Potatoes occupy one of the first places in the human diet. It is generally difficult for a Russian to imagine the winter period without “second bread”, when potatoes are consumed daily. For this reason, growing vegetables occupies the minds of gardeners from early spring until harvest.
Let's consider the agricultural technology of planting root crops, which plays important role, if you want to harvest a bountiful and healthy harvest.
If the owners of the site decide to grow root crops for the first time, first of all they should prepare the necessary tools. Depending on the planting method, you will need: a shovel, a rake, small bowls for adding dry fertilizers to holes or trenches, and a hoe for preparing the soil.
If it is possible to purchase heavy equipment, then a special tractor will save you from self made: digging, removing weeds, harrowing and trenching.
To raise virgin soil, it is unlikely that conventional ones will be enough. Only a tractor will help here.
Plowing the soil is required condition for growing potatoes, as they love loose, moisture- and breathable soil.
You will also need beacons and ropes to mark the rows.
Planting will not be complete without buckets and boxes. The first are needed for, the second for transportation and germination seed material. Later, after planting, you will need a hoe for hilling and soil. This is a mandatory procedure; without it, the potato harvest will be poor.
It is worth taking care of the water supply for irrigation. In hot summers, the root crop needs it. It is desirable that this be a hose that is laid between the rows. The bushes themselves are not watered, only the soil between them. Be sure to think about this moment in advance, and not when the potatoes have already dried out under the scorching sun.
Having prepared the tools, you can begin to develop the site.
We are developing the site
The optimal place for growing root vegetables is sunny plot, protected from winds with loose, fertile soil. Potato unpretentious plant, but it has the main and basic requirement for the soil: it must be light and loose. Heavy and clayey ones will have to be developed specifically for root crops. To do this they add a large number of humus, compost and a little sand. The soil must become loose, otherwise a good harvest will not work.
You cannot plant potatoes in a place where plants of the nightshade family, for example, were previously grown.
In the fall, weeds are removed from the selected area and the soil is plowed either with a walk-behind tractor or with a tractor, if it is virgin soil.
Plowing is combined with the addition of humus or compost. It is important not to use fresh manure; it will not have time to rot over the winter and the seeds may burn. 3-4 kg of humus per 1 m² is added to an already developed area, and up to 12 kg to an undeveloped area.
The plowed area is harrowed and left until spring. If a piece of land is being cultivated for the first time, it was plowed with an ordinary tractor, then after that you need to walk over it again with a walk-behind tractor to break up large clods of earth. Then the soil is harrowed.
The result of soil preparation should be the same - light, enriched and loose soil without weeds.
Preparing the seeds
Not any potato is suitable for planting, but only those that have produced a bountiful harvest. Choose seeds according to ripening time - early, middle or late. The first ones ripen in 60 days, the second ones in 70-90 days and the third ones in 120. When purchasing, ask about the class - A, B, C or D. The letters indicate the categories of potatoes used in cooking. The first one is good for frying; it does not fall apart or crack during cooking. Category B slightly softens and cracks during cooking, and further, according to the degree of looseness of the fruit during cooking, C and D.
Also, when purchasing seeds, require quarantine certificates, which indicate that the plant has not been sick or affected by pests or viruses. Otherwise, diseases that are dangerous to all plants, such as cancer, can be introduced into the area.
But if you managed to borrow potatoes from a neighbor or friends, they are healthy and clean, you can safely proceed to the stages of seed preparation.
Autumn preparation
Procurement of seed material begins immediately after harvesting, in the fall. For this purpose, potatoes are selected from good bushes who gave big harvest and were not affected by anything during the growing season. The seed size is selected as standard - with egg.
Large tubers are not suitable, although many claim that they supposedly yield more. Objectively, the total number of buckets during collection will not increase. It's probably clean psychological aspect person - the larger planting material, all the better.
The collected seed material is ventilated fresh air in a bright room until greenery appears. This is what corned beef is produced, which is responsible for the preservation of potatoes until next landing. But you cannot eat such potatoes, since corned beef is poison. After this, the seed is removed to the basement until spring. For greater confidence in the safety of the seeds, sprinkle fluff lime on them.
The next stage of preparation begins in the spring, about a month before planting.
