Potatoes Red Lady

Early potato varieties are very popular with gardeners. This is due to the fact that such potatoes have a special delicate taste, and the harvest appears quite quickly. The famous early potato variety is Red Lady.

Potatoes with the beautiful name Red Lady were first bred in Germany. Its author is Kartz Von Kameke, and the work itself was carried out at the Solana firm. In 2006, the tests of the variety, which took place on the territory of the Russian and Ukrainian regions, were completed. Therefore, already in 2008, the variety was included in the State registers of both countries.

Red Lady is an early variety with excellent marketability. Root vegetables retain their taste for a long period, do not rot and do not germinate during storage. The variety is distinguished by high immunity, therefore, it does not cause additional problems for summer residents in the form of constant preventive spraying. Root vegetables Red Lady are among the most useful, they contain a lot of vitamins.

Along with this, this variety is demanding in care. To grow it, you need to have both experience and desire.

Red Lady bushes can be both erect and semi-erect. The growth of the culture is average, and the tops do not adhere to the ground, which is very convenient. The small height of 70 centimeters is also an advantage. The leaves are wavy at the edges, and the waviness can be either barely noticeable or well visible. The color depends on the climate, soil composition. There are both green and dark green leafy specimens.

Tubers are usually the same, the size is not less than average. The shape is classic - an elongated oval. A potato can weigh 114-142 grams, with individual potatoes reaching 155 grams. Small roots on bushes are extremely rare. The peel of the fruit is reddish, weakly reticulate, the small superficial eyes are pink in color. The keeping quality of tubers will delight even discerning gardeners, because it reaches 92%. The starch component is at an average level - from 12.5 to 16.8%.

The main advantage of the light yellow pulp is that it does not darken after the potatoes are cut. This is very important when preparing purees, for example. The variety is very tasty and full-bodied. These potatoes literally melt in your mouth. It will be delicious to eat in soup or boiled, as well as make French fries or chips from it. However, it is worth knowing that this variety is one of the most high-calorie varieties, so it should be eaten with caution by people who follow a diet.

Red Lady is a classic early potato. If you want to feast on delicate root crops, then digging can be done within 50 days after breaking through the sprouts. However, if the potatoes are planned to be stored, then they can be dug out no earlier than 90 days after the first greens appear.

The average crop yield is 167-298 centners per hectare. But in certain years, gardeners can increase yields up to 345 centners.

Red Lady gives the highest yields in the Central region, as well as in the middle lane. But cultivation areas don't end there. Plants are also grown in the North Caucasus, the Far East, in the North-West, Middle Volga and Volga-Vyatka regions, Central Black Earth Region, in different parts of Siberia.This potato variety is no less popular in the territories of Belarus and Ukraine. A number of gardeners grow it in Moldova too.

In order for early potatoes to sprout faster, the culture is pre-germinated. The time of disembarkation is determined by the climate of the region. The soil temperature should be +10 degrees. It can be both the end of March and the beginning of May. It is better to arrange plantings in a checkerboard pattern, so it will be easier to care for capricious bushes. The depth of the pits should be 15-20 centimeters. As for the landing scheme, its correct option is 40x60 centimeters.

Important: the originators of this variety give advice on how to get the first shoots of potatoes faster. To do this, before planting, it must be placed in a container of water for 10 hours.

Red Lady very badly tolerates the presence of weeds on the site. They greatly inhibit the growth of bushes. As soon as such greens appear, they are immediately removed. You can only leave very small blades of grass. The collected weeds are mulched, but before that it is advisable to loosen it as well. The appearance of an earthen crust should not be allowed, since it leads to a slowdown in the growth of tubers.

This variety will require hilling from the gardener. The procedure is carried out when the potato seedlings grow up to 0.2 m. Further, the earth is scooped up to the bushes weekly. Hilling is done while the ground is wet. For example, this can be done the next day after irrigation. If frost suddenly returns, the Red Lady bushes are completely covered with a substrate.

It is enough to water potatoes of this variety three times per season, but this is if it rains periodically. The first dose is applied as soon as the sprouts break out of the ground, the second and third - before and after flowering. Each time they spend 5 liters of warm water per bush, while pouring it strictly at the root and in the evening. The variety is generally drought-resistant, but if water is not enough, it forms small fruits. Therefore, in a drought, water is supplied as soon as the soil from above dries up.

For Red Lady, top dressing is required. At the same time, it is important to adhere to a certain schedule. Until the potatoes have bloomed, they can be fed with infusion of weeds. An alternative option is water with a mullein (a glass of product is enough for 10 liters). When the buds appear, it is best to take a fertilizer like Kemira. After shedding flowers, the bushes are fed with a slurry solution supplemented with superphosphate.

Red Lady loves substrates with a high sand content. The earth should be very light and always nutritious. Therefore, the beds for such potatoes are prepared carefully. In the fall, organic matter is introduced into the soil. If the soil is poor, then it will be 10 kg of compost, and if it is normal, - 5. In the spring, superphosphates and potassium sulfate are embedded in the soil.Acidic soils need to be put in order with wood ash.

Red Lady is not afraid of various viral ailments. It is resistant to crayfish, golden nematode, common scab and black leg. Moderately susceptible to late blight of tubers and black scab. But late blight of leaves is a problem for gardeners. To prevent this disease, you need to properly water the plants and plant them according to the scheme recommended by the originators.

There are usually few parasites on the bushes, but this, of course, does not apply to the tenacious Colorado beetles. Before flowering, they can be quickly poisoned with insecticides. But if they began to parasitize after flowering, then they will have to be collected manually. If there are chickens at home, then this is a great option. It is enough to let them into the garden, as they will save you from unwanted guests in a couple of hours.