How and when to dig potatoes for storage
Almost not a single dish of Russian cuisine can do without potatoes, so growing it is a priority for many summer residents. However, not everyone is happy with the harvest. In addition to the nuances of agricultural technology, the final result is influenced by incorrectly selected collection dates. Some gardeners lack patience and dig out potatoes too early; others, on the contrary, overexpose it in the ground. In order not to guess and not rely on chance in this matter, you need to know the signs of potato ripeness and follow the simple rules of harvesting.
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When to dig potatoes for storage
For eating, potatoes are dug up much earlier than for storage... Young tubers are often eaten with their skins. However, the thin skin negatively affects the keeping quality of the vegetable. To survive long-term storage, the tubers must acquire a protective crust.
Another reason why potatoes should not be dug out too early is that it is at the end of the growing season that the yield reaches its limit.
"Overexposed" potatoes lose their taste, because nutrients are spent on the formation of new shoots, and the vegetative cycle begins anew. Such tubers are not stored for a long time.
Timing for different varieties and regions
In accordance with the duration of the vegetative period, 6 varieties of potato varieties are distinguished:
- very early - 35-50 days;
- early — 50-65;
- mid-early - 65-80;
- mid-season — 80-95;
- mid-late — 95-110;
- late - 110-120.
Depending on the variety, the vegetable ripens 1.5-4 months after planting.
Reference! Early varieties are less keeping quality than later ones. They are planted for consumption immediately after digging.
The time for digging potatoes also depends on the climatic conditions of the region. The general rule is that this must be done before the first autumn frosts and the season of prolonged rains:
- in the Urals, Siberia and the North of Russia - in mid-August;
- in the North-West region - at the end of August;
- in the Far East - in early September;
- in the Volga region, Krasnodar Territory and Kaliningrad - in mid-September.
In drought conditions, potatoes ripen faster, so in the North Caucasus (in Dagestan, North Ossetia) and in the Crimea, the crop is harvested in July.
How to determine if potato tubers are ripe
It is not always convenient to focus on varieties and conditional terms for different regions, since the ripeness of a vegetable depends on many factors. Therefore, a number of external signs are used to determine maturity.
There are two main signs of potato maturity:
- withered and dried tops;
- dense and thick skin of tubers.
Focusing on the state of the tops, remember that it turns yellow and withers due to a number of external reasons. For example, it negatively affects the condition of stems and leaves:
- excess nitrogen;
- heavy rainfall in summer and dry autumn;
- late blight.
Some agronomists advise not to wait until the potato tops are completely dry, but to dig out the crop when the aboveground part wilts by 70-80%. This will prevent tubers from dehydration due to moisture evaporation through the stems and leaves.
The surest way to figure out when to harvest potatoes is to dig up a test bush. The tubers should not be too small, in sufficient quantity, the peel should be free from cracks and peeling during friction.
Important! The readiness of the potato for digging is also evidenced by cracks on the ridges of the earth near the bushes. Growing tubers push the soil around them, and potholes appear on the surface.
What affects the ripening time of potato tubers
Weather conditions, quality of soil and seed material - all this affects the duration of the growing season.
Belonging to the variety
The very early varieties of potatoes ripen first: Ariel, Impala, Uladar... In favorable climatic conditions, up to 3 crops are harvested, since the full growing cycle of these varieties takes less than 2 months.
Early varieties (Alena, Zhukovsky early, Luck) are good for regions with short summers. They are resistant to various diseases and pests: late blight, scab, nematode etc.
Medium early varieties (Lileya, Red Scarlett, Ryabinushka) are removed for storage 2-2.5 months after planting. The tubers are more starchy, because they have time to accumulate sugar from the soil.
Mid-season and mid-late varieties (Lugovskoy, Lorkh, Sante) is required for ripening from 80 to 110 days, that is, all summer.
Finally, late potatoes (Atlant, Zarnitsa, Picasso) has the longest growing cycle (120 days or more). It is the most stable and nutritious. These varieties are suitable for cultivation in the south.
Soil composition and applied fertilizers
Fertile soil increases the ripening period of potatoes. The fact is that the tubers try to absorb all the nutrients from the soil, therefore they grow larger and starchy, but ripen longer.
Their light and poor soil, the vegetable picks up mineral compounds much faster, respectively, and ripens earlier.
