With the annual cultivation of potatoes, many vegetable growers are faced with the problem of reducing the yield and quality of root crops. Among the reasons, some call the depletion of the soil in the absence of seeding, and others indicate a decrease in the productivity of varieties due to the not updated seed stock. How to change potato planting material, observing the basic agricultural rules, learn further from the article.

Features and possible difficulties of the method

The seedling method of growing potatoes is not popular today. It is practiced only at breeding stations to preserve the genetic characteristics of existing and new varieties. According to experts, it is possible to maintain high fruiting, marketable and taste qualities of root crops at home, if in the spring you abandon the usual planting of tubers and sow ripe grains instead.

Despite the effectiveness of the seed method, most vegetable growers are afraid of it because of the many troubles and difficulties that will have to be overcome from the moment of sowing the seeds until the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. Whether the result is worth the effort, find out from the table below, where the advantages and disadvantages of the method are presented in comparison.

• Advantages:
• Buying seeds is much cheaper than tubers.
• Storage of grains does not require a cellar and a lot of space.
• Seed-grown plants are distinguished by increased immunity. They are not afraid of late blight and can fully develop even with adverse external factors.
• The productivity of such bushes is 40–50% higher.
• Root crops are characterized by more saturated color and taste.

• Disadvantages:
• Slow development of the root system of potato seedlings. At this stage, it is important to provide the plant with the most loose soil. Breeders are advised to grow seedlings on sawdust until they reach a height of 3 cm.
• Moodiness and exactingness of seedlings to growing conditions. Young sprouts need enough heat, moisture and light for proper development. Otherwise, the stems will be very long and will be brittle.
• At the initial stage of cultivation, potato seedlings are very sensitive to pathogens of fungal and bacterial diseases (in particular, the black leg), therefore, regular disinfestation with Planriza and Trichodermin drugs is not enough.
• The fragility of potato seedlings. Because of this feature, seedlings must be carefully transplanted.
• Duration of cultivation. In the first year, sowing will grow up with a weight of about 10–45 g; next year, elite tubers will ripen from it for table use.

Planting Material Collection Technology

Dare to breeding experiment, take care of high-quality seeds. The easiest way to buy them from a trusted supplier. When choosing, it is important to consider the characteristics of the soil and climate of a particular region. Experts advise sowing several varieties of root crops at the same time. Be prepared for the fact that different-sized offspring will grow from the purchased grains in the first year, so in the future you will still have to select the best berries and independently collect planting material from them.

Did you know? The first vegetable that was grown in space is potatoes. It happened in 1995.

To do this, you need to monitor the flowering of planted root crops. In most varieties, berries form on peduncles around the middle of summer. The most complete and healthy of them are collected and lined on paper in a warm room for ripening. When the achene becomes soft, it is placed in heated water to extract grains from the pulp. It is advisable to rinse and dry them well. All manipulations must be carried out quickly, since overexposed seeds in the pool will soon swell and become unusable. Because of this feature, it is better to process the berries individually.

Preplant seed treatment

Purchased potato seeds have advantages due to a cycle of treatments that improve germination, growth, yield and endurance of the crop. Such instances can go on sale in gel shells, inlays, on a tape-disinfector. Homemade material is also subject to procedures aimed at stimulating immunity and growth.

Important! When growing potatoes seed, you need to disinfect the substrate with a solution of "Fitosporin" or "Trichodermin." After that, it is desirable to dry it in a room.

Regardless of the origin of the grains, it is important to stratify and germinate them before sowing. For this purpose, planting material is wrapped with a damp cotton cloth and placed in a plastic container with a lid. Initially, it is kept at room temperature, and then put in the refrigerator. When changing the temperature regime, drying of planting material is unacceptable, therefore, every day you need to open the "bed" for ventilation and moisten its contents. The readiness of seeds for sowing is indicated by signs of sprouting of the sprouts.

To guess the timing of sowing, it is recommended:

• for two days, soak the grains in the settled water at room temperature;
• after that, for 10 days, leave the container with seeds wrapped in wet cloth for a day in the room, and hide in the refrigerator for the night.

Seedling technology for seedlings

In the last March weeks, you can start sowing root crops. To do this, you first need to prepare the boxes and a special substrate.

Many modern gardeners prefer to plant seedlings in separate, self-dissolving peat pots that do not require picking. For potatoes, this method is ideal, since any inaccurate movement when transplanting seedlings can deprive fragile roots of vitality. If you still prefer wooden or plastic containers, be sure to disinfect them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After these preparations, take care of quality soil.

