All about planting potatoes before winter

Articles periodically appear in the relevant publications in which people share their experience of growing potatoes planted in the fall. Moreover, almost every gardener is familiar with the situation when the potatoes forgotten during the digging sprout next spring, but the yield indicators in this case are not always good. In order for expectations to be justified, it is important to observe the landing technology, and to know some of the secrets of this method.

Even at the stage of planning a vegetable garden and planting on it, you need to think about the seed fund. For planting for the winter, you need a potato variety with special characteristics.

• In terms of ripening, medium-early and medium-late varieties are best suited. Early shoots run the risk of being caught by frosts, and later ones will yield a harvest not much earlier than those planted in spring.

• The zoned varieties are not only adapted to the climate and soil composition, but are also resistant to certain pests, since winters are quite harsh and spring can be cold. Or, conversely, it is better to give preference to unpretentious potatoes that tolerate drought and frost well.

• Since freshly harvested crops can be used for planting, storage stability is not particularly important.... But resistance to damage by fungi, bacteria and viruses is necessary.

• Among other things, you need to pay attention to yield, shape, appearance, taste.

Thus, in an ordinary dacha after an autumn planting, the following varieties can be grown:

• for the North-West region - "Aurora", "Tuleevsky", "Nevsky", "Fritella", "Lugovskoy";

• for Central and Central Black Earth - "Surprise", "Skarb", "Barin", "Gala", "Pennant", "Hope";

• for the Ural and Siberian - "Nikulinsky", "Ryabinushka", "Cornflower", "Jelly".

Of course, the list of the above varieties can be supplemented with others.

At any time of the year - even in spring, even in autumn - when planting potatoes, you need to be guided by the weather. Moreover, it is worth taking into account the climate characteristic of a particular area. There are several factors to consider in the fall.

• Soil temperature. When planting, it should not be lower than 5-7 degrees, since the properties of the tuber may change, and in spring the seedlings will be too weak, or they will not be at all.

• Features of the site... Excessive moisture can cause tubers to rot. The selected location should not be under water during the autumn rains and even after the snow melts.

• Forecast weather changes. The best period for planting potatoes in the ground in autumn is the interval between the end of the rains and the beginning of severe frosts. But at the same time, during the day, the soil should thaw and remain loose. For more accurate planning of planting operations, it is better to turn to long-term weather forecasts.

Tentatively for the Moscow region, as well as central Russia, potatoes for the winter can be planted in the second half of October or early November. In warm southern regions, November is suitable.

For regions located to the north, in the Urals and Siberia, these dates are shifted to early and mid-October.

To increase the chances of getting a good harvest, seed potatoes should be prepared for planting. There are rules for this.

• It is not necessary to achieve the appearance of sprouts on potatoes, since they can be damaged by frost. Since no one will give an absolute guarantee of the awakening of all eyes, it is better to select seeds from the best roots. For this, bushes with good tops are marked with pegs, and when digging, they look at the number of tubers, their size and condition.

• The main requirement for seed potatoes - the absence of all kinds of damage, stains, rot and other negative signs. To do this, it is imperative to withstand the interval after harvesting, and once again carefully examine everything.

• Solanine present in seed potatoes acts as a fungicide and insecticide. Therefore, greening in the light makes it unattractive to pests and healthier.

• Biochemical treatment should not be neglected.... Despite the fact that in autumn and spring the probability of damage is lower, it is better to treat the tubers with a special solution and dry them. For this, "Aktara", "Prestige", "Tabu" are well suited.

To begin with, you need to choose a suitable site for planting - without groundwater close to the surface, with light soil and protection from strong winds. As a rule, potatoes are planted for the winter in order to get an earlier harvest, so it will not be difficult to isolate a small part of the garden. Tubers are dipped into holes or furrows quite often - at a distance of about 30 cm between the bushes (in case some of them die due to severe frosts). The row spacing is left more - up to 70 cm. If the planting area is small, the rows can be arranged in pairs, at a shorter distance, and cover the seedlings from return frosts in late April or early May.

Experienced agronomists advise not to deepen the tubers more than 15 cm, since this is what affects the fact that all efforts will be spent on the tops, and the harvest will not be good. However, in areas with a more severe climate, the level of soil freezing plays a decisive role. Having found out this indicator, it will be possible to provide for the appropriate protection of tubers - not only with the help of soil, but also with an additional ground layer.

It is not necessary to water the wells before planting, since excess moisture will only harm the tubers, and growth stimulation during this period is not needed. But it is worthwhile to take care of the prevention in advance, and add a little ash or onion husk to each depression. It is better to refrain from manure - it can attract insects and rodents that have not yet gone into hibernation.

In addition to the usual planting method, winter potatoes can be planted under straw. So, a shaft up to 20 cm high is laid on the ground from above. Until spring, the straw will settle and turn into a mulching layer. In addition, sawdust or dry foliage can be used as mulch. Mulching not only nourishes the soil and protects it from drying out, but also prevents weeds from overgrowing. In fact, under the straw, the potatoes do not need to be watered, loosened and weeded - just monitor the state of the layer, change or add if necessary.