How to grow potatoes in straw
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Growing potatoes in straw
Have you noticed that sometimes at the edge of the plot there are especially potato bushes of potatoes? And remember, where did you pile the weeded grass? Here! So why not grow such wonder-bushes not by chance, but throughout the potato plot?
I practice the method growing potatoes in straw. In the spring I divide the plot in half, and one part of it, without plowing, into shallow grooves every 15 cm shallow grooves (width 5 cm and depth 3-5 cm) is sowed with a mixture of oats with peas (or vetch), boron rake.
On the other half of the site, where the syderat was sown last year, also without plowing the land, I plant potatoes. Through the fallen straw of oats and peas (plants hibernate in the field unbroken) I make small holes, lower the tuber and pour a layer of earth no more than 5 cm. And so alternate
In order to compensate for the loss of a part of the potato crop in the first year because of its plantation only in half of the plot, it is possible to sow the syderat in the future potato plot in the early spring, as soon as the snow came down. And a month and a half to mow (but not clean!) And plant potatoes on them.
The case helped
I plant potatoes by all means late. Why? The case helped. We have recurrent frosts in the Urals, and once they hit 17 June! Harvest in the end was just deplorable at all sites in the district. Except one, where "careless" owners planted potatoes only 12 June. I still laughed: "Woke up!" What was my surprise in the autumn, when I saw how beautiful their harvest was!
Now I plant potatoes not earlier than June 12. In addition, that by this I practically insured the plantings from return frosts on 100%, so potatoes in the conditions of the Middle Urals fall into the most optimal temperature and water regime - it rises at the end of June, blooms in early August, when the heat decreases and rains come, which is why it actively forms tubers. Bushes grow as powerful as they were before, even when nitrogen fertilizers were introduced.
See also: Growing potatoes in crests
And there are no beetles!
Thanks to this late planting time, there was another unexpected plus - I completely refused chemicals to deal with the Colorado potato beetle. Just because there is nobody to destroy! When there is an active invasion of pests, in my plot potatoes have not yet ascended. And that the beetles did not lay eggs, I delete the weeds on the potato patch. Later, if a couple of colorado and glance at my landing, they can be collected manually.
The basic care of a potato in straw
Care for potatoes in the straw is simple. During the season, I only cut the weeds twice with a hoe (before planting and at the time of emergence). After all, under a mulch from straw no weed survives. Only sometimes I can selectively cut off the grass before hilling, which I also do with a hoe.
What's the secret?
Despite the fact that potatoes I plant twice as less as before, I get the same crop, if not more, and I spend less energy.
And all because the soil under the straw improves its structure, decomposing siderates - food for beneficial microorganisms. The potato gets everything necessary for growth and development, and thanks to the straw mulch it does not suffer from drought.
A.SAKOV. Pervouralsk,
Growing potatoes in straw
(2e letter)
Inexperienced summer residents often write that an effective method of planting potatoes under straw does not work - all rodents spoil. In fact, they cannot be there, if everything is done correctly.
I was born in the village. After graduation, they were sent to work in the city, where she lived for more than 30 years. My parents lived in the village, and when my mother was left alone, I moved to her. The main thing in the village is to grow potatoes, and my mother planted a little of everything, and I do it.
The first years of planting in the old fashioned way and more. And over time, began to plant more different crops, less potatoes. I went to the city to finalize until retirement, my granddaughter drove to the kindergarten. She planted potatoes so that only for the winter was enough: the garden (8 acres) did not have time to process, there was not enough time. The potato grew by itself, I did not even have time to spud it, but I completely forgot about one garden. In the autumn, she was preparing a garden for plowing and noticed that she hadn’t still dug it, but it was already October. In general, I planted and forgot, but the crop was decent. In each hole - from 12 to 17 pieces large, small was not at all.
Then I spent a lot of time arranging the garden and growing the garden. Potatoes began to be planted less and less - and in one year we didn’t have enough for the winter. By this time I was already retired and began to think about how to get a big crop in a small plot.
And in one year I planted plenty of everything - both potatoes and other crops. But when I finished planting, it was already the end of May, and I still had part of the land not planted, wheat grass rose by 12-15 cm. It was too late to cultivate, I would have to wait another two weeks. And the potato sprouted, seedlings are growing. Sons arrived, and we decided to plant potatoes on this site (we collected small things of different varieties). They planted it under a shovel: my son made a hole, I poured 1 tsp in each. soda ash, mixed with the ground, and then put the tubers. It began to drizzle, and it was a sinful thing to think that we could not see the harvest: everything would drown out the wheat grass, it would be better if they planted watermelons.
