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High yield, disease resistance, excellent keeping quality, excellent taste - these are the qualities that the relatively young Rodrigo potato variety has. It was bred by German breeders and entered into the Russian State Register in 2009. The originator is Solana GmbH & Co.
Distinctive features of the variety
Despite the fact that Russian gardeners have been growing Rodrigo potatoes on their plots only recently, this variety has already earned a lot of positive reviews and is becoming increasingly popular.
The variety showed excellent results in the southern regions, as well as in areas with more severe climatic conditions. However, the catalogs indicate that experts recommend growing the Rodrigo potato variety in the middle Volga region.
Rodrigo is a mid-early variety in terms of ripening time. The growing season ranges from 70 to 85 days. This is exactly how long it takes for the skin of a potato of this variety to become sufficiently dense and tough. However, just 2-2.5 months after planting, you can already try the first young potatoes by digging up several bushes.
According to the description of the variety and reviews (which is clearly visible in the photo), the bushes of the Rodrigo potato consist of an average of 3-5 shoots. The stems are tall, reaching 75-80 cm. As the potatoes ripen, the bush gradually disintegrates and the stems droop.
Rodrigo does not have many leaves, but they are large, with barely noticeable wavy folds along the edges. During flowering, the number of inflorescences is insignificant. The petals are pale lilac, sometimes reddish with a pink tint.
According to the description of the variety, the tubers of Rodrigo potatoes in the full maturity phase reach a weight of 90-150 grams. However, in reality, many gardeners note that if you follow the rules of agricultural cultivation, you can reap a richer harvest. Some tubers reach a weight of 300-350 grams, and even up to 0.5 kg.
From one bush you can collect 7-10 potatoes. There are no small and gnarled tubers observed. For the most part, all potatoes of this variety are medium or large in size, smooth, without flaws, elongated, oval in shape.
The skin of Rodrigo potatoes is pale raspberry or dark pink in color, smooth to the touch, and quite dense to withstand a long shelf life. A small number of ocelli are located on the surface, without excessive depression. Any housewife will appreciate this feature of the variety, since peeling potatoes will not take much time.
The flesh of Rodrigo potatoes is yellowish-cream in color. The starch content is low, at the level of 12.5-15.5%, which determines a wide range of its application. It doesn’t get soft or crumble when cooked, it keeps its shape perfectly.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the fact that this variety was brought to us from Germany, gardeners from different regions of Russia have already appreciated its advantages. According to numerous reviews, Rodrigo potatoes have a lot of advantages with absolutely no disadvantages.
- Potatoes are unpretentious to soil composition and can easily tolerate prolonged drought and heat.
- The high yield of the variety is: from a bush - 7-10 fairly large potatoes, from one hundred square meters - up to 600 kg, from one hectare - up to 180-210 tons.
- The varietal characteristics of Rodrigo potatoes are preserved for 5-7 years, providing gardeners with high yields and excellent quality.
- Excellent taste.
- Excellent presentation, which is of great importance for farm owners.
- Transportability.
- Tubers damaged during harvesting and sorting can be safely stored for long-term storage. In places of damage, potatoes do not turn black and do not spoil.
- The variety has very high, genetically determined resistance to many viral and fungal diseases.
- Wide range of applications.
According to the description stated by the originators, potatoes of the Rodrigo variety do not have significant deficiencies. The only drawback is the excessive and premature spreading of the bushes. This circumstance makes it difficult to hill potatoes. However, this drawback can rather be attributed to the advantages of the variety.
The soil under spreading bushes remains moist longer, which means that potatoes will need much less watering.
Growing technology
According to numerous reviews, growing Rodrigo potatoes does not present any particular difficulties due to the unpretentiousness of the variety. However, there are some growing nuances that you need to know about in advance.
Love does not love
In general, based on the characteristics of the variety, Rodrigo potatoes are not picky about the composition of the soil. However, to obtain guaranteed high yields, the crop must be provided with a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Like any potato variety, Rodrigo loves loose and fertile soils with excellent moisture permeability. Too heavy and sandy, poor soil is unsuitable for cultivation. Potatoes will not give you a rich harvest in such areas.
Before planting, it is advisable to enrich the soil with humus or complex mineral fertilizer.
The characteristics of the Rodrigo potato variety involve growing the crop on soils with average acidity. Potatoes do not like soils that are too acidic. Therefore, determine the acid levels in the soil composition in advance. Ideal indicators should vary between 5.5-7.
If there is high acidity, you should add slaked lime (fluff), dolomite flour or crushed chalk to the soil before digging. Powdered eggshells also deoxidize the soil quite well.
The Rodrigo variety responds positively to an abundance of sunlight. Deficiency immediately affects the appearance of the crop and yield. Potato shoots become thin and weak, and the tubers become smaller. Consider this factor when choosing the ideal place to plant potatoes.
When growing Rodrigo potatoes, you should not use chemicals to destroy them. weed. Therefore, it is advisable to remove weeds from the site manually or by treating with herbicides even before planting begins.
Crop rotation rules
Characteristics of Rodrigo potatoes and reviews from gardeners indicate that the main rule of agricultural cultivation is to adhere to proper crop rotation.
