Potato Luck

Since its inception, the potato variety Luck has not ceased to be popular among summer residents, which justifies its name. The developed culture is deservedly appreciated by experienced gardeners and specialists in their field, who do not stop choosing this particular variety, knowing about its many positive characteristics.

In the 90s of the twentieth century, work began on the development of a new potato variety. We crossed two existing cultures - Vilnia and Anoka. The goal was set: to bring out the culture with the maximum indicators of adaptability. For the good luck of the breeders, a new variety appeared, which was named so - Luck. The variety was officially recognized in 1994.

Ripening early, it is excellent for picking and eating in summer and autumn, for dining purposes. The application is universal. Under optimal storage conditions, the keeping quality of Luck ranges from 88-97%. Tubers are not very susceptible to mechanical stress, it is convenient to grow commercially. Marketability is 96%.

Differs in low morbidity, does not suffer from viral diseases. It is unpretentious in leaving. Ripening and yield of potatoes do not depend on weather conditions and soil type. Due to the rapid tying of tubers, it acquires commercial quality on the 45th day after the appearance of the first shoots. With proper care, it brings large yields - 500 c / ha.

Good luck bushes with powerful stems reach 40 cm in height. The bright green color of the leaves is characterized by a dissection typical of the variety. Flowering does not last long, but inflorescences appear in large quantities and are collected in separate brushes. The flowers are white, their sepals sprout downward.

Round and oval potato tubers weigh 120-250 grams and have small eyes on their surface. In color, they are found in a light cream or brown shade. The skin of the tubers is rather fragile and thin, underneath it is light pulp, which turns yellow during heat treatment. In mature tubers, it is mealy and dense.

The taste of young potatoes is pleasant, the ripe crop also does not lag behind in taste, moderately starchy. Potatoes are not boiled during cooking. The starch content in potatoes reaches 12-14%. Its use is very diverse: mashed potatoes, salads, casseroles, jacket potatoes. The variety is versatile, good for frying, baking or steaming.

You can harvest potatoes already 80-90 days after planting. Potatoes are usually dug up towards the end of June. After the tops of potatoes turn yellow, they can be considered fully ripe.

One potato bush can produce 10 to 12 tubers. Potatoes ripen and become fit for human consumption one and a half months after the development of seedlings.Young potatoes taste good. After two months of the growing season (from 70 to 80 days), an average of 20-30 tons can be harvested from 1 hectare.

Luck feels comfortable on the soils of different regions. It grows best in the northwestern, Ural, North Caucasian regions, as well as in the Volga region, the Black Earth region and the Far East.

Before planting potatoes, you need to prepare the soil. The variety grows best on soft soil. Therefore, the earth must first be dug up 2 cm deep, and also fertilized with rotted products or compost. Fertilizers are taken at the rate of 40-45 buckets per 1 hundred square meters of land.

On clay soil, ridges with a height of 15 to 20 cm are formed in advance. The distances between them should be 70 cm. Thus, the soil will be able to receive more heat and become more breathable. The chernozem soil, which is well warmed up by itself, does not need the formation of ridges.

For planting, tubers are taken, which weigh up to 50-80 g. Before planting, they are cut, leaving 3-4 well-visible eyes on each cut part.

The tubers are treated with ash, which acts as a fertilizer and disinfectant. After that, the potatoes can be put in a box, where they will germinate at a comfortable temperature - up to +18 degrees.

Luck is planted from the end of April to the first half of May. The distance between the seedlings is 20 cm, and the interval between the beds is 30-40 cm. The bushes are fed with compost and ash in a ratio of 1: 1. Further feeding occurs after the first hilling.

It is necessary to sprinkle emerging seedlings in case of a sharp drop in air temperature. Further care consists in weeding the site and loosening the earth.

The variety does not need watering too often. In dry weather, potatoes are watered with rainwater or settled from a water supply.

The variety is not too picky about the choice of soil. It takes root well both on sandy loam and clay soils. But in order for the potatoes to germinate, it is important to observe the main points of care. Before planting it, you need to prepare the ground in the fall. It is best to plant the beds after melons or cabbage and cucumbers. It is not recommended to plant in the same place, otherwise the potatoes will degenerate, and the likelihood of developing diseases will increase.

The most typical pests for the variety are considered to be the nematode and the Colorado potato beetle, and often a developing disease - late blight.

There may be several reasons for the latter: excess moisture and densely planted potato bushes. This ailment manifests itself as a darkening of the leaves and stems, while the tubers are prone to rotting.

In order to avoid the influence of phytophthora, it is necessary to weed the ground, as well as periodically change the crops on the site. If late blight nevertheless developed, in order to overcome it, you need to process the potatoes with copper-containing agents (Bordeaux liquid). They are used in any period of growth of a potato bush. For final disposal, leaves and stems affected by the disease are harvested and burned.

If pale areas appear on the leaves, and the stems become more thickened, then this is the result of damage to the plant by the stem nematode. A preventive measure is the addition of ash to the hole when planting potatoes, and control measures are the removal of the affected areas of the bush.

Spraying a mixture of ash and laundry soap or an infusion of 300 g of bitter wormwood on a glass of ash in a bucket of heated water helps against the Colorado potato beetle. Among the folk remedies, the use of a tincture of poplar leaves in a bucket of water also stands out.

And the most famous way: collect the Colorado potato beetle and fill a 500 ml jar with it. After a week of infusion, the resulting composition of the pest can be used against the beetle itself.