The guys left, they ring, they worry, as the potato grows. And I observe: the seedlings appeared, and the grass as it was 12-15 see and remained. She weeded the rows, cut down all the weeds. The potatoes are growing, he has plundered him. By that time I had already treated the main plantation of potatoes with chemicals from the beetle, then there was no beetle on this site. I will not write that the potatoes grew by half a kilo each: no, this was not. Was an ordinary, where more, where less.
The conclusion I made is this: potato straw does not interfere and does not help, it only depresses the growth of weeds, especially wheat grass. In this, I was once again convinced, when I was treating the soil after digging strawberries.
I planted potatoes in the winter. Perhaps she didn’t cover well - she didn’t ascend. My girlfriend planted it this way: she spreads the tubers on the ground in a checkerboard pattern, falls asleep on top of old, overripe straw, last year's leaves (especially walnut), lays small branches on top to prevent the leaves from blowing off. Potato tops make their way through this cover; there are no bugs. In the autumn, she cleaned the branches, raked the leaves and gathered clean potatoes. It is used several times by these leaves.
And I do it differently. I'm not making holes, I'm trenching, but a trench. I sprinkle the bottom of the trench with ashes, I put straw on top, only not fresh, or old hay, I spread the tubers at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other and fall asleep on the ground, making a crest. Having planted so a bucket of potatoes, I fall asleep between rows with old leaves (more than a nut!), The area from above turns out equal, a crest is not visible.
Leaving the place for the path, planted a second bucket, but a little differently. Having made a trench with a trowel, the bottom was sprinkled with ashes, covered with straw or hay, and sprinkled with earth, making ridges. The whole area was covered with walnut leaves. The next two buckets planted in Dutch, but still after the first hoeing fell asleep with straw and leaves.
Potatoes no longer spud, no loosening, there was enough rain. The bug appeared when the tops of the potatoes were above the knees. Processed once, there were no weeds. So I have been planting potatoes for two years, and my girlfriend is ten years old - and neither she nor I had any mice under the straw, because we take the old, rotted straw or hay.
In the autumn, I dug out a clean, large potato, which was almost nonexistent. Sorts from me are: Sorokodnevka, Svitanok Kiev.
By this method I am quite pleased, I now have enough potatoes for me, for children and for my grandchildren.
Galina Dubrova
Below other entries on the topic "Dacha and garden - with their own hands"
- Growing potatoes in the Omsk region
- Seedling method of planting potatoes - my reviews
- Technology of growing elite seed potatoes
- Growing potatoes in the Lipetsk region - planting and care for a new
- Planting potatoes - cut or not cut the tubers?
- Growing potatoes in the North - gardener tips
- Interesting ways to grow potatoes - my feedback on some
- Winter potatoes - planting and care
- How to grow potatoes in Crimea
- Cultivation of potatoes in the Moscow region
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I want to stand up for planting potatoes under the vegetation cover, and as this season my children were convinced of the usefulness and convenience of such a method. They bought the dacha in 2013 year already in the summer, so they had to do the first potato planting only in the next spring. At the same time, their neighbors said that the former landlady had not fertilized the land for a long time, but we did not use chemistry in principle, but we had nothing else. We decided that we should take a chance and put it as it is. They made four double rows. And then the children bought an apartment (so it turned out) and they were not up to special courtship for planting. I had to help them.
They had a lot of herbs, but they started mowing already in July no-July. By the time I had already peeled potatoes once. The children suggested sloping grass to be put directly on the beds, but they thought it would be ugly, and they just dumped it in a ditch that remained from the former mistress. But the roots of 8-10, I still poured this herb twice a season (it was already seeded and seedless by that time). We did not have any weeds so wrapped up this way, except for the birch tree, until the fall.
And now it's time to harvest. From all three and a half beds there were a few potatoes, but it also grew small
But on my pilot site the tubers were large, and in the bush by 12-15 pcs. Here's to you and "ugly" hay. Now the children realized what power is in the organics and why I collect in the winter onion husks, egg shells and even dry on the cleaning battery in the boxes. Places all this dried up good takes a little, for the winter is typed only about 1 bag.
And I want to say thank you to everyone who sends their observations and recommendations on how to cope with different pests.
I have already tried two such advice: from aphids I spray the planting with diluted tar soap, and from the ants I place jars with a solution of boric acid mixed with sugar.
And really everything helps. But, of course, not all advice should be immediately believed. I always check on small sites so as not to hurt, if something goes wrong.
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I grow tomatoes in a greenhouse 2,5 × 4 m. Since the autumn I dug up, put fertilizers, green manure, covered with straw. And in the spring she took off the mulch, fluttered and laid the straw again, then spread it
null her and planted seedlings. But the earth had not warmed up yet, it was necessary to put the mulch in about ten days! Here they are, my dears, and began to fall one after another ... Their roots froze and died. More than half died, and it is especially unfortunate that all the Krasnobai died, so expensive and hard to get.
