Not a single feast is complete without potato dishes. That's why so many gardeners grow it on their plots. The most important thing is to choose a good variety that is easy to care for and produces generous harvests. Every year, breeders develop new and improved varieties with excellent characteristics. How to choose the right option for yourself? First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the descriptions of different varieties, and only then determine the best option. Now we will look at the wonderful and unusual Red Sonya potato variety. It has many advantages that set it apart from other potatoes.
Characteristics of the variety
According to the description of the Red Sonya potato, this variety belongs to the early seed potatoes. It is unlikely that you will be able to find potatoes that ripen faster than this one. The tubers themselves have an attractive appearance and interesting color. The peel is deep red and quite smooth. The inside of the fruit is yellow or light yellow. Each tuber has a beautiful oval shape. The eyes are shallow, so peeling the tubers will be very easy.
The pulp is dense and does not soften during cooking. More suitable for cooking in its purified form. These potatoes make delicious puree with a beautiful yellowish tint. The tubers are suitable for baking and frying. It is not recommended to use this variety for preparing jacket potatoes.
An important criterion for evaluating potatoes is disease resistance. The following can be said about the Red Sonya variety:
- Red Sonya potatoes are highly resistant to potato nematode.
- The plant does not suffer from potato cancer.
- It is highly resistant to various viruses.
- Rarely damaged by scab.
- Depending on conditions and care, it can have both medium and high resistance to late blight.
The plant sprouts and grows quickly. The tops grow rapidly and continuously. The bushes remain dormant for quite a long time. The maturation process occurs steadily. The bush is strong and not very spreading. The stems are dense and easily withstand wind and rain.
Potato growing
This variety grows well and develops only in fertile soils. The soil for planting this variety must be loose and rich in minerals. The variety also has high requirements for soil moisture. Too wet clay soil is not suitable for growing tubers. Very dry soil is not suitable either. In such conditions, high yields cannot be expected.
To grow an early potato crop, you will have to germinate the tubers in advance. The same applies to growing potatoes under film. To do this, the tubers should be moved to a warm room a month before planting. The sooner the tubers are planted, the faster the harvest will be possible.
Reviews from gardeners about Red Sonya potatoes show that a small number of fruits are formed in one nest. For this reason, the tubers are planted close to each other. A distance of 30 cm between bushes and approximately 70–75 cm between rows of potatoes is considered normal.As a result, about 43,000 bushes will be placed on a hectare of land.
Bush care
According to the characteristics of the Red Sonya potato, this species responds positively to moderate fertilization. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are suitable for this. This variety does not require large amounts of nitrogen-containing fertilizers. He grows well and develops independently.
The regularity of fertilizing depends on the condition of the soil and weather conditions. You should also consider what soil preparation was done before planting the tubers. If organic fertilizers (cow manure or bird droppings) were applied during planting, then this will be quite enough for the growing season. Additional fertilizing can be done as needed.
But it is recommended to carry out disease prevention regularly. To do this, you can use special remedies for late blight and other potato diseases. It is very difficult to cure such ailments, so it is better to prevent the occurrence of the disease. If signs of damage do appear, treatment must be started immediately.
In addition to these important steps, do not forget about watering and loosening the soil. Potatoes grow well only in loose and moderately moist soil. Loosening is carried out as soon as a crust begins to form on the surface of the soil. Watering is also done as needed. If you notice that the soil is too dry and the leaves are drooping and withering, then it’s time to freshen up the garden bed.
Before harvesting, the tops should be removed from the site in advance.This procedure will help strengthen the potato skin. It becomes more durable and resistant to mechanical damage. To do this, the tops should be cut 10 or 12 days before the start of harvest. Also, special means are used for these purposes. But it is much more convenient and cheaper to remove plants mechanically. Moreover, desiccation with chemicals will have to be carried out longer and in several stages.
Conclusion
This article provides a detailed description of the Red Sonya potato variety, as well as photos and reviews from experienced gardeners. All this shows that this variety is perfect for growing at home. For industrial purposes, it is probably better to choose a more productive variety. It is easy to care for such potatoes, because they are highly resistant to most diseases. It grows quickly and produces a good harvest. If you have not decided on an early variety for your site, then “Red Sonya” will be an excellent option.
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