Riviera potatoes

For admirers of ultra-early varieties of potatoes, many types are available with a number of features and benefits. The Dutch varieties are in high demand, among which the Riviera potatoes, which were bred relatively recently.

The Riviera potato was developed by Dutch scientists at Agrico. When breeding, the parental forms of Alkmaria and Minerva were used. The culture appeared in the State Register of approved varieties in 2013. Potatoes are recommended for cultivation in the Central, North Caucasian, Central Black Earth and Lower Volga regions.

The Riviera is a very productive table variety with few disadvantages. The plant is drought-resistant and not too whimsical to care for.

The Dutch potato is a medium-sized bush, stretching up to 75-90 cm in height. The plant has strong semi-erect or spreading stems, a developed root system and moderate foliage with light green leaves. At the initial stage of the growing season, the bushes grow rapidly. Thanks to strong rhizomes on one bush, up to 11-12 tubers ripen, including a minimum of small and non-marketable potatoes. When flowering, small inflorescences with snow-white-pinkish flowers are formed on the bushes. Often, not all gardeners can observe the inflorescences, since they quickly crumble without blooming.

The Riviera is a large-fruited variety. Tubers weighing 101-180 grams ripen on a healthy bush. The shape of the root crops is correct: oval or oval-rounded, the surface is smooth. The color of vegetables is classic - pale beige. The peel of the potato is quite dense, sparsely covered with shallow eyes.

Due to the thick peel, the dug potatoes easily tolerate transportation, and can also lie until January (which is not typical of early potato species), if the temperature in the basement or cellar is not higher than + 3-4 degrees and there is no dampness.

Table potatoes are characterized by excellent taste. The creamy pulp has a moderately dense, oily and delicate texture without wateriness and mealy. Peeled and boiled potatoes do not darken. The pulp contains less than 16% starch, which allows the vegetable to be included in dietary and baby food. When heat treated, the tubers are not very boiled.

A feature of the variety is the versatility of root vegetables: they can be boiled whole, fried, baked, stewed, added to soups and salads, as well as mashed potatoes, which will be incredibly tender, melting in your mouth. Many gardeners say that potatoes dug out early are the most delicious.

This Dutch variety belongs to the early ones. From the moment of full germination of sprouts to mass harvest, 65-80 days pass. The first digging is carried out 40-45 days after germination. You can dig up fully ripe tubers in July. If you plant potatoes under a film, then you can grow and harvest twice a season.

Potato yields are stable and abundant. With systemic care from 1 hectare of beds, an average of 189 to 366 centners of tubers can be harvested.

Potatoes are planted from late April to early May, the main conditions are well-heated soil (up to +10) and temperature stability (+ 12-15 degrees). For planting, medium-sized tubers weighing 40-50 grams are selected with sprouts 1.5-2 cm long.It is recommended to deepen the tubers by 5-6 cm, no more, which is a characteristic difference when planting. The potato planting pattern is standard - 60x35 cm. Legumes, pumpkin, cereals and cabbage are considered optimal precursors for potatoes. When planting this variety, it should be borne in mind that tubers can be planted in several ways: classic (tubers are placed in holes) and trench (tubers are located along the entire length of the trench with sprouts up).

Intensive agricultural technology consists of a chain of standard measures: irrigation, if necessary (deep bedding of rhizomes maintains the water balance of the plant), fertilization, loosening and weeding between rows, obligatory hilling (twice a season), which helps to increase yields by a third, prevention of viruses and insect attacks ...

Early potatoes have certain soil requirements. The Dutch culture is most comfortable to grow in sandy loam, peat and loamy soils, which are characterized by light texture, fertility, moisture, fluffiness, air permeability and neutral acidity.

The Riviera is a warm and light-loving crop that tolerates heat, drought and short-term shade well. Growing in lowlands, in wetlands can become detrimental to the variety. The site should be free of weeds, well lit by the sun. A correctly chosen place is a guarantee of a high yield and excellent taste of the tubers.

Riviera has good immunity. Potatoes are resistant to many fungal diseases, and are also able to resist cancer, golden nematode, banded mosaic. The only problem with this nightshade crop is late blight of leaves and tubers.