The distance between beds when planting potatoes

Before deciding on row spacing for potatoes, consider the right time to plant. This should be done when the soil temperature has already reached 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. The soil depth should be 10 cm, not the very top layer. Generally, May is the optimal time for planting potatoes outdoors in central Russia.

Important! If you delay planting potatoes, you can safely reduce the final harvest by at least 30%.

To get an early harvest, the tubers need to sprout well, and they can be planted in the soil when the soil, at a depth of 10 cm, has already warmed to six degrees Celsius. It's better to plant potatoes earlier than later. This significantly reduces the overall risk of crop loss.

What distance should be left between rows?

Now we have come to a detailed consideration of the question of what is the distance between rows when planting potatoes (Not with a walk-behind tractor, but by hand planting). Before planting, you need to spread the tubers evenly over the area. You can immediately mark out small furrows where each tuber will be planted.

To make the first marker correctly, you'll need to stretch a string. A tooth runs along it. In theory, you could plant potatoes right under this string. However, from a practical standpoint, this is quite inconvenient.

Advice! After the potatoes are planted, you can mulch them. This means covering them with a three-centimeter layer of peat moss. It takes some time and money, but it's a great way to increase your yield.

The optimal spacing between rows when planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor or manually is as follows:

• For early-ripening varieties, you'll need to leave a distance of 70 to 75 cm;
• For late-ripening varieties, a distance of at least 80 cm is required, but if the site allows, 90 cm is ideal;

Advice! As for planting density, you should focus on the size of the tubers you've selected. If they're small, you can plant them every 20 cm, but for larger tubers, leave a distance of 28 cm or more.

When it comes to heavy soils, it's also important to pay attention to the depth when planting tubers. It shouldn't be more than 8 cm. However, for light soils, an acceptable and recommended depth is 10 cm.

How to care for the plant after planting

Even if the row spacing requirements for potato planting are met, proper care is essential. This is the only way to achieve an excellent harvest of delicious potatoes.

The main care for this crop is loosening the soil and removing weeds. Potatoes will also need to be harrowed. The first harrowing is done five days after planting. Harrowing is repeated when the shoots emerge, and the procedure should be repeated twice more once the plants emerge.

Other steps to properly care for potatoes:

• Once the plants have sprouted and formed clear rows, you can loosen the soil between the rows. Loosen the soil deeply, to a depth of 14 cm the first time and to a depth of 8 cm the second time;
• The first hilling of potatoes is carried out after the bushes have grown to 15 cm. The second time, hill the potatoes just before the tops close;
• It is necessary to feedThis can be done during the first hilling or loosening of the soil. Fertilizing is especially important for late-season potato varieties. Two fertilizing sessions per year are sufficient;
• The first feeding will work best if you fertilize each bush with two handfuls of compost and a large spoonful of ammonium nitrate. You can also add a little ash and soil;
• The second feeding is liquid. Dissolve a large spoonful of superphosphate and nitrophoska in 10 liters of water. Be sure to water the bushes only at the roots;

When caring for potatoes, it's important to fertilize them on time. This is done during the initial growth stage. Once the bushes begin to bloom, fertilizing can be stopped. Failure to do so will delay the tubers' ripening, and nitrates will accumulate in them.

Typically, potatoes have enough moisture thanks to the rare summer rains. However, if you notice that additional watering is needed, be sure to provide it. Watering is especially necessary a couple of weeks after the shoots emerge, when the first buds appear, and in early August. If water is insufficient during these three periods, the yield will be low. What do you know about Growing potatoes wisely without weeding and hilling?

This is perhaps the most basic information about row spacing when planting potatoes and how to properly care for them. It's hard to imagine winter without potatoes. Therefore, no matter how simple planting and subsequent care may seem, these steps require considerable time, care, and attention.