It is undesirable to plant potatoes in one place for more than two or three years in a row. When selecting the ideal site, keep in mind that plants of the nightshade family are undesirable precursors for potatoes. But the beds where onions, legumes, cabbage of any variety, corn, radishes, beets, and spinach grew in the past will be an excellent option for growing crops.
Green manure planted in the fall or spring before planting will saturate the soil with nitrogen and oxygen, reduce the number of weeds and loosen the soil well. Professionals say that the yield of potatoes planted after green manure increases by 30-40%.
Preparation of planting material
A month before planting, all tubers must be carefully sorted. Select only healthy, undamaged tubers of approximately the same size. Potatoes the size of a chicken egg or a little larger are suitable for planting.
The selected seed material is laid out in boxes in 1-2 layers and placed in a warm, sufficiently lit room for germination. The longer the potato sprouts, the faster the entrances will appear.
If, according to preliminary forecasts, you do not have enough material for planting, you can cut large tubers into pieces. The main thing is that on each separated part there are 2-3 full-fledged, healthy sprouts. It is advisable to cut the potatoes no more than 2-3 days before planting.
When to plant
There is no need to rush to plant Rodrigo, however, it is also undesirable to postpone this event for too long. In the southern regions, potato planting begins in the last ten days of April or early May. But in areas with more severe climatic conditions, this period may be delayed by 2-3 weeks. That is, potato planting occurs in mid-to-late May.
To more accurately determine the optimal planting time, watch the weather. If the air temperature remains within +18˚С +20˚С for 5-7 days, and the soil has warmed up to +10˚С at a depth of 8-10 cm, then you can begin planting work.
Landing scheme and rules
Taking into account the individual characteristics of the variety, the planting scheme for Rodrigo potatoes differs significantly from generally accepted norms. The spreading nature of the bushes requires an increase in the distance between planting holes.
The minimum distance between nearby potato tubers is 30-35 cm. It is advisable to leave row spacing more spacious - 70-75 cm.The depth of the planting hole depends on the quality of the soil. For heavy soil, 6-8 cm will be enough, but for loose and light soil you need to dig a hole deeper, at least 12-15 cm.
At the end of the planting work, it is advisable to water the beds and mulch them with straw or peat chips. This procedure will help you protect Rodrigo potatoes from freezing in the event of unpredictable return frosts.
Care after landing
Any crop needs care after planting. The Rodrigo potato variety is no exception. Regular weeding and loosening, watering and hilling - each procedure has long been familiar to every gardener.
Cleanliness in the beds is a guarantee of a rich harvest. Therefore, weed the potatoes as needed, combining weeding with loosening the soil. And Rodrigo will definitely thank you for your diligence.
Potatoes of the Rodrigo variety are hilled 2-3 times per season. The first procedure is carried out after germination. Young shoots are completely covered with soil. It is necessary to hill up the potatoes a second time before the stems reach a height of 12-18 cm. Subsequently, it is advisable to loosen the soil between the rows after rain or as the soil compacts.
But judging by the reviews of gardeners, there are no special problems with watering Rodrigo potatoes. Spreading bushes help keep the soil moist for quite a long period. Therefore, the Rodrigo variety is not afraid of drought. However, pay special attention to the condition of the soil during flowering.
If it is hot during the budding period and no precipitation is expected in the near future, water the beds generously.It is not advisable to water potatoes with a hose, so as not to disturb the integrity of the row spacing. Give preference to drip irrigation or sprinkling.
Who or what can threaten culture
Due to genetically determined resistance, the Rodrigo potato variety is extremely rarely affected by any diseases. The only one who can threaten this crop is the well-known Colorado potato beetle.
You can fight the pest using chemicals (Inta-Vir, Prestige or Tabu). You can also use folk remedies (plant calendula and garlic along the edge of the garden or between the rows).
Collection and storage rules
They begin harvesting Rodrigo potatoes as soon as the first signs of ripening appear. Yellowed and dry tops signal that you can no longer hesitate. After digging, the entire crop is sorted. Potatoes intended for long-term storage are dried in the shade for 2-3 days. The tubers, cleared of dirt, are placed in a basement or storage room in which the following conditions are met:
- temperature within +3˚С +5˚С;
- humidity within 75-85%;
- good ventilation.
Rodrigo potato tubers selected for planting must be greened in the sun within 5-7 days and stored.
The author of the video will share with you the results of growing Rodrigo potatoes under hay
Conclusion
Potatoes are grown in almost every area. After all, it has long been considered the most important crop, which has long been firmly established in the diet and has received the honor of being called the second bread.That is why every gardener scrupulously selects varieties that are guaranteed to produce a rich harvest. And judging by the description and photo, the Rodrigo potato variety is worthy of the attention of the most sophisticated gardeners.
We have been growing this variety since 2010 in the Chelyabinsk region. The yield, keeping quality and taste are excellent. If stored properly, there are no spoiled root vegetables at all. We plant at the very end of May on the 25th-30th, harvesting at the end of August is also on the 25th-30th. I recommend to all. You will never regret choosing this variety.