Lileya potatoes

The variety obtained in Belarus has undeniable advantages. This led to the spread of the excellent variety in the Russian territory. In everyday life, the name of the Lileya Belorusskaya variety has been reduced to one word.

The authors of the popular potatoes, which are grown not only for consumption, but also for the sale of seed material, are employees of the RUE "Scientific and Production Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Potato and Plant Growing". In the several years that have passed since the creation of this worthy specimen, it has received well-deserved recognition due to its unique properties. Those who want to get bountiful yields of large and smooth tubers should be careful about buying seed material, focus on the place of its breeding.

Lilya is distinguished from other types of potatoes:

• insensitivity to weather conditions and undemanding soil;
• stable yield (not only in the first years after breeding);
• large, smooth tubers of aesthetic appearance with yellow skin and flesh of the same color;
• rich content of sterol, carotene, amino and organic acids, vitamins;
• short ripening period (the variety belongs to the medium early);
• resistance to late blight, cancer and nematodes, especially common in the North-West region, one of the recommended for growing Lilya.

This potato can be grown on an industrial scale in regions with a temperate climate and problematic weather conditions, but it would be a mistake to limit the cultivation of the variety, which has long been included in the State Register, only in the Volgo-Vyatka, Central and Central Black Earth regions. The experience of gardeners shows that the culture grows well both in the North and North-West regions, where conditions practically coincide with those of a part of Belarus.

An upright bush covered with medium-sized dark green leaves with slightly wavy edges. White flowers produce a beautiful compact corolla during flowering. A shallow planting is needed: a powerful root system grows, receives all the necessary components from the soil and begins to form tubers. Their size and number can be increased by applying the correct agricultural techniques. In the peculiarities of the variety, there is a demand for saturation of the soil with nutrients, therefore, growth and characteristics may differ slightly.

Smooth, approximately the same diameter (small potatoes are extremely rare), tubers with a minimum number of eyes, smooth, marketable and presentable look suitable for almost any culinary needs:

• frying, cooking, main courses, winter salads;
• cooking fries and chips;
• freezing semi-finished products and in mixtures of vegetables;
• dietary food (due to useful components and relatively low starch content).

The smooth surface is easy to clean at home and in industrial processing. The amount of waste is minimal, the flesh of the potato does not darken, during heat treatment, taste and valuable components are preserved: trace elements and vitamins. Consumer feedback on taste is consistently superb. Taste is cited as the second reason for Lilea's popularity after high yields.

In some sources, one can find statements that Lileya can give 2 crops per year, but this is true only for the southern regions. The variety is called mid-early, for full ripening it takes 90-100 days, plus some time for sprouting from seed material introduced into the soil. Excellent tubers can be harvested in early July - mid August, when they are already formed. Dates may vary depending on the region and weather conditions. A cold summer can shift the ripening period, but not dramatically.

Even the average yield is amazing: the value of 320 centners per hectare. But this is not the limit, because there is a result of 390 centners / ha, and 407 centners were recorded in the Vologda Oblast. One plant can produce 8 to 15 tubers. The mass of underground fruits varies from 102 to 200 g.

Seed material can be purchased at various locations, including online stores. In this case, you should select only trusted points with a good reputation. Then you can select material when sorting the resulting crop - small potatoes, weighing up to 80 g, and there is a seed fund. The use of large specimens for planting lengthens the growing season. In planting, you should not use rotten potatoes or with mechanical damage. Before use, the seed is treated with a disinfectant solution.

Germination begins 3-4 weeks before planting. If it is necessary to speed up the process, you can use plastic bags with holes for ventilation, this reduces the preparation time to about 6-7 days. The soil for planting should warm up, hence the different planting dates in regions with cold or early spring. The acidic soil is deoxidized with ash, the holes are fertilized with organic fertilizer or a small amount of mineral fertilizer, which contains phosphorus and potassium.

The variety is immune to various diseases, disinfection only enhances its properties, but it needs weeding, double hilling and fertilization. The best way to achieve the necessary moisture is to use a drip irrigation system. To facilitate harvesting in the garden plot, you can cut the tops from the bushes a couple of days before the scheduled time.

Lileya potatoes are an excellent variety for storage for the winter (keeping quality - 90%), they perfectly tolerate transportation, while maintaining their integrity and presentation. It can be grown for your own needs and for commercial profit.