Content
Often, beginning gardeners are faced with the problem that potatoes do not grow well, although this crop is undemanding. This can happen for various reasons. To understand why tubers do not germinate for a long time, you need to consider all possible options. You also need to know how to improve the germination of potatoes and study the rules of care at the initial stage of development of its bushes.
Potatoes do not grow well if they are planted in cold soil.
Timing of emergence
The duration of germination of tubers after planting directly depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region. In the southern regions, the first sprouts appear on the 14-15th day, and friendly potato shoots can be seen at the end of the third week. In the central regions, the dates are slightly shifted. On the site, the first potato sprouts appear on the 21st day, and mass shoots appear after another 3-4 days.
In the northern regions, the germination period of potatoes is longer. It is 25-30 days under favorable weather conditions.
However, it must be taken into account that the preliminary germination of tubers at the stage of their preparation for planting allows not only to improve germination, but also to accelerate the appearance of sprouts. In this case, this period is reduced by 5-7 days.
Why don't potatoes sprout after planting?
If the potatoes did not germinate within the prescribed period, then mistakes were made at the stage of preparing the seed tubers during planting. To know when this happens, it is necessary to consider all possible causes.
Unfavorable weather
For successful and uniform potato germination, favorable weather conditions are necessary. Sudden temperature changes at the germination stage cause serious damage to the crop. Frosts inhibit the development of tuber buds and fragile shoots. Therefore, they are a common reason why potatoes do not sprout in due time. Moreover, the negative impact of low temperature is aggravated in conditions of deficiency of nutritional components in the soil. This leads to the fact that the planting tubers die or their development is suspended indefinitely.
Also, the reason that the potatoes did not germinate could be prolonged rainy weather. A high level of humidity at the initial stage of crop development has a detrimental effect. In this case, air exchange is disrupted, and this causes rotting of the tubers.
Dry weather also interferes with the timely germination of potatoes. Lack of moisture in the soil leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes in the tissues of root crops.In this case, the sprouts slow down their development, and therefore the potatoes begin to sprout later than expected.
A moisture level of more than 75% is critical for potatoes.
Incorrect landing
One of the reasons that potatoes take a long time to germinate is the deep planting of the tubers. After all, many novice gardeners believe that this allows them to protect plants from frost at the initial stage of their development. However, this is wrong. After all, too deep holes significantly slow down the emergence of seedlings. And sometimes a layer of soil that is too heavy is detrimental to young shoots that cannot grow through it. This leads to the fact that the potatoes do not sprout, but at the same time the tubers increase in size.
The optimal planting depth on light soils is 10 cm, and on heavy soils – no more than 7 cm. To prevent frost from damaging young shoots, it is recommended to cover the area with agrofibre.
Poor quality planting material
Also, the reason that the potatoes did not rise well could be poor-quality planting material. After all, only healthy tubers are able to form strong sprouts, which can later form a full-fledged bush. Therefore, it is necessary to select potatoes for planting without signs of disease and pest damage, with a sufficient number of eyes.
Selection is recommended to be carried out twice: after harvesting and in the spring before planting. The best option is tubers the size of a chicken egg. Smaller specimens produce thin shoots with a low level of viability.And this leads to the fact that, despite all the efforts of the gardener, the resulting harvest will be significantly lower than expected.
Potatoes germinate poorly and are delayed even when planting large tubers. In this case, young shoots are nourished by a large supply of components contained in the seed. Therefore, plants do not need to form and develop a root system at an accelerated pace. And this leads to the fact that the potatoes do not sprout in due time and require a longer growing season in the future.
Diseases
The reason that the potatoes did not sprout even with sprouts is that the tubers were infected with fungal diseases. The provoking factor is soil pathogenic microflora, which actively multiplies during prolonged cool weather.
Potatoes do not sprout when damaged:
- late blight;
- cancer;
- dry rot;
- black scab;
- gray spotting.
