Method of growing potatoes without hilling and weeding. Growing potatoes under straw: minimum hassle and big harvest

Over several years of communicating with amateur potato growers, I had to answer many different questions. The most frequently asked questions were about planting patterns. What width is best for row spacing? How often should I place tubers in a row? These questions are very important for any crop, including potatoes. But very rarely one could hear a question about the depth of planting potatoes.

This is taken for granted. Well, what is there to think about? I dug with a shovel, and that’s the depth. This is what most potato growers do. But planting depth is also important. Correctly determined tuber planting depth ensures rapid germination of tubers. Plants develop from a large number stems and a more powerful root system, which contributes to the accumulation of crops, creates Better conditions for caring for plantings and harvesting.

So, at what depth should tubers be planted?
to get maximum yield?

Many studies have been devoted to the issue of potato planting depth, but there is no consensus on what depth it is more advisable to plant potatoes.

Planting depth can be from 5 to 15 cm from the top surface of the tuber to the soil surface. This depends on the timing of planting, moisture availability, soil structure and other factors:

— When planting early in unheated soil, the tuber should be closer to the surface, since the surface layer of the soil warms up earlier and the potatoes do not experience a lack of heat here.

— If the spring is dry and it is impossible to water the plants in the initial period, planting should be as deep as possible, otherwise the plants will develop slowly due to lack of moisture.

— On light sandy and sandy loam soils, planting can be deeper than on loamy and clay soils. This is due to the presence of air in the soil - sand and sandy loam are usually more aerated.

— When planting shallowly, the potato nest will form close to the soil surface, which will lead to a large number greenish-dead tubers. Shallow planting of tubers makes subsequent hilling of potatoes necessary.

— When planting seed tubers deeply, it takes a lot of time for the sprouts to emerge to the surface. The faster the potatoes will sprout- the greater the harvest will be. The number of plants suffering from rhizoctonia disease is increasing, causing the seedlings to become sparse and weakened. Planting too deep can lead to a decrease in yield; the yield of small tubers increases. Tubers often become malformed. Tubers and roots need a lot of air, but at depth there may not be enough of it. In addition, deep planting complicates harvesting potatoes.

In any case, you should try to plant the tubers at the same depth to ensure even seedlings. In the future, this will avoid the oppression of some potato plants by others.

In the south of the Omsk region, unique conditions are developing. Short growing season, spring-summer dryness and high temperatures July, heavy loams on my site make adjustments to the choice of potato planting depth.

The lack of spring moisture (small snow cover) and precipitation in summer requires deeper planting - the top layer of soil dries quickly. The presence of July heat (up to 40 degrees) also suggests deeper planting - when the soil heats above 28 degrees, the potatoes stop the filling of tubers.

On the other hand, deep planting is not desirable for us: the short growing season requires that the potatoes germinate earlier. On heavy loams, potatoes at depth produce a low yield of small and often ugly tubers - the soil is too dense and poorly aerated.

For the last 9 years I have not used plowing or digging of soil in my garden. All crops grow in narrow beds with mulched passages. At first, this only exacerbated the contradictions with the planting depth. The very planting and harvesting of potatoes disrupted the soil structure. Over time, I found a way to plant tubers without burying them in the soil more than 5 cm from the bottom surface of the soil - I used straw, hay, leaves, and other organic residues for mulch. He talked about this in his articles.

With my planting method, hilling the bushes becomes impossible, which reduces the potential yield of tubers. After all, stolons appear only on the white part of the stem, closed from light. Additional roots appear only in moist substrate. The question arose: how to increase the length of the stem below the soil surface without burying the tubers? And the answer turned out to be very simple. You just need to germinate the tubers to a sprout length of 2-3 cm and plant the seed with the sprouts facing down. More precisely, I position the tuber so that the sprouts are under the tuber and in maximum contact with the soil - sideways. Picture 1:

The reasons here are simple. The roots do not grow from the tuber, but from the sprouts. And since the tubers are not buried, then you need to make sure that the roots go into the soil faster. Beneath the loose, organic-rich layer is a dense, undug layer. The density of this layer ensures a powerful capillary rise of moisture from the underlying layers. The structure of this layer is not disturbed by the intervention of a shovel and it remains like a sponge, with an abundance of pores from worm passages and decomposed roots. These air-filled pores provide excellent aeration to the potato roots. Photo 1:

In addition, with such planting, the length of the etiolated (unpainted) section of the stems greatly increases. Roots and stolons are actively growing in this area. There is a kind of hilling effect, without hilling. Compare length white area on the left tuber there is a normal planting, and on the right one - sprouts down.

Moreover, the stolons are located in a loose substrate, which is very important for potatoes. In dense soil, up to 50% of stolons do not form tubers of normal size.

Another advantage of planting with sprouts down is that the bush grows wider than when planted with sprouts up. compare pictures 2 and 3. Rounding the mother tuber, the sprouts diverge to the sides. Some removal of trunks in the bush helps better lighting seedlings, which means better photosynthesis - the development of plants in the initial, very important period.

Potatoes react to such planting high yield. Photo 2:

The photo shows a selection from the “Bars” hybrid population, the average yield per bush is 3 kg. Maximum - 5.6 kg. Per hundred square meters - 700 kg (17.5 bags) Digging potatoes with this planting is much easier than with deep planting with sprouts up - the tubers are all under mulch. Photo 9:

In photos 3, 4, 5 it is easy to see how the bush grew:

This photo shows a bush with a planting tuber and the harvest from it.

