How to cultivate the soil for potatoes in the fall with a walk-behind tractor. Autumn soil preparation technology. Preparing soil for potatoes

Preparation seat for potatoes. To properly prepare the soil for potato beds, you need to know its composition. IN middle lane it can be from heavy clayey to light sandy.

The depth of the fertile layer ranges from 10 to 30 cm. The color of the soil also differs from each other. Moreover, the darker they are, the more fertile.

Under the fertile layer, as a rule, lies a compacted podzol. You should dig and plow the soil only to the depth of the dark layer, trying not to turn the podzol inside out.

Digging or plowing Chernozem, floodplain and loamy soils are best carried out in the fall to full depth, adding 6-8 kg of fertilizer per 1 m organic fertilizers.

From mineral in autumn give phosphorus-potassium (30-45 g of superphosphate and 12-18 g of potassium sulfate). They are easily fixed by soil particles and are poorly washed out.

Spring plot harrow or loosen the ground with a rake. When the soil is ripe, that is, it dries well and falls into small pieces in the hand, it is dug up or plowed, but to a shallower depth than in the fall (12-15 cm), and nitrogen fertilizer is applied (18 g/m2 of ammonium nitrate).

After plowing, the area is leveled rakes or harrows. This completes the preparation of the soil for planting.

Is it possible not to stretch all this work over two seasons, but to do it in the spring before planting?

In principle it is possible. But then from every hundred square meters you will not get 20-30 kg of potatoes. This is how a site is prepared for planting potatoes in normal years, when there is sufficient rainfall in autumn and winter and the soil is compacted by spring.

If there was little snow and the soil was not compacted, then in the spring there is no need to dig it up, just harrow it and apply nitrogen fertilizers. Then, when the ground at a depth of 10 cm reaches 7-8 degrees, plant.

Unlike heavy light sandy loam and sandy soils are dug up not in autumn, but in spring, at the same time all fertilizers are applied. On average, 8-10 kg of rotted manure, 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 45 g of granulated superphosphate, 25 g of potassium sulfate are sufficient per 1 m2.

If the area allocated for potatoes suffers from waterlogging, then to remove excess water, drainage channels with a depth of 50-60 cm are made around it. If groundwater is close, channels are also installed in the middle of the area with a depth of approximately 30 cm.

On peaty boggy soils Potatoes can be planted only after they have been cultivated. This is not an easy matter. To drain groundwater, drainage is arranged here using drainage pipes or they dig grooves with a slope at the depth of the water so that its excess falls into the water intake (sump).

In addition, the soil is sanded. Typically, per 1 m2 of area, add a bucket of coarse sand with mineral fertilizers added to it (15-20 g of ammonium nitrate, 30-40 g of granulated superphosphate and 25-30 g of potassium sulfate) and another bucket of clay and rotted manure or compost.

However It is better to avoid growing potatoes on toffee-marsh soils, since the tubers here are obtained with the worst taste qualities and low starch content.

Tillage is key element agricultural cultivation techniques. The quality and size of the harvest of this crop directly depend on the right choice land for planting and competent pre-sowing treatment soil.

You can plant it anywhere and it will grow beautifully. However, there are a number of rules, following which you can get a good harvest.

Potatoes are a light-loving crop; only a well-lit area is suitable for it.

Without sufficient lighting aboveground part will stretch out and turn yellow, so you won’t have to count on much. After all, tubers consume what the tops accumulate. How perennial, potatoes, accumulated in tubers required amount nutrients, will sprout again.

Areas shaded on the south or east side are absolutely unsuitable for growing potatoes. If possible, choose a place for planting that is sheltered from northern winds and where the snow melts early. Then you can plant potatoes in early dates, which is one of the conditions for obtaining a good harvest. Thus, good lighting – main criterion when choosing a place to plant potatoes.

An aspect that is important to pay attention to is weak potatoes:

• Therefore, for normal development, the crop requires loose, oxygen-enriched soils that will not interfere with the growth of roots and stolons.
• To obtain good harvest potatoes should be planted on loamy, fertile, light supersandy soils loose soils. Heavy clay soils are not suitable for growing this crop; compost, sand and manure must be added to such soil.
• It is important that there is no stagnation of water.
• IN acidic soils add lime or wood ash at the rate of 15 kg per 100 sq.m.

Try to protect the area for growing potatoes from the north and northeast with trees or shrubs. It is desirable that the site has a slope towards the south or south-west.

Every two years it is advisable to change the planting location, giving the soil a rest.

Weeds not only hinder the development of potatoes and the growth of tubers, they are also carriers of various diseases, worsen the microclimate and create favorable conditions for the occurrence of late blight.

The root system of which grows to a depth of two and a half meters and, even from roots cut into pieces during digging, new plants grow. Weed roots, growing into tubers, cause their damage and deformation.

There are 2 main periods when potato beds become overgrown with weeds:

1. Early – from the moment of planting until the rows close.
2. Later - after the tops die.

During active growth tops, when the rows close, the weeds cannot grow fully, the potatoes choke them out.

Ways to control weeds:

• Compliance, that is, competent rotation of crops.
• High quality and correct processing soil.
• Correct timing and depth of planting.
• The mechanical method is hilling and loosening the soil, while trying to remove weeds with roots.
• You should not use fresh manure as it contains many weeds.
• Use herbicides after reading the instructions.

When using herbicides, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Sufficient ridge settlement.
• The optimal depth for planting tubers so that they are out of the reach of the drug.
• The soil should be finely lumpy and loose.
• Moistening the soil for better penetration of herbicides.

soil intended for cultivation is carried out in spring and autumn. In spring, the main component of plant nutrition is nitrogen, which is contained in sufficient quantities in manure.

The most effective combination is organic fertilizers.

To improve the soil composition per 1 sq.m, you can use one of the mixtures:

• 6 kg of humus, 100 g of ash, 45 g of nitrophoska.
• 6 kg of compost, 30 grams of nitrophoska, between rows - 20 grams of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate.
• 10 kg of humus, 20 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate, 450 g dolomite flour.
• The fertilizing composition can include microelements that promote better absorption of fertilizers and contain copper or molybdenum.

Autumn feeding is also a combination of agrochemicals and organic matter. For 1 sq.m they take:

• 30 – 35 kg of humus or fresh manure
• 30 g superphosphate
• 15 grams of potassium sulfate.

If the soil is heavily contaminated, it is better to use mineral fertilizers without organic matter, since manure is an excellent habitat for pests and pathogenic microorganisms. In this case, the dose of agrochemicals can be doubled.

A good effect is achieved by planting green manure after harvesting the tops and digging the soil.

When using green manure, the soil is saturated with microelements and nutrients, the soil structure improves, some species disappear. When combined with manure, the effectiveness of green manure increases significantly. In autumn, you can plant as green manure white mustard, which also repels wireworms.

During the growing season, potatoes also need 0.5 liters of solution per bush:

• The first is at the beginning of the growth of the tops, if they are weak: 10 grams of urea per 10 liters of water.
• The second - during the formation of buds: 20 grams of potassium sulfate and 24 grams of ash per 10 liters of water.
• Third - during flowering: 35 grams of superphosphate and 200 grams of chicken manure per 10 liters of water.

As soon as the soil thaws and dries, it needs to be loosened to a depth of 10 cm. This will help retain moisture and stimulate the growth of weeds, which can be destroyed during subsequent digging.

Soil cultivation in spring is carried out depending on its properties:

1. In dry weather, super-sandy and sandy soils are loosened to a depth of 15 centimeters without turning the layer.
2. Wet loamy soils with a significant content of turf, you need to process it twice: the first time - when the soil just dries, loosen it to a depth of 15 centimeters, the second time - just before planting the potatoes, dig up the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters.

When digging the soil in spring, you need to remove weeds, rhizomes, wireworm larvae and chafer. After deep digging of the soil in the spring and application of fertilizers, it needs to be leveled with a rake, and at this point the preparation of the soil for planting potatoes is considered complete.

After a cold and snowy winter, it is recommended to make grooves for better moisture removal.

When there is little precipitation in winter and spring, deep digging of the soil is not required.

