Are my potato tops growing tall? Is this normal? What should I do?

A good potato variety and proper agricultural practices during the growing season promote the growth of strong, tall tops. However, if the top of the potato grows beyond 120 cm, concern should be raised. In this case, the tubers will be very small, as the plant devotes all its energy to growing vegetative mass. Each potato variety has its own unique characteristics. However, its vegetative mass should not exceed 125 cm.

Reasons why potatoes have tall tops

Several factors contribute to the growth of potato tops. Most often, they stem from improper potato cultivation.

Excess nitrogenous substances

When growing potatoes, it's important to adhere to the recommended rates and intervals between nitrogen-containing fertilizer applications. Often, if poor potato growth is noticed, additional applications of saltpeter, urea, or mullein infusion are applied. This results in vigorous vegetative growth at the expense of tuber development. Furthermore, high nitrate levels accumulate in the soil.

If the soil is oversaturated with nitrogen, potato plants develop strong, tall stems and richly green foliage. The plant's growing season is prolonged, flowering is delayed, and the plant becomes more susceptible to infectious diseases. Therefore, nitrogen fertilization should be carried out strictly according to the instructions. It's better to underfeed than to overfeed.

Excess moisture

Potatoes are moisture-loving plants, but over-watering the soil leads to severe aeration of the tubers. Frequent rainfall prevents the tubers from receiving nutrients from the soil, so all the plant's energy is directed toward active vegetative growth.

Lack of light

If potato beds are located close to buildings, trees, and tall plants, the tops of the plants will also stretch upward. The plants, receiving insufficient ultraviolet light, devote all their energy to searching for it. Potatoes are sun-loving plants, and in the absence of sunlight, their tops will inevitably stretch.

What to do if the tops are tall

Having made sure that the very high vegetative mass is not a characteristic of the variety, in case of elongated tops, it is worth taking the following methods.

1. If potato tops are not pruned as they grow tall, all the beneficial micronutrients the plant absorbs from the soil will be lost. Natural photosynthesis will be disrupted, and the tubers will still fail to achieve adequate weight. Therefore, when the tops grow taller than 120 cm, the tops should be pressed down to the ground, lightly tamping them down. Gradually, as the tops dry, the micronutrients and vitamins will be released into the tubers, and they will reach their full weight.
2. An agronomic technique for increasing the productivity of overgrown potato plants is to spray the vegetative mass two to three weeks before harvesting with a complex fertilizer consisting of 25% superphosphate and 10% potassium per 10 liters of water. Five to six days before digging, the tops of the plants should be mown down. This technique accelerates the aging of the tops, the flow of nutrients from them into the tubers, and accelerates their ripening. After this aging technique, the yield of the vegetable increases by 15%-20%.
3. If the potato tops have become elongated due to excess nitrogen, it's worth applying a mulch of wood shavings to the root zone. The microorganisms that digest this material require a large amount of nitrogen to thrive. Therefore, wood shavings will absorb all the nitrogen within 6-7 days of being placed on the soil surface.
4. In case of prolonged rains and stretching of tops, you can treat overgrown plants with an infusion of wood ash at the rate of 1 glass of the substance per 5 liters of water.

What to do if the tops are low

The condition of the potato tops can be used to assess the health of the entire plant. For example, if the potato's vegetative mass is low, it could be due to:

• the presence of pathogenic fungi in the soil;
• lack of nutrients;
• illiterate application of fertilizers and irrigation;
• dry weather and lack of moisture;
• attack by insect pests.

If potato plants are stunted due to lack of moisture, simply provide them with water. If the short foliage is due to a lack of nutrients, apply two foliar feedings of a complex mineral fertilizer at a rate of 20 g urea, 20 g potassium, and 25 g superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Prevention

To prevent the problem of elongated tops, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures, which include:

• in the autumn, applying mineral fertilizers when digging the soil at the rate of: per 100 square meters - 3 kg of superphosphate, 3 kg of potassium chloride, 3 kg of nitrate;
• in the treatment of tubers before planting with an extract of wood ash at the rate of: 1.5 cups of ash per 5 liters of water;
• in the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers only at the initial stage of potato growth;
• in planting potatoes only in sunny areas without the slightest shading;
• in maintaining the distance when planting tubers, which should not exceed 60 cm by 60 cm.

Adviсe

By following the recommendations of experienced gardeners who have been growing potatoes for years, you can prevent the overgrowth of vegetative mass and get a decent potato harvest.

1. When growing potatoes in southern regions, the plant tolerates partial shade. Therefore, in these areas, they can even be planted under the shade of trees. And despite the elongated tops, the potato harvest will be good.
2. By regularly hilling the bushes with soil, plants are provided with the best growing conditions. This also increases tuber yield by 10%.
3. By mulching potato beds with a 20 cm-30 cm layer of organic matter, you can retain moisture in the soil and saturate the plants with microelements that are necessary for the development of tubers.

Don't be upset by the sight of elongated tops. By taking appropriate measures in a timely manner, gardeners can reap a bountiful harvest of tubers.