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Every year, summer residents buy new varieties of potatoes and plant them on their plots. When choosing a crop, they take into account taste, care characteristics, productivity, as well as resistance to diseases and pests. Potato Karatop is an early ripening variety that meets all the characteristics.
Characteristics of potatoes Karatop
Potato Karatop is the result of selection by German scientists. They created the variety in 1998. It was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2000. At first, table variety plants began to be grown in the Northwestern and Middle Volga regions. To understand the characteristics of the Karatop potato variety, photos of which are presented in the article, you need to study the description of the bushes and tubers.
Bushes
Plants of medium height, most often with erect shoots and powerful tops. Tops of medium size, rich green color, intermediate type. The edges of the leaf blades are slightly wavy.
Tubers of the Karatop variety
Oval-round root crops of the Karatop potato are small in size. Their average weight is 60-100 g. As a rule, all tubers in a hole are of different weights. The surface of the fruit is even, smooth, with a yellowish tint and slight roughness.
The eyes lie shallow, almost on the surface, so peeling potatoes is easy. When cut, the flesh is light cream or creamy. Each tuber contains 10.5-15% starch.
Taste qualities of Karatop potatoes
According to reviews from consumers, as well as expert tasters, root vegetables are very tasty. Taste quality is rated 4.7 out of 5. Potatoes can be frozen, used for soups, frying, and mashed potatoes. The tubers do not darken due to heat treatment; they boil well.
Pros and cons of the Karatop potato variety
When creating the variety, German breeders tried to achieve high immunity. They succeeded, because Karatop has a lot of advantages:
- Excellent external data.
- The variety is early ripening, early potatoes can be dug up on the 50th day after emergence. The growing season ends on the 60-65th day.
- The productivity of Karatop is high.
- The variety is unpretentious and can be grown on any soil, although the addition of mineral fertilizers increases the yield.
- Universal use of tubers of the variety.
- Potatoes of the Karatop variety are distinguished by excellent transportability.
- The tubers are stored until the new harvest, the yield is at least 97%.
- Root crops are resistant to mechanical damage, cuts heal quickly and do not rot.
- Thanks to its high immunity, Karatop is practically not affected by viruses A and Y, potato cancer, nematodes, and glandular spot.
It is impossible to find cultivated plants without shortcomings; the Karatop variety also has them:
- the plant does not tolerate drought well, productivity decreases sharply;
- Root crops can be affected by late blight.
Planting and caring for Karatop potatoes
Potato tubers of the Karatop variety can be planted in the soil after it has warmed up to a temperature of +9 degrees at a depth of at least 13 cm. Only in this case will the planting material remain alive. The timing will vary in different regions. In areas with a sharply continental climate, work is planned towards the end of May.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Despite the fact that, according to the description and reviews of gardeners, the Karatop potato variety is unpretentious in terms of soil composition, it is still better to plant root crops in fertile soil. It is better to prepare the site in the fall. Mineral or organic fertilizers and wood ash are added to the soil and dug up.
Preparation of planting material
Under no circumstances should seed tubers be planted on the site immediately after removal from storage. Potato varieties are removed a month before the expected planting date and begin to be prepared:
- Karatop tubers are sorted, all specimens, even with minor damage and signs of rot, are discarded.
- Then calibration is carried out. Potatoes the size of a large chicken egg are considered the best planting material.
- A solution of special preparations is diluted in a cuvette and the tubers are dipped into it for 30 minutes. You can use Fitosporin or dilute potassium permanganate.
- After this, the fruits of the Karatop variety are laid out in wooden boxes in 1-3 rows.The room temperature must be at least 13 degrees and have sufficient lighting.
- During germination, the tubers are turned over so that they are illuminated evenly. This will ensure better germination of the eyes.
- A week before planting, the potatoes are carefully placed in a container of water so that the tubers are saturated with moisture.
- After this, the root vegetables are placed back in the box and covered with film with holes.
- On the second day, the film is removed and covered with wet sawdust. They are not removed before planting.
By the time of planting, powerful sprouts with root rudiments will appear on the tubers of the Karatop variety.
Landing rules
When planting, root crops are buried to 22 cm and sprinkled with soil on top. The distance between the holes is about 32 cm, and the row spacing should be 70-82 cm so that the bushes do not interfere with each other during growth. After 10-12 days, the first shoots will appear.
Watering and fertilizing
Based on the characteristics and reviews of those who grew the Karatop potato variety, the crop responds poorly even to short-term drought. Therefore, gardeners who decide to take up this plant should take care of timely watering of the site. It is best to provide sprinkling.
The plantings are watered for the first time as soon as the shoots appear. Then during budding and until the end of flowering.
Loosening and weeding
Any potato plantations, including those with the Karatop variety, must be loosened.This procedure is performed several times to remove the hard crust that does not allow oxygen to reach the tubers. The first loosening is carried out immediately after planting, then the area is harrowed when the first shoots appear.
This procedure will help get rid of small weeds. As the potato bushes grow, so does the grass. It must be removed from the site before hilling. In the future, weeding of the Karatop variety is carried out as the weeds grow. If this is not done, the grass will draw nutrients from the soil, which will negatively affect the harvest.
Hilling
Karatop potatoes, like many varieties of crops, need to be hilled 2 times. The first time they make a ridge over the bushes when the height of the bush is 20-25 cm. Hilling should be at least 15 cm. The second time the procedure is repeated after 14-21 days, until the tops are closed in the rows. You can hill up one plant at a time or raise ridges along the length of the row on both sides.
Diseases and pests
According to the description given by the originators, as well as reviews from gardeners, the Karatop potato variety has high immunity to many diseases, pests and unfavorable conditions.
Plants are practically free from viruses Y and A, potato cancer, glandular spot and golden nematode. The presence of spores of these diseases in the garden does not reduce potato yields.
But root crops can suffer from tuber blight. To avoid damage, you need to carry out preventive treatments with fungicides, which can be purchased in specialized stores. The solution for spraying plantings is diluted in accordance with the instructions.In addition, to increase the productivity and immunity of plants, it is recommended to use complex baits.
Potato yield
Potato Karatop is a high-yielding, early-ripening variety. From one hundred square meters they collect from 500 kg of tasty tubers. To harvest a decent harvest of early potatoes, you need to take care of timely watering.
Harvesting and storage
The timing of digging up potatoes depends on the further use of the tubers. If root crops are grown for an early harvest, then the bushes are dug up on the 48-50th day. You just need to understand that the number of tubers will be less than after full ripening.
The main cleaning is planned after 60-65 days from the appearance of the first shoots. The bushes are dug up using a shovel or pitchfork, lifting the soil. Then the root vegetables are selected. The potatoes are laid out in the sun for 2-3 hours to dry. Then the root crops are removed for 2-3 weeks in a dark, well-ventilated room for further ripening.
Before harvesting for winter storage, the tubers are sorted and sorted by size. Small potatoes are not left for long-term storage; they must be used immediately. Store the tubers in the basement, in boxes or in bulk. Experienced gardeners recommend pollinating each row of potatoes with wood ash.
Conclusion
Karatop potatoes were recommended for cultivation in only two regions. Today, the geography has expanded significantly, as many consumers have enjoyed root vegetables.
You can learn more about recommendations for growing early varieties of potatoes from the video below:
