Gala Potatoes

Every enthusiastic gardener seeks to plant high-yielding, unpretentious crops on his site. Gala potatoes meet all these requirements. In addition, it is resistant to most diseases affecting garden plants.

Gala shows excellent results even on poor soil and is successfully grown outdoors in the climatic conditions of different regions of Russia, Ukraine, and the Republic of Belarus.

The variety was bred in Germany and is known under the name Gala. Since 2008, it has been approved for use in its homeland and abroad.

Semi-erect bush reaches an average height in growth. The leaves on the branches are rather large, green, slightly wavy along the edge. When blooming, it is covered with white flowers. The number of tubers is from 20-40 pcs. on the bush.

Round-oval tubers are uniform in size, weighing from 71-122 g. The peel is yellow and smooth. The pulp is dark yellow. Small eyes are present.

Table potatoes have a good taste. It is poorly boiled, the pulp does not darken, it contains only 10.2-13.2% starch. Such a low figure makes it possible to use this variety in the dietary diet. Consumers rate the taste of Gala potatoes with a high tasting rating.

Ripening period is medium early. From the moment of germination to harvesting of tubers, 90-100 days pass.

The high-yielding variety Gala gives an average of 216-263 centners of potatoes per hectare. It is possible to collect as much as possible about 390 centners / ha.

To obtain a high-quality harvest, it is necessary to purchase selected seed material. Tubers for planting are selected uniform, without signs of disease, intact. If you plan to use tubers from your garden, you will need to prepare them in advance:

• on a fine day, the tubers are laid out on burlap and left to warm up in the sun;

• then the material is sorted, all damaged tubers are harvested, since they are unsuitable for planting;

• to accelerate growth and strengthen immunity, potatoes should be treated with growth stimulants;

• after waiting for the first shoots to appear, you can plant.

The optimal length of the shoots is 1 cm. In a properly prepared potato, the peel should be slightly thickened and green.

The tubers are buried into the holes by 10-15 cm, maintain a certain distance between the holes, equal to 80 cm or more. Otherwise, the grown tops will close up and create difficulties when moving along the rows.

Given the fact that Gala potatoes are undemanding to agricultural technology, gardeners do not strain to create special conditions. But for a good harvest with a guaranteed shelf life and high marketability, several conditions must be provided:

• choose a well-lit area for planting, not blown by winds;

• take care of triple and abundant watering when planting potatoes, during flowering and ripening;

• apply the necessary fertilizers before planting;

• to process the planting material with means for the prevention of diseases;

• land at the right time.

If the purchased planting material is of poor quality, the rules of agricultural technology will be ineffective.

The landing site must meet the following requirements:

• flat area, without ditches and hills;

• lack of nearby reservoirs and surface groundwater;

• soil with a low percentage of acidity.

The average resistance of the culture to possible diseases, as well as its yield, can be increased by applying top dressing to each hole during planting. Folk remedies are suitable for fertilizing planting material: onion husks, crushed eggshells, wood ash.

Seasonal feeding can be carried out with fertilizers with different compositions:

• in the fall, it is useful to add potassium and phosphorus;

• feed with saltpeter in the spring.

The culture assimilates well organic matter in the form of diluted manure, chicken droppings (only in autumn), compost, and cereal mulch.

Planting time depends on the region in which the potatoes are grown. Work begins as soon as the soil warms up to +10 degrees, and the risk of frost will be minimal. Typically, this weather is set by mid-March - early May, depending on the region.

Hilling is another mandatory procedure when growing potatoes. After this manipulation, aeration at the roots improves, and their resistance to adverse conditions increases. When raking the earth under a bush, it is necessary that it partially cover the stem, otherwise the whole meaning of the action is lost.

Gala potatoes are usually grown on sandy and loamy soils, enriched with humus, peat and fertilizers to achieve an optimal balance of trace elements.

The soils should be medium to high fertile. But even on poor soil, the variety shows good results if fertilizers are applied in a timely manner and correct agricultural practices are followed.

The culture does not require much effort from farmers and adapts well to any weather conditions. But waterlogging of the soil at low air temperatures threatens to become infected with late blight.

This variety is distinguished by its high resistance to diseases and parasites, characteristic of the members of the Solanaceae family. Gala has good immunity to virus (PVY) Y, blackleg and potato cancer. Moderately resistant to PLRV L virus and shows resistance to golden nematode. Has a slight susceptibility to late blight of leaves and tubers, to common scab, to rhizoctonia (black scab). Therefore, it does not need regular preventive treatment.

But with bad weather conditions and unscrupulous adherence to the rules of care, there is a risk of developing diseases. In order to preserve the plantings better, prophylactic treatment with specialized preparations is recommended.

Gala potatoes are highly marketable. It is appreciated by gardeners for its high yield, and culinary experts note its extraordinary taste. It is classified as a common variety for its low starch content.

Gala is suitable for a wide variety of heat treatments. Potatoes are fried, consumed boiled and stewed. It makes a delicious stew, first and second courses. During the cooking process, it is easily cut into sticks and cubes.

Neat, oval, even potato tubers do not tend to darken quickly after peeling. Gala is an ideal variety for a potato peeler. And also the variety is well suited for storage. They can lose their presentation only if they were dug up late.

Experienced gardeners are advised to completely cut the tops 10 days before the harvest begins. Such a measure will give the peel more rigidity, which will increase the shelf life of the tubers. It is optimal to store vegetables in an underground or cellar, where the air temperature is in the range of + 1 ... 4 degrees. And also it is necessary to provide ventilation of the room.