Spring training
The seed material is removed from the basement for germination. It is laid out in one layer in wooden boxes and put in . The air temperature in the room must be at least 18°C. Sunny, diffused lighting is a must. The seeds are sprayed periodically warm water. The seed is kept in the greenhouse for two weeks, and then covered with film and put in a cool place with an air temperature of about 10°-13°C. After another two weeks, green, strong sprouts appear.
Before planting, each potato is dipped in a pickling solution, for example, 1% boric acid. Keep in the solution for no more than 20 minutes. It's better to just dip it and let it dry. The measure helps prevent the occurrence of diseases - late blight or cancer.
After all these activities, you can begin planting potatoes, which also requires compliance with the rules.
Soil requirements, fertilization
Before planting potatoes, the soil should be harrowed; there is no need to plow it - this was done in the fall. Add to the soil organic fertilizers, humus or compost, at the rate of 2 kg per 1 m². The soil should become light and loose after all procedures. Another important requirement– its temperature is at least 8°C.
The degree of warming of the earth can be determined by folk signs. So, as soon as the birch leaves have reached the size of a coin, you can plant potatoes. The fact is that birch begins to produce leaves only when the soil warms up to 8-10°C. Usually this is the second half of May.
In addition to humus, you can add a complex of minerals. It can replace organic matter if it is not possible to find compost or humus. Now it’s time to decide on the planting method.
Planting methods
Each region is characterized by special climatic conditions and soil types. Based on this, the landing method is selected.
- The smooth method is intended for southern regions or places where potatoes grow on slopes so that moisture is not retained and air exchange in the soil is high.
- The trench is designed for sandy soils, dry and hot regions. Potatoes are buried in the ground so that the tubers receive as much moisture as possible.
- The comb is more often used in northern regions where the threat of frost persists until June or on swampy, wet soils.
For any planting method, place the tubers with the sprouts up at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other and 50-80 cm between rows. Some people prefer to leave a larger distance, up to 1 m, between the rows for more convenient tillage in the future.
Smooth
Our grandfathers used this method. It consists of digging a hole for a shovel, placing a potato in it and covering it with earth. When sprouts appear and grow, the potatoes are hilled up so that over time a ridge is formed.
Hilling is done to preserve moisture and good aeration of the tubers. Wood ash is added to the holes - about a handful.
Planting depth 6-8 cm, no more. If you bury the seeds deeply, they will not have enough air for normal growth and development. Remember, potatoes love air.
Trench
The method involves digging a shallow trench – 6-8 cm deep. Seeds are placed in it at a distance of 25-35 cm. Cover with soil and wait for sprouts. Before planting, add wood ash and dry complex to the trench mineral fertilizers. Be sure to mix the additives with the soil. As a result, a small mound appears above the depression. It protects seeds from drought and overheating.
Crest
The method is designed for northern regions, where the earth does not warm up in May, as usual, but only by June. Potatoes are placed on the usual scheme directly to the ground without deepening it and cover it warm soil. In the future, the ridge will increase due to constant hilling. The height of the ridge should be 15 cm and above. The same method is used for wet and swampy soils.
Choose a planting method that suits your region and soil type.
It is not advisable to try everything. However, if it is not possible to cultivate heavy, clayey soil southern region, you can build a high ridge. It is filled with fertile, light soil and potatoes are grown. Each situation requires its own solutions.
Besides traditional ways There are many landings that people have come up with. They cannot be relegated to the background, since many gardeners were satisfied after testing them.
Unconventional growing methods
The most common non-traditional method was the method of planting potatoes under straw. It is more appropriate to use it for soils where groundwater get too close and there is a risk of flooding the area. It is also suitable for northern regions.
The seed is laid directly on the ground without digging and covered with a thick layer of straw. As it rots and shrinks, straw is added. Pros - no weeds, moisture is retained, no need to hill up. Cons: appearance of mice. The method is unusual, but many people liked it.
Some have adapted to planting potatoes in an earthen heap. The earth is piled into a large mound, and potatoes are planted on the sides. A hole is made in the middle of the heap for irrigation. The good thing about this method is that it saves a lot of space and is suitable for small areas where it is simply not possible to plant potatoes according to the standard pattern.
In the northern regions, gardeners plant root seeds under film. The area is covered with black film, holes are made in it, where the potatoes are planted. The material protects against sudden frosts and prevents weeds from germinating. It is unlikely to be suitable for the southern regions.
