Kolobok Potato: Variety Description, Planting Instructions (Photo)

The Kolobok potato is one of the fruits of the collaborative efforts of the A.G. Lorkh All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Farming, the creator and originator of many potato varieties that have been grown in various regions of Russia for the past decade. The variety's description indicates that the tubers grow with yellow skin and flesh, and are round or round-oval in shape. This inspired the name of this undoubtedly successful variety.

Kolobok consistently receives positive and favorable reviews from gardeners and growers who cultivate it in their own backyards or for retail sale. The photo clearly shows the tuber's distinctive shape and the medium-depth, yet inconspicuous, eyes. This variety is loved not only for its simple planting rules and minimal care requirements, but also for its flavor and suitability for industrial processing.

The Kolobok potato contains less starch (11.4–13%) than varieties grown for its starch production, but is suitable for making chips and other culinary needs. It has excellent flavor. It does not darken when peeled or cooked, and its description differs from other yellow potato varieties in its rich content of carotene and carotenoids, amino acids essential for human life, and an abundance of protein compounds.

The variety's suitability for industrial production states that it is ideal for the production of freeze-dried purees, frozen convenience foods, and vegetable mixes. Photos of the root vegetable, which can grow to a weight of up to 140 g, are often featured in advertising brochures, clearly showing its rounded shape and slightly rough yellow skin.

Reviews of planting instructions from those who prefer to grow Kolobok indicate that the variety is ideal for the conditions of the Central Region of the Russian Federation.

Advantages and disadvantages of potatoes

The Kolobok potato is a successful creation of domestic originators, and its list of advantages invariably includes the following varietal characteristics:

mid-season table variety, reaching maturity within 80 days from planting;
a yellow tuber with a high content of protein, amino acids and carotene, with excellent taste;
the average potato weighs from 90 to 120 g, optimal conditions allow the tubers to grow up to 140 g;
15-20 potatoes ripen on a bush, which makes it possible to obtain a larger harvest than many popular varieties;
the seed material that many people collect themselves is not subject to degeneration and has excellent germination;
low starch content makes it possible to use it in dietary nutrition;
the fruit calibration is approximately the same, large, and small fruits are rare and in a small percentage;
the variety is resistant to many types of pests, is not susceptible to potato cancer, common scab, viral and bacterial diseases, black leg;
Correct and timely fertilizing can significantly increase crop yields;
the minimum yield is 127 centners per hectare without care, 224 with agronomic care, on a small plot, with additional resources, it was possible to raise 256 centners per hectare;
the minimum commercial yield is 87%, the maximum is 97%, which makes it a profitable crop for cultivation on an industrial scale;
the bush grows to a medium height, with optimal stability, semi-erect and almost always allows for the absence of additional hilling;
With proper care and regular change of seed varieties, the farmer will receive high-quality results.

Please note: The Kolobok potato variety, as evidenced by the characteristics and reviews from most vegetable growers in the Moscow region and the Central region as a whole, is ideal for growing in this climate. However, it has also yielded excellent results in other regions with similar conditions.

The variety's drawbacks include its thick skin, which makes it somewhat difficult to peel for cooking purposes. However, this same characteristic ensures its excellent shelf life when harvested. After being added to the State Register in 2005, the variety became officially recommended not only for the Central but also the Central Black Earth region of the country.

For plant breeders, the fact that the A.G. Lorkh All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Farming developed the quality of this painstakingly crafted product is a sign of its quality. This institute has dozens of successful developments to its credit.

Fact: In 1922, the famous Lorkh variety was bred here, named after its creator, and has been successfully grown in various regions of the country for almost 100 years. The Kolobok potato, despite its shorter shelf life, also receives excellent recommendations.

Growing rules

The description of the potato variety with the original Russian name Kolobok includes some cultivation considerations. These should be considered when cultivating it for high yields, whether in a small garden plot or on an industrial scale:

High yields from Kolobok can only be achieved through qualified and proper care, with the observance of certain nuances;
a good, strong, stable bush and the maximum number of calibrated tubers can only be obtained with high-quality varietal material;
The Kolobok potato responds gratefully to fertilizing with plant and chemical fertilizers, but with an excess of nitrogen it produces green mass, produces fewer potatoes, and accumulates nitrates in them;
fertilizing should be done at certain times, and they are always present in the variety description;
Preference should be given to organic fertilizers: A.G. Lorkh, after whom the All-Russian Research Institute that developed the original varietal products was named, believed that chemical fertilizers spoil the taste of any potato;
A properly chosen hilling method will not only retain moisture in the soil and prevent the bush from falling asleep, but will also protect the tubers from turning green and being attacked by potato moth caterpillars.

Important: Kolobok can easily tolerate short-term drought, especially if watered as needed before flowering, but it suffers from prolonged drought. If there is no precipitation during hot weather, it is best to water it with drip irrigation or by injecting water into the rows.

This variety can be dug up gradually in mid-summer for commercial or culinary purposes. Photos and gardener reviews indicate that it retains its excellent flavor even at the technical maturity stage. However, the final harvest time is the end of the first ten days of September. Dug up at this time, it is suitable for both long-distance transportation and long-term storage. If the harvested tubers are pre-sorted and dried, their shelf life is increased severalfold.

Advice: The signal to harvest is the dried tops of the plant. Collecting them after digging and burning them not only provides additional organic matter but also acts as a preventative measure against late blight, scab, and potato moth.

Some subtleties and features

Otherwise, the growing conditions for the Kolobok variety are no different from the requirements for other mid-season varieties:

the distance between holes and between rows is 35x60 cm;
humus and ash are added to a hole 10 cm deep;
For a good harvest, two hillings are required at standard times;
Sprinkling is carried out during dry periods or at the first appearance of potato moth butterflies;
after flowering, watering is no longer required;
Loosening and regular weeding are highly recommended as first priority actions.

For reference: You can increase your yield by selecting large, even tubers for seed immediately after harvesting and storing them separately from the main crop. This will eliminate the risk of potato contamination during storage together and allow you to delay the renewal of your seed stock.

If you periodically change the location of potato plantings, sowing them after cabbage, radishes, or dormant plants, the yield will further increase.

Diseases and pests

The cultivar's originator has given it relative resistance to common scab, late blight, and rhizoctonia. Preventative measures also help prevent Alternaria blight. However, it lacks resistance to potato nematode, and its relative resistance to late blight doesn't mean it can't develop if the summer is rainy and there's excess moisture. Therefore, preventative spraying with Poliram or Kurzat is recommended for the Kolobok variety.

Timely weeding will help prevent diseases that often spread to potatoes from weeds. To combat the Colorado potato beetle and potato moth, insecticide treatments are applied as soon as the first adult pests are spotted. Early spraying will require a lower concentration of solution and prevent them from laying eggs, which could hatch into larvae.

If imported products are a bit too expensive for your budget, you can look for a domestically produced, industrial equivalent. Russian products are just as effective as imported ones, but are significantly cheaper at retail.

To combat pests, you can use proven folk remedies: planting plants with a pungent odor between rows, watering with ammonia and boric acid, spraying with potassium permanganate or onion peel infusion.

Interesting: To repel mole crickets, you can use grated onion or crushed garlic, fresh spruce or pine needles.

Growing the Kolobok variety is undoubtedly a profitable investment that will yield maximum commercial yield with proper care.