Tillage in the fall, the so-called autumn plowing, even has higher value than spring. It significantly improves the quality of the topsoil and activates it physical properties, increases air and water permeability. The ability of the soil to accumulate useful substances increases, seedlings, seeds and rhizomes of weeds are destroyed. This treatment is useful not only for potatoes, but also for other crops.

Therefore, in the fall, be sure to carry out the procedure of deep digging of the soil, preferably with turning the soil.

Large clods of earth do not need to be broken up, since in winter they break up on their own under the influence of frost, moisture and air. The result of these processes is the saturation of the soil with oxygen. In addition, weeds and pest larvae are affected by low temperatures will be destroyed.

To increase fertility, you can scatter manure, even unrotted manure, over the surface of the dug soil (but keep in mind that fresh manure is the habitat of weeds and), and sprinkle it with a five-centimeter layer of soil. About 10 kg of manure is applied per square meter of field, up to 20 kg on poor soils. For every ton of manure you can add four kilograms phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. In areas with heavy, moist soils in the fall, it is recommended to make grooves to drain water.

In autumn, the area where potatoes are grown needs to be mandatory clear of tops.

The tops are removed from the site and burned. In order to combat wireworms, you also need to remove all small and root shoot weeds. Before deep digging, you can make several superficial ones to a depth of 12 cm to provoke the growth of weeds, which will be destroyed during subsequent (deep) plowing.

The best time for autumn tillage is the period immediately after digging potatoes, when biological processes take place in the soil, promoting the accumulation of nutrients and moisture. In addition, soil temperatures remain high enough to ensure optimal development of these processes.

More information can be found in the video.

Many vegetable growers grow potatoes, and everyone strives to get a good harvest. But novice gardeners do not even imagine that for bountiful harvests Caring alone is not enough. It is importantPreparing the soil for potatoes in the fall. The quality and quantity of collected vegetables depends on how correct it is.

Choosing a landing site

Potato is a photophilic plant, deficiency sunlight can lead to stretching of the tops, wilting of foliage, and poor formation of inflorescences. Therefore the place for landing For this vegetable you need to choose a well-lit area.

Potato tops are thick, which is why moisture is retained near the bushes longer. That's why land under Planting must be done without stagnant water, otherwise the tubers will rot.

Not recommended plant potatoes in one place year after year. It is necessary to adhere to the rules of crop rotation so that the plant does not suffer from diseases and harmful insects, and the soil was not depleted.

Autumn soil preparation technology

Many summer residents startpreparing soil for potatoes,without waiting for autumn, immediately after harvesting the last crops.

1. The land is cleared of previous crops and weeds.
2. Inveterate weeds are treated with pesticides (if necessary). For weeds with a strong root system, Hurricane and Roundup herbicides are suitable. Any chemicals For vegetable garden low concentrated and complex chemical compositions disintegrate within 3 weeks into harmless simple elements. This period is enough for the weeds to die, and by the time the potatoes are planted, the composition is neutralized.
3. The earth is dug up by hand or plowed walk-behind tractor, tractor . Whatever method is used, the main thing is not to break up large layers and not to level the soil. This is done to ensure that as many pests as possible die during the cold period.
4. Apply fertilizers . Manure applied in autumn, will decompose until spring into digestible substances.
5. Add ash or lime to acidic soils.

Specifics of work to improve acidic soil

The soil pH level is very important for potatoes. What kind of soil does a vegetable like? sour or neutral? Ideal acidity should be in the range of 5.5–6.0. You can independently determine acidity from plants. If grow well in soil dandelion, plantain, nettle, then potatoes will feel excellent in such soil. The exact pH reaction can be measured using a special device.

Neutralize the reaction by liming in greenhouses and open ground the same methods.

1. Slaked lime. To increase the pH level it is necessary bring in 0.2–0.5 kg of lime per 1 m² of land. The substance dissolves well in water, so it quickly neutralizes acidity.
2. Dolomite flour. Dolomite is crushed rock, consisting mainly of magnesium and calcium. These minerals play an important role in plant development. Flour is added at 0.4–0.5 kg per 1 m².
3. Wood ash. Ideal fertilizer For acidic soils, as in its compound includes phosphorus and calcium. Ash is added to the soil at the rate of 0.3–0.5 kg per 1 m2 of area vegetable garden
4. Chalk. In crushed form, the substance is added from 0.3 to 0.7 kg per 1 m².