Potatoes are also planted in barrels, raised beds and boxes. Whatever method the gardener chooses, it is worth remembering the main, basic rules of planting and soil preparation. Compliance with agricultural practices will prevent the occurrence of the worst potato scourge - late blight. This is the only way to grow a good and abundant harvest.
While watching the video you will learn more about planting potatoes.
Don’t forget about caring for plants – watering, weeding and hilling. Growing root vegetables is not difficult, but achieving a rich harvest is a task that you need to work on and not be lazy. This way the family will be provided with their favorite vegetable for the whole winter!
Spring is the time to plant potatoes. But for the harvest to be good, it is necessary to observe certain rules, and also prepare for sowing in advance. You will need: potato tubers, potassium sulfate, superphosphate, boric acid, potassium permanganate, wood ash, compost.
It is advisable to prepare the soil for planting in the fall. For this use 1 bucket of compost, 1 glass wood ash, 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m of soil. Fertilizers are added one by one, and the soil after each component is loosened with a rake. If the soil is acidic, additionally apply dolomite flour. You should not use fresh manure to enrich the soil: this makes the soil too nitrogenous, which leads to blackening of the potatoes when boiled. 20-30 days before planting, approximately in mid-March, the tubers are prepared for planting. If they are left over from last year, they will germinate perfectly on their own. When purchasing potatoes for planting, select healthy, rot-free, medium-sized potatoes. Tubers, previously washed in a solution of potassium permanganate, are placed vertically in one layer and stored in a bright room (not in direct sunlight) at a temperature of 20°C until sprouts 1 cm tall appear. Germination in the dark risks the growth of thin and tall stems that may break during planting. Sprouting tubers are sprayed with a mixture of water and mineral fertilizer.
After about 90 days, when the leaves dry, the potatoes are dug up for storage. However, enjoy the wonderful taste of real natural product, the quality of which you will be sure of, will be available almost immediately after flowering.
Almost every person has a dacha. And it doesn’t matter whose it is – grandparents, parents or your own. And every year at the same time everyone rushes to grow vegetables and berries. One of these crops is potatoes, the peculiarities of growing which should be known to everyone. We'll tell you how to plant potatoes correctly below.
The optimal time for planting potatoes in the ground is end of April or beginning of May. It is impossible to do such an action before this time, because the crop may simply disappear in the cold earth. If the climate in your area is cool, then you should wait until the ground warms up at least up to 10 degrees.
How to Plant in Spring - Step by Step Process
To properly plant potatoes, you should follow the step-by-step instructions:
- A few weeks before landing, you should keep the tubers warm, then cover the boxes with some translucent material and leave them in a cool, bright place. When they send out green shoots in the spring, it’s time to plant them in the ground.
- Carrying out disinfection using boric acid or manure solution.
- Preparing the soil for planting.
- Planting potatoes.
- Creation optimal mode for growth.
Planting potatoes in May
Potatoes should be planted according to indications lunar calendar. In May, these dates can be selected 9th, 11th and 13th.
Until what date can you plant potatoes?
When determining this date, it is worth considering that the growing season for this root crop is 90 days.
That is, if you planned to plant on July 1, then at the end of September you can fully harvest.
On what days is it not possible?
Folk omens say that potatoes cannot be planted in the ground on the following days:
- On Wednesdays.
- On Saturdays.
- During Palm Week.
If these rules are neglected, the tubers will deteriorate and will not produce further growth.
Is it possible to plant potatoes in cold soil?
Potatoes cannot be planted in cold soil, because they can simply freeze in such weather and you will lose the entire harvest, it’s worth taking some time.
If you hurry up and still take such a step, then you need devote Special attention warming up and provision good conditions its vital activity in order to obtain a harvest.
Which one to use - large or small?
Small tubers are usually called samples weighing up to 30 grams, average – 30-80 gr, and large ones - more than 80 g.
Very often, many gardeners use medium-sized potatoes, believing that this can become optimal choice. But it is precisely such specimens that usually grow from weakened plants.
Most the best way There are only 2 landings:
- Plant small tubers, but throw them into the planting hole immediately several pieces each.
- Plant cut from large tubers. But such objects must have at least three eyes.
