Ivan da Marya Potato: Description and characteristics of the variety, photo

The "Ivan da Marya" potato is familiar to many gardeners; a description and photo of the variety are in our article. The "Ivan da Marya" variety's ancestor is the Dutch Picasso potato. Its striking color, excellent flavor, low maintenance, and high yield are the main advantages of this variety.Since 1995, this variety has been widely cultivated by vegetable growers in the central regions of the country. The "Ivan da Marya" potato is popularly known as "Matryoshka," "Rowan," and "Little Red Riding Hood." These names were coined due to the unusual coloring of the tubers; there are many photos of this potato online. The flesh is creamy when cut, and the tubers of this variety make excellent dishes.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The Ivan da Marya potato variety has an upright bush with spreading shoots and large, dark green leaves. It blooms profusely, producing cream-colored flowers. The tubers are round-oval in shape, with yellow skin with pink patches. The eyes are small. An average tuber weighs approximately 120 grams. A single plant can produce up to 19 potatoes, making this variety a high-yielding variety. Starch content ranges from 8 to 14%. The tubers have a good marketable appearance, with shelf life reaching 90%.

The variety is resistant to a number of diseases and pests, including potato cancer, potato curl virus, nematodes, late blight, and scab. The Ivan da Marya potato is a late-ripening variety, taking 120-130 days from germination to maturity.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of this variety is its smooth root surface and long-term storage. The Ivan-da-Marya variety tolerates drought well and is resistant to major diseases. When cooked, the potatoes have excellent flavor.

The disadvantage of the variety is that it is susceptible to damage by the Colorado potato beetle, and the tubers gradually degenerate, so the seed material is replaced with new ones every 4-5 years.

Preparing tubers for planting

Sprouting is an important step in preparing the tubers. To encourage sprouting, seed potatoes are brought into a warm room approximately 30 days before planting. The tubers are placed in a maximum of two layers. After a few days, the temperature is reduced to 10-14 degrees Celsius (50-57 degrees Fahrenheit) to prevent the sprouts from stretching.

Before planting, carefully sort the tubers, removing any with obvious signs of disease or weak sprouts. Large and medium-sized potatoes are cut into several pieces. This should be done about a week before planting, allowing the protective layer to form. If time is short and cutting must be done immediately before planting, dip the cut side of the tubers in wood ash or treat them with Maxim, Sinclair, Celeste-Top, or Switch.

Landing features

The Ivan-da-Marya potato variety is planted in late April or before May 10th. Choose an open, sunny site with light, fertile soil. The soil should be well-warmed and slightly moist. The holes should be 10-12 cm deep. Add a handful of ash or onion peel to the hole for additional nutrition and wireworm protection. The distance between holes is 30-35 cm, and the row spacing is 70 cm.

Care

Hilling. This procedure is performed 10-12 days after germination. Soil is raked up to the plant stem from all sides. A second hilling is performed before bud formation.

Watering. Although the variety is drought-tolerant, water before the first tillage and during flowering. Approximate water consumption is 40 liters per 1 m².

Fertilizers. Potatoes are fertilized during the second half of growth, when budding begins. Manure or compost is suitable for this purpose. 5 kg of fertilizer per 10 m² is sufficient; apply the fertilizer to moist soil before hilling. The green part of green manure can be used as a natural fertilizer; place it between the rows and lightly incorporate it into the soil.

Diseases

Striped mosaic. The disease occurs during bud development. Necrotic spots appear on the lower leaves. Affected leaves fall off, and the plant dies. Affected bushes are untreatable, so they are dug up and destroyed along with the potato plants outside the plot.

Twisting virus. When the disease occurs, the upper side of the leaves turns yellow. The underside then takes on a pink tint, and the leaf begins to curl along the midrib. The leaf blade becomes brittle. Affected bushes should be destroyed.

FomozA diseased plant is easily identified by an elongated spot that begins on the leaf petiole and then spreads to the stem. Affected stem parts die, releasing fungal spores into the soil. Dark, rotten spots appear on the tubers. As a preventative measure, potato plants are treated with Shirlan or Thanos three weeks after germination. During flowering, use the fungicide Ridomil Gold MC.

Pests

Colorado beetle. This insect is familiar to all gardeners. If you miss the moment the larvae appear, potato crops can be destroyed in a matter of days. To preserve the harvest, treat the plants with one of the following products: "Masterpiece" or "Prestige." A decoction of wormwood, celandine, or horsetail will help reduce the Colorado potato beetle population. To repel these insects, mix potatoes with beans, green beans, calendula, and marigolds.

Wireworm. Click beetle larvae attack potatoes by chewing numerous tunnels into the tubers. To repel the insects, add onion peels or birch ash to the planting hole. Alternatively, you can add products such as Bazudin, Pochin, or Zemlin. Click beetles are attracted to weeds, where they lay their eggs, which hatch into larvae within a few days.

Potato moth. The insect lays eggs on the underside of leaves. After some time, caterpillars emerge, which feed on the green parts of plants and tubers. Caterpillars can be controlled with Cytocorom or Iskra. To prevent potato moth reproduction, install pheromone traps in your garden.

Harvesting and storage

Ivan-da-Marya tubers are harvested in mid- to late August. Choose a sunny, warm day. Use a pitchfork to avoid damaging the tubers. Dug potatoes are air-dried, then transferred to a cool, dry place. Before long-term storage, the potatoes are sorted, removing any damaged or diseased tubers.

Potatoes are stored in a cellar at temperatures ranging from 0 to +2°C, with 80% humidity. The tubers are placed in slotted gimbal boxes, baskets, or other containers. The boxes are placed on an elevated surface 20 cm above the floor and 30 cm away from the wall.

Reviews

Elena, 35 years old:

"This is our third season planting 'Ivan da Marya' potatoes. They're delicious and crisp. Growing this variety isn't difficult; we just hill them up at the right time and water them once during flowering. We store the harvest in a cellar at 0°C; they keep well."

Evgeniy, 47 years old:

"I bought seeds of this variety two years ago. I'd like to point out that the Ivan-da-Marya variety produces up to 19 tubers. After harvesting, I add manure and dig the plot; this fertilizer works well for the plants. I water it only twice a season, as the variety tolerates drought well."

Anna, 39 years old:

"Our soil is acidic, so we add dolomite flour and mineral fertilizers in the fall. The 'Ivan-da-Marya' potatoes grow well. We plant marigolds and pot marigolds near the beds; they look beautiful and are beneficial, as Colorado potato beetles fly right past. I add compost to the planting hole and don't fertilize them again for the rest of the season. I'm pleased with the harvest; the potatoes taste excellent."