Madeira potatoes

Madeira potatoes are a strong immunity variety that provides high resistance to pests and diseases. And also the plant attracts gardeners with excellent yield and excellent taste characteristics of tubers.

The breeding of the variety was carried out by a team of breeders from Germany. The variety entered the State Register of the Russian Federation only in 2017, when it passed all the necessary tests and proved the possibility of planting in the regions of the country.

The Madeira variety belongs to a group of plants with a mid-ripening period. Specifications:

• small bush;

• leaves are medium, saturated green;

• flowers are small, without color on the inside.

Potato buds are painted in light shades.

Madeira potatoes produce oval-spherical root crops, the skin of which has small eyes. Other characteristics of tubers:

• the texture of the peel is smooth;

• skin color - golden yellow;

• the color of the pulp is yellow;

• the structure of the pulp is slightly watery.

Moreover, the pulp has a rather high density. The average weight of a potato reaches 135 g with proper care. The average starch content is 12.5-18.6%.

The tasters rate the taste characteristics of the Madeira potatoes as very good. Potatoes are great for both frying and baking, as well as preparing other dishes.

The tubers of the fruit are distinguished by dense pulp, so the fruit practically does not disintegrate during cooking and retains its shape. As for the color, it also changes slightly. Usually, rich yellow changes to pale.

The first root crops are produced by potatoes 50-65 days after planting. In different sources, the culture is called both early and mid-season.

The average yield per bush reaches 3 kg or 30 tubers. The maximum yield is 632 centners per hectare.

The Madeira variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in planting and care. However, in order to increase the yield indicator, it is necessary to take care of the choice of a place and proper care of the plant, which includes watering, feeding, hilling and removing weeds.

Before planting, the tubers are germinated by placing large roots in a box in a month and placing it in a dry and dark room. Additionally, potatoes are treated with a growth stimulant to accelerate the appearance of the first shoots.

The optimal time for planting tubers is late April or early May. The exact date is determined by the climatic conditions of the region where the potatoes are planted. It is important that there is no frost and that the soil is warmed up.

Landing conditions:

• hole depth - 5 cm when planting in heavy soils, 8-10 cm - when planting in sandy loam and loam;

• the optimal distance between the holes is 40 cm;

• the optimal distance between the rows is 40 cm.

It is not recommended to reduce any of the distances so that the bushes do not interfere with each other during the growth process.When the potatoes are placed in the soil, you will need to take care of the plant's care. Main steps.

1. Watering. Madeira potatoes do not like moisture, so it is often not worth watering. If the summer turned out to be dry, you can increase the amount of water brought under the bushes during the period of ovary formation.

2. Top dressing. It is worth approaching the application of fertilizers into the soil carefully, since with their help you can raise the yield indicators, or you can harm root crops. Basically, feeding is carried out three times per season. Fertilizers are applied before planting potatoes in empty holes, during flowering bushes and during the formation of tubers. Most often, organic compounds from poultry manure and water are used as fertilizers.

3. Hilling and weeding. While the potatoes are growing, the weeds need to be removed. This will prevent the spread of disease, and will also ensure that the required amount of nutrients is supplied. Hilling is carried out after the bush reaches a height of 15 cm. The procedure is repeated 2-3 more times with an interval of 2-4 weeks, respectively.

It is necessary to dig out the potatoes when the tops are completely dry. The collected roots are carefully dried, sorted and transferred to bags or boxes.

Madeira prefers to grow in fertile soil. If the land is depleted, it can be enriched with nutrients using organic and mineral fertilizers. Interestingly, the formation of tubers occurs faster in sandy soils.

Madeira potatoes have excellent immunity, but this does not protect the plant from:

• Colorado potato beetle;

• bear;

• wireworm.

The appearance of such pests on potato bushes requires immediate processing. It is recommended to spray the bushes with special chemicals, using overalls and respirators.

With regard to diseases, the Madeira variety is characterized by the possible defeat of late blight tops and tubers. A solution of fungicides will help get rid of a popular disease.

Madeira is a variety that can be called a worthy representative of its species. The bush is suitable for growing both in private territories and in agricultural enterprises.