Is it possible to plant fresh tubers?
If anyone thinks that this method is unacceptable, then he is very mistaken. Using fresh potatoes when replanting allows you to improve the yield several times and relieve owners from problems with storing seed material until spring.
This method is best used for those countries in which the frost-free period is 180 days. This is observed in Odessa, Kherson, Poltava and other cities. This method will not work for Irkutsk.
A distinctive feature of this type of landing is that sprout new harvest it will be slow.
What weather is it like?
Potatoes should be planted only when the frosts have passed and the air temperature has risen. up to 14-16 degrees. The earth should warm up at this time up to 10 degrees.
Exists folk sign according to which the root crop should be planted after the leaves on the birch tree become the size of a coin.
How often to plant potatoes
Potatoes can be planted several times a year, taking into account that the full growing period is 90 days.
How to properly plant in granulated feed
Granular feed finds its application when digging up areas before winter comes. It is then that it is introduced into the soil to improve the characteristics of the soil used.
Planting with manure
If you want to significantly increase your yield, it is better to use manure for fertilizer.
It can be applied in 2 methods:
- Fertilizing the land before in winter. It is applied in the amount of 10 kg per 1 square meter.
- Fertilizer in the hole. When planting occurs, after laying the tuber, sprinkle it with manure.
Walk-behind tractor or shovel
Potatoes can be planted using 2 methods:
- Manually using a shovel. Among the advantages of this technology is simplicity: one person simply digs a deep hole, and the second throws in tubers and fertilizer. When the second one finishes sowing, the first one fills the finished hole. After the process is completed, the ground is leveled with a rake, which allows the water to remain in the ground.
- Using a walk-behind tractor. The advantage of this method is the speed and low cost of manual effort. The process begins with cutting furrows, after which the sprouted seeds are thrown into them. After this, the holes can be dug in manually or using a cultivator.
What are green manures and what are they for?
Green manures are plants that are grown to improve the fertility of the soil.
What does this technique give?
- Soil enrichment with nitrogen, which makes up some part of plant nutrition.
- Loosening the soil and improving the structure.
- Elimination of erosion.
- Land enrichment nutrients and organic matter.
- Reduces weed growth.
- Elimination of pests and diseases.
- Protecting the earth from overheating.
Boarding order
Germination of tubers and soil preparation
To grow potatoes, you should germinate the tubers 2 weeks, while removing the white sprouts. You need to lay out the material for planting thin layer on the floor in a bright place. Readiness can be determined by the presence of green sprouts on the potatoes, but without additional spots.
If speak about detailed preparation soil, then it is worth starting with its fertilization before the onset of winter. When it's time to plant, you should ensure necessary moisture and loosening of the soil. Digging should be replaced by bayoneting using a fork. This allows the earth to be enriched with oxygen.
Features of growing in the country
If you have your own dacha, then when growing potatoes, first choose its variety.
After all, some people prefer root vegetables with yellow, crumbly pulp, while others prefer white ones. After this you need decide on a growing method, of which there are now a large number. But don’t forget about fertilizing the soil.
Hilling
Hilling up potatoes should be done after the plant rises 10 cm above the ground. This will allow the root crop to be protected from frost using bedding. And after the potatoes grow to 40 cm, you need to fully earth up the beds, filling the row spaces well with soil.
Very often, leaves, branches or hay can be added to the bedding mixture - organic materials. This will keep moisture in the ground longer and also prevent weeds from germinating for a long time.
Watering and care
After the potatoes have begun to bloom, the main condition for a good harvest is quality watering.
It should be 2-3 times if the summer is very hot, but if on the contrary, then 1 time is enough. But weeds need to be removed much more often, and you also need to watch out for Colorado potato beetles.
Harvest
First you need to harvest in 60 days after planting the potatoes, but the main part should be waited until the tops are completely dry.
Take away ready-made culture You only need to use a pitchfork to avoid damaging the mounds. You can only grow crops in one place for 4 years, after which you need to give the soil a rest and move the plant to another place.
How to grow in a “two-crop” way
In many southern countries, gardeners use any methods to grow as much as possible. more harvest Every year. And therefore, today a method of growing potatoes has already been developed Twice a year, taking into account that only early ripening varieties are used.
The features of the method are:
- Good potato samples should be washed and cut, then soak in a special solution for one and a half hours.
