Content
Romano variety Dutch selection known since 1994. It is excellently grown by both farms and summer residents and gardeners. Suitable for breeding in Ukraine, in many regions of Russia (Central, Central Black Earth, Southern, Far Eastern).
Description
Romano potatoes are a representative of mid-early table varieties. The harvest can be harvested 75-90 days after planting the tubers. The stems are erect, the flowers are medium-sized, red-violet in color.
The smooth tubers have light pink skin. The cut flesh has a creamy tint (as in the photo). Large round-oval potatoes weigh 80-90 g and have a few eyes of medium depth. The yield of one bush is about 700-800 g (about 8-9 pieces). Starch content – 14-17%.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Romano potato variety stands out for its high yields and is popular among gardeners and farmers for many reasons.
Advantages |
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Flaws | Romano potatoes are sensitive to low temperatures and may be damaged by frost. There is also a risk of scab or nematodes |
When choosing this variety, you need to take into account the thick skin of the tubers. On the one hand, this is excellent protection during digging and storage. On the other hand, peeling potatoes requires some effort.
Landing
The main feature of the Romano potato variety is that the seed is planted in well-warmed soil. Choose a time when there is no threat of late frosts - the second half of May. Ideal temperature + 15-20˚С. This condition ensures uniform emergence of seedlings and high yield of root crops.
Tubers are treated before planting with growth stimulants (Fumar, Poteytin). Spraying Romano potatoes with special means increases yield, ensures earlier germination, protects root crops from the Colorado potato beetle, and increases resistance to viral diseases. The most affordable and simplest option is to literally pour wood ash diluted in water over the potatoes before planting.
Since Romano tubers are quite large, they can be cut into pieces when planting. To cut potatoes, use a sharp knife, which is periodically treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Potato tubers are divided immediately before planting. If you do this earlier, the cut parts of the potatoes can rot. When planting small fruits, it is necessary to place 2-4 tubers in the hole.
For potato beds, open and well-lit areas are allocated. If the groundwater is high in the garden, then the potato beds are made high or form ridges.
Care
The Romano variety tolerates heat and short drought very well. Therefore, during the season you can water the beds 2-3 times. Periodically, potato plantings are weeded and loosened. It is advisable to do these works after moisturizing. Loosening the soil prevents it from drying out quickly, provides air access to the roots, levels the ground and destroys the soil crust. The first time you can and should loosen the soil is about a week after germination.
Hilling and feeding
During the growth period, it is recommended to hill the beds two or three times. It is better to combine this process with weeding. The first time sprouts with a height of 15-20 cm are earthed up. After two to three weeks, the beds are earthed up again (before the crop blooms). It is better to set aside time for this on a cool day, after rain or watering. If the weather is hot, it is better to start hilling Romano potatoes in the evening.
This procedure cannot be neglected, since it solves several problems: a volume of soil is created for additional formation of root crops, the soil is loosened, and soil moisture is maintained.
The Romano potato variety is very sensitive to soil nutrition. On scarce lands it will not be possible to harvest a large harvest, so they must be fertilized.
As a rule, fertilizing is applied in three stages:
- When seedlings appear, the specially moistened soil is watered with organic compounds.Solutions of manure or bird droppings are suitable. First, the fertilizer is infused for two days, and then a solution is prepared in a ratio of 1:15 (manure and water, respectively). For one Romano potato bush, 0.5-0.7 liters is enough.
- In the budding phase, an excellent fertilizer would be a mixture of 4 tbsp. l ash and 1.5 tsp potassium sulfate (this amount is scattered on a square meter of land).
- During the flowering period, it is enough to scatter 1.5 tbsp. l of superphosphate per square meter.
Romano potatoes strongly absorb nutrients from the soil. Therefore, high-quality and timely application of fertilizing is the key to a bountiful harvest.
Diseases and pests
The Romano variety is moderately resistant to rhizoctonia, but is easily affected by common scab or potato nematode.
| Signs of defeat | Treatment options |
Potato nematodes are worms that attack the root system. The first signs of infection appear 40-50 days after planting | The stems become weak and turn yellow prematurely. Very few tubers are formed or they are absent altogether. Damage occurs through planting diseased tubers, when planting potatoes in contaminated soil | Among special chemical preparations, the use of “Bazudin” gives an excellent effect. But preventive measures are of greater importance: pre-planting treatment of Romano potatoes with a solution of potassium permanganate; compliance with crop rotation; planting tansy, aster, white mustard around the perimeter |
Common scab is a fungal disease that affects the skin. Leads to deterioration in quality, loss of marketable appearance of fruits, and increased waste | The disease develops from the moment the potato blooms. Causes of appearance: contaminated planting material or soil.Favorable conditions for emergence and spread - shallow location of tubers, hot weather | First of all, crop rotation must be observed. Trichodermin is used to treat seed and soil. |
It is recommended to mark bushes affected by any diseases so that the tubers are not left for storage. Moreover, such potatoes cannot be used the next time they are planted.
Harvesting
The first root crops can be dug up in early July. But the main harvest time is at the beginning of September. About a week before harvesting Romano potatoes, you should trim the tops. This technique will help strengthen the peel and increase the density of the tubers.
Since the skin of Romano potatoes is quite dense, they need to be dried for 3 to 5 days. If the weather is dry, you can leave the crop right on the site. During the rainy season, the collected root crops are laid out under special canopies.
Romano potatoes are perfectly stored, transported and suitable for preparing various dishes. Therefore, the variety is popular among gardeners and farmers.
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