A view of the bush from above.

A look at the bush from below.

While exploring this technique, I simulated the development of potatoes planted with sprouts down. This can be seen in photographs 6, 7, 8:

The photo shows tubers with apical dominance. On such tubers, another unexpected effect of planting with sprouts down appeared - active tillering of the sprout. But it does not always appear. In my experiments this happened on 15% of tubers. Later, I found a way to make all the shoots bush. You just need to pinch the tip of the sprout. This technique allows you to obtain a multi-stemmed bush with the development of 1-2 sprouts at the top of the tuber (apical dominance). Moreover, the tubers in such bushes are all large. Compare in photo 3 the mother tuber and the harvest tubers. I explain this by the lack of competition within the bush. In a typical multi-stem bush, each stem is a separate plant. And they compete with each other for light and nutrient solutions. As a result, 1-2 large or many small tubers are formed on each plant stem. On a plant that has grown from a single, but branched underground sprout, the tubers are large. And due to the enlarged etiolated area of ​​the stems, there are many tubers.

Anyone who decides to plant tubers with sprouts down must be prepared for the fact that potatoes will sprout later than from tubers planted with sprouts up. With a no-till planting method, like mine, this is not a problem. It takes a little longer to germinate, but you can plant it earlier - the top layer warms up faster, and I don’t need to bury it.

When planting with sprouts up, you can grow the same length of the underground part of the stems using hilling (compare Figures 4 and 5. In both figures, the length of the etiolated stem is the same). Planting with sprouts down allows you to avoid this labor-intensive operation that delays the development of potatoes.

If desired, receive fresh tubers early, you can also use planting downwards with sprouts. I also do this successfully. I place the tubers with sprouts 1-2 cm long, sprouts down, in a box and completely cover them with DRY sawdust. In a dry substrate, roots do not form, but the sprouts change the direction of growth and rise to the surface.

Whenever deciding whether to plant sprouts up or down when planting potato tubers, remember that the crop's tubers will form on branches called stolons that come out from the plant's stem.

Hello, the topic of today’s article is “Growing potatoes wisely without weeding and hilling.” Growing potatoes can be a simple task. Digging holes, removing weeds, hilling potatoes - old technology. Appeared new way, which will allow you to get it without unnecessary work.

How to grow potatoes wisely without weeding and hilling, we will consider below. We will talk about growing potatoes in straw. This method helped summer residents optimize their work. In addition, there will be no need to spray potatoes with poison in an effort to destroy them.

How to grow potatoes under straw

Prepare the place where the potatoes will grow. Next, you need to dig a shallow trench and put the potatoes there. Lightly sprinkle the root vegetables with soil. Next, you need to take and cover the beds with straw or hay to a depth of 12 centimeters.

Spread the coating well over. You can leave vegetables in this state until the time when you need to harvest. In the fall, you won’t need to seriously bother with potatoes. All root crops will be on the surface of the ground.

Only sprouted potatoes are used for planting. It is buried in the ground at a distance from each other. The top of the plantings is covered with a layer of straw. This method saves space in the garden because the potatoes are planted close together.

The average thickness of the straw layer should be 12 centimeters, the maximum layer should be no more than 30 centimeters. Such conditions are optimal for growing potatoes in this way. Afterwards, the potatoes are forgotten in the garden until autumn. If you want to monitor the growth of the crop, you can stir the potatoes a little with a metal stick.

It is immersed to the depth of planting root crops and moves up and down. This allows you to stir the vegetables around a bit so they heat evenly. The straw retains heat inside the holes, and the vegetables receive enough moisture.

At the same time, they cannot grow in such conditions, and Colorado potato beetles simply do not see your harvest. Growing potatoes in straw increases the yield by 20%. This method of growing potatoes is considered innovative; summer residents do not immediately trust it.

But once you decide on this method of caring for crops, you won’t give it up.

Why do you need straw to grow potatoes?

You can use hay instead of straw, this will not change the situation. Potatoes hidden under straw grow better, created optimal conditions for its development. There is no need to water such seedlings, but the soil will always be wet.

This is achieved not only due to dew and rain, but also the ability of straw to retain water. During decay, the grass releases a lot carbon dioxide. This indicator is considered good for potato growth.

Moreover, they live better in such an environment beneficial insects and bacteria. Potatoes will not require weeding or hilling. There will be no need to spray potatoes. You will grow natural vegetables for your table, which will help reduce your food costs by 30-50%.

We hope you liked the article “Growing potatoes wisely without weeding and hilling”!

Anyone who has ever tried to grow potatoes on their plot has fully appreciated how much time and effort it takes to fight weeds, pests and hill up bushes. In addition, most of the territory of Russia is a zone of risky agriculture, which means that all the work of a gardener can go down the drain due to the vagaries of the weather.

Meanwhile, in order to get a decent potato harvest, you don’t need to bend your back under the scorching rays of the sun for days on end. Growing potatoes without hilling and weeding is an ancient method, known since the 19th century and improved by modern agronomists for summer cottages. This method allows you to increase potato yields by one and a half to two times.

Preparing the site in the fall

Weeds, especially