- Germinate the crop for 10 days in the garden bed, covering it with a small layer of soil.
- After this, on July 10 you need to land ready material into the ground and wait for the harvest.
Growing potatoes is a simple process if you follow a few basic rules:
- Compliance with the process of preparing material for planting and soil.
- Creation favorable conditions for germination.
- Plant nutrition.
If you follow all the given rules, you can achieve good result even with minimal effort.
Potatoes are a very tasty root vegetable grown in all gardens of the country. But before you get a big harvest, you need to spend a lot of time and effort planting potatoes. It's about how to plant potatoes correctly, we’ll talk about it in today’s article.
It seems that nothing is simpler, and all gardeners and summer residents already know how to plant potatoes. There is a lot about planting potatoes useful information on the Internet, a huge number of magazines and books have devoted countless articles to this topic. However, when you start planting potatoes yourself, you constantly discover something completely new and unexpected. Summer residents gain experience in planting potatoes after each successful (or not so successful) harvest.
High-quality potato seeds are the key to a good harvest!
I think it’s no secret that the fundamental factor great harvest potato is what seeds are used when planting it. And you need to start harvesting seeds in the fall during harvesting. Why in autumn? Autumn for selection seed potatoes is the most successful period. Potato planting material should be taken from bushes that gave the best harvest. The size of tubers for planting material should be at least 4–5 centimeters. It has been noticed that the larger the tubers of planting potatoes, the sooner they will ripen, and the yield from each individual bush will be higher.
Some summer residents also plant sprouted seed eyes or cut potatoes. Indeed, cut potatoes after a short drying in the sun and dusting with cut ash can give a very poor result. bad harvest. Only for this you need ideal humid and warm weather. But if after planting the weather becomes rainy or cold, then there is a high probability that the cut potatoes will rot without sprouting or sprouting very weak sprouts.
Getting ready to plant potatoes
Soil and its preparation
The best soil for growing potatoes is sandy loam, light and medium loam; cultivated and fertilized soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils, as well as drained peatlands.
Not long ago, people believed that potatoes tolerated well increased acidity soil. It has now been proven that growing on acidic soils Potatoes are most susceptible to pests and diseases.
Potatoes really need nutrients ah, especially during tuberization.
Start preparing the soil for planting potatoes on next year should be at the end of this summer. Fertilizers applied during digging: 13 g/m² ammonium nitrate or 10 g/m² urea, 10–13 g/m² 30–40% potassium salt, 15 g/m² double granular superphosphate.
How to prepare seed potatoes for planting?
Seed potato tubers selected for planting must be mandatory plant in a bright place (under various canopies, in the shade of trees) so that the corned beef poison is developed inside the tuber, which allows the potato tuber to be preserved for a long time. In this case, you need to avoid exposing the tubers to direct sunlight. We have already considered the issue, so we will not repeat it.
Potato germination should begin approximately 20–30 days before planting. Before germination, the tubers need to be washed in a solution of potassium permanganate. Then the planting material is laid out in one (maximum two) layers in boxes. Boxes must be kept at a temperature of 20–22 ° C in a bright place, avoiding direct contact sun rays on potato tubers. Typically, potatoes begin to sprout in the dark, so long, weak sprouts appear that can easily break off during planting. Ideally, the sprouts should be green, strong and no more than one to one and a half centimeters long. After two to three weeks, the boxes with seed potatoes can be moved to a cooler place with an air temperature of about 10–14 ° C, for example, to a glazed balcony.
During germination, potato tubers need to be moistened by periodically turning and spraying them. Tubers need to be sprayed every other day. For spraying, ordinary water, an ash solution and a solution of mineral fertilizers are alternately used. This alternation of spraying reduces the risk of potato disease and stimulates its growth. The solution must be prepared immediately before spraying.
A good place to sprout potatoes is a greenhouse. Place the potatoes on a bed of straw and cover plastic film. This way you will provide it with warmth, light and sufficient humidity - excellent conditions for sprouts to appear.
Before planting, potatoes must first be treated, thereby protecting them from the effects of an aggressive soil environment. At the same time, after treating potatoes with special dressing preparations, a long-term protective film. Almost no one, by the way, does this, and then all gardeners unanimously complain about various infectious troubles. There is no need to be afraid of these “chemicals”; they are not absorbed into plants. For etching, a solution of 20 g of boric acid in 10 liters of water is used. Tubers in baskets or nets are immersed in the solution for a few seconds and then dried.
