The potato is a tuber of the nightshade family that originates at 2,000 meters in the Peruvian Andes and needs a temperate climate for its cultivation, without particular excesses of cold or heat.
This tuber needs no introduction: we are talking about one of the most important cultivated vegetables, due to its great use in the kitchen. The potato is an excellent accompaniment to meat in our cuisine, but it is also a substantial dish for many poor families around the world, making it a main source of subsistence.
It is one of the great classics of the garden, it is worth delving into its cultivation, covering the different stages from sowing to harvesting.
Contents [Ocultar]
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Soil, preparation and fertilization
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plant potatoes
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potato cultivation
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Irrigation
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Fertilization
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Yield and collection
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Subsidiaries and rotations
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Potato Plant Diseases
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Potato physiopathies
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Potato enemies: insects and pests
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store potatoes
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make seed potatoes
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Varieties of cultivated potatoes
Contents
Training, preparation and fertilization
The optimum soil for growing potatoes should have a pH of around 6 (you can read how to measure soil pH), but in any case below 7. Good background fertilization should be used: as a guideline , it is best to use about 6 kg of mature manure per square meter or 0.6 kg if using manure or pelleted manure, when it is better to use manure rather than dry manure. The work of the soil must be deep, to offer a loose and very draining soil at the time of planting, it is therefore spat out by pressing the leaf down to 30/40 cm. The potato plant fears water stagnation, which would cause the tubers to rot.
seed potatoes
Potatoes are planted since spring , average temperatures should be above 10 degrees, ideally between 12 and 20 degrees. Depending on the climatic zone, the sowing period can vary between February and June, where the winter is very mild, it is also possible to sow in autumn in September/October.
the sixth plantation involves sowing in rows spaced 70 cm apart. A potato is placed every 25-30 cm along each row, buried 10 cm deep. You can also place the potato on the surface and then cover it with 10 cm of soil, so that the plant benefits from the most tender part of the soil. The technique is particularly useful with very compact or wet soils.
Planting potatoes is actually propagation by cuttings: the true seed is contained in the green balls that follow flowering, while the tuber is a modified stem that acts as a starch reserve for the plant. in sowing whole potatoes can be used but also pieces of tubers. If the size exceeds 50 grams, we can divide the tuber to have more seeds. The important thing is that each piece weighs at least 20 grams and has at least two “eyes” (the yellow ones), the cut must be made in segments , not dividing in two, since most of the buds are at the pole opposite the stolon. To better see the sprouts, you can put the potatoes in a warm place and moisten them every other day. After a week, the sprouts will stretch to 1-2 cm, and you can proceed to the division of tubers. Care should be taken not to damage the newly born shoots when planting. After you cut them, let them dry out for a few days to allow the potatoes to dry out, after which you plant them. The position of the potato on the ground does not matter.