This popular tuber has not only nutritious, but also healing composition, thanks to amino acids, mineral salts and vitamins. In terms of calorie content, potatoes exceed other vegetable crops, but the proteins contained in the fruits and easily digestible carbohydrates have a beneficial effect on the human body. Therefore, almost all summer residents tend to grow potato plantations on their plots.

About landing dates

Each year the climate changes, becoming more arid, which is a real scourge for the potato crop. Also, gardeners know firsthand what return frosts in spring and early cold in autumn are. Because of them, the growing period for potatoes is not as long as we would like.

Therefore, in order to be able to get high yields, it is recommended to plant early ripening potato varieties, maintaining the optimal planting time. Choosing early tubers, there is a chance to avoid late blight.

Planting a crop with a short growing season will allow you to get young potatoes in early summer. With proper agricultural technology and early sowing, it is possible to harvest crops from mid-season varieties before the arrival of autumn.

Planting potatoes

Each farmer has his own criteria by which he determines the time of planting. Some rely on the lunar calendar compiled for each year. Others are waiting for May, when stable heat is established. Still others rely on their intuition.

According to the rules, the timing of planting potatoes is determined by the variety of tubers and the region. When planting fruits in May, it is difficult to get young potatoes in June, even when using early ripening varieties - their growing season lasts 60-80 days.

For some regions (for example, Siberia), the last month of spring is the best time to plant potatoes. But in the southern regions during this period it is time to harvest the first crops.

Experienced farmers believe that the main criterion determining the time for planting potatoes is the readiness of the soil, which should warm up to the desired temperature. In each region this happens at its own time, which changes from year to year.

The soil

Potato sowing times by district

  • in the south (Krasnodar Territory), early potatoes are usually planted in March, a mid-season variety - in early April;
  • for the middle lane (Leningrad Region, Moscow Region), the end of April is more acceptable;
  • in Siberia and the Urals, the temperature is right in the first week of May.
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Asking the question of when to plant potatoes in central Russia or any other region, the gardener, first of all, checks how warm the soil is. If at a depth of 12 cm the thermometer shows +8 degrees, you can safely plant tubers.

To confirm the confidence that the time has come for disembarkation, it is recommended to recall the old folk method. The ancestors have always paid attention to the "behavior" of trees. A good indicator in this case are bird cherry (waiting for its flowering) and birch (the first leaves should hatch on it).

Growing secrets

How many potatoes do you need for planting per 1 hundred square meters

The right timing for planting is not the key to a good harvest. There are many factors that allow you to grow tubers, and all of them must be taken into account:

  • seed tubers should be chosen of medium size, weighing 50-70 g, not damaged and not affected by diseases;
  • pre-germination of potatoes will speed up all processes, allowing you to get a harvest earlier than planned;
  • selection of cold-resistant varieties will improve the cultivation of early potatoes;
  • cutting the tuber will increase the number of eyes, which ensures a good harvest;
  • it is important to choose the right type of planting based on the climate and soil conditions.

Given these points, as well as the time it will take to plant early potatoes, you do not have to worry that the end result will be successful.

Germination methods

Pre-preparation is especially important for early potatoes. There are several ways to properly germinate tubers, practiced by experienced farmers:

  • Light method. Tubers are laid out on dry ground, sufficiently warmed by the sun. They are protected from the winds by low boards made of boards. Straw or peat is used as a "blanket" (15 cm layer). If a decrease in temperature is expected, a plastic film is laid on top (not forgetting to open the tubers later when it warms). In this way, germination lasts 2-3 weeks;
  • Wet option. The procedure is carried out in the open air at a temperature of about 14-16 degrees Celsius. A prerequisite is maintaining humidity within 70-85%. Potatoes are laid out in layers, and each of them is sprinkled with peat and sawdust. The process lasts about 3 weeks, while it is important that the environment is not wet;
  • Heated method. In this option, you will need to dig a small pit 40 cm deep. Heated compost is placed on the bottom and covered with a small layer of soil. Tubers are distributed in 2-3 layers, periodically changing their places. The whole process will take about a month.

Whichever method the gardener chooses for sprouting early potatoes, this event will allow the tubers to better adapt in the beds.

Tuber preparation

Planting options for early potatoes

Among the traditional methods of planting tubers, there are 4 most popular. Knowing how to plant early potatoes correctly, it will be easier to avoid many mistakes in the further cultivation of the crop.

  • Rows. The most common method is practiced by novice summer residents. The rows are spaced 70 cm apart. Between tubers in the line are kept from 25 to 40 cm (it all depends on the variety). The landing method is simple, but the space is used unevenly, which is a disadvantage;
  • Smooth. Unlike the first option, in this plantation, after planting the potatoes, they are leveled, making the surface flat. This method slows down the evaporation of moisture from the ground, but it complicates the care of the beds, since the seedlings may appear unevenly. This method is not applicable to clayey soils;
  • Into the comb. Having planted potatoes according to the scheme - 50-70 cm of row spacing and 15-20 cm between tubers, ridges of 25 cm are formed within 5 days after sowing. If the soil is characterized by excessive moisture, then the embankments can be made higher. This method of planting provides air circulation and rapid heating of the soil;
  • Ridge. Hillocks 20 cm high are prepared in advance. In each ridge, 2 rows of planting are placed, so the width of the occupied area will be approximately 1.5-1.6 m (you need land for hilling). Tubers are laid out in shallow grooves on the ridges, which will accelerate rapid germination. As soon as shoots appear, they are sprinkled with earth. This procedure is carried out once a week until the tops are complete. Cultivation of ridges in this way provides good air circulation and prevents weeds from developing.

In regions where warm spring comes late, tubers do not need to be planted right away. Cellar or greenhouse-grown seedlings are a great way to harvest full potatoes early.

If potatoes do not grow well

It seems that all the points have been taken into account: the temperature of the air and soil, the rules for germinating tubers, the conditions for how to plant early potatoes have been determined, but for some reason seedlings do not appear. Usually, sprouts can be seen within 10-12 days after planting.In northern latitudes, if May is cool, the process lasts up to 3 weeks. But if seedlings do not appear after this period, you need to look for the reason:

  • the temperature regime was not observed;
  • soil moisture was not taken into account - it was too wet or, conversely, excessively dry;
  • deepening of tubers was carried out without taking into account the composition of the soil;
  • the seeds were planted in unbroken plowing (there was no preliminary preparation of the site);
  • low-quality potato material was used: sick, without sprouts, inappropriate sizes, etc.

Advice! If moles, bears, wireworms are found on the site, they eat up the sprouts, depriving summer residents of the harvest. Before planting potatoes, it is necessary to carry out pest control measures.

A number of measures taken in advance will help to increase the germination of tubers:

  • preliminary vernalization of planting material;
  • the use of biological products for processing tubers;
  • it is recommended to disinfect varieties unstable to diseases before planting;
  • sorting is carried out not only before germination, but also after it;
  • soil preparation is mandatory - harrowing or loosening, with the introduction of fertilizers;
  • before planting the hole, it is recommended to powder it with wood ash;
  • when planting under covering material, compost, straw, hay should be dried.

If the sprouts have appeared from the ground, but do not sprout well, they should be treated with micro doses of copper to ward off pests. Top dressing stimulates the growth of eyes in the early stages, in the future, on the contrary, they can slow down the process.

Having figured out ahead of time how to get an early harvest of potatoes, it will be easier for a novice agrarian to plant and grow nutritious tubers in his area.

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