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There is no summer resident in Russia who has not heard of the Sineglazka potato. This is an old variety, proven by time and thousands of gardeners, which has not lost its relevance for eighty years. Farmers love Sineglazka potatoes for the unsurpassed taste of the tubers - no Dutch hybrids can compare with it. You can cook anything from the harvest of this potato, the crop rarely gets sick, bears fruit well - just a summer resident’s dream! But Sineglazka also has its drawbacks, the most important of which experts consider poor keeping quality.
Photos, reviews and descriptions of the Sineglazka potato variety - all information is collected in this article. Below we will list all the pros and cons of the old domestic variety and talk about how to properly grow these potatoes.
Origin story
The Sineglazka potato variety was developed back in 1940. The author of the new potato was a breeder from the Institute of Starch Products S. Demin. To obtain the Sineglazka hybrid, the scientist crossed several varieties of cultivated potatoes with a wild variety.
Potatoes went through many tests at experimental stations across the country, and as a result were considered unpromising. However, this decision of specialists did not prevent the country’s farmers from successfully growing Sineglazka on their plots for decades.
Varietal characteristics
The description of the Sineglazka potato variety should begin with its features: this potato has an average ripening period and a very extended growing season. The first harvest of young tubers can be harvested at the end of June, and potatoes can remain in the ground until September.
The characteristics of the Sineglazka potato variety are as follows:
- the ripening period ranges from 85 to 100 days;
- potato bushes are powerful, quite tall, spreading;
- the shoots are thick, the root system is highly developed;
- the growth of green mass is abundant;
- leaves are medium-sized, dark green;
- Sineglazka's inflorescences are small and light blue;
- berries with seeds are rarely formed on bushes;
- Potatoes prefer light, sandy, nutritious soil; they bear fruit poorly on heavy and dry soils;
- the yield of the Sineglazka variety is high - about 500 centners per hectare;
- in each bush from 8 to 12 tubers ripen;
- large potatoes, average tuber weight – 170 grams;
- the shape of the potato is oval, slightly flattened;
- the tubers are colored pinkish-gray;
- the eyes are shallow, there are few of them, painted in a blue-lilac tint
- the pulp is white, dense;
- percentage of starch – 15%;
- Sineglazka tubers are considered very nutritious and are suitable for dietary nutrition;
- the taste of potatoes is high - the Sineglazka variety produces aromatic and tender puree; these potatoes are suitable for frying, stewing, preparing salads and any other dishes;
- the Sineglazka potato variety shows resistance to common diseases of nightshade crops (potato canker, late blight, nematode, scab);
- the skin on the tubers is quite thin, so they can be damaged by wireworms - the larvae of the click beetle;
- Blue-eye quickly degenerates, losing its strong qualities, so farmers should not use their own material for planting for several years in a row;
- The Sineglazka harvest is stored poorly, especially in large quantities - most of the tubers are affected by rot;
- For successful storage, potatoes must be placed in small wooden boxes and placed in a spacious dry cellar;
- The yield of Sineglazka and the quality of tubers are highly dependent on weather conditions and soil composition.
Varietal qualities are fully preserved only in potatoes grown from seeds. In order to grow high-quality Blue-Eyed, which maintains productivity, taste and immunity to disease, it is necessary to regularly update the planting material.
Advantages and disadvantages
Sineglazka would not have maintained its popularity for such a long period of time if it did not have strong qualities. Reviews from summer residents and gardeners about this potato are the most positive - Russians love the Sineglazka variety and are in no hurry to change it to more modern hybrids.
The advantages of the domestic potato variety are as follows:
- excellent taste, pronounced potato taste and aroma;
- wide culinary possibilities (you can cook anything from Sineglazka);
- immunity to the most common infections of nightshade crops;
- large tubers of even shape and beautiful appearance;
- thin peel and superficially located few eyes;
- large growing area;
- high yield.
Among other advantages, people note the greater resistance of Sineglazka to the Colorado potato beetle compared to other popular potato varieties. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
The Hannibal variety also has disadvantages, which is why this potato is not planted on an industrial scale. Farmers note the following disadvantages:
- rapid and obvious degeneration of planting material;
- shortage of quality seeds on sale;
- unsuitability of tubers for storage;
- possibility of damage to potatoes by wireworms.
Due to the listed shortcomings, they are trying to replace the Sineglazka potato with new, more modern analogues. In recent years, several varieties of potatoes similar to Sineglazka have appeared. The Dubravka potato is called the most popular and successful: the tubers are just as tasty and beautiful, and also have excellent keeping quality.
Many gardeners do not know how to choose the right Sineglazka potatoes for planting and how to propagate them - for this reason, negative reviews about the variety may appear. The fact is that the Hannibal variety produces very few fruits, and collecting seeds from the bushes is problematic.Therefore, propagation and renewal with your own seeds is almost impossible. The best option is to look for agricultural firms that sell seed potatoes that retain varietal characteristics.
Agricultural technology
If you grow potatoes from high-quality planting material obtained from seeds and not contaminated with viruses and bacteria, you can be sure of the result - Sineglazka will not let you down.
Of course, this potato, like the others, prefers loose soils rich in fertilizers; it requires watering, weeding and cultivation. But, As practice shows, even in unfavorable weather conditions and with minimal agricultural technology, the varietal Sineglazka will give a good harvest.
Planting and care
Hannibal tubers must be planted in the second half of April or early May. The exact time of planting is calculated so that the sprouted bushes do not freeze during the May frosts (the timing is individual for each region).
Caring for potato bushes is not difficult, but it must be done - lack of attention will greatly affect the quantity and quality of the harvest. The rules for caring for Sineglazka are simple:
- These potatoes require moderate watering - the soil is moistened no more than five times during the season. Often, natural precipitation is enough for potatoes to grow normally.
- The soil must be loosened, and spreading bushes must be hilled. To protect the tubers from overheating and the soil from drying out, it is recommended to use mulch.
- Feeding for Sineglazka is very important. This large potato prefers root feeding with organic fertilizers, such as slurry or bird droppings diluted in water. Mineral fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate or ammonium sulfate are also effective. You should not be overzealous with nitrogen, it will only increase the green mass.
- Potatoes grown from seeds will remain resistant to diseases for the first couple of years. Subsequently, chemical treatments cannot be avoided, and it is recommended to treat not only the bushes, but also the tubers and the soil before planting. To protect potatoes from wireworms, which can harm the appearance of the tubers, you should spray the plants with insecticides against the click beetle.
- The best taste is observed in the blue-eye at the end of August. It is during this period that it is recommended to harvest these potatoes. Immediately after digging, the tubers must be dried in the fresh air, so they are left in the open air for 3-5 hours. If the weather is rainy, the crop is laid out to dry under a canopy.
Review
Conclusion
Sineglazka has a lot of advantages: these potatoes are tasty, have an impressive appearance (as confirmed by the photos), and are pleased with large yields. The country's gardeners agree to put up with the shortcomings of the variety and are looking for ways to combat them: they grow potato seedlings from their own seeds, ventilate storage facilities, and sort through the harvest.
Despite the fact that new hybrids and analogues appear every year, blue-eyed remains one of the most favorite varieties among summer residents and gardeners in the country.
