Content
Potatoes are a garden crop that is grown everywhere. The plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and productivity even under the most meager conditions. But there are cases when seedlings appear slowly or are absent, which indicates damage to the planting material or incorrectly performed agrotechnical actions. Thus, it is important to know how potatoes sprout after planting and how many days later the first sprouts appear.
Knowing the timing of potato sprouting will allow you to take timely measures in the event of a lack of sprouts
What factors influence
After planting the seed tubers, the root system of the potato first begins to form, and then the first shoots appear, and the bush develops further. The germination time may vary slightly depending on the growing region, but it should not be more than 25 days. In addition, other factors also affect the germination of potatoes after planting:
- assessment of weather conditions and selection of landing time;
- selection of high-quality seed material;
- potato variety;
- soil fertility;
- planting depth.
In addition to choosing good seed tubers, proper preparation is also required, since you should not hope for a good harvest when planting potatoes straight from the cellar.
How many days will it take for potatoes to sprout after planting?
Despite the fact that the germination of potatoes depends on various factors, the time period for the appearance of the first sprouts should not exceed more than a month. For example, you can expect potato shoots to sprout after planting in the southern regions as early as 10-12 days, but in the north – after 20-25 days.
The variety is no less important. Early-ripening species germinate much faster, unlike mid- and late-ripening ones. But it is worth considering that heat-loving potato varieties take longer to germinate in northern regions or do not take root at all, since northern varieties are equally successfully cultivated in areas with any climate, and they produce a stable harvest.
Temperature is equally important. If in the spring after planting the weather is unstable and the ground warms up by no more than +10 °C, then seedlings will appear only on day 20-25. If the temperature does not decrease and remains in the range of +18-+20 °C for a long time, then the tubers can germinate within 10-15 days.
Benefits of early planting
Many gardeners believe that potato seedlings appear more slowly when planted early. Because of this, most people postpone sowing until the temperature stabilizes.In fact, early planting also has a number of advantages:
- strengthening the plant's immunity;
- When planting early, the soil does not have time to dry out much;
- productivity increases.
When planting late, due to lack of moisture in the soil, abundant watering is required, which can cause rotting of the seed.
Another significant advantage of early planting of potatoes is that the weeds do not have time to germinate, and subsequent hilling will make it easier to deal with them.
When planting early, summer residents also recommend germinating seed potatoes so that seedlings appear faster
Among the agrotechnical features of early planting, the following should be noted:
- seed tubers cannot be deepened too much, since the earth has not yet warmed up well;
- The row spacing must be at least 60 cm, and the distance between the holes in the row should be maintained at 30-40 cm;
- Organic fertilizers must be added to the bottom of the holes;
- The planting is covered with film to avoid freezing of the seed material.
How to speed up the emergence of seedlings
It is not surprising that many summer residents want to speed up the germination of potatoes, because early germination is the key to getting a harvest ahead of schedule.
The simplest and most effective way to speed up the emergence of seedlings is to cover the plantings with film. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, which is formed due to shelter, the soil warms up faster during the day and cools down more slowly at night. In such conditions, the first shoots can already be seen after 10-14 days.
You can also additionally treat the seed with a growth stimulator. These compositions are aimed not only at accelerating the formation of seedlings, but also at strengthening the plant’s immunity.
Fertilizing the soil at the time of planting has a positive effect on the formation of seedlings. Therefore, to accelerate the appearance of the first shoots, the plantings should be watered with a complex or organic composition.
It is worth considering that unsprouted potatoes sprout more slowly, so in order for the first sprouts to appear faster, it is necessary to carry out vernalization, heating and germination of the planting material.
There are also small tricks:
- mulching – allows you to create the right temperature for the formation of sprouts and additionally protects against pests;
- loosening - helps saturate the soil with oxygen;
- planting tubers with eyes up.
Possible problems
The germination time of potatoes should be known in order to react in time to possible problems. The main ones may be uneven emergence of seedlings or their absence.
Uneven shoots
If potato sprouts begin to “hatch”, but this happens unevenly, then it is not a matter of temperature conditions; there may be several reasons for this:
- different-sized seed tubers;
- diversity;
- different planting depths.
To avoid uneven emergence of seedlings, seed material should be properly calibrated. It is also worth giving preference to one variety for planting on a site or several, but at the same time to allocate an area for each.
Potatoes don't sprout
The lack of seedlings can also be due to a number of reasons:
- sudden changes in temperature - when the sun warms up during the day and frosts hit at night, the tubers may stop developing;
- the soil is very dry or waterlogged;
- poor soil composition.
One of the most common reasons for lack of germination is incorrect selection or preparation.
If after planting the potato seedlings have not appeared, then it is important to take action immediately. To do this, they dig up the tubers, look through them and identify the cause. If potato seeds are frozen or dried out, it is unlikely that they will be revived. Therefore, tubers are replaced. In cases where the cause is a lack of nutrients, the soil is first fertilized and then replanted.
Conclusion
After planting, potatoes sprout in 10-25 days, depending on the region of cultivation and preliminary preparation of seed material. And if all agrotechnical requirements are met, then not only will the first shoots appear on time, but the bushes will also be strong and the harvest will be rich.
