Jelly Potato: Description and characteristics of the variety, reviews

Russia is home to over 400 potato varieties, both foreign and domestic, cultivated. The Jelly potato is one of the most popular.When deciding to plant potatoes for personal use or for commercial use, beginning gardeners and farmers often wonder which variety to choose. The Jelly potato is an excellent choice. It's equally suitable for commercial use and for kitchen experiments. Another advantage is its high yield.

Description and characteristics of the Jelly potato

The Jelly potato was added to the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in 2005. This variety can be grown on an industrial scale, as well as in home gardens and farms. The tubers can be stored for several seasons without losing their viability.

This is a mid-early, table-grade variety. The planting-to-harvest period is three months. The tubers have a starch concentration of approximately 17%.

When describing the Jelly potato, experts note that the plant's bushes are semi-erect and spreading. The leaves are medium to large and green.

Each tuber is small and oval-shaped. Weight ranges from 84 to 135 grams. Experienced growers note that all tubers in a single hole are the same size. Their surface is slightly rough and has a yellow tint. The flesh itself is dark yellow.

Due to their medium starch content, potatoes can be used for both first and second courses.

Reviews of the Jelly potato variety suggest another quality: resistance to weather fluctuations. It is not negatively affected by short-term heat waves or drought.

Productivity

As practice shows, the yield of Jelly potatoes depends mainly on two factors: soil composition (how nutritious it is) and climatic conditions.

Origin. Where is it best grown?

The Jelly potato is the result of the work of Dutch breeders. In 2005, the variety was added to the State Register of the Russian Federation.

The variety is ideal for cultivation in the following areas:

• Central;
• Volga-Vyatka.

In general, as practice shows, any region with a warm and moderate climate is suitable for potatoes.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Jelly potato variety offers a number of advantages. Among them:

• high taste qualities;
• large tubers have the same size and weight;
• large volumes of harvested crops;
• can be stored for long periods of time without losing its quality as a product;
• resistance to low amounts of precipitation;
• optimal for amateur and industrial cultivation;
• low maintenance;
• resistance to most known potato diseases.

A relative disadvantage of the Jelly potato is that there is a limited choice of dishes in which this variety can be used.

Growing rules

The Jelly potato variety grows best in light, fertile soils with a high sand content. Its characteristics allow for rotation in planting sites. It can be alternated with radishes, phacelia, and legumes.

Before planting, the area is tilled with a cultivator. Any remaining plants and tubers must be removed.

Soil

To ensure a high yield, soil preparation begins in the fall. A mixture of 100 grams of ash and 3 kilograms of manure is applied per square meter. After spreading the fertilizer over the entire surface, dig the soil to a shovel's depth. Using nitrogen or urea is not recommended, as these substances prolong the growing season, which in turn leads to a decrease in yield.

Seed preparation

Preparation of planting material begins three weeks before the procedure. To do this, the tubers are laid out in a single layer on a flat surface. The room should be warm, humid, and well-lit. If weather conditions permit, the potatoes selected for planting are laid out in open areas exposed to direct sunlight.

By the time the tubers turn green, their eyes "wake up" and begin to sprout. The tubers with strong, firmly attached sprouts have the highest survival rate.

Not only small and medium-sized tubers, but also large ones, are selected for storage. However, they should be cut into several pieces before planting. As the description of the Jelly potato suggests, this vegetable crop tolerates this procedure without loss of quality.

Landing

To obtain a high yield, the size of which is regularly indicated in numerous reviews, it is necessary to strictly adhere to agricultural practices.

Leave a distance of 75 cm between rows and 35 cm (but not less) between tubers. Adhering to this rule will prevent crowding and, consequently, reduced yields. Furthermore, crowding prevents the free penetration of light and heat, which, in turn, is the main cause of disease.

Care instructions

The description of the Jelly potato variety shows that it requires little maintenance. In particular, this variety easily tolerates dry periods, so frequent watering is not necessary.

Diseases and pests

Experience has shown that Jelly potatoes are resistant to potato cancer, common scab, cyst nematode, and blackleg. They are also resistant to most known viruses. Their resistance to late blight is moderate. To reduce the risk of this disease, thorough soil cultivation before planting is recommended. After the harvest is complete, all tubers and plant debris are removed to avoid creating a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.

Important: If a late blight outbreak is observed, the area and plants should be treated with specialized products. Please note that treatment should not be carried out for approximately 20-30 days before harvesting.

The bushy portion of the plant can be attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, while the tubers can be attacked by wireworms or click beetle larvae. You can protect the plantings by treating them with insecticides in a timely manner. Rotating planting sites should be considered as a preventative measure. This will improve the plant's immunity and the resilience of the tubers themselves.

Harvesting and storage

It's recommended to harvest Jelly potatoes in dry, sunny weather. This will ensure the tubers stay fresh. The potatoes are laid out flat on the ground to dry. Afterward, they are moved under cover to avoid contact with water and left for seven days.

To improve their shelf life, potatoes are sorted before final storage. Any tubers that sustained even minor damage during harvesting are removed.

At home, a basement or any other room where a constant temperature is maintained, moisture-free, and out of direct sunlight is suitable for storage. Proper ventilation is recommended. Farmers and larger households use vegetable storage facilities.

Reviews

It's difficult to get a complete picture of the Jelly potato variety simply by reading its description and looking at its photos; reviews are a great help. Here are a few.

Olga, 35 years old, Chita:

"The city where I live is located in a risky agricultural zone. Therefore, choosing a variety capable of producing a high yield in challenging climate conditions is extremely difficult. But I decided to give it a try and brought back 20 tubers. I planted them and, to my surprise, got a good harvest – a bucket and a half of yellow, uniform tubers. The whole family loved the taste."

Alexander, 35 years old, Nyazepetrovsk:

"A neighbor at my dacha shared some potato tubers with me, a variety I wasn't familiar with—Jelly. He was raving about them. My wife and I decided to plant a few beds and see what our experiment would produce. Honestly, we were very pleased with the results. We treated everything promptly, prepared the soil properly, and there were no diseases on the potatoes. The potatoes themselves are delicious."

Nina, 55 years old, Moscow region:

"Boiled potatoes are my weakness. One day, I bought a potato at the market with an interesting name – Jelly. I planted it. The yield isn't very high (I have varieties at my dacha that yield even more), but the taste is better than any other."