Still better for acidic soils select special ones varieties potatoes: “Picasso”, “Typhoon”, “Red Scarlet”.

Carrying out disinfection

Treatment Soil disinfection makes it possible to destroy pathogenic bacteria, insect larvae, worms, and helps protect young plants from blackleg. Fordisinfection of potato fieldthe following means are used:

Drug name	Description	Purpose	Result
Bordeaux liquid	Complex substance based copper sulfate and lime	Aqueous solutions of the substance are used as an antifungal agent	Destroys most pathogens
"Oxyhom"	Aqueous solution of copper oxychloride (670 g/kg and oxadixil 130 g/kg)	The substance is used to combat fungal plant diseases.	Effectively fights powdery mildew, late blight
Copper sulfate	Copper sulfate as an anhydrous microscopic substance	Disinfects the soil and replenishes the lack of copper and sulfur	Successfully fights potato late blight
"Rovral"	Cream colored powder. Active substance drug iprodione	Used to protect plants from diseases caused by pathogenic organisms	Destroys gray rot, fights ascochyta blight
"Quadris", "Hom", "Bravo"	Preparations in the form of powder or solution	Destroy pathogenic microflora	Add to the holes before planting.

The exact dosage of the drugs depends on the production technologies used by the manufacturer. Therefore, when using the products, you must read the attached instructions.

Fertilizer application

Large yields are produced by chernozems, sod-podzolic and peat soils. Moreover, potatoes grown in such land the most delicious . Unfortunately, not all gardeners can boast of having such soil. Main Some lands require preparatory work.

Preparing the soil for planting potatoesincludes the application of fertilizers.

1. Manure and peat composts are added to loamy and clayey soils.
2. In sandy soil need to apply mineral and organic fertilizers.
3. Sandy loam soils require systematic enrichment with compost, and rottisite fertilizers are applied to them without large quantities.

Minerals. Along with organicspreparing soil for potatoesincludes the entry mineral fertilizers, which are added to soil directly for plowing:

• potassium sulfate - 30 g per 1 sq. m;
• double superphosphate (concentrated phosphorus fertilizer) - 60 g per 1 sq. m;

Such a small amount of introduced substances is due to their high concentration.

• wood ash - 10 kg per hundred square meters;

If a private house or a cottage with a plot where potatoes are grown are located in a region with a cold climate, you can use a moss-based fertilizing recipe.

Prepare a solution for bog moss:

• calcium chloride (8 g), superphosphate (12 g), copper sulfate (4 g), nitroammophosphate (25 g) are dissolved in a bucket of water. The moss is dipped into the solution and buried in the ground.

The ratio is 15 parts water to one part fertilizer. On average, a bucket of solution is 2–3 m².

Pig manure is rich in nitrogen and acid. Therefore, it is simply scattered over the surface so that the water reduces the concentration of the constituent substances. It is recommended to apply pig manure in the fall, as a last resort. in early spring in a month and a half before boarding , since even in diluted form it has an aggressive effect on plants.

Sowing green manure. Soil care includes sowing green manure, this is especially truewith reusableplanting similar crops in one place. Green fertilizers help improve soil texture and also significantly reduce weed growth.

1. Oilseed radish helps accumulate moisture and enrich the soil with phosphorus and potassium. Effectively fights nematodes, potato scab, wireworm. The plant inhibits the growth of weeds, in particular wheatgrass.
2. Mustard extracts useful elements to the surface, making them accessible to the potatoes. The plant fights late blight and scab. Mustard flowers emit a scent that repels most pests.
3. Legumes - field peas, alfalfa, sweet clover - accumulate atmospheric nitrogen and prevent the destruction of the surface layer of the earth by water flows. Peas protect the soil from freezing. After this you can grow early varieties nightshade crops.

Potatoes love fertile, loose, well-moistened soil Knowing which exactly preparatory work for this you need to spend, you can collect every year a large number of quality root vegetables.

