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If potatoes freeze slightly during storage, this is not at all a reason to get rid of the crop, because gardeners have long learned to use such root crops not only for consumption, but also for planting. According to the experience of vegetable growers, even if you plant frozen potatoes, you can get a good harvest. Naturally, this is only possible if certain rules are followed.
If frozen potatoes have sprouted, then they are suitable for planting
Why do potatoes freeze?
There are several reasons for potatoes to freeze. This may be due to untimely harvesting or improper storage. Experienced gardeners rarely make such an oversight as being late in harvesting root crops, so the main reasons for freezing are still considered to be storage errors, these include:
- non-compliance with the temperature regime, since even an indicator of 0 ºC can cause partial freezing of tubers;
- high air humidity, from 85%;
- the storage room has inadequate or no ventilation.
Fortunately, freezing of potatoes is not always the reason for getting rid of the crop. You can try to save root vegetables for future use.After all, slightly frostbitten potatoes can be planted and even eaten.
What to do if the potatoes are frozen
If it was noticed that the temperature regime was violated or for some other reason the potatoes froze, there is no need to panic right away. It is important to respond to this situation in a timely manner and take the necessary measures in a timely manner. To do this, transfer the tubers indoors, but the temperature should not be too high, +6 ºC is enough. If you immediately move the crop to a warm place (above +10 ºC), then heavily frozen potatoes will become soft and slippery, which may cause rotting of neighboring root crops.
How to save frozen potatoes
You can save frozen potatoes after moving them from a cold room. First, the crop is carefully inspected, removing spoiled and heavily frozen root crops, then the tubers are sorted, wiped and laid out in 1-2 layers to dry. Leave the potatoes for several days, then look again so as not to miss badly damaged specimens.
Those root vegetables that can be revived are suitable for consumption, but they will have a sweet, unpleasant aftertaste, so gardeners try to use frozen potatoes for planting.
Is it possible to plant frozen potatoes?
Potatoes that have been slightly frostbitten can be used for planting. And you shouldn’t think that such material does not produce a good harvest. As a rule, the main part of slightly frozen root crops remains viable, which, under favorable conditions, can produce shoots. It is important to properly process the tubers so that the process of rotting does not begin.
Even frozen potatoes can produce healthy, viable sprouts
Of course, it is best to plant frozen potatoes with sprouts so that they germinate, since without shoots such planting material can only produce 50-60% germination.
If the tubers are without shoots, then they should be germinated before planting; for this, the root crops are moved to a warm room. And if sprouts begin to appear in the majority, then they are the ones suitable for planting, while the rest are rejected and thrown away.
When the first shoots have been noticed, the planting material is disinfected by spraying with a faint pink solution of manganese. This allows you to moisten the tubers for swelling of the sprouts, and will also prevent rotting.
When the sprouts are about 2-3 cm and look quite swollen and strong, then you can plant these frozen potatoes.
Sprouting frozen potatoes can be done in several ways. The first involves moving frozen root crops from a cold room to a greenhouse in May. They are laid out in one layer and left until the first shoots appear. No additional manipulations are required other than spraying and removing spoiled tubers.
In the second option, in the spring, when the temperature is within +12-15 ºC, in order to plant frozen potatoes, they are first taken outside in wooden boxes. When exposed to the sun, sprouts will begin to appear faster, and such shoots will be stronger. In this case, the survival rate of planting material will be significantly higher.
There are no special rules for planting frozen planting material; it is enough to properly prepare the root crops.You can use the standard planting scheme - the distance between the bushes in a row is about 40 cm, and the row spacing is at least 50 cm. The depth of the tubers should be kept at about 15 cm. You should also moisten the soil at the time of planting. The rest depends on the quality of care for garden crops.
Care after landing
Unlike planting quality root crops, planting frozen potatoes means using unhealthy planting material. Therefore, subsequent care should be especially careful. It consists not only in monitoring seedlings, but also in performing a number of other agrotechnical processes.
A week after planting frozen potatoes, the soil should be loosened. This is best done with a rake. This tool cracks the hardened soil crust well and does not penetrate deeply, which will prevent damage to the seedlings.
Watering is carried out only if there is no rain for a long time. In this case, after irrigating the soil, the loosening procedure must be repeated. At this point, weeds should also be removed so that they do not suppress the emergence of seedlings.
Hilling up is a mandatory procedure, especially if you had to plant frozen potatoes. This will eliminate the repeated influence of cold temperatures on planting material. The first time hilling is carried out as soon as the potato seedlings “hatch”. To do this, a small mound is formed above them.
With proper hilling, after 2-3 days the seedlings will come out again
Hill up a second time after two weeks. This is necessary for the formation of root crops, since the mound of earth protects the tubers from sunlight, as well as from overheating.
Conclusion
You can plant frozen potatoes, the main thing is to select the planting material correctly. Completely frozen specimens, which after thawing have become soft and slimy, as well as root crops with signs of rotting, must be removed. Viable balls will be suitable for planting, and the yield will be no worse.
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