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Due to frosts, it is quite late to plant potatoes in the Urals. When choosing the time for such work, gardeners focus on the lunar calendar so that the crop grows and develops better and is stored longer.
When to plant potatoes in the Urals
Planting potatoes in the Urals in May begins no earlier than the middle of the month, more often at its end. Sometimes the weather allows work to be carried out only in the summer. They focus on the soil temperature, which should warm up to 8 °C to a depth of 15 cm.
Dates for planting potatoes in the Urals in 2024 according to the lunar calendar
According to the lunar calendar in May, it is better to plan planting potatoes in the Urals on the waning moon.
Often in the Urals it is possible to plant potatoes only in the summer due to the risk of return frosts.
In the Urals, planting potatoes under straw is effective - they sow one half of the plot, and the other with oats or rye
Growing potatoes in the Urals in open ground
Before planting potatoes in the Urals, it is important to properly prepare the soil and seed. The success of growing crops and productivity depend on this.
Soil preparation
The soil in the Urals is quite rough, so before planting potatoes it must be dug up and loosened. It is better to carry out this treatment twice - in the fall and in the spring.
For planting potatoes in the Urals, light, slightly acidic loam containing more than 2% organic matter is recommended.
Site preparation begins in the fall. For digging, half-rotted manure or chicken droppings are added at the rate of 5 kg per 1 m². Organics can also be added in the spring. Then they resort to humus, compost or peat. When digging in spring, it is also necessary to add mineral compounds. For 1 hundred square meters they take:
- 1 kg of ammonium nitrate (urea is possible) and double superphosphate;
- 2 kg of potassium sulfate;
- 5 kg wood ash.
You can use complex formulations such as nitrophoska (5 kg per 1 hundred square meters) or nitroammophoska (3 kg).
It is better to place beds or furrows for planting potatoes in the Urals from north to south. You should not choose a site after other nightshades.
Preparing tubers for planting
To quickly ripen potatoes and increase yields, vernalization is necessary before planting in the Urals. It represents a whole range of measures, including germination and heating of seed.
It takes about a month for tubers to be taken out of storage for planting. They are inspected and damaged specimens are rejected. If the potatoes are large, then they are cut into several parts so that each has 2-3 eyes. Tubers for planting should weigh at least 30 g, but not more than 100 g.
For germination, potatoes are laid out in a single layer in boxes or boxes covered with paper and left in a dark room. The optimal daytime temperature is 13-16 °C, night 10 °C. Direct sunlight should not fall on the container with tubers. Germination takes about a month. To speed up the process, the seed is moistened daily using a spray bottle.
Without vernalization, seedlings appear in about three weeks, and proper preparation speeds up the process by half
In addition to sprouting, it is recommended to warm up the potatoes. To do this, a week before planting, the storage temperature is increased to 20-22 °C.
To reduce the risk of disease, the tubers are rubbed with wood ash or treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure is recommended a week before disembarkation. If a liquid product is used, be sure to dry the potatoes before placing them in the ground.
Planting scheme
The soil in the Urals is heavy, so you can’t bury potatoes too deep when planting. The optimal distance to the surface is 5-8 cm.
The scheme for planting potatoes in the Urals depends on the chosen method:
- single-line - bushes are placed in increments of 25-35 cm, and 0.6-0.7 m is left between furrows;
- ridge - rows are made at a distance of 0.8 m and a height of 40 cm;
- double rows - make 2 adjacent furrows with a step of 30 cm, then repeat them after 1.1 m.
Growing potatoes in a greenhouse
To plant potatoes in the Urals in a greenhouse, early varieties of the crop are chosen. The tubers used are quite large - 80-100 g each. Potatoes must be whole, without damage. They are not cut for greenhouse planting.
In 3-4 weeks they begin to germinate the seed.Provide a temperature of 13-20 °C and daily moistening from a spray bottle. Sprouts should be no more than 1 cm.
Potatoes are planted in a greenhouse when the soil warms up to at least 5 °C at a depth of 10 cm. If the structure is heated, then the heating is turned on 5-6 days in advance. For growing potatoes, the optimal temperature is 18-20 °C, and during the formation of buds and during flowering 22 °C.
It is recommended to treat seed material for a greenhouse in the fall with potassium permanganate, and then dry it and lay it out in the sun. In such conditions, potatoes turn green. It is not suitable for food, but it is excellent for planting and does not attract rodents.
There is no need to water the potatoes for the first three weeks - they are covered with film, which is removed after germination.
Care after landing
After planting potatoes in the Urals, it is necessary to provide comprehensive care. Watering is recommended during heat and drought, as well as the following periods:
- height of sprouts 7-10 cm;
- budding;
- weight gain by root vegetables (late June or early July).
A bush consumes 5-7 liters of water, and in hot weather and drought up to 12 liters.
A mandatory activity is weeding and loosening. The latter is necessary even before germination, but not deep - up to 3 cm.
During cultivation, potatoes in the Urals are hilled twice. The first treatment is recommended in the phase of three true leaves, and the next one 2-3 weeks later before flowering. If the bush falls apart, then additional hilling is carried out.
If necessary, fertilizing is carried out up to three times per season:
- for 10 liters of water 1 tbsp. l. bird droppings and urea;
- in the budding phase, 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water. l. potassium sulfate and twice as much wood ash;
- during flowering, per 10 liters of water, 200 g of chicken manure or mullein and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
At the beginning of the growing season, you can cut off the flowers.This measure allows you to direct more useful elements into the tubers. 1.5-2 weeks before harvesting, it is recommended to trim the tops, leaving 10-15 cm. This will speed up the ripening of the tubers and reduce the risk of damage during digging.
Conclusion
It is necessary to plant potatoes in the Urals later than in other regions, since the cold weather persists for a long time and there is a risk of return frosts. The crop can be grown in open ground or in a greenhouse. The dates for disembarkation are determined in accordance with the lunar calendar.