Planted 5 buckets of potatoes and harvested 3? Sometimes it happens. The fact is that when growing potatoes, you need to follow some rules so that the yield is high and there is something to store for the winter.

High potato yield - result proper preparation soil

Potatoes are the most popular crop and are grown in large quantities. Therefore it is worth knowing:

• how to prepare the soil for planting potatoes in the fall;
• what fertilizers to apply in the spring;
• how to deal with pests.

Now, in order, about all the tricks of planting potatoes.

Choosing a landing site

In order for the tubers to germinate well and not rot, you need to choose the right place. Potatoes do not tolerate excess moisture and stagnant water. If the site is located on a hill, this is good. If in a lowland where water stands for a long time in the spring, then you need to think about how to drain it. These could be drainage ditches or imported soil to level the area.

Potatoes should grow in an open sunny place, where they are not covered by the shade of trees, so you need to differentiate between the garden and the vegetable garden

Ideal land for potatoes - loose. These are soils mixed with sand. This is both a plus and a minus, since sandy and sandy loam soils do not retain nutrients well, especially potassium, which the crop needs in large quantities.

The soil for potatoes should be prepared in the fall for several reasons:

• time must pass for the soil to rest and the applied fertilizers to pass into an accessible form;
• During the winter, harmful microflora can be destroyed with the help of chemicals introduced in the fall;
• If you use fresh manure as a top dressing, it will rot over the winter and the nutrients will be available to the plants.

The most high yields can be obtained by mastering the site for the first time. The nutrient content in the soil is high and the plants feel good. It is also important that there are no microorganisms in the soil that attack the tubers. The longer a plant remains in one place, the greater the risk of soil contamination by fungal diseases.

When developing a new area for planting, the yields will be high at first

It is not advisable to plant potatoes after:

• tomatoes;
• bell pepper.

These species share common pests, so the situation will only get worse. You will have to make every effort to cure the soil of pathogens.

Potatoes grow well after:

• beans and other legumes;
• cabbage;
• cucumbers

If you have time and desire, after harvesting you can sow the area with green manure. But not just any kind, but those that not only accumulate nutrients in the soil, but also disinfect it:

• white mustard;
• rape;
• oilseed radish;
• rapeseed.

Green manure destroys fungal flora and insect larvae, loosens the soil, and enriches it with useful microelements.

Fertilizers for potatoes - which is better

Timely fertilizing helps to increase the yield three times. Tubers are carried out during the growing season great amount nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Preparing the soil for potatoes begins with autumn application potassium-phosphorus mixtures.

Nitrogen may not be used in the fall, since it is a very mobile fertilizer and is quickly washed into the lower layers of the soil. Phosphorus and potassium, on the contrary, remain in the soil for a long time because they do not have mobility. By spring they turn into an easily accessible form.

Video: Expert about autumn processing soil

Potassium and phosphorus are available in the form of mineral and organic fertilizers. Which one to choose is a personal matter for each gardener. You can make complex mixtures that contain both mineral and organic additives.

To plant potatoes you can use:

• potassium sulfate calculated 2 kg per hundred square meters of land;
• superphosphate – double or regular – 1 kg per hundred ;
• stove ash obtained by burning wood or branches;
• compost based on mullein or chicken manure;
• in the spring they use complex mineral mixtures, which contain nitrogen.

At long-term use mineral fertilizers increase soil acidity. To avoid this, you should alternate mineral supplements and organic fertilizers

If the soil is acidic

What kind of soil is needed for potatoes? Not too acidic and not too alkaline, that is in the pH range from 5 to 6. You can determine acidity using simple ancient methods:

1. According to availability weeds. If dandelion, coltsfoot, grows on the plot, then you can plant potatoes - the harvest will be good.
2. Brew the bird cherry leaves. Throw a lump of earth from the intended planting site into the infusion. If the solution turns red, the soil reaction is acidic. If the solution is green - alkaline, blue - the reaction is neutral.

Video: List of fertilizers that need to be applied to the soil in the fall

If there is a need to reduce acidity, then preparing the soil for planting potatoes should begin with the addition of dolomite flour, lime or ash. These substances can be used in compost. The result will be better.

