Content
Potato kerbing is the procedure of making shallow cuts above a bud in the shape of a ring or arc (“moon”). It allows you to increase productivity by stimulating the growth of lateral buds. It is recommended to carry out kerbovka several weeks before planting.
Why do you cut potatoes before planting?
Any potato variety requires preliminary preparation before planting. Typically, procedures begin 3-4 weeks before the May holidays, i.e. in the first half of April.
Along with standard procedures (expose to light, periodically spray with water, pickle in a solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate), some summer residents recommend coring. These are small cuts above the eyes, up to 10 mm deep.
Thanks to this, previously dormant lateral buds are activated in the tubers. Therefore, seedlings will be practically guaranteed - about 95-100% of the seeds will sprout.
In addition, the stems will form together and evenly. This will avoid the appearance of small tubers.In general, the kerbovka procedure helps not only to increase productivity, but also to the appearance of approximately identical root crops of an attractive, marketable appearance. This is precisely why it is carried out on the eve of planting potatoes.
In order for incision to give the desired effect, several rules must be taken into account:
- Decide on the timing - usually the procedure is planned 3-4 weeks before planting. But even if this time is missed, it can be done in a week.
- Work only with heated planting material. It is first removed from storage and allowed to sit for a day at room temperature. The cut parts are also stored indoors.
- Do not work in the sun and do not leave the tubers in open light, as this will cause them to subsequently rot in the soil.
- Before harvesting, be sure to disinfect both tubers and tools.
Advantages and disadvantages
Kerbovka as a method of preparing potatoes for planting has several advantages.
Thanks to kerbing, the tubers become larger, small root crops are not found
Pros:
- increasing productivity;
- stimulating the growth of previously dormant buds;
- uniform distribution of nutrients;
- prevention of grinding;
- potatoes have an attractive appearance.
Minuses:
- additional preparation is required (keep at room temperature, disinfect);
- tubers can be infected;
- it is necessary to work carefully, leaving cuts no more than 10 mm deep.
Terms of kerbovka
The success of the potato harvesting procedure depends on the time at which it is performed. Most experienced summer residents agree that work should begin immediately after removing the tubers from their storage location. This usually happens in the first half of April, i.e. four weeks before planting.
You can do kerbovka earlier, for example, five weeks before planting. At this moment, small circular cuts are made on the tubers with a depth of 5-8 mm, maximum 10 mm. Sometimes it is allowed to leave an incision of up to 15 mm - some gardeners believe that this is a more effective method. Therefore, it is worth experimenting and determining the optimal depth yourself.
Disinfection and preparation
Before harvesting, potatoes and tools for work must be prepared. It's quite simple to do this:
- Place the planting material on a table or other surface.
- Keep at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Soak in a solution of potassium permanganate 1 g per 1 liter or fungicide (according to instructions) for 30 minutes.
- Treat knife blades or a teaspoon with the same solution.
After peeling, the cut areas of the potatoes should also be disinfected. To do this, they are sprinkled with ash or crushed charcoal powder. If you don’t have it, you can use regular activated carbon from the pharmacy.
Then the root vegetables are placed in boxes in 2-3 layers, placed in a cool (12-15 degrees) and well-lit room. They are periodically sprayed with a spray bottle and turned over. After two weeks, sprouts will appear en masse, and after another 10-15 days you can begin planting. Usually the deadline falls on the May holidays.
How to properly cut potatoes before planting
When planting, an incision on a potato can be made in 2 ways - in the form of a ring or a moon. Both options are described in the following sections.
Ring cut of potatoes before planting
You can make a hole above each eye in the lower area of the potato root. But dealing with each one is quite troublesome. Therefore, it will be easier if you make a cut exactly in the middle of the root vegetable.This is a ring method of kerbovka. The incision is made with a sharp knife, and its depth should not exceed 10 mm, so you need to work carefully.
Ring kerbovka
Another rule is that the cut should not be completely straight. Since the eyes lie at different depths, you need to go around them with a knife. The knife is first disinfected in potassium permanganate or another antiseptic.
Moon-shaped Kerbovka
This is another method of coring; it also improves the survival rate of tubers and increases productivity. Unlike a ring cut, the work is carried out not with a knife, but with an ordinary teaspoon. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Keep the tuber in a solution of potassium permanganate 1 g per 1 liter for 20 minutes.
- Dry well on the table.
- Make an incision with a teaspoon up to 10 mm deep above each eye.
Moon-shaped incision
What types of potatoes can be cut
If you do the potato harvesting correctly, you can use almost any variety for the job. Even early-ripening varieties that grow quickly do not always have time to harvest in the northern regions. In this case, stimulating the appearance of sprouts is necessary, including with the help of a cut.
There is no strictly defined list of varieties that can or cannot be cut, since this preparation method is relatively new. At the same time, you can find data on the effect of kerbovka on the germination of such varieties as Red Scarlett and Adretta in the climatic conditions of the Oryol region.The study showed that after the cutting procedure, the yield of these crops increased by 15-20% relative to the control group, which was grown in the traditional way.
Conclusion
Potato kerbing is a relatively new procedure for preparing tubers for planting. Experienced summer residents claim that it allows you to increase productivity by 15-20%. Therefore, it is worth experimenting and making a separate bed, comparing the results in the fall with the control group.
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