DBom, do not like me! Teplice needs a week to warm up, especially under mulch.
In general, I want to say that straw is a miracle. And he will close the potato in the aisles - it will not dry, and you can lay the cucumbers - the earth is loose, and you have to water less, and between strawberries, everywhere. Now the grass is in short supply, people cut off all the grooves and clearings, mow. Summer residents now went literate, thanks to our beautiful "Country".
And one more thing. Sometimes you read articles: "Sow rye after potatoes - a wonderful siderat." And then: “In no case will there be plenty of wireworms!” Well, how is it? Who to believe? I do not judge how many people, so many opinions. But still ... Or here: to take seeds only from varieties, from hybrids - in no case!
And all my friends buy hybrids of vegetables and in the first year they take seeds from them. Normal vegetables grow, good harvest. Only here you can’t take seeds from these vegetables - only once, from the first harvest. We all do that. One seed is enough for two years, then again we buy in the seed store. Buy seeds only in specialized stores where horrible do not take - my advice.
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When I read notes about potatoes, I always pay attention to two factors - the region where it is grown, and what kind of farm it is - a country house or a farm. I check many tips for myself. For 30 years, we have developed the optimal - with the lowest labor costs - option for obtaining a decent potato crop. When they were young and worked in production, they planted 3-4 varieties, without a name, took in quantity: more planted, more you get. Now retired, there is time and opportunity to experiment.
We plant potatoes on a plot of 20 × 10 m in size, 5-6 buckets. We now have 14 varieties, tested by three years of practice. In the fall, at an agricultural fair, they bought a variety of Yugan. Resting in the fall in Cyprus, I saw there beautiful and clean white potatoes, beautiful tubers, acquired 4 pieces. It is only washed and baked with peel. Very tasty! So now two more varieties have been added.
Our summer is short and the weather is unpredictable. We plant from May 20 to June 1, we dig on September 7-10. We prefer mid-early and mid-ripening varieties, the late ones do not ripen in our country, and the early ones are not preserved until a new crop. We check the seed material for two to three years before abandoning the variety. In each variety, I am attracted not only by the size and taste of the tubers, but also by their purity, the shape of the bush, how compactly the potatoes are located in the nest, and even the color of the tops. I noticed that potato is a plastic culture, and in our West Siberian region both the German Rosara, the Belarusian Dyne, the Dutch Symphony, and the varieties of the Central region — Artemis, Sappho — adapt well. We acquire potatoes at a breeding station, exchange them with our neighbors. So they raised Nakra, Sarovsky, Symphony - with 4 pieces of each grade. Kemerovo varieties Udalets; Tuleevsky, Kuznechanka bought 1 kg at the station. We have Rosar, Tea, Artemis, Solnechny, Nevsky, Sappho. Favorite - Nakra, Tuleevsky, Sunny, Dina.
Young potatoes are more useful than usual: the sugar in it has not yet turned into starch.
Do not put it in cold water, only boiling!
Small tubers should be checked: if they are rubbed heavily, and the peel remains, it means that you are not young, but just small, "salad" potatoes.
In the autumn we dig out each variety separately, choose the seed material from the best nests, wash it, dry it and put it in small nets, they are now sold a lot in shops. We hang a label from a piece of old linoleum on the net, write the name of the grade with a pencil.
Grids with potatoes for two weeks hanging in the sun - green. This is not difficult, because we leave 1,5–2 kg of each variety, and 4–6 kg of favorites. It is stored in a cellar in nets well, clean and medium-sized. During the winter, I take small cardboard boxes from under the sweets in the pastry shops. Unassembled, they do not take up space at all.
We raise potatoes for germination from the cellar by May 1. Each variety - in its own box, with a pencil on the box we sign the name. For two weeks we keep seed potatoes in the basement of our five-story building - it is warm and dark there. The last two weeks we have kept potatoes in the country in a house where it is still cold but light.
Potatoes are periodically sprinkled with a growth biostimulator based on peat or a solution of potassium permanganate.
We plant as a standard 70 × 25 cm, put into the holes a handful of wood ash, onion husks, eggshells and humus. We dig a plot under the first row, pull the cord and make holes on the cord. We spread the potatoes - we dig further, after 70 cm we transfer the cord and make the second row of holes, immediately falling asleep the first row. We try to do it in a checkerboard pattern. The plot is smooth, not trampled. For the season we make weeding for the first time, at the same time loosen young seedlings and for the second time weave and spud high. We don’t touch potatoes anymore. We don’t have a Colorado potato beetle; we don’t pick flowers on potatoes.