Potatoes are ready for planting, but the ground is still not warmed up - what to do?
Very often, summer residents have to deal with a situation where the planting potatoes are already ready, but due to late spring it is not possible to prepare the soil for planting. In order to preserve planting material, in this case, you can place the potatoes in grooves prepared in advance, covering them with humus, sawdust or ordinary soil. For insurance, you can cover the groove with film. The tubers will lie in such a groove for 1–2 weeks without any problems, after which they can be planted in a permanent place.
It's time to plant potatoes...
How and when to plant potatoes?
We have already talked about this, so today we will look at some general principles which should guide you when planting potatoes.
First of all, pay attention to choosing a place to plant potatoes. The most common mistake of most summer residents is that potatoes are planted in the same beds for many years in a row. But we all know very well that the place needs to be changed periodically. At the same time, to obtain a good harvest, it is also necessary to fertilize the soil. If the soil contains a very small amount of sand, the potatoes will not grow well. In this case, the soil must be specially loosened with sand in order to ensure the supply of oxygen to the potato tubers.
The most suitable period for planting potatoes is around the time when leaves begin to bloom on birch trees. At this time, the soil should warm up at a depth of about ten centimeters to 9 ° C. By the way, there is also a folk sign according to which you need to start planting potatoes when birch leaves become the size of a penny coin.
Potatoes should be planted at a depth of 8–10cm, with the beds positioned from north to south, the recommended planting pattern is 80x35cm. You can plant potatoes more often according to the 60x60cm pattern, but in this case the stems will interfere with each other’s growth. Densely planted plants are not sufficiently ventilated, which increases the likelihood of developing late blight. Carry out high-quality hilling in in this case it won’t work, so many of the tubers will turn out to be green, and such potatoes are not suitable for food.
The best option is to plant potatoes with a space of 90 cm between the rows. In this case, hilling is easier and the tops work better for the harvest. Keep in mind that the larger the planting material, the less often you need to plant. Whatever planting scheme you choose, potato tubers need to be planted at the same depth, planted in even rows, leaving a layer under the tubers loose soil. All this helps create an optimal regime for plant growth.
If you wish, when planting potatoes, you can make a separate hole for each tuber and fill it with fertilizer, ash and humus, and only after that lower the potato there. After laying the tubers, the holes are covered with earth, leveling it with a rake.
How to properly cut potatoes for planting
After a bad year, many gardeners have to cut potatoes before planting in order to reduce seed consumption. Doing this is highly not recommended. By cutting just one diseased tuber, using the same knife you will infect several more potatoes. In this case, don’t be surprised why you don’t have a harvest later. If you still have to cut seed potatoes, then do not forget to at least periodically disinfect the knife by dipping it in a concentrated solution of manganese or in a 5% solution copper sulfate. Another nuance is that the tuber needs to be cut not across, but lengthwise. After all, the highest quality sprouts appear at the so-called top of the tuber. By cutting a potato crosswise, you will get two unequal halves, one of which will produce good sprouts, while the second, on which there are no apical “eyes” at all, can germinate much later.
What should planting potatoes be like?
It is best to plant potatoes the size of a chicken egg. The smaller the planting material, the weaker the bush will grow from it, and accordingly there will be less harvest on it. So why not plant the largest tubers, because they have a much greater supply of nutrients? Yes, but this will not lead to a significant increase in yield, and the consumption of planting material will increase significantly. So it's best to stick to the golden mean.
Planting potatoes, as we have already said, must be selected in the fall, and from the most powerful bushes, marked in advance with pegs. If you listen to this advice and you will select not the best tubers for planting, but tubers the best plants, That long years you will not need to buy seed potatoes, and the harvest will remain stable. If the yield becomes worse over time, then you need to buy new planting material. It is recommended to renew seed potatoes at least partially every five years.
How to choose seed potatoes in retail outlets?
Before you buy potatoes to plant, you should have an idea of what you are buying.
Super-super elite is seed material top class, grown from microtubers. It contains all the characteristics of the variety and is free from various kinds viral diseases.
