Amazing Vitalot potato variety with purple skin and pulp

Vitalot (in French Vitelotte) is a unique potato variety with a dark purple, almost black, peel. Its tubers are distinguished by the pulp of a rich lilac color, which does not lose its exotic color during the cooking process. This variety is expensive and is not grown commercially in the Russian Federation.

Description of potato variety

Vitalot is a late-ripening colored variety. From the moment landing it takes from 100 to 110 days to harvest. The yield indicator is low: no more than 15 tons can be harvested from 1 hectare. Due to its thick skin, Vitalot has good keeping quality, therefore it is suitable for long-term storage.

Vitalot tubers absorb three times less nitrates from the soil than the average varieties. They are rich in antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin) and anthocyanins, which give them their unique coloration. 100 g of Vitalot potatoes contain from 9 to 40 mg of these substances.

Reference. Purple potatoes are high in vitamins E, C and carotenoids. Two potatoes contain the same amount of vitamin C as one lemon.

Due to its rich composition, Vitalot is beneficial for health. Its nutrients contribute to:

• lowering blood pressure, therefore the variety is recommended for inclusion in the menu of hypertensive patients;
• slowing down the aging process of the body and strengthening immunity due to the increased content of antioxidants;
• improving vision due to the carotenoids contained in the tubers involved in the synthesis of vitamin A;
• strengthening and increasing the elasticity of the vascular walls;
• prevention of the development of cancer and atherosclerosis.

Origin and development

There is little exact information about the origin of the Vitalot variety. There is a version that the purple potato was bred in South America (Peru, Bolivia), where it is widespread today.

Translated from French, vitelotte means "alive". The name was first mentioned in 1812. It also appears in Notes on Agriculture (Paris edition, 1817). According to them, the Royal Society of Agriculture ranked Vitalot among the six most famous varieties of potatoes in Paris.

Distinctive features, appearance

Due to the high content of anthocyanins, the tubers of this variety have a rich purple color of both the peel and pulp. They are distinguished by an oblong irregular shape with a bumpy surface. The length of the potato reaches no more than 10 cm.Weighs in the range from 70 to 100 g.

The pulp is dense. When boiling, frying and stewing, it does not lose its unique purple color and boils well.

Reference. Vitalot's starch content is 8-10%. This potato has a pleasant, rich, sweet taste with a light nutty flavor.

Description and characteristics of the plant and crop

The bush is medium-sized, slender, multi-stemmed. Vitalot's young stems and leaves show the same purple color. Over time, a green color appears, which in adult plants predominates in the color of the leaves. The lower part of the stem remains purple. The flowers are white.

Vitalot has a low yield. From 100 sq. m get about 150 kg of harvest.Due to this circumstance, potatoes are not grown on an industrial scale.

Which regions is best suited for

In the CIS, Vitalot potatoes are not grown on an industrial scale. It can only be found in the beds of small farms. The climate of the southern and eastern regions of the country is considered more suitable for the cultivation of this culture.

How to grow this variety

The variety is whimsical, loves a lot of light. Requires light soil: feels good in sandy loam soil, sod-podzolic soil, light black soil.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

For growing Vitalot potatoes at their summer cottage, you will need to prepare the soil in advance. A well-lit area where it is planned to plant colored potatoes is dug up and fertilized in autumn with potash fertilizers and superphosphate. It is advisable to add humus: 1 sq. m 0.5 kg.

Reference. Proper preparation of tubers for planting is important. If the planting material is correctly germinated, the seedlings will be fast and uniform, and the tubers will be tied up on time. It will also reduce losses if late blight hits the planting.

For planting, tubers are selected that have developed eyes, sprouts up to 1 cm in length. 4-6 weeks before the expected date of planting in the ground, potatoes begin to germinate. Suitable tubers are laid out in boxes of 8-10 kg and left in a room where the temperature regime is maintained at + 10 ... + 15 ° C. When the first shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to + 5 ... + 7 ° С and the planting material is provided with good lighting. The light will prevent the shoots from becoming too elongated.

Sprouted tubers are planted in the second half of April, when the soil temperature is + 6 ... + 8 ° С. It is important that there are no frosts - Vitalot does not tolerate them well.

