Medium early table potato variety "Laura" with excellent taste and aroma

Laura potatoes are a fruitful variety bred by German breeders. Its tubers have an attractive presentation and excellent taste. The plant is unpretentious in care, it can grow in any climatic zone. This makes it popular not only in Russia but also in Europe.

Description of the variety

The culture is widespread in the Central and North-Western regions of Russia, Europe, but it is not included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.

Origin and development

The firm Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH (Germany) decided to create a variety that would surpass the famous Scarlett potatoes in yield. As a result of selection work, a new variety Laura appeared, which has a higher productivity compared to other varieties of red-skinned potatoes.

Distinctive features

Medium early variety: it takes an average of 90 days from germination to technical maturity of tubers.

Tuber characteristics:

• the peel is smooth, dark pink in color, there are small superficial eyes;
• the pulp is dense with a yellow tint;
• the shape is correct oval;
• weight - 90-150 g;
• length - from 7 cm;
• starch content - 15-17%;

Important! Potatoes are prized for their amount of starch. So, if it contains 14–25%, then it is considered "highly starchy", that is, delicious.

Specifications

Laura's bushes are spreading, tall and erect. The leaves are dark green with a wrinkled structure, without pubescence, located in between. There are many inflorescences. The flowers are white or purple.

It is a high-yielding variety, but rates vary with weather and planting time. About 20 tubers are obtained from one bush. An average of 330 centners are harvested from 1 ha.

How to grow

Laura potatoes can successfully endure almost any climatic conditions. It grows well on any soil, loam and sandy loam. The highest productivity is shown in chernozem regions, but in arid regions, the productivity of the variety is low.

Landing time and scheme

The timing of planting varieties depends on the region. In cold soil, potatoes will rot and not sprout, and late April frosts will completely destroy the plantings. Therefore, in the southern regions, Laura is planted at the end of April, in the northern regions - in mid-May. The soil should be warmed up to + 7 ... + 8 ° C at a depth of 9-10 cm.

Before planting, seed potatoes are prepared. To do this, it is first sorted out, leaving only undamaged and not affected by diseases medium-sized tubers.

The next stage is germination for 12-14 days in the sun or light. Then the tubers are treated with agents based on zinc, boron or manganese, sprayed with a solution of gibberellin or sodium humate.

Mineral and bacterial additives are added to the soil:

• superphosphate granules;
• urea;
• nitrogen-bacterial feeding "Ekofit";
• nitrophosphate;
• phosphorus-bacterial "Bactophosphine";

Landing is carried out according to the standard scheme:

1. Dig holes no more than 10 cm deep. If the soil is not fertile enough, then humus or a handful of ash is added to the grooves.
2. The distances between the holes are made by 30-40 cm.
3. 60-70 cm are left between the rows to provide aeration to the bushes and to simplify hilling.

Important! Potatoes are not planted next to tomatoes: they have the same diseases and pests.

After planting, the ground is leveled with a rake. During the flowering period, flowers are cut off so that the tubers receive more nutrients.

Care

To obtain a large yield, the potatoes are properly cared for. The Laura variety loves watering: it is irrigated at least 3 times per season:

1. For the first time - 3 weeks after germination.
2. Then before the flowers appear on the tops. During this period, the culture needs water most of all.
3. Water the last time before the end of flowering. After waterlogging of the soil leads to the development of fungal diseases.

Proper soil treatment is important in the care. The formation of large kulbney depends on this. The main nuances of soil cultivation around potatoes:

1. Weeds are harvested throughout the cultivation: it takes nutrients from the ground, attracts pests and sets off young potato sprouts.
2. The soil around the bushes is regularly loosened: this provides access to water and air to the roots.
3. Potato beds are mulched with dry straw to reduce irrigation frequency and weed growth.
4. After the tops grow about 20 cm in length, the bushes are spud to saturate the roots with oxygen, increase the number of new stolons, and increase productivity.
5. After the first hilling, the procedure is repeated every 3 weeks.

