Potato Surprise

Potato dishes are an essential attribute of any festive table. On the menu for every day, this root vegetable is also a welcome guest. For this reason, the plant is grown on almost every plot of land, and the huge variety of varieties allows you to choose the ideal option, taking into account the terrain, climate and use. One such variety is the Surprise potato.

The Surprise variety is considered a dietetic variety with an average ripening period. The color of the flesh can vary from pale to deep pink. Its color is influenced by the composition of the soil. When grown in light soils, the color is less vivid. Due to the high content of anthocyanins, which slow down the aging process, potatoes are very healthy.

Root vegetables are rich in starch (12 to 17% on average) and antioxidants. Saplings grow tall or medium. Planting is carried out from late spring to early summer. The variety has strong immunity and is not afraid of most diseases such as scab, late blight and cancer.

Bushes of intermediate type are of medium height. The structure is semi-erect. The shoots of the seedlings are covered with medium-sized dark green leaves. They are located in between. During flowering, red-violet buds (pale) open. They, like the leaves, are small.

The weight of one tuber varies from 100 to 126 grams. The shape is typical for potatoes, oval. A distinctive feature of the Surprise variety is the red color of the peel and pulp (the colors differ in saturation, and the peel is brighter than the pulp). The surface of the root crop is smooth.

And also a distinctive feature of the plant is the absence of darkening of the pulp. The surface of the root crop is covered with eyes, medium in depth. Excellent keeping quality allows you to keep the crop for a long time, even in cold weather. Keeping quality is 93%. Up to 15 root crops can grow in one nest at the same time.

This variety is very popular in commercial cultivation. Despite the huge variety of types of potatoes, it attracts the attention of buyers due to its unusual appearance, and agronomists choose it for its yield, excellent keeping quality and other positive characteristics.

The taste of the fruit is good and pleasant. Potatoes belong to culinary type A. When cooking, the crop is not boiled, the flesh remains quite simple. It is neither watery nor mealy. Boiled tubers are easy to cut into slices and will remain intact when cut. The Surprise variety is recommended to be used for baking, salads and cooking in "uniform".

Ripening of the crop is medium early. From the day of germination to the collection of root crops, it takes from 115 to 125 days.

The average yield of table potatoes is from 132 to 300 centners per hectare of land, and at maximum fruiting, up to 455 centners per hectare can be harvested. High marketability - 78-89%.

Harvesting is recommended in dry weather. First, you need to dig out a few bushes and check if the potatoes are ripe. If the roots are ready, you can start harvesting the rest of the crop.

The harvested potatoes should be removed from the sun, where they dry out for several hours. After drying, the harvest is folded into bags and transferred to be stored in a cool and dark place. Experienced gardeners note that for long-term storage, the crop should not be stored in bags, but in boxes and small holes through which the tubers will be regularly ventilated. In their absence, the potatoes are placed in a loose container.

Special care for Surprise potatoes is not required, but for maximum yield and excellent taste, you need to follow the basic rules of agricultural technology. When growing, be sure to take into account the main characteristics of the variety.

Seedlings are watered only in the evening, when solar activity is significantly reduced and no longer threatens the plant mass. The most effective method of irrigation is considered to be moisturizing, which affects both the root system and the tops. During the cultivation period, watering is carried out 3-4 times. The first time the site is irrigated after a week and a half, the next procedure is carried out after 3 weeks.

Before performing the watering procedure, the soil is loosened. With its help, the upper solid layer of the earth is removed, which prevents the penetration of moisture and oxygen. The work is carried out with a hoe, carefully cultivating the soil around each seedling.

And it is also advisable to perform the following care measures.

• Potatoes love fertile soil, and if the land on the site is depleted, it must be fed.

• Despite the strong immunity, the bushes can still suffer from diseases and pests. The most common of these is the Colorado leaf-eating beetle. To get rid of it, folk or purchased remedies designed specifically to combat this insect will help.

• Weed plants on the site are unacceptable, so you need to get rid of them immediately.