Preparing potatoes for planting: how to select and process tubers

Preparing potatoes for planting in spring is an important step in getting a good harvest. When to start preparing potato tubers, how to process tubers and how to plant potatoes correctly, many people face these questions.

Preparing potatoes for planting: how to choose the right potatoes for planting

Plant potatoes should be medium in size. If the potato is large, then it needs to be cut into lobules. Small potatoes have few nutrients for growing large tuber. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant small potatoes.

Conditions for germinating potato tubers

Potatoes should be germinated in the dark and in a warm room at a temperature of at least eighteen degrees. Potato tubers begin to germinate forty days before planting. White eyes should appear on tubers prepared for planting. Shoots grow from the eyes, on which new tubers are formed.

Preparing potato tubers for planting in spring with eyes

When tubers will sprout, a week before planting they are cut into pieces so that each part necessarily had a peephole. The knife with which the tubers are cut needs pre-disinfect in potassium permanganate. It is necessary to decompose the cut tubers in one layer in a dark place so that the incision can be tightened. Can places powder the slices with ash. Two weeks before planting, bring the cut slices into a warm room with good lighting for sprouts to appear. It is also necessary disinfect the prepared slices before planting. It follows within keep the slices in a boric acid solution for half an hour. It is necessary to fight with pests.

Planting potatoes with eyes and wedges

Lobules with eyes are planted to a depth of six to seven centimeters. They are planted in rows. Distance make up to eighty centimeters between rows, and the distance between planted slices can be up to fifteen centimeters. And if there are several eyes, then the distance increases to twenty centimeters. Into the pits into which cut off slices are planted, compost, ash should be put as a top dressing, eggshells and onion skins. This is required in order for the appearing the sprout had enough nutrients, since the sprouts do not have the ability to eat those reserves of nutrients that the whole tuber. Place the cut pieces of tubers in the holes, sprouts up.

Should slightly press the lobule into the ground. Then cover all the holes with tubers with earth. The hill of soil above the rows should be at least ten centimeters.

How look after plantings

Across twenty days it is necessary to rake the earth to the rows to the height of the ridge thirty centimeters. When shoots appear, they must be watered. Especially, if the weather is dry. Before the buds appear, you should make a second watering.

When the tops grows up to ten centimeters, you should spud the potatoes.