Rosara Potato: Variety Characteristics, Photos, Reviews

The Rosara potato is a competitive variety developed by German breeders. Many gardeners have taken notice of this variety and are happy to plant it in their own plots.

The Rosara potato is gaining popularity every year. Gardeners favor this variety, which combines excellent flavor with easy cultivation.

Characteristics of the Rosara potato

This variety is considered early. Harvesting can begin in August. A bush can yield up to 20 tubers, each weighing 150 grams.

The variety is resistant to many diseases. The bushes are small and compact.

What are the taste qualities of the variety?

Each potato variety has its own unique flavor. Which one is preferable can be determined by taste. The Rosara variety has a delicate flavor and an appetizing appearance. It's perfect for boiled and fried dishes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The Rosara potato variety has many positive characteristics. The most important ones are:

• resistance to diseases such as scab, nematode, cancer;
• Ability to grow in a variety of climatic conditions. The variety is adapted to drought and waterlogging, and grows well in low light and warm conditions;
• early ripening period;
• high yield;
• the variety does not have any special requirements for cultivation;
• good shelf life of tubers;
• marketable appearance;
• the variety tolerates transportation well;
• excellent taste.

Despite the extensive list of advantages, there are some downsides. Among the disadvantages are the following:

• The bushes are spreading. This makes caring for the plants difficult, and hilling is difficult;
• Late blight can affect crops.

Growing Rules for Rosara Potatoes

This variety is early-ripening, ready to harvest within two months of planting. To avoid disappointment, choose your seeds carefully. It's best to purchase planting material from a reputable producer.

• Site preparation. The Rosara potato variety is undemanding in terms of soil composition. It can grow in sandy loam and loamy soil. Site preparation should begin in the fall. Be sure to remove weeds and till the soil. In spring, the soil should be loosened again and humus added.

• Predecessors. Proper crop rotation is crucial. Experts recommend using the following crops as predecessors for potatoes: flax, lupine, grasses, legumes, cucumbers, cabbage, and winter crops.

The area for potatoes should not be shaded.

Growing tubers from seeds

Vegetative propagation is used for crop propagation. This maintains quality and yield for five years. However, even with proper care, these indicators decline after a certain period of time. Purchasing new planting material is the easiest way, but elite varieties are expensive.

Advantages of the method:

• high-quality harvest;
• seeds remain viable for 6 years;
• The tubers don't require any special storage conditions. They also take up little space;
• yield increases by 20%;
• The tubers are resistant to diseases.

Disadvantages of the method:

• the seeds have a low germination rate;
• the seedlings are fragile;
• plants do not tolerate picking well;
• crops are often affected by black leg;
• long growing process.

The procedure for growing tubers from seeds consists of the following steps:

1. Potatoes produce small, green tomatoes. First, they need to be harvested. The fruits should be placed in cheesecloth bags and allowed to ripen.
2. Once the potatoes have shriveled and softened, remove the seeds and dry them. Then, soak them in a potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes, dry again, and store. Glass jars or paper bags are good options for storing seeds.
3. A week before planting, the seeds should be removed and processed. They should be refrigerated at night and stored in a warm place during the day.
4. Next, the seeds need to be germinated. To do this, place them in a damp cloth and wait for the sprouts to appear.
5. The planting soil must be nutritious. A ready-made mixture can be used. However, experienced gardeners make their own soil. Simply mix sod, river sand, and peat chips.
6. Immediately before planting, seeds should be soaked in a stimulant solution for half an hour. The following products have proven effective: Epin, Kornevin, and Heteroauxin.
7. Next, you need to prepare small containers, fill them with soil, and level them. Watering is essential.
8. According to the description, Rosara potato seeds should be planted several at a time. The distance between rows should be 8 cm, with 5 cm between seeds. The seedlings should be covered with sand and lightly compacted. The container should be covered with glass.
9. Crops should be provided with optimal conditions for development. Temperatures should be maintained around 25 degrees Celsius. Warming from below will also be necessary. The crops should be ventilated daily.
10. The first shoots will appear in a week. Once two leaves have emerged, you can begin transplanting. To do this, prepare peat pots.
11. The first feeding will be needed in a week. The plants should be sprayed with nitrogen fertilizer.
12. Two weeks before planting seedlings outdoors, hardening them off should be done. This process acclimates the plants to lower temperatures. Gradually extend the time the seedlings spend outdoors.

Planting potatoes in beds

Planting should begin in May. The soil should be well warmed by this time. Plow the soil, then make holes. Fertilize the soil well, adding additional fertilizer to each hole. Place the potato tubers in the prepared holes and lightly cover with soil. Finally, water the seedlings.

Care Features

After reviewing the characteristics and reviews of the Rosara potato, you can begin growing it. Caring for it is easy.

The main care activities are as follows:

1. Fertilizing. Plants require fertilizing three times per season. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, compost, and wood ash can be used.
2. Loosening and weeding. Potatoes prefer loose soil. Therefore, the soil must be loosened regularly. Weeds should also be removed from the area promptly.
3. Watering. Since this variety has well-developed foliage, the bushes require generous watering. This is especially true during dry weather.
4. Hilling. This procedure is necessary during the growing season and should be repeated several times. A hiller should be used for this task.
5. Pest control. The most dangerous pest for potatoes is the Colorado potato beetle. Protecting crops from this insect can be very difficult. Experts recommend treating crops with insecticides.
6. Trimming the tops. Two weeks before harvesting, trim the tops. This will allow the tubers to develop.

How Rosara Blooms

The description of the Rosara potato allows us to understand how the crop blooms. The plants are quite compact and small in size. The potato blooms with purple flowers with yellow stamens in the center.

Harvesting

Harvesting should begin when the tops turn yellow. At this time, all the nutrients are concentrated in the tubers, which are responsible for the fruit's flavor and aroma. As the fruit matures, the skin becomes rougher and the eyes become dry.

After harvesting potatoes from the plot, the tubers need to dry. To do this, they should be placed outdoors. However, the fruits should be covered to protect them from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the potatoes will turn green.

After this, it's time to sort the tubers. Only healthy, defect-free specimens should be stored. Potatoes should be stored in a cellar at a temperature of 2 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 70-85%.

Wooden boxes or nets can be used to store the harvest.

Reviews

Valentina, 45 years old:

"A friend recommended growing a potato with the unusual name Rosara at my dacha. To my surprise, the variety proved to be weather-resistant. Even though daytime temperatures didn't rise above 3 degrees Celsius for several days, the plants still thrived.

The results were truly astounding. The tubers are large and tasty. After three years, I'm buying new planting material. I recommend everyone try this variety."

Pavel, 53 years old:

"After studying the characteristics and reviews of the Rosara potato variety, I decided to plant it in my own plot. I set aside a 10-hectare plot specifically for it, and I've been growing it in the same spot for five years. The potatoes are very tasty and crumble just right when cooked.

"What's particularly pleasing is the fact that the plants don't require any special care. They thrive in any weather conditions. The bushes are spreading and lush. However, the crop is susceptible to diseases such as late blight and nematodes. These diseases are most likely caused by poor-quality seed material. Therefore, it's important to choose your seeds carefully."

Galina, 63 years old:

"The Rosara potato is my favorite. I've been growing it exclusively at my dacha for several years now. Its high yield, excellent taste, and easy care make it a very popular variety. I'll continue growing it."

The Rosara variety is prized by gardeners for its positive characteristics. Many gardeners single this variety out from the crowd. Its popularity only increases each year.