Content
Molly potatoes are the result of the work of German breeders. Best regions for cultivation: North-West, Central.
Description
The Molly variety is an early table variety. The bushes grow to varying heights (from 50 to 70 cm). Light greenish leaves are characterized by slight waviness along the edges. The tops grow quite abundantly, and relatively few buds are formed. Molly potatoes ripen in the period from 55 to 65 days. However, you can start digging up the first fruits 40 days after planting.
A distinctive feature of the variety is fertility. From one bush of the Molly variety you can dig up to 25 tubers with an average weight of 100-160 g. Starch in the fruits is 13-22%. The peel and pulp have a pleasant yellowish tint, but the flesh is somewhat lighter (as in the photo). The fruits of the Molly variety are oval-shaped or can be oval-round. The skin is very smooth, the eyes practically do not stand out. Thanks to its good taste and medium friability, the Molly variety is very popular among summer residents.
Advantages and disadvantages
Molly potatoes are one of the first to appear on the shelves, but their advantages are not limited to this:
- the seed germinates well;
- attractive presentation of Molly tubers;
- easy to care for plantings;
- excellent taste.
A disadvantage is considered to be poor resistance to damage by potato nematode or cancer.
Landing
The Molly variety does not have any special requirements for soil. But, according to reviews from experienced gardeners, a more abundant harvest is harvested from light or medium-textured soils. It is better to place potato beds next to cabbage, cucumbers, and beets. These same crops may be the predecessors of Molly potatoes. Bad neighbors are plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers).
Early ripening potatoes are recommended to be planted in warm soil. The rows are placed at a distance of 65-70 cm from each other. Between the holes in the row, a step of 20-25 cm is maintained. Shallow depth (about 3-4 cm) will contribute to the friendly and rapid germination of Molly variety tubers.
Planting material must be germinated and processed. Healthy tubers, without damage, weighing 50-80 g are suitable for planting. For germination, Molly potatoes are kept for about a month and a half in the light, in a warm, dry place. To increase productivity and protect root crops from diseases, they are treated with growth stimulants (Krezacin, Albit, Immunocytophyte).
Care
Compliance with the rules of crop care will be the key to obtaining a high-quality early harvest. Since when planting early Molly potatoes there is a possibility of late frosts, you should have a special covering material “on hand” (inexpensive plastic film will do). If it is not possible to cover the plants, then if there is a threat of frost, they should be hilled up high.
A week after the sprouts appear, you can gently loosen the soil near the Molly potato sprouts. The soil is pre-moistened if there has been no precipitation.Loosening promotes air flow to the roots and prevents the soil from drying out. Are simultaneously deleted weeds.
If the potato tops begin to noticeably wither, then the beds need to be watered, but not flooded. In order not to wash out the hilled plants, water is directed along the grooves along the rows. Plants require a larger volume of liquid during the tuberization period.
Hilling and feeding
During the summer, potato beds are hilled repeatedly. The first time is when the tops grow by about 20 cm. Molly potato bushes are dropped to a height of about 10 cm. Then the procedure is repeated during the flowering of the crop. The height of the beds is increased by another 5 cm.
Thanks to this procedure, the earth crust is broken, which impedes the flow of air to the roots, additional tubers begin to form, and soil moisture is maintained.
It is believed that potato beds need to be fertilized three times during the season:
- Initially, fertilizing is added after the sprouts of the Molly variety appear. An excellent option would be a complex fertilizer: dilute a tablespoon of “Solution” and urea in 10 liters of water. If preference is given to organic fertilizers, then you can use a solution of manure/mullein (half a liter of organic matter is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of water).
- During the budding period, plantings are fertilized with the following mixture: potassium sulfate (1 tbsp) and wood ash (3 tbsp) are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
- During the period of active flowering of Molly potatoes, add a combined solution: dilute 2 tbsp in a bucket of water. l superphosphate and a glass of chicken manure (mullein).Half a liter of solution is enough for one bush.
For fertilizing, time is allocated on cool days or in the evening if the weather is hot. A prerequisite is moist soil. Therefore, the beds are treated after rain or watering.
Diseases and pests
Molly potatoes are considered disease resistant. However, the possibility of being affected by certain diseases cannot be categorically excluded:
- Late blight – fungi that damage leaves and fruits. The first signs of damage to the bushes are the appearance of brown spots on the lower leaves. Favorable weather for the spread of fungus is damp, cool days. When the plant is damaged, both the aboveground part and the tubers disappear. To treat the disease, use a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Rot Blackleg affects the root part of the stems. After 5-6 days, the diseased area of the plant softens and the bush breaks and falls. Fungi develop in the soil and infect plants in dense planting conditions, with poor ventilation of the beds, excess moisture and sudden temperature changes. A way to resist the disease is to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per ten-liter bucket of water is enough). An excellent option is to spray the seed before planting with fungicide solutions (Fitosporin-M, Vitaros).
- Colorado beetle capable of destroying all of Molly's potato beds. Insects and larvae are collected by hand if the area is small. An excellent means of control is the insecticidal drug “Confidor”.
Preventative measures can prevent the occurrence of diseases.These primarily include the removal and burning of potato tops and diseased tubers at the end of the season, pre-sowing treatment of soil and seed, and compliance with crop rotation rules.
Harvesting
About 7-10 days before harvesting, the tops are mowed and tails about 10 cm high are left. Thanks to this, the skin of the Molly potato tubers becomes thicker. And the likelihood of damaging root crops when digging is reduced. Using the remains of the stems it is easy to find the center of the bush and you don’t have to worry about missing potato tubers. If the soil is quite loose, then you can try to simply pull out the fruits by the remains of the tops.
It is preferable to harvest in dry weather - the tubers retain their marketable appearance and are better preserved in winter. Potatoes of the Molly variety are not immediately removed for storage - they are left in the beds so that the skin of the root crops is chapped, strengthened and dried. If the weather is damp, then the potatoes are left to air in covered areas or in a dry room. When harvesting, Molly potatoes are carefully sorted. Otherwise, damaged tubers may rot and damage neighboring healthy ones.
In the presence of light, the upper layers of the potato turn green and the fruits become unsuitable for consumption.
If the plants remain healthy and have not been damaged by disease, the tops can be used as mulch. Damaged stems must be burned.
Excellent presentation, excellent taste and stable yield make Molly potatoes popular not only among summer residents, but also among farmers.
Reviews
