How to prepare potatoes for planting? Methods and steps

Potatoes are one of the most widely consumed vegetables in our region. Therefore, every gardener strives for a bountiful harvest. But it takes hard work throughout the season to produce good, tasty potatoes. It's time to start thinking about planting for the coming season as early as fall.

It's important to remember that potatoes for planting are selected in the fall. They should have the correct shape and uniform color. The root vegetable should not weigh more than 90 grams. Smaller potatoes will yield the same yield, while larger ones will be used for tops. You can also purchase potatoes for planting at specialty stores.

Step-by-step preparation of potatoes for planting

The first stage

First, you should prepare a special place in the cellar for storing the tubers. This location should be dry, dark, and cool. The location itself should be conducive to the potato sprouting, which will significantly facilitate planting and sprouting.

The second stage

This work is carried out before planting, approximately 40 to 50 days beforehand. The potatoes are sorted, and any tubers unsuitable for planting (those without sprouts) are removed. The sprouts on other potatoes are also inspected. They should not have black edges. It's best to avoid potatoes that are unsightly or have a stringy texture.

The most suitable potatoes are those with clearly visible eyes and no rotted ends. All shoots should be viable and strong. This approach will ensure a good harvest. It will also immediately determine the suitability of the chosen storage location.

The third stage

This is done approximately 15 days before planting. The potatoes are brought indoors and then into a room where the temperature is no higher than 8 degrees Celsius. This approach allows the potatoes in the warm room to receive diffused light, which will cause them to turn green. This helps reduce the number of bacteria in the tubers and kill pathogenic fungi.

You can also sprout the tubers until they form full-fledged sprouts. The potatoes must be placed in a bright room where the temperature rises to about 13 degrees Celsius and does not drop below 6 degrees Celsius at night. This procedure can be carried out for a month. Rotation can be done at weekly intervals. The sprouts on the tubers grow quickly in warmth and become stronger in colder temperatures.

During storage, potatoes can be slightly moistened to prevent them from drying out.

You can also sprout potatoes using the wet method. Potatoes are placed in peat or sawdust. The tubers are placed in a box containing a thin layer of moistened soil. Experts recommend a room temperature of at least 16 degrees Celsius and a humidity level of 80%. This method produces potatoes with sprouts and small roots.

Two or three days before planting, the tubers are heated. The potatoes are brought into a room with a temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius for about 8 hours, and then ventilated to prevent the tubers from becoming overheated.

To prevent diseases, potato tubers are often treated with copper sulfate.