Colombo Potato: Variety Description, Photos, and Reviews

The Colombo potato variety has long been popular among gardeners. Descriptions and photos are available online, making it easy to learn more about this crop. Colombo's popularity stems from its high resistance to various diseases and pests. The variety's fruits have a unique, rich flavor.

Description and characteristics of the Finnish variety

The variety became available thanks to the work of Finnish breeders. It was added to the state register for the Central Black Earth Region, the Caucasus, and the Central Belt. When researching the Colombo potato, people primarily look at the variety's description, authentic photos of the tubers, and reviews from experienced potato growers.

Productivity

This mid-early variety ripens 70 days after planting. At this point, technical maturity is reached. Colombo can safely be described as a high-yielding variety. A hectare planted in spring yields from 210 centners in summer, with a maximum yield of 400. Regions with a mild and warm climate allow for double harvesting. This variety is valued for its high commercial quality and resistance to damage, making it suitable for transportation.

Advantages and disadvantages

The variety is renowned for its excellent shelf life, estimated at 95%. The potatoes can be stored for a long time and will easily retain their flavor if the temperature remains at an average of 3 degrees Celsius. The tubers will not sprout during storage. Colombo can be sold both at the market and wholesale, thanks to its high marketability, which can reach 99%.

Agrotechnical techniques

Colombo potatoes are grown in open ground. The tubers can be planted only in May, with the recommended planting spacing of 9 x 10 cm. Potatoes are planted after perennial grasses and legumes. They can also be planted after grains. The soil should be slightly acidic for normal potato development. Groundwater can interfere with potato growth, so careful and careful selection of the planting site is essential.

Growing rules

The Colombo potato has unique characteristics, so when researching this variety, it's important to pay attention to reviews. General growing guidelines are the same as those for mid-early crops, but it's important to note that Colombo doesn't handle excessive moisture well and requires only high-quality fertilizing.

Landing

1. Planting begins as soon as the soil has warmed thoroughly. In the fall, the soil should be prepared for future plantings.
2. Planting is carried out using the best seedlings, selected in advance. Diseased tubers, those that are rotted or deformed, are discarded. Good results cannot be expected from such tubers.
3. The seed tuber should be medium-sized, weighing between 60-80 grams. If most of the tubers are too large, they are cut, ensuring that each half has at least three shoots.

Peculiarities

Those who choose Colombo potatoes should not ignore the variety description and its characteristics. It's important to treat the planting material before planting. Growth stimulants and protection against potential potato diseases are used for this purpose. Finns also recommend carefully considering soil quality.

Landing features:

1. It is important to maintain a distance of up to 30 cm between each hole.
2. The hole should be deeper than for other potato varieties. The maximum depth for the tuber should be 15 cm, and the minimum should be 12 cm.
3. Each hole is treated with humus in combination with ash.
4. The next row is spaced at least 60 centimeters from the previous one. This distance will make plant care easier and will allow the bush to receive maximum nutrition and develop tubers unhindered.

Care instructions

Colombo can sometimes form tubers early, but to avoid damaging or wasting the planting material, a balanced and proper care regimen is essential. This productive variety, growing in the south, can reward gardeners with a double harvest per year.

1. Reservoir preparation is crucial, and should be done at least five days after planting. This procedure is repeated several times until the first shoots appear.
2. As soon as the potato tops appear, the reservation is carried out again several times.
3. Colombo potatoes can't be discussed without a description of the care procedure known as loosening. This should be done superficially, and best results will be achieved if done ten days after planting. Inter-row loosening helps remove weeds and improve soil aeration.
4. At least three times per season, hilling is carried out using a hoe or mattock. If Colombo is threatened by frost after planting, it is necessary to carry out all procedures to protect the potatoes from damage. Hilling is a key factor, as it will help Colombo survive periods of low, potentially dangerous temperatures.

Secrets of a high yield

The Colombo potato variety, given its characteristics, can produce a large harvest. This is possible only with timely fertilization (using high-quality fertilizer), which is applied during watering. Regular watering is essential during prolonged droughts, with watering occurring during bud formation and flowering. The variety will develop good tubers if an airtight crust does not form on the surface.

To prevent this from happening, loosening is carried out immediately after rain or irrigation. To avoid disappointing harvests, it's important to ensure timely replacement of seed. Those who harvest a double crop of Colombo can do so without any problems.

Resistance of the variety to diseases

When choosing Colombo for planting and growing, be prepared to deal with certain pests and diseases. It's a good idea to stock up on the following items in advance:

• fungicide;
• powder from tops;
• insecticide.

Gardeners have not yet fully studied the variety's resistance to specific diseases. However, Colombo is susceptible to viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases. To ensure the best harvest, unaffected by disease, young potatoes are dug up when the tops are green. At this time, the tubers have the best flavor and their skins are thin. The potato is highly resistant to pests such as late blight and nematodes, as Colombo has a high immunity to these diseases.

Reviews

Anna:

"I live in the southern region, which allowed me to experiment with different potato varieties, but I settled on Colombo. It always produces a good harvest; if the weather is favorable, my family and I harvest twice. This year, there was a severe drought, so we had to work hard to ensure the Colombo received a good watering regime. Otherwise, it's easy to care for."

Alexey:

"I was hesitant to plant Colombo. My neighbor told me a lot of ridiculous stories about how sickly this variety is. But it turns out that with proper care, Colombo won't get sick. And if you plant it after legumes, the tubers develop quickly and you can forget about insect problems. I bought insecticides, but I never had to use them."

Olga:

"The potato's flavor is incredible. It's been a while since I've grown a variety that offers the perfect balance between yield and excellent flavor. My family especially loved the new potatoes we dug early. It's surprising that the Colombo variety is considered mid-early; twice we had tubers ready for harvest early."

Marina:

"On my sister's advice, I planted the Colombo variety in my small garden plot. I wasn't expecting a large harvest, as the planting material wasn't the best, and the weather wasn't great either. But I followed all the care instructions, and when my husband and I started digging, we were amazed at the quality and quantity of the tubers."