Therefore, at the stage of preparing potatoes for planting, it is recommended to treat seed tubers with fungicides. Green manure also helps fight spores, namely winter rye, oats, and legumes.
Crop rotation minimizes the likelihood of potato being affected by diseases
Pests
When planted in soil, potatoes are susceptible to attack by pests. Damage can be caused by mole crickets, cockchafer larvae, and wireworms. If damaged, the potatoes do not sprout in a timely manner and may die. Therefore, experts recommend taking care of the protection of planting material in advance.
For this it is recommended:
- plowing the area in the fall to a depth of 25 cm;
- adding wood ash to the soil at the rate of 100 g per 1 sq. m;
- adding crushed eggshells or onion peels to the wells;
- early installation of traps for mole crickets.
What to do if potatoes don't sprout
If potatoes do not sprout for a long time, then it is necessary to establish the main reason for this. First of all, you need to assess the condition of the land. If it is dry, it is recommended to irrigate using the sprinkling method, soaking the soil to a depth of 10 cm. It is also necessary to loosen the soil to ensure air access to the tubers.
If the potatoes do not sprout due to excessive soil moisture, then it is necessary to cover the area with a tent. The same should be done if frost is likely.
It is much worse if the potatoes do not sprout because they were planted deep or suffered from diseases. In the first case, you need to remove a 2-3 cm thick layer of soil in each hole. And in the second case, you need to dig up the rotten tubers, dispose of them, water the area with a fungicide solution and replant. But before planting the seeds, it is recommended to treat them with copper sulfate at the rate of 2 g per 10 liters of water.
You will also have to replant if the potatoes do not germinate due to pest damage. After all, weakened seeds noticeably lag behind in growth, and this negatively affects the development of bushes and the formation of fruits.
How to improve germination
In order to avoid the problem of potatoes not sprouting in due time, it is necessary to follow some rules for seed preparation and the timing of the procedure.
The further development of plants depends on proper care at an early stage.
Basic measures to improve germination:
- Sprouting potatoes.Three weeks before planting, seeds should be brought into a bright room with a temperature of +15 ° C and spread in one layer on a flat surface. It is recommended to spray them regularly with a spray bottle and turn them. This will enable the tubers to form uniform sprouts.
- Plant in dry, clear weather. In order for the seeds to begin to germinate, it is necessary to warm the soil to +10 °C to a depth of 10 cm.
- Reject low-quality seeds. Already at the stage of potato germination before planting, it becomes clear which seeds have high vital potential. Therefore, it is recommended to reject all specimens with an insufficient number of eyes, damaged ones, as well as those that are too large or small.
- Pre-treatment with fungicides and insecticides. Immediately before planting, it is necessary to spray the seeds with preparations. This will protect them from diseases and pests at an early stage of development.
- Increase soil fertility. At the site preparation stage, it is necessary to add 10 kg of humus, 40 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium sulfide per square meter. m.
Caring for potatoes after emergence
For successful growth and development of potatoes, it is necessary to provide adequate care at the early stage of bush development. Watering is extremely important for crops when seedlings emerge. It must be carried out during a long absence of rain, but without allowing moisture to stagnate in the soil. It is recommended to water in the evening, using settled water at a temperature of +18-20 °C.
It is also necessary to regularly weed so that weeds do not suppress the growth of young seedlings. And as necessary, you need to loosen the soil to maintain a high level of moisture and air permeability of the soil.
When seedlings appear, it is recommended to carry out the first fertilizing. At an early stage, you can use nitroammophoska or urea at the rate of 30 g per bucket of water. Timely hilling of bushes is also required. The first time it should be done when the shoots are 15-18 cm high, and the second time after ten days.
Conclusion
Knowing why potatoes do not germinate well, you can minimize the risks. To do this, it is necessary to take into account the recommended planting dates, weather conditions, properly prepare the seeds and the site, and also control the depth level. If all recommendations are followed, potatoes not only sprout in a timely manner, but also give a good harvest at the end of the season.
