When to plant potatoes in May 2024: a table of favorable days

Gardening friends, I've prepared something special just for you! Today we'll discuss how and when to plant potatoes in May 2024 to ensure a magnificent harvest. This isn't just an article; it's a highly useful guide that will tell you the best time to plant. Ready to take notes? Then let's get to work!

Why is May the best time for potatoes?

Let's borrow from our grandparents' wisdom: "Potatoes love the cold." And May is ideal because the ground has warmed up sufficiently after winter, but hasn't yet experienced the hot summer temperatures.

Choosing a planting date according to the lunar calendar

Astrologers recommend considering the lunar calendar when working in the garden. If you plant tubers on favorable days for potato planting in May 2024, during the waning moon, you'll see uniform sprouts and even top growth by June. Following the lunar calendar promotes a good harvest – most tubers will grow large or medium-sized, with the number of fruits corresponding to the variety's characteristics.

It's not recommended to plant vegetables during the growing season—this time is better used for plants with above-ground fruiting. Planting potatoes in May 2023 according to the lunar calendar is not recommended during the Full Moon and New Moon—at these times, biochemical processes are suspended, making plants vulnerable.

Planting dates depending on region, variety, and cultivation method

In central Russia (St. Petersburg and the Moscow region), tubers are planted in open ground from May 1st to 10th. In the south, the planting period begins on April 20th. In Siberia and the Urals, potatoes are planted in late spring, with the latest deadline being June 15th. In the north, mid-season and late-season varieties are not recommended for cultivation, as the vegetables may not ripen before frost sets in. Planting procedures should be carried out taking into account the growing technology:

1. The seedling method is used for an early harvest. The tubers are placed in a plastic bag with soil in late April, and in early May, the vegetables are planted outdoors.
2. Crops are planted in a heated greenhouse in the south of the country starting in late February, and the potatoes will be ready for harvesting in early summer.
3. Planting potatoes in May using G. Kizima’s method (in straw) is carried out at an air temperature of +8ºС…+10ºС.
4. Work in open ground (with a shovel or walk-behind tractor) is carried out when the temperature reaches above 15ºС.

When planting, it's also important to consider the variety. Early varieties are planted from late April to May, with a growing season of 60-70 days. Mid-season varieties require 90-100 days to mature, while mid-late varieties require 100-120 days. Late varieties are primarily used for livestock feed; the tubers are planted in late May to early June, and they take four months to mature. Late varieties can be planted before winter. A folk wisdom about potatoes is that they can be planted after the bird cherry blossoms have bloomed.

Growing tips

Potatoes are an easy-to-grow crop that yields a harvest even in poor soils. They thrive in sunny locations, so planting furrows should be arranged north to south. Before planting, seed potatoes need to be prepared by treating them with pesticides or treating them with a potassium permanganate solution. It's important to follow proper agricultural practices, crop rotation, and vegetable care guidelines.

Requirements for soil and planting material

Sod-podzolic and sandy loam soils with a shallow water table are suitable for growing vegetables. Optimal soil agrochemical parameters include a pH of 5.0-5.3 and a humus and humus content of up to 1.8%. Potatoes yield well if legumes and grains were grown in the area the previous year. It is not recommended to plant potatoes after plants of the nightshade family.

Before planting, seed potatoes are selected, and damaged specimens are discarded. Vegetables are sorted by variety and size. To speed up germination, carry out the sprouting of tubers In the light at a temperature of +15°C for 20 days. To protect against fungal diseases, the tubers are treated with fungicide solutions (Maxim, Quadris, Prestige). Before planting, seed potatoes can be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, boric acid (50 g per bucket of water), or copper sulfate (100 g per 10 liters of liquid).

Planting and care

When planting manually or mechanically, plant the tubers 6-15 cm deep, leaving row spacings of 60-70 cm with a spacing of up to 30 cm. Under favorable weather conditions, seedlings will emerge in 2-3 weeks. Follow these agronomist's tips to ensure a good harvest:

1. Before germination, it is necessary to carry out 2 harrowings with an interval of 1 week.
2. After germination, regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. To improve oxygen supply to the roots, hilling is recommended. This procedure should be avoided if the potatoes are growing in sandy soil, as it will cause the soil to dry out.
3. If the soil is poor, apply organic and mineral fertilizers. This is done three times: after germination, during budding, and during flowering. Nitroammophoska, superphosphate, and ammonium nitrate are used for additional feeding.
4. Insecticide treatments against pests such as the Colorado potato beetle and wireworms are recommended. Potatoes are sprayed with Aktara, Inta-Vir, and Karbofos according to the instructions. To protect against insects, you can use repellent plants such as marigolds, tansy, and nasturtiums around the perimeter of the garden.
5. If the summer is dry, potatoes need watering. If rainfall occurs more than once a week, watering is not necessary, as excess moisture can cause the tubers to rot.

Once the green mass has lodged, the potatoes are ready for harvest. Two weeks before digging, the tops are mown down and burned. To improve the shelf life of the tubers, the harvest is carried out in dry weather and the vegetables are dried under a canopy for 10-15 days before storage. After harvesting, green manure is planted in the plot to provide an additional source of organic matter.

Common mistakes

The reason for the low yield is non-compliance with agricultural technology, landing rules and care. Common mistakes gardeners make:

1. Poor-quality planting material. Do not plant small, diseased, or rotten tubers.
2. Incorrect variety selection. For planting, select zoned potato varieties; several varieties with different ripening times can be planted in a single season.
3. Using fresh mullein as fertilizer will lead to the progression of scab. The fungus attacks potato tubers, and infected vegetables will not store well.
4. Incorrect watering – if there is too much moisture, the tubers will rot; if there is not enough liquid, they will dry out.
5. Failure to properly rotate potatoes—planting them after nightshades—leads to late blight. It's recommended to replant the vegetable crop in its original location after 2-3 years.
6. Planting vegetables on clay and sandy soils with poor drainage.
7. Dense plantings lead to fungal infections.

To ensure a good harvest, varieties must be rotated periodically—each successive reproduction reduces yield by 5-10%. Potatoes with different ripening times should be planted in separate beds. Planting them together results in uneven emergence.

Taking into account climate conditions and the potato planting calendar, potato planting can be done throughout May in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Potatoes are a vegetable crop that does not requires specific careIf proper agricultural practices and care are followed, potatoes will sprout in early June, and by autumn the tubers will be ready for harvesting.

What other factors are important to consider?

But it's not just the lunar calendar that determines success. There are other nuances that are important to remember:

• Weather: Wait a couple of days after the rain to allow the soil to become saturated with moisture.
• Times of Day: Morning and evening hours are ideal so as not to torment and tire yourself under the scorching sun.
• Potato varieties: There are early and late varieties, and planting time depends on them. Plant early varieties first, and late varieties a little later.
• Crop rotation: Remember that potatoes should not be grown in the same bed every year!

Don't rush to conclusions

So, it looks like we have everything we need to make May 2024 a memorable potato harvest. The key is to take your time, follow a plan, and follow nature's rhythms. Remember that planting potatoes is a meditative process, where every movement, every tuber, matters. So listen to your gardening heart and don't let it down! I hope this article has served as a compass for you in the forest of gardening chores. See you in the garden!