It is better to cook it yourself from:

• woody land (6 hours);
• high peat (4 hours);
• garden soil (2 hours);
• river sand (1 hour);
• nitrophoski (10-15 g for every 10 kg of the mixture).

Did you know? According to the International Finance Corporation, every year Ukrainians consume about 4 million tons of potatoes, despite the fact that the average annual root crop yield is about 18-19 million tons.

Before sowing, the soil mixture is moistened, after which it is poured into the prepared container. Sprouted grains are sown to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. In boxes it is important to observe the distance between adjacent plants within 5 cm and between rows - 10 cm.

According to the rules of agricultural technology, planting material is not deepened into the substrate, but sprinkled on top. In this case, it is better to do this with wet river sand, slightly compacting it with your palms.

After the manipulations are done, the landing containers are covered with polyethylene or glass to create a greenhouse effect and removed in a warm place. After 14 days, weak sprouts will appear on the surface of the earth. For full growth, they need fresh air, heat, light and moisture.

Video: When and How to Sow Potato Seeds

Growing seedlings

To prevent inhibition of growth and stretching of potato sprouts, you need to place seedlings in a room with a temperature of + 18 ... + 22ºС on a well-lit window sill. If the south side is unavailable for some reason, fluorescent lamps will be needed, otherwise the stems will stretch and will not be able to build up a full biomass.

Shelter from crops daily removed for ventilation. And the soil is moistened from the spray gun as necessary. Its consistency should always be loose, which will greatly facilitate the growth of root processes.

Important! For the safe preservation of potato tubers in the cellar for the first 20 days, the room temperature should not be lower than + 13 ° C, and air humidity should be kept at 90%. Subsequently, gradual cooling to + 2 ° C is necessary.

It is important to consider that during this period the seedlings are excessively vulnerable to fungal diseases, therefore, for the purpose of prevention, periodic watering of seedlings with Epina solution will not interfere. Water stagnation in the ground must not be allowed.

To stimulate the growth of stems every 2 weeks you will need fertilizing with Kemira, Agricola, Baikal and other mineral complex fertilizers.

When the first pair of leaves is formed on the seedlings, you can begin to dive. This requirement applies only to plants planted in a common container. For the procedure, you will need plastic cups or peat pots with a drainage hole. The process of separation of the sprouts requires special care so as not to damage their root system and the aerial part.

Video: Pickling Potato Seedlings

In late April, before transplanting potatoes to a permanent place, it is recommended to fertilize the stems with ammonium nitrate (1 g per 1 liter of water) and harden. In order to minimize the risks of getting used to harsher environmental conditions, plants are first taken outside or put up in front of an open window for 15 minutes. In the future, the residence time of seedlings in the fresh air is gradually increased. It is advisable to begin hardening at the peak of a rise in temperature (closer to 17 hours).

Planting seedlings in the ground and subsequent care

In the third decade of May, subject to stable warm weather, seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place. To do this, it is advisable to choose a site where the predecessors were bean or pumpkin crops, as well as cabbage and cucumbers. Dig a depression of up to 10 cm in the soil and add about 300 g of compost or humus to it. It is important to moisten the well after fertilizing using at least half a liter of water.

If the plants were planted in plastic cups, they are carefully cut and the earthen lump is transferred into the hole. The transplanting process is much easier in the case of peat pots. They are simply put in a hole, after which they are sprinkled with fresh substrate.

Important! Potato tubers should not be planted in unheated, moist soil. In such an environment, the risks of infection with fungal and bacterial infections are high.

Even hardened stems can react painfully to a sharp change in temperature. To avoid this, it is recommended to cover the potato bed with polyethylene, spandex or agrofibre. In sunny warm weather, shelter is removed, and again set at night.

Until the bushes get stronger, they must be carefully taken care of. We are talking about regular watering, loosening and weeding the soil. To prevent dryness and waterlogging of an earthen coma, consider weather conditions. For example, in hot weather you need to water the plant every 2 days. In one season there are two hills.

Video: Planting potato seedlings in open ground

Harvest Features

Harvest time from seed-grown potato bushes begins in the fall. For some varieties, this is the end of September, while for others it is the beginning of October. By this time, the formed tubers will reach their maximum weight within 50 g. The seeds are dug up for storage and the next year they are used for planting. Superelite root crops will appear only in the third year. Already from the 5–6th planting, the marketable and palatability of potatoes will again decrease. Therefore, experienced vegetable growers are advised to update the seed crop fund every five-year period.

Breeding potatoes by seed is a very troublesome task, but productive. Subject to elementary agrotechnical rules, difficulties in planting seeds and caring for seedlings will not arise. A reward for the spent resources will be a solid crop of delicious root crops.