How to increase potato yields in your garden

Potatoes are a fairly common vegetable, found in every garden. Every gardener dreams of increasing their yield and getting as much finished product as possible.

It is interesting to increase the potato yield, perhaps it is important to know what needs to be done for this.

Factors Affecting Potato Yield

Potato yield depends on a large number of factors, the main ones being:

• the fertility of the soil in which the potatoes will be planted;
• quality of planting tubers;
• storage conditions for planting material;
• period of planting works;
• potato growing conditions;
• the region in which the tubers are grown.

How to increase potato yield

To maximize yield per hectare, it's important to follow certain rules. It's important to remember that potato yields vary across the country. The best harvests can be found in central Russia. Belarus has shown excellent potato production per season.

To successfully increase the potato tuber yield, plant potatoes in light, loamy soil rich in humus. Avoid planting potatoes in a shady area, as the tops will stretch upward, slowing the tubers' growth. In the fall, the soil should be fertilized with compost or humus. Tubers should also be selected in the fall. Large tubers, weighing up to 100 grams, should be placed in the sun to green up. This will help them preserve better over the winter. These tubers do not attract rodents and are less susceptible to fungal and other diseases. The greening period lasts 14 days. The tubers should be turned several times during this process.

It is important to know that potatoes that turn green accumulate large amounts of the poison solanine, so they should not be consumed by humans or animals.

The key to increasing potato yield is sprouting. For a month before planting, the potato should be stored in a room with a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures will only harm the future planting material. To improve germination, you can sprinkle the potatoes with peat or sawdust. To increase the water content of the root vegetable, soak them in water for 10 hours.

Potatoes should be planted in the garden at a depth of 10-12 cm. The optimal distance between plants is 25 cm, and between rows 70 cm. Potatoes require regular hilling and weeding. Hilling begins after the plant has reached a height of 10-12 cm. This procedure is performed after rain, when the soil is moist. It is also worth hilling again just before flowering.

Watering potatoes

Soil moisture is crucial for growing vegetables. Watering should be done whenever the soil dries out. Watering is especially important during flowering, as this is when intensive tuber growth begins. Watering should be thorough. 50 liters of water are needed per square meter of soil. This watering schedule ensures the best results. If frequent watering is not possible, water the area planted with vegetables after the first shoots emerge, during flowering, and after flowering.

A week before harvesting the fruit, the tops must be mown down so that the nutrients go down into the potato tubers.

Application of fertilizers for potatoes

To increase the average potato yield, it's necessary to fertilize the soil. Fertilizers of natural origin are best. Manure is a good example of this. Well-rotted manure is best, as it promotes better growth. To grow potatoes with a high yield in a summer cottage, apply about 10 grams of urea, potassium sulfide, and about 50 grams of ash per square meter of soil in the spring per 100 square meters of land. To ensure good germination, soak the potatoes in an ammonium nitrate solution for one hour before planting. For every 400 grams of ammonium nitrate, use 10 liters of water.

How to spray potatoes to increase yield

Growth activators help you grow a bountiful harvest in your garden. One such growth activator is humates, which also help combat adverse environmental factors. Furthermore, humates help plants produce special enzymes that help them survive in the environment. This product can be used as a spray during the growing season or as a pre-planting treatment. It's important to note that humates cannot replace fertilizers; they can only enhance their effectiveness.

Spraying bushes and fruits with phytohormones is also possible. External exposure to these hormones promotes tuber growth, and also increases their starch and fiber content.

Gibbersib is a popular stimulant used worldwide. It stimulates growth, improves ovary set, accelerates fruit development, and can protect plants from diseases.

The best varieties of potatoes

A wide variety of potatoes is available on the market. Each variety has its own advantages and disadvantages. To understand which potato to choose, you need to study the characteristics of the most popular varieties.

Mona Lisa

This variety has a good flavor and is a mid-early crop. It's ideal for dishes that require a crispy texture. The tuber is elongated and oval with a yellow skin. Up to 370 centners can be harvested per hectare. Marketability ranges from 80 to 98% of the established standard. Seeds require storage at a temperature of at least 4°C (40°F).

Arosa

This variety appeared on the market in 2009. It originates from Germany. It has excellent flavor and is tolerant of weather conditions. The skin is red and pink, while the flesh is dark yellow. When cooked, the tuber becomes crumbly. Up to 50 tons of fruit can be harvested from one hectare. An advantage of this variety is its easy adaptation to various weather conditions and irrigation. It is ideal for producing chips and French fries.

Asterix

This variety is late-ripening. The yield is up to 12 tons per hectare. It has excellent shelf life and can be stored for an entire season. The tubers have yellowish flesh. The skin is quite firm. When processed, the flesh darkens and has a moderate crispness. It can be used for fried and boiled dishes. It requires plenty of oxygen and light. It is not very demanding in terms of watering. This variety is best planted in a second plot or by experienced gardeners, as it requires special care and protection.

Fresco

An early, versatile variety that can bear fruit twice a year in the south of the country. The maximum possible yield is 450 centners per hectare. The skin is yellow, and the flesh is cream-colored. The tubers are susceptible to disease. The crop requires germination and fertilization.

Timo

Timo has excellent flavor and does not darken after cooking. It is not particularly susceptible to the Colorado potato beetle. The variety produces a large yield of up to 1.5 tons per 100 square meters. It germinates early, so care must be taken to ensure it does not lose its vigor prematurely and to ensure proper storage conditions. Timo can be used in a variety of dishes.

Romano

Romano is a mid-early variety capable of producing a high yield. One hectare can yield 3-4 tons of potatoes. The pods are oval-shaped and have a firm, pink skin. The flesh is light yellow or cream-colored. The potato is resistant to various diseases. It makes excellent fried, boiled, and baked dishes. Furthermore, Romano has an excellent marketable appearance and is drought-resistant. The harvest has a long shelf life and is easy to transport.

Rules for storing potatoes

Preparation for storage

• dug up potatoes need to be dried in the sun for several hours;
• potatoes that have dried and cleared of soil are sorted and laid out according to variety, size, purpose and degree of disease;
• The sorted vegetable requires treatment with special preparations to prevent fungal growth.

How to store potatoes

• the premises must be disinfected;
• there should be no rodents or other pests in the premises;
• the storage place can be a basement, cellar, balcony not exposed to direct sunlight, or a cool corridor;
• It is best to store the harvest in wooden boxes;
• the storage area and container must be ventilated;
• apples placed in a container with potatoes will prevent the fruit from aging;
• During the winter, the fruits need to be sorted and picked 2-3 times;
• Early varieties should be used first for food.

Technological methods for increasing crop yields

Reducing human labor costs is an important foundation for developing crop production. Yields can be increased through technological methods. The choice of method should be determined by climate conditions and soil conditions.

Gülich's method

The method involves allocating the maximum possible area for plant development. This method yields up to 16 kg per plant. The plot is divided into meter-by-meter squares and covered with well-rotted manure. The plant is planted in the center of the square, upside down. The emerging shoots should be bent aside and covered with soil. Several such coverings should be made. This process creates a cone-shaped mound or a multi-tiered potato bush. The plant requires ample watering, fertilizing, and spraying. In this case, the yield per square can reach up to 16 kg.

Mittlider method

This method involves narrow beds and wide rows between them. Narrow beds are easier to cultivate. This technique can be seen in many home gardens. The first step is to dig and level the garden. Next, divide the plot into beds. This can be done using a rope. The beds should be 0.5 meters wide, with rows spaced approximately 1 meter apart. Each bed should have a border of soil. The holes should be 30 cm apart and 10 cm deep. Fertilize the hole with a handful of ash and ten grams of superphosphate. It's important to mulch when planting. Potatoes don't require hilling, and weeding, fertilizing, and watering are quicker thanks to the narrow rows.

Dutch technology

This technology allows for a yield of up to 4.5 kg per square meter. The cultivation site should be rich in humus and level. Crops are rotated during cultivation, and after producing fruit once, they can return to the same location 3-4 years later. The soil requires compost, which is applied in the spring one year before planting potatoes. Compost or manure is required at a rate of up to 5 kg per square meter. In the fall, during digging, the soil should be fertilized with rotted manure at a rate of 5 kg per square meter. Additionally, 50 grams of superphosphate and 20 grams of potassium salt can be added. In the fall, the soil should be plowed to a depth of 25 cm, and in the spring, the soil should be loosened with tillers at the same depth. If the plot is small, loosening the soil with a pitchfork is recommended.

Choose even tubers for planting. They should be 6 cm in diameter. The crop requires germination a month before planting. When planting inside, the sprouts should reach 5 to 10 mm. Planting should be done early. Up to 10 tubers should be planted per square meter. Plant at a depth of 5 cm. Mound the soil onto the tubers, creating a 10 cm deep wave.

After two weeks, hilling is performed, creating a trapezoidal ridge. The ridge reaches a height of 25 cm, and the top is 15 cm wide. This ridge is necessary to ensure that moisture flows directly to the potato roots. Further hilling is not required; one hilling is sufficient, and weeds are controlled with chemicals. Disease control and preventative measures are carried out up to six times per season.

Watering is required more than two or three times per season. However, this will also depend on the amount of rainfall. The first mandatory watering should occur before flowering, then two weeks after the first watering, and then three weeks after the second watering.

Harvesting for seed is done in August, and for food in September. Ten days before harvesting, the potato tops should be mown down. Mown tops allow nutrients to penetrate the potatoes and allow the potatoes to absorb as much energy as they need. The harvested crop is stored in wooden crates.

Reviews

Farmers and experienced gardeners recommend the Timo variety for planting and edible use. This variety has excellent qualities, a superb marketable appearance, and allows for harvesting twice a year. Romano and Arosa are also very popular. These varieties are often recommended for purchase and planting.

Elite potato seeds require specific knowledge for growing and caring for them. Therefore, farmers recommend popular and common varieties for home use. Elite varieties are best planted by experienced and knowledgeable growers.