Superelite – small size tubers, which are the first year harvest, grown from super-super elite tubers.
Elite- these are planting tubers, which are the second year harvest obtained from super-elite potatoes. They are considered the most productive. They are recommended to be used for planting.
Next come the categories of seed potatoes grown from elite tubers: first reproduction, second, etc. All these categories also produce a good harvest, but from year to year they accumulate more and more various diseases. Potatoes after the third reproduction are only suitable for eating.
You should not grow the same potato variety for more than 3-4 years, or it is necessary to renew all planting material after this period of time.
Before purchasing planting potatoes, be sure to ask the seller for quarantine and varietal certificates. Do not under any circumstances buy potatoes without such a document. When buying a pig in a poke, you risk introducing serious pests and dangerous infections to your site. So, for example, to Perm region A quarantine object such as the potato moth comes very close. And the potato moth is many times more serious than the wireworm we all know, since it eats away the entire tuber, which leads to complete loss of the crop.
Don’t forget to properly fertilize the soil before planting and periodically, since there are now plenty of resources for this!
Well, now you know how to choose the right planting material and plant potatoes on your site. 
I wish you rich harvests!
On the pages of magazines all the secrets of potato care and planting rules are revealed, but, nevertheless, with every good or bad harvest, completely new and unpredictable results can be revealed. Especially if you are new to this business and you don’t know yet , how to plant potatoes.
For a good harvest you need quality seeds
The first factor that needs to be taken into account in order to get good harvest – quality seeds. Even with the right process landings, necessary care at the time of ripening, as well as timely harvesting of potatoes, you can get a bad harvest. This often happens due to improper selection of tubers. Potatoes should be selected for planting in the fall, immediately after harvest. You need to choose planting material from the most productive bushes, at least 4-5 cm in size. It is worth adding that the larger the potatoes selected for planting, the sooner they will ripen and give a good harvest from each bush.
Summer residents use another trick - when planting potatoes, they cut the potatoes in half and let them dry a little in the sun, then cover the cut with ash. This method gives very good results. It is important to take into account the weather when planting; it should be slightly humid and warm. Otherwise, all the planting material may simply rot without sprouting, and if you are lucky, the sprouts will be very weak.
How to prepare for planting potatoes
First you need to pay attention to preparing and choosing a place for the garden bed. Best harvest can be obtained at:
- Cultivated gray forest soils.
- Suspense.
- Light and medium loams.
- Properly fertilized and treated sod-podzolic.
Growing potatoes in acidic soil is ineffective, since the plants are subject to increased attack by pests and often get sick. An important factor is the presence of a sufficient amount of sand in the soil. If it is not there, the potatoes do not grow well and it makes sense to loosen the soil a little by adding sand. Before planting potatoes, the soil must be thoroughly fertilized - this is necessary so that good tubers are formed during the growth process. You can add a little saltpeter, urea and potassium salt for digging.
Constantly planting in the same bed is fraught with crop failure. Planting must be periodically transferred to another bed and do not forget about fertilizer and weeding. This will allow more oxygen to reach the roots.
Planting process
Two months before this, the potatoes should be removed from the cellar and placed in a warm, bright room. The temperature in it should be about 20C. After this, the tubers are kept in a cooler room for about a week - where the temperature is only 10C. During this time, it is best to keep the potatoes in the boxes in one layer until eyes appear on them.
The optimal way to plant tubers is in rows. During landing early varieties it is advisable to maintain a distance of half a meter between the beds, and about 30 cm between adjacent holes. Late and mid-season varieties should be placed at a distance of 40 cm. You can use a walk-behind tractor if you need to plant a large bed with potatoes.
General rules for growing potatoes
To get a good harvest, you need to follow simple rules:
There are two methods of planting - directly into the ground or under hay. Regardless of which one you choose, you need to choose the right time for planting. It should be warm outside; it is advisable to warm the soil to 20C. Typically, potatoes are planted during the first few weeks of May, but some gardeners begin the planting process literally from the first days. The time for harvesting potatoes directly depends on its variety; usually 85 days pass from the moment of planting - then harvesting can begin. Exact time For planting work can be determined at your own discretion and taking into account your own capabilities, only important rule– the ground should not be frozen.
Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to get a good potato harvest!
Video on how to plant potatoes