10 days before harvesting, cut the tops with a sickle. After harvesting the potatoes, we clean the area, leave it clean for the winter, if possible - sprinkle with a thin layer the husks of pine nuts. With its harvest after processing, the husks are enough for the entire site. In the second year after harvesting, we sow green manure. The first autumn, oat seedlings were glued together by crows and magpies. Last year, white mustard was sown, and its green shoots went under the snow. I liked the advice from Dacha, where the mustard is scattered in front of a potato digging and it is simultaneously planted in the soil.
We dig from 50 to 80 buckets from 6 planted - a crop of an average of 1:10. There are always 15-20 buckets left for sale. Last year, they read in a magazine about landing in double rows. They tried it - half of the plot was planted double, with a distance between them of 90 cm. I did not like it. Our land plot has a slight slope, so it is inconvenient to double the double rows, and you have to dig one row - from top to bottom, the second - vice versa.
So, after trying many tips, you choose the most convenient for yourself and the site. Since 1997, I have been conducting books on crop accounting for varieties of all vegetable crops. And I wish the readers pleasant summer holidays!
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I read about planting potatoes under the straw and fired up with this idea. In due time I laid out the tubers on the ground and covered them with manned hay (I have nowhere to get straw, so I took what was at hand). And she began to wait for the result. But it was not there. The potato either grew small (the son-in-law called it balls from the bearing), or did not sprout at all - the seed tubers still lay, becoming unusable.
What kind of parable is this? I began to think. The method can not be bad, not for nothing that most readers use it successfully. So, the case is in cover. At first, I decided that the cause in a manured hay-it is heavier than straw. And then it dawned on me: I put it too thick! Here is a potato and it turned out as if in a refrigerator, not to sigh to it, or to exhale.
The following year, I repeated my experiment, only now the manure of the hay did not begin to cast a continuous thick-
and each tuber sheltered them a little, like a hat (and crushed slightly on top with small wooden bars). And the potatoes were not worse at all than at the main plot.
Would you say if the result is similar, was it worth it to plant a garden? Of course, it was worth it, because all the focus in the work. Do something, almost nothing is needed, everything is growing. And we do not even have any weeds.
Perhaps, for those who are ready to bend their backs on their beds day and night, hilling them and plucking every blade of grass, this method will seem like a blessed thing, but for people like me who are hard to bend all the time (especially in the heat), this is a real salvation .
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No potato wells are needed
For potatoes do not necessarily dig holes. To see this, I conducted an experiment.
Instead of the traditional planting, he simply laid out the tubers in two rows directly over the surface of the earth, which was well warmed by the spring sun. And the top was covered with a very small layer of earth mixed with compost.
After that, I covered the improvised bed with lutrasil, pulling the nonwoven material over the arcs. Under this "canopy" plants were until the middle of June, that is completely safe from the point of view of frosts. Thus, in the most critical period for plants, when the root system grows, they were protected from cold. Shelter also helped to keep the spring moisture in the soil, and
this had a beneficial effect on potatoes.
True, from time to time I threw the canvas to loosen the soil, remove the weeds and pour the earth to the base of the bushes.
The use of this method made it possible to accelerate the vegetation of plants. We started digging young potatoes about half a month earlier than usual. And at the end of summer, the entire crop was harvested, which, in comparison with the usual method of cultivation, was almost twice as high - at least 5 kg from each bush.
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Flowers for potatoes are not the most important thing. This thesis, I think, was adopted by breeders offering varieties that have virtually no flowering, for example, Bellarosa, Leader, Rocco. In this case, the plant does not spend nutrients on flowers and fruit formation - all forces are directed to the formation of tubers. Incidentally, a well-known agricultural technique is based on this - picking flowers to obtain a higher crop.
But if a variety is grown that should bloom, and he avoids this, maybe weakened planting material was used or no fertilizing was done, so the plant spends all efforts to maintain its underground part.
This should be a signal that potatoes need to be fed. In a bucket of water, dilute 0,5 l of mullein and pour bushes with this liquid at the rate of 0,5 l for each. You can also use bird droppings or mineral fertilizers - 1 tbsp. l urea (urea) or “Dissolve” on a bucket of water. After 10 days, it is worth watering the plants with infusion of wood ash - a glass on a bucket of water, withstand 10-12 hours.
Flowering may be absent when plants are affected by a golden potato nematode. But in this case, other signs are manifested, the main of which is the weakness of the bush with a few frail stems, which begin to turn yellow prematurely.
In the future, you need to carefully read the characteristics of the varieties used, then there will be no "surprises".
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For some reason this year does not flower potatoes. I've never faced this before. Will this affect the yields of tubers?
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How to grow potatoes on sand
The soil on my site is sandy, the potato grows sick. The tuber is healthy in appearance, and black circles or dots in the section, and it is necessary to throw it away. Something in the soil is not enough, than to treat it? Or you need a special grade? Help advice.