When do potatoes need organic matter?

Organic fertilizers are more beneficial for soil. They improve its composition and increase friability. The soil recovers faster when organic matter is added. The most popular organic fertilizers are:

• cattle manure - mullein;
• chicken manure, which has the highest nitrogen and potassium content;
• green manure plants that are introduced into the soil for digging.

Ash and bone meal are also useful, but they must be added in large quantities, which are not always available. Eg, 5 kg of ash per hectare of land is needed. To to get 5 kg you need to burn 110 kg of rye straw. And this is for one hundred square meters. Considering that rye straw is deficient, it will be difficult to provide sufficient nutrients.

Mullein

Mullein is the most affordable of all organic matter. It can be applied for digging when preparing the soil for potatoes in the fall, so that soil microorganisms process the substance by spring. Another way is to make compost. To do this you need:

• organize a place where the compost will ripen - a burst, pit or container;
• layer manure, soil, food waste from the kitchen, ash, chalk, weeds;
• to speed up ripening, you can add liquid containing beneficial bacteria - Baikal;
• wait 8 – 9 months.

Manure can be mixed with compost

The downside of manure is the complete absence of phosphorus, so it is recommended to apply it separately before planting potatoes in the fall.

Fresh manure can burn plant roots. Therefore, either fresh manure is applied in the fall or compost in the spring.

Bird droppings

White mustard

White mustard is planted on the plot after harvesting. The seeds have time to germinate and gain nutrients. The mustard is cut or simply dug up with soil. In addition to mustard, other plants are used - phacelia, vetch. Infusions of green manure are used for foliar spraying against pests.

Mineral fertilizers for potatoes

Mineral mixtures are the most accessible view food that you can buy in the store. The amount of fertilizer must be calculated based on the area of ​​the site and plant species. All information is in the instructions. It is not recommended to exceed dosages so as not to harm your health.

Superphosphate

Phosphorus is needed when planting potatoes, but it must be applied in the fall. As a last resort - 2 weeks before planting tubers. Typically, summer residents add potassium and phosphorus in the fall, and nitrogen in the spring. This allows you to optimally balance plant nutrition.

Superphosphate is applied in the fall

Potassium

To the question - what kind of soil do potatoes like - we can safely answer: with a high potassium content. It may be noted that potato tubers I like peat and sandy soils for their looseness. But at the same time, these soils cannot provide required quantity potassium

That's why potash fertilizers applied both in autumn and spring if necessary. If there is a deficiency and the leaves change color, then you need to carry out several foliar sprays of the foliage. Through greens, the plant absorbs nutrition faster.

Nitrogen

In order for the plant to gain good green mass, spring period it is necessary to provide a sufficient quantity nitrogen fertilizers. It can be present in complex mixtures or monofertilizers. Nitrogen can be applied dry or in solution during irrigation. For this add a few granules of dry mixture to each well. How much - read the instructions, since all fertilizers have different concentrations.

Nitrogen is added both in dry form and in solutions

When preparing land for potatoes in the fall, nitrogen fertilizers do not need to be applied, since during the winter they will evaporate or be washed away by rains and melting snow.

conclusions

When preparing the soil for planting potatoes in the autumn, you must first of all choose the right place, and secondly, provide the plants with the necessary nutrients. And thirdly, to help avoid diseases and damage by pests. These are the main measures that will help increase the yield and maintain the nutritional value of the soil.

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Maintaining the soil (soil) on the site in normal condition is one of the most important tasks potato grower, on the successful implementation of which the yield and quality of tubers largely depends. Preparing the soil for potatoes consists of several types of work that need to be done in the fall or spring.

1. Choosing a location for the site. Almost any soil suitable for growing potatoes is suitable. cultivated plants. The main thing is that the area is in a well-lit place and is sufficiently moist.

Overmoistening is extremely undesirable, since it slows down the growth of the bush and also contributes to the development of bacterial and fungal diseases, including late blight. If groundwater lie too close to the surface (safe distance - 40-60 cm), a drainage system is required.

Potatoes are a light-loving plant; when planted in a shaded place, a lack of photosynthesis appears: the tops are stretched, the leaves quickly turn yellow, flowering is weak or absent altogether. As a result, the tubers are small, and the yield leaves much to be desired.

It is advisable to plant tubers from northwest to southeast or from north to south. With this scheme, the bushes are evenly illuminated throughout the day, and thanks to shading in the rows, they heat up less at noon. Optimal temperature soil for planting potatoes – 7-8°C at a depth of 10-12 cm.

2. Soil type. Potatoes tolerate acidic soil well, but slightly acidic soils (Ph 5-5.5) are optimal for development, so liming is used in strongly and moderately acidic areas.

Potatoes produce the best harvest on prepared chernozems, sod-podzolic soils, gray forest soils and cultivated peat bogs. At the same time, the tubers themselves turn out tastier and contain more starch. This is especially important for growing early potatoes.

Heavy clay, sandy and podzolic soils with a small arable layer require preliminary improvement. Too dense soils with poor air access negatively affect the development of tubers. Lack of oxygen prevents normal development root system, because of this the tubers are deformed, their shape is uncharacteristic for this variety.

3. Plowing. The goal of autumn and spring (pre-sowing) plowing of soil for potatoes is to create a deep, loose, well-ventilated layer of soil in which a sufficient amount of moisture will accumulate and remain.

Fertilizing, watering and other agricultural practices cannot compensate for the lack of oxygen and too dense a layer.

Additional tasks of plowing are to destroy as many seeds of weeds and pathogens of potato diseases as possible, as well as to mix fertilizers in the soil and embed them to a sufficient depth.

It is very important to properly process the edges of the field, where soil compaction may occur, especially during the rainy season. Without additional loosening throughout the entire growth period, many small and green tubers appear in such places, and the yield is 30-40% lower.

When manually plowing potatoes, the depth of cultivation is equal to the bayonet of a shovel. It is advisable to remove the roots of weeds, especially wheatgrass, and the larvae of pests - wireworms and May beetles.

4. Crop rotation. Virgin land – best soil for potatoes, but in most cases you have to alternate different cultures or even grow potatoes in one place year after year.

It is not recommended to plant potatoes after other nightshades - tomatoes, eggplants and capsicum, since these plants have common pests and diseases. You should also avoid areas that have been used for cabbage, since large doses of lime are used to combat cabbage diseases, which increases the risk of potato scab infection.

You can alternate beets, onions, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, beans and peas with potatoes. It is advisable to return to your previous place no earlier than after 3-4 years.

5. Fertilizer application. A very important agrotechnical technique for constant cultivation potatoes on one plot without crop rotation. Over 3-5 years, due to the lack of other plants, the soil is depleted and cannot recover on its own, so the addition of nutrients is required.

Any soil can be fertilized with ash; it contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other microelements necessary for potatoes. At 100 square meters area requires 5-10 kg of wood ash.

Vegetable and garden fertilizers, which are sold in bags - superphosphate, compost and manure, it is better to apply them during spring plowing and embed them to a depth of 12-14 cm. The concentration of fertilizers is indicated on the label.

You can't fertilize potatoes fresh manure, because this causes the tubers to become watery and tasteless. The risk of infection with late blight and scab also increases several times. Only rotted manure (humus) is suitable for fertilizer.

Half the norm of nitrogen fertilizers is added immediately after spring plowing, covering with a harrow or rake. The second half is applied as top dressing before the first or second hilling of potatoes.

Fertilizers for potatoes depending on soil type per 1 square meter of area:

• heavy clay or loamy - a bucket of humus (peat);
• sandy or sandy loam - a bucket of clay soil;
• peat - a bucket of clay, compost, manure humus or coarse sand (river).

If fertilizers are available limited quantity, they are introduced into each hole during planting. For early potatoes mix 1 cup of humus (peat), 1 tablespoon of ash and 1 teaspoon of superphosphate. The mixture should be embedded in the soil to a depth of 8-10 cm. mid-season varieties the proportions are increased by 1.5-2 times, while the depth of fertilizer application in each hole is 12-15 cm.