Healthy tubers are planted in open ground to a depth of 7 to 10 cm. Before planting, they are treated with a fungicide to prevent fungal diseases.

Important! The rows are arranged from north to south. Plants require uniform lighting throughout the day.

Vitalot's bushes spread out strongly in width, forming many long stolons. Therefore, when planting, a large distance between the holes and rows is observed: to grow one bush, it takes up to 1 sq. m area.

Care

When caring for purple potatoes competent watering is important. For the first time it is produced when the sprouts reach a height of 5-10 cm. The second time the plants are watered during the budding period in order to increase the number of tubers. Watered for the third time at the end of flowering.

Important! Waterlogging of the soil harms potatoes. The amount of water for irrigation is determined by the type of soil and weather.

The first hilling is started when shoots appear. It protects plants from possible frost and conserves moisture. In the future, hilling will be required to prevent the bushes from "falling apart" and pulling the tubers to the surface. Weeding will also be required to get rid of the weeds.

Diseases and pests

To protect plants from late blight and scab, Colorado beetles and other pests, purchased preparations like Bankcol, Bushido, Gulliver, Zubr, Calypso, Karbofosa, Karate, Komandora, Prestige will help "And" Regent ".

You can fight late blight by disinfecting the soil with strong fungicides, for example, "Thanos", "Ridomil", or the microbiological agent "Fitosporin-M". The planting material is also etched with the fungicide “Maxim 25” on the eve of planting in open ground.

The nuances of growing and possible difficulties

Vitalot is more whimsical in care compared to other varieties of potatoes. It is susceptible to scab and late blight, and suffers from the attack of the Colorado potato beetle, which is attracted by the planting of purple potatoes.

Reference. Gardeners do not recommend propagating colored potato varieties, including Vitalot, with eyes. This leads to the fact that the tubers are greatly reduced.

The yield indicator for growing the Vitalot variety is determined by the quality of care and the type of soil.A low yield is obtained when tubers are planted in loamy soil.

Vitalot, when grown, needs at least four hilling per season. Otherwise, many new stems will appear, and the tubers will not form. Hilling can increase the productivity of the bush. Mechanical processing of the beds is inconvenient and requires a lot of manual labor, which increases the price of potatoes of this varietal accessory.

Collection, storage and use of the crop

Ripening of Vitalot variety is later - within 100-110 days from planting. The tubers have a thick skin, which allows you to store the vegetable all winter without loss. Keep the crop in a dry, dark and cool place.

This potato variety is appreciated by gourmets. There are practically no rejected tubers, everything goes to the table. Due to their bright sweetish taste and dense consistency, potatoes are suitable for preparing various dishes. It is used for cooking, frying, baking. When cooled, cooked potatoes acquire a nutty flavor.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

In addition to its unusual appearance, the Vitalot variety has other advantages:

• tubers have an average presentation (approximately 80% of the total crop);
• good transportability and resistance to mechanical damage;
• high percentage of keeping quality - up to 94%;
• resistance to potato cancer;
• excellent tasting performance;
• universal use.

The main advantage of this colored potato is the large amount of antioxidants in it.

The disadvantages include poor plant protection against fungal and viral infections.

Farmers reviews

Despite the fact that the variety is rare, it can be found on the plots of experienced gardeners. Reviews about him are mostly positive.

Oksana, Tver: “In 2012, I bought a purple potato seed called Vitalot on the Internet. 16 small tubers were sent. Each had sprouts. Before planting, I washed them in warm water. The variety turned out to be fruitful - there are about 20 potatoes in the bush. In shape, they are similar to an elongated gnarled spindle. Harvested at the end of September. Digging is very inconvenient. The color of the potato merges with the color of the earth, and the tubers themselves are located at a considerable distance from the bush. Out of 16 planted pieces, a large bucket with a slide of harvest turned out. "

Alexey, Penza: “I grow Vitalot in beds with other varieties of potatoes. There are no problems with leaving. After cooking the color of the tubers becomes slightly lighter. It tastes a little different from ordinary potatoes. "

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Conclusion

Vitalot potatoes have an exotic appearance, but caring for them is not much different from caring for ordinary late varieties. Correctly selected soil for planting and adequately conducted agricultural technology will allow you to get a good harvest.