Reference. Clay soils increase the growing season, since such soil retains water.
Top dressing has a positive effect on the quality of the crop, but postpones the harvest time. Be especially careful with mineral nitrogen fertilizers, which mainly feed the green mass by slowing the maturation of the tubers.
Frequency of watering and rain
The hotter and drier the weather, the earlier the harvest is, because when the soil warms up to + 25 ° C, the tubers stop growing. Being without moisture for a long time, they become dehydrated, become lethargic and wrinkled, and lose their taste.
If the summer is rainy and cold, potatoes ripen more slowly. In addition, cold dew causes the development of fungal diseases.
Important! Tubers are dug up in dry and warm weather. Collected in the rain quickly rot.
Region
Agroclimatic conditions in most of Russia can hardly be called favorable. The term "zone of risky farming" is more suitable for them: return frosts are possible after planting seed, often a cold and rainy summer period.
Not conducive to long-term growing of potatoes and how quickly the thermometer drops in the fall. Therefore, in the Northern, North-Western regions, in the Urals and Siberia, harvesting is completed no later than mid-September.
The hot and arid climate (for example, in the North Caucasus) also forces local agronomists to grow early varieties in order to have time to harvest them before the tubers are completely dehydrated.
The conditions of the Volga region and the Central Black Earth region are most favorable for agricultural purposes, where late varieties are grown and they manage to get several super-early harvests.
Is it possible to dig potatoes if the tops are still green
The state of the green mass is only an indirect sign of tuber maturity. However, if the tops remain fleshy and green, this means that they are still receiving enough nutrients, and possibly lacking them in the tubers. In order not to guess, it is better to dig out one or more bushes and check the thickness and strength of the potato peel.
Attention! As a rule, potatoes intended for storage begin to be harvested no earlier than about 70-80% of the tops wilted.
How to properly dig potatoes from the garden
To keep the crop longer, the potatoes must be dug out carefully, avoiding damage (cuts, punctures, dents). The correct inventory and careful handling of tubers will help with this.
Potato harvesting methods
There are 2 options for harvesting potatoes:
- manual;
- mechanical.
The use of special attachments is justified for a large planting area. But in order for the wheels of the walk-behind tractor to move freely around the field, the beds themselves must be even, and there must be sufficient distance between the ridges. A certain skill is also required in order to tune the potato digger to the desired depth.
How and how to dig potatoes
When harvesting, use:
- Shovel. The traditional tool is bad because it often leaves cuts on the tubers.
- Pitchfork. They require more physical effort, but they damage vegetables less than a shovel.
- Various modifications of motoblocks. They greatly simplify the process due to mechanization.
Do I need to mow the tops before harvesting
The question of whether it is necessary to pre-mow the potato tops is controversial and largely depends on the method of harvesting:
- If the potatoes are dug up with a pitchfork or shovels, and the planted area itself is small, the procedure is optional. When harvesting manually, it is convenient to grab the bush with your free hand and pull the tubers along with the roots.
- If a walk-behind tractor is used, clearing the field from the tops makes the task easier: it is easier to move on it, pick tubers from the soil, etc.
In any case, the tops should be burned and not used for compost heaps, especially if the potatoes have been grown in the same area for several years. Pathogens of infectious diseases overwinter in plant residues.
The potatoes are dug out 7-10 days after the mowing of the tops. During this time, the tubers will absorb the minerals intended for the green mass.
Preparing potatoes for storage
Before you remove the potatoes from the garden for storage, they must be dried. If the soil is sandy, and the weather is dry and warm, do it right on the field, sprinkling the potatoes in a thin, even layer. When the humidity of the air or soil is increased, the crop is placed under an artificial canopy.
Important! With prolonged exposure to sunlight, green spots form on the tubers - accumulations of the toxic substance solanine. Therefore, it is better to choose a shaded area.
The potatoes are then sorted by size and degree of damage. Cut, broken, affected specimens are disposed of or, after appropriate processing, are given to livestock feed. Usually, summer residents divide the remaining tubers into potatoes for storage and further consumption and seed material.
Conclusion
The timing of harvesting potatoes is influenced by many factors, so precise and universal dates cannot be named. When to dig potatoes, each gardener determines for himself, focusing on the features of the planted varieties, the agro-climatic conditions of the region, the weather and the agricultural technology used (watering, feeding, etc.).