The potato is a crop that has been farmed for many years and is widely known. What kinds of queries are possible? But when it comes to business, they keep coming up one after the other. How deep should potato tubers be planted, for instance, to ensure a healthy harvest? What elements should I take into account? What we shall discuss is this.
How the potatoes grow
The unusual-looking subterranean potato stalks are known as tubers. They serve as both the plant’s reproductive organ and a storehouse of beneficial compounds. There are hollows on the tubers’ exterior (eyes). The buds are situated in each. Potato plants produce roots and branches as soon as they are buried in the ground. Young potato bushes need to be dipped since the whole system spreads over the tuber.
The temperature of the soil clearly affects how the potato bush grows. Below +7…+8 °C, the plant’s growth is entirely halted. Plant tubers should thus be sown in warm soil.
Attention! Potato planting beforehand is not justified. Sprouts may perish over the winter.
Three phases make up the entire potato development cycle.
- From germination till blooming. The tops grow quickly during this time, and the tubers start to set. Depending on the kind, it can persist for 27 to 48 days.
- From blossoming until withering of the topping. The tubers undergo rapid growth throughout these 26 to 45 days.
- The tops’ withering stage. Though less quickly, the tubers still develop.
The soil surrounding the bushes should constantly be loose since healthy root aeration is necessary for optimal potato development. Once the tops have dried, the crop is harvested. Early fall is generally when this happens.
What should the planting depth be?
Potatoes are sown in the earth between 5 and 30 cm deep. What to take into account when growing potatoes soil kind. Air may easily move through loose and light soils, which is necessary for optimal tuber growth. So the potatoes may be planted deeper here. It is suggested to drill holes between 5 and 8 cm deep on heavy, thick varieties.
Tuber size
They may be planted farther down the ground the bigger they get.
Planting material kind
Before planting, some gardeners trim the tubers. In this situation, the planting depth shouldn’t go over 5-8 cm.
Attention! No matter how rich the soil is, it is best to prepare the hole for planting by adding a substantial amount of humus or decomposed dry cow dung.
Technique for planting
For instance, planting potatoes beneath a shovel suggests that the tubers were planted almost to the full height of the bayonet. As was said before, stems and roots spread out over the planted tuber, and this depth is sufficient for their growth. In this case, a little mound will do for ditching.
As a general rule, it is preferable to grow potatoes in loose, light soils with no issues for root aeration. Potatoes are often planted on ridges that are 15-20 cm high on damp soils. In this instance, the planting furrow is 5 cm deep. Since the potato grows entirely above ground in this location, constant hilling is necessary.
When growing potatoes beneath straw, for instance, they don’t even need to be buried in the ground. It is not difficult to establish the depth of planting on your own plot if you take all the variables into account. Good circumstances for the growth and development of tubers are also assured to result in a wonderful yield with a sensible strategy.
Spacing of bushes when planting
The primary goal of figuring out the ideal hole depth is to provide the plant’s root system ample room to expand. The spacing between the tubers in the surrounding area is also crucial here.
And in this case, make the most use of the available area.
The ideal tuber size for planting is between 50 and 100 g, but not less than 50 g. It is essential to choose seedlings and have them ready for planting well in advance.
When planting bushes, it is important to consider the future root systems of the plants since they shouldn’t interfere with one another. Pay attention to the tuber size; the bigger they are, the more space we allow between the holes.
- Potatoes weighing less than 50 g – every 20 cm.
- Potatoes weighing 50-100 g – every 20-28 cm.
- Potatoes weighing more than 100g – every 28-40 cm.
The size of the tuber has an impact on the root system, but so does the growth of the “eyes” from which the roots emerge. If there are plenty of them and they are spread out, the root system will have a very luxuriant structure. Each seed should have a minimum of two to three eyes.
Row spacing when planting
Enough room ensures that the plant develops quickly, increasing the weight of the stem as a result and the yield. The spacing between plant rows should be the same as the distance between wells.
The minimum permitted row spacing is 60–70 cm, although it is important to pay attention to the potato type here:
- Early-ripening – 70-80 cm.
- Late maturing – 80-100 cm.
The most popular planting plans – by ridges and in trenches – are covered by the regulation. Maintaining the spacing is crucial for the first option since ducking, which occasionally needs to be done twice a season, will be challenging at close quarters between rows.
Potatoes can be arranged in a variety of ways, even though they are always laid out in rows on the bed. Planting with greater spacing between double rows is a common experimental technique.
With such a scheme, “half-rows” are placed against each other – in as little as 20 cm, but the row spacing is made a meter instead of the usual 60-80 cm.
The scheme can be even more varied if the bushes are arranged in a staggered order.
What sort of shovel should I use for planting potatoes?
A bayonet shovel is the best kind of tool to use when working on the beds. It has a blade that resembles a rounded petal. High-strength metals, such as tool steel or even titanium, are the substance employed.
Standard blade dimensions are as follows:
- Length – 32 cm.
- Width at the base – 23 cm.
There are also non-standard variants, as a rule, their size varies in the greater side of the norm.
How to plant without using a shovel
It is entirely feasible to prepare seedbeds without a shovel instrument. First, using a garden plow for excavation work speeds up the process, but the technique is only effective if potatoes are planted in the furrows.
This will thus necessitate strenuous hilling. The depth of planting potatoes when growing Small potatoes have lost their inherent traits – size, shape, and productivity. The tuber received little nutrition, and can not provide quality germination. He will not give new large tubers – you can not feed from an empty pot! And most importantly, the tubers release growth hormones, auxins. The planting date is the end of April – beginning of May. But after reading about the method of growing potatoes on straw, the term of planting potatoes can be much later, which has also a number of advantages. In this case, the potatoes will have time to mature, gain a good mass and be healthy. For all their apparent simplicity, potatoes consume a huge amount of minerals every year. One plant “pulls” 50 grams of nitrogen, 100 grams of potassium and 20 grams of phosphorus from the soil in a season. So it is necessary to nourish, especially on poor soils. An alien from the southern regions of the American continent, potatoes like loose, well heated soil, but at the same time they are quite demanding to its moisture. The beds for its cultivation should be illuminated by the sun throughout the day. The average is about 2 kg of potatoes per sack.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How deep can I plant potatoes?
Can I plant very small potatoes?
When can I plant potatoes?
Do I need to fertilize my potatoes?
Do potatoes need sun?
How many potatoes will grow from one sack?
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