The culture reacts negatively to the lack of potassium in the soil, so it is fed with potassium magnesium throughout the growing season. The product improves the quality of tubers by increasing the amount of starch in them.

The nuances of growing and possible difficulties

Although Laura potatoes are unpretentious to care for, there are some difficulties in cultivating them:

• the need for frequent watering;
• proper care of the soil in the beds;
• preparation of soil and potato seeds before planting;
• compliance with the layout of the bushes;
• compliance with the rules of crop rotation;

Diseases and pests dangerous for the variety:

1. Blackleg... A characteristic feature is a black bloom on the lower part of the stem. The tops turn yellow and rot, and are easy to pull out of the ground. The tubers are covered with wet mucus. The disease cannot be cured. The affected bushes are removed, the soil is disinfected with a solution of 1 tbsp. l. copper sulfate with 1 tbsp. ash.
2. Colorado beetle. Insects lay eggs on the leaves, caterpillars (larvae) of beetles eat the tops. This significantly impairs the yield. With a small number of adults and larvae, they are collected by hand. In case of severe damage, use the Kinmix insecticide according to the instructions.
3. Wireworm. The pest makes moves in the tubers, as a result, the potatoes are not stored for a long time. To combat the wireworm, fresh potatoes and carrots are planted on wooden sticks and buried to a depth of about 10 cm. After a while, they are removed from the soil along with insects.
4. Medvedka. The insect lives underground, eats roots and tubers. Get rid of it with an infusion of hot pepper and water or using chemicals.

The variety is resistant to nematodes, leaf curling, Y-virus and scab, and has a relative immunity to late blight.

Important! The last treatment with chemistry against pests is carried out at least 30 days before harvest.

Harvesting and application of the crop

Harvest the potatoes when the tops wilt and turn yellow. To do this, the bushes are dug in from the side with a pitchfork, the tubers are placed in a container, left to dry. After they are sorted, rotten and damaged potatoes are removed.

Vegetables are kept in a cellar or basement at a temperature of + 1 ... + 3 ° C. Laura's keeping quality is 90%: it is perfectly preserved until next summer.

Potatoes are used to prepare various dishes and soups. It is stewed, fried, baked, boil.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages of Laura potatoes:

• high productivity;
• large, even tubers;
• great taste;
• medium early maturity;
• resistance to some diseases and pests, weather conditions;
• long shelf life;

Disadvantages:

• low resistance to mechanical damage to tubers: they immediately deteriorate;
• preference for a soil variety rich in potassium;
• negative reaction to the herbicide "Metribuzin" (it is used for weed control);

Farmers reviews

Laura has a high rating and a lot of positive feedback from gardeners.They are mainly attracted by the even shape of the tubers, their pleasant taste:

George, Naberezhnye Chelny: “I liked the variety. Large tubers, as in the photo, are stored for a long time. We sell the leftovers on the market, we ourselves have no time to eat everything. I recommend trying it. "

Marianna, Moscow: “The first time I tried Laura at a neighbor's house. What a great taste! Potatoes do not boil soft, crumbly, I am delighted. Now I also breed this variety on my site. "

Peter, Barnaul: “I planted Laura's tubers and was pleasantly surprised that, apart from the Colorado potato beetle, there were no diseases. There is no salvation from the beetle anywhere. Processing only. The variety itself is good, high-yielding. "

Read also:

Domestic potato variety "Aurora".

Amateur table potato variety "Gypsy".

A mid-season unpretentious potato variety "Arizona".

Conclusion

Laura is a high-yielding crop that produces smooth tubers with crumbly starchy pulp and a characteristic potato aroma. The variety is unpretentious in care: the agricultural technology of its cultivation includes standard techniques (regular watering, fertilizing, hilling, weed removal). Laura is successfully cultivated in various regions of the country.