by carrots, cabbage and flax.

Some gardeners advise planting these potatoes after raspberries, so the planted tubers reach their largest size. You shouldn't experiment and grow the vegetable in the same place. The garden bed will be ready for planting crops only after 3-4 years.

Landing

The development of plants and the abundance of crops largely depend on the correct planting. Before starting it, you need to pay attention to some points:

  1. Handsome prefers well-lit plots, rows should be located from north to south.Then the sun's rays will illuminate them throughout the day.
  2. The acidity of the soil should be neutral.
  3. The beds are prepared in the fall, filling them with organic fertilizers. You can apply manure with the addition of ash, compost, peat or humus. Then the site should be dug up to a depth of 25-30 cm with a shovel or loosened with a walk-behind tractor.
  4. For planting, select healthy tubers of standard size or large, cut into slices with 2-3 buds. If there is a lack of seed, nodules can be ordered and bought in online stores or specialized outlets for gardeners. During the planting of tubers, you can also fertilize the soil by pouring manure or peat at the bottom of the holes.
  5. Vernalization of the planting material is carried out before embedding. As a result of warming up in the light, future shoots sprout from the eyes. It's good if they turn green under the influence of the sun.
  6. Seed potatoes Handsome should be treated with agents that stimulate the formation of sprouts. These include the biostimulator "Epin-extra" or "Zircon". Cutting across the potato will also accelerate the development of growth points on the tubers.

 Note! With an increased level of acidity, the soil is treated by liming.

Even before the first shoots appear, the site is harrowed, which destroys the weeds that have begun to grow. Application of this method of treatment after the appearance of the first shoots will protect the area from soil crust and weeds. Further care for Handsome is in weeding (loosening) and hilling.

Top dressing and watering

Before the first buds appear, the plants should be fed. For this, solutions are prepared based on fermented green fertilizer, mullein and bird droppings. Upon completion of flowering, the vegetable needs additional nutrition. The main component of the solution used during this period is phosphorus, which affects fruit formation.

It is advisable to combine feeding with irrigation. With this technique, the root system will quickly absorb nutrients in the composition of nutrient solutions. The best way to water potatoes, called Handsome, in which the fertilizing is dissolved in water, is not too frequent drip irrigation.

Harvesting and storage

Potatoes are harvested in dry weather, partial drying of the tubers is carried out directly in the beds. Then they are placed in a place protected from sunlight or under a canopy. To protect the roots from light, they are covered with a dense cloth that does not let it through.

 

Harvest potatoes in dry weather

Then the sorted potatoes are placed in vegetable stores or in other places intended for this purpose. For better preservation, you need to control the level of humidity and temperature in the room where the Krasavchik potatoes are located. It keeps well, exhibiting keeping quality at 97%.

ATimportant! Before planting tubers, it is recommended to "green", this protects the roots from attacks of pests and protects against diseases. But after collecting potatoes, greening of the tubers should not be allowed.

Diseases and pests

The plant resists viral infections and diseases such as potato mosaic (wrinkled and banded) and cancer. If we talk about late blight, then the culture shows relative resistance to it. Golden nematode is also capable of overpowering bushes.

Of the pests, the Colorado potato beetle is considered the most dangerous, which is capable of destroying crop plantings within a short time. To combat it, insecticides are used, which are sold in specialized stores in a large assortment.

Advantages and disadvantages

Juvel Potatoes

If in the new season, in preparation for growing potatoes, you have to choose between several varieties, you should pay attention to the advantages of Handsome, which include:

  • an abundance of crops;
  • excellent commercial qualities;
  • decent taste and attractive appearance;
  • versatility;
  • the ability to maintain their qualities during mechanical damage and transportation;
  • good keeping quality and ability to be stored without loss of quality;
  • drought resistance;
  • immunity to mosaic and potato crayfish.

The plant has much fewer drawbacks. The weak point of this potato is its lack of resistance to golden potato nematode.

But the small number of cons should not become a reason for ignoring this promising variety. Due to its properties, it can be ranked among the potato elite. In addition, it is interesting in that it makes a profit when sold on the market. So it's still worth trying to grow it on your site.