Lyubava Potato: Characteristics, Growing Guidelines, Reviews (Photos)

The Lyubava variety was developed by the A.G. Lorkh All-Russian Research Institute. Since then, this potato has become popular among Russian gardeners. It is planted both in home gardens and on farms. Learn more about the Lyubava potato through the variety description, photos, and some reviews from experienced gardeners. Basic information can be found in the State Register.

Description and characteristics of the Lyubava potato

The Lyubava potato variety boasts medium-sized plants, which can be described as intermediate. The plants are semi-erect with small, neat purple corollas. They are medium-sized and can sometimes have a reddish tint. Lyubava's leaves are small and open. This early-ripening variety reaches maturity as early as 70 days after planting. In extreme cases, a few additional days, up to five, may be needed.

Potatoes, their yield and biological characteristics

Lyubava's yield is high. This can be improved with additional fertilization. Potatoes are sensitive to soil quality; the more nutritious the soil, the higher the yield. Choose a fertilizer that has earned the trust of gardeners and has been tested in practice. To ensure smooth tuber development, it's advisable to hill up the tubers several times.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The Lyubava potato variety, its characteristics, and reviews will provide a general picture of the crop's advantages and disadvantages.

Among the positive aspects it is worth highlighting:

• the size of the tubers;
• smooth potatoes;
• During long-term transportation it retains its strength and does not deform.

The yield of marketable tubers is high, reaching 80–97%. Potatoes ripen simultaneously, so you won't have to wait long for the harvest. They are immune to many diseases, including potato cancer. Drought is not a threat to potatoes.

When considering the Lyubava potato, it's important to pay attention to the description of its flaws. They are few, but they are important for gardeners.

Landing rules

The Lyubava potato has the characteristics of an early-ripening variety. A single planted plot yields two harvests.

1. To harvest early, it's important to take care of the germination of your planting material in advance. Carefully select only healthy and strong tubers.
2. The crop is grown for consumption during cold seasons. The selected bed should dry quickly and remain unaffected by northern winds.
3. Tubers will grow best in loamy soil. Good results can be achieved by choosing sandy loam soil for planting. It should be of high quality.
4. The seedlings are germinated before planting. The germination process takes a month and a half.
5. Fertilizing is important as early as the planting stage. The material should be lightweight so that it is quickly digested, absorbed by the planting material, and promotes a smooth growing season.
6. Compost or manure is a good option; add it to the holes before planting the tubers. The hole should be no more than 12 cm deep. The average depth is 10 cm. Each hole requires 300 grams of humus and a small amount of ash.
7. The planting process ends with watering. Each hole requires 500 ml of water.

Care instructions

Lovers of the Lyubava potato know the importance of a detailed description of the variety and reviews from experienced gardeners. It's the latter who recommend considering a loosening plan after planting Lyubava. This process, along with weeding and removing weeds, is just as important as fertilizing. Early potatoes require a well-established watering regimen, with additional watering if needed.

Top dressing is carried out several times:

• 0.5 liters of mullein and about 17 grams of urea are diluted in 10 liters of water. The mullein can be replaced with chicken manure;
• each bush needs 500 ml of feeding material;
• Re-fertilization is necessary when buds are forming. Wood ash is added to the fertilizer;
• Lyubava doesn't require frequent watering. However, the soil should be moistened to a depth of 0.5 m.

Diseases and pests of the variety

The Lyubava potato is undoubtedly a wonderful variety with excellent flavor, but the description of its diseases should not be ignored. Lyubava does not boast high resistance to diseases or pests. Potato cancer and blackleg are not particularly threatening to this variety, but late blight and scab are Lyubava's main enemies. It also has a difficult relationship with nematodes. The variety often suffers from macrosporiosis. Treatment of the plant should be done only with high-quality, low-aggressive materials to avoid damaging the tubers.

Reviews

Lyudmila:

"The Lyubava potato variety has long since captured my heart, all because of its low maintenance and relatively simple care. I'm often away at work, often staying late, and getting the plants watered is always a challenge. Fortunately, Lyubava copes with drought easily."

Vasily:

"I heard mixed reviews about the Lyubava variety. Finally, I decided to try it myself. I eventually settled on it as my main selling variety. I know there are better options, but I'm completely satisfied with it."

Sergey:

"As a small farmer, I've known about Lyubava for a long time and value this variety for its consistently high yields. At first, it was difficult to determine when to plant. But now I've gotten the hang of preparing the tubers and adjusting the planting pattern to Lyubava's specific characteristics."

Olga:

"The potatoes are neat, despite being quite large. The tubers are smooth, and the skin is very dense. Transporting the potatoes is never a problem. The product quality is excellent. This is the second year we've been selling Lyubava, starting small. We'll soon begin large-scale plantings to harvest a large crop. Customers have always been satisfied, and our family has also appreciated Lyubava's taste and its quality for table use."