Content
Planting potatoes before winter is possible in many regions of Russia, including the middle zone, the Volga region, and the Black Earth Region. This method allows you to get an early harvest in May and June. In addition, plants suffer less from pests and are not affected by late blight. But there are also disadvantages - the main pros and cons are described in the article.
Is it possible to plant potatoes before winter?
There is still no consensus as to whether planting can be done before winter or not. We can definitely say that this method is quite risky and is not suitable for all Russian regions. You can safely experiment only in the southern regions and in the Black Earth Region. It is also possible to grow winter potatoes in the middle zone.
When planting before winter, several important points are taken into account:
- They choose the timing carefully - you need to focus on the weather forecast, since it is difficult to name a specific time for a particular area.
- The tubers are carefully prepared so that they do not rot or suffer from infections.
- Dig holes of a certain depth from 12 to 20 cm.
- Be sure to use mulch.Moreover, the layer must be very high - at least 30 cm.
Advantages and disadvantages
Autumn planting of potatoes before winter has its pros and cons.
Planting before winter allows you to get a harvest in May
The undeniable advantages of such cultivation include the following:
- The main advantage is that already in May - early June you can try new potatoes. It will be no worse than the one that ripens from July to September after spring planting.
- Potatoes will not suffer from drought; they will receive enough moisture in spring and early summer. This is especially important for regions with hot, dry climates.
- Planting before winter allows you to save potatoes from Colorado potato beetles and a number of other pests. There will be more harvest, and you won’t have to treat the bushes against insects.
- In spring there are often long rains, which is why planting has to be postponed all the time. If you grow winter potatoes, there will be no problem.
Although there are also disadvantages to planting before winter:
- This growing method is not suitable for every region.
- In autumn and winter, mole crickets and rodents pose a particular threat.
- Quite a lot of labor - you need to dig holes of the required depth and lay a lot of mulch on the surface.
- Even with good shelter, some of the potatoes may freeze and rot.
Potato varieties for autumn planting
If you decide to plant potatoes before winter, special attention should be paid to the choice of variety. In summer, you can grow almost all crops, including late ones, but when planting in the fall, choose mid-early productive varieties:
- Svitanok Kyiv;
- Yavar;
- Volzhanin;
- Breeze;
- Agria;
- Lily;
- Adretta;
- Uladar;
- Impala;
- Lapis lazuli;
- Call;
- Aksamit;
- Karatop;
- Nevskaya;
- Sturdy;
- Horizon;
- Haze;
- Margarita;
- Radich;
- Talovsky 110 and others.
Ultra-early varieties definitely cannot be used. They germinate quickly, sprouting even before the first frost, so they will die over the winter, even if the temperature is relatively high. For example, for planting before winter you cannot take such common potato varieties as Gala, Zhukovsky early and Nevsky. When grown in winter, they never produced a harvest.
In which regions can winter potatoes be planted?
Winter potatoes can be grown in those regions where the following winter conditions are possible:
- the temperature never drops below 3-5 degrees;
- stable snow cover with a height of 10-15 cm falls;
- snow melts early or moderately late.
Not every region meets these requirements. Southern regions are optimally suited, including:
- Krasnodar, Stavropol Territory;
- Crimea;
- North Caucasus.
You can plant potatoes before winter in the southern regions
Pre-winter planting of tubers is also allowed in the middle zone (including in the Moscow region), in the Volga region and the Black Earth Region. In the North-West and Southern Urals, cultivation is not always possible - some of the tubers will die. As for Siberia and the northern regions, the winter method is completely inapplicable here due to extreme frosts and temperature changes.
When to plant potatoes before winter
Pre-winter potatoes are planted in the fall, around the second ten days of October. It is impossible to determine exact dates, since they greatly depend on the weather, as well as on the climatic conditions of a particular region.
You need to start planting potatoes before winter at the moment when the first frosts have already arrived (temperatures around 0 and slightly lower). You can determine the optimal time by external signs - at night the soil begins to freeze, but during the day it thaws, becomes moist and soft, as if spring has come.
If in the middle zone such weather is usually observed in the second ten days of October, then in the Volga region and Black Earth Region it is closer to the end of the month. As for the North Caucasus and other southern regions, the right time for planting potatoes before winter is the first half of November. You can plan work until the middle of the month, while the weather is relatively warm.
Growing winter potatoes
It is possible to grow winter potatoes and reap a good harvest if you choose the right place for planting before winter and organize good care. The basic rules of agricultural technology are described below.
Site selection and preparation
When planting potatoes before winter, it is recommended to pay attention to choosing a location. The site must meet several requirements:
- good lighting;
- absence of stagnation of water (not in lowlands);
- without nightshade precursors (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers).
The soil should be fertile and loose; loam with a pH of 6-7 (slightly acidic or neutral reaction) is optimal. They begin preparing the site for planting before winter in the summer. The soil is dug up and compost or humus is added at a rate of 10 kg per 1 m2. If it contains a lot of clay, add sand or sawdust in an amount of 3-5 kg to the same area.
Preparing Potatoes
Before planting potatoes for the winter, you need to prepare the tubers. In 2-3 weeks they are laid out on the floor in a bright, cool room (temperature 10-15 degrees Celsius). Periodically turn over and spray with water.
During this time, the tubers will sprout, and it will be easier for them to take root when planted before winter. In addition, due to exposure to light, solanine will form in them. This is a green toxic substance that protects potatoes from dangerous pests - mole crickets and rodents.
Potatoes are pre-sprouted
Planting depth
When planting potatoes before winter, it is very important to determine the depth of the tubers. It depends on the size and type of soil. The denser the soil, the shallower the depth, but on the other hand, it should still be at least 12 cm.
In sandy, sandy loam soils, up to 20 cm can be planted. Large potatoes are placed at the same depth. If they are medium, it is enough to deepen them by 15 cm; if they are small, by 12 cm, but not higher. It is no longer possible to plant at a depth of 20 cm or more - the layering may not grow to the surface.
The process of planting potatoes before winter
Winter potatoes are planted in different ways, depending on the type of soil. If the soil is sandy or sandy loam, it is necessary to make double beds 70 cm wide. An interval of 80 cm is left between the rows. Between holes - 30 cm. Planting before winter is carried out in a checkerboard pattern. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Compost with a pinch of ash is placed at the bottom of the holes; you can also add a little onion peel.
- Place potatoes in holes and cover with soil.
- Cover with spruce branches.
- Place a large layer of sawdust, hay or straw on top - at least 30 cm.
- Then cover with thick white spunbond.
If the soil is clayey, planting before winter is done according to a different scheme. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- The holes are formed using a wooden stake - they should be narrow (up to 10 cm) and deep enough (30 cm).
- Compact the hay or straw to the maximum depth.
- Lay out fertile soil, add compost and ash.
- Place potato tubers for planting before winter.
- Sprinkle soil on top, lay dry grass, forming a flagellum.
- Before the first snow falls, cover the beds with thick black spunbond.
- After forming a cover of snow, remove the canvas.
Plantings must be mulched with straw
Thanks to winter shelter, the potatoes are reliably protected not only from freezing, but also from rotting. From above it is protected by snow cover. During the winter and spring, the organic matter will rot and create additional heat. Two weeks after the onset of stable positive temperatures, shoots will appear, and after another 1.5 months you can harvest. The same planting method is suitable for areas located in lowlands where there is a high probability of flooding.
Caring for winter potatoes
In autumn and winter, no maintenance is required. It is enough to lay out a large layer of mulch and cover it with non-woven material on top. If there is not enough snow, it is advisable to lay down as much snow mass as possible to create a reliable layer.
In early spring, the mulch is gradually removed, arches are installed and non-woven fabric is stretched. With the onset of stable positive temperatures it is removed. Further care is standard - if the soil is dry, the weather is hot, water it.In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to accelerate growth, and during flowering, superphosphate and potassium are applied.
Conclusion
Planting potatoes before winter has its pros and cons. In general, we can say that this is a risky method; the success of cultivation is highly dependent on weather conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to grow a small bed of winter potatoes as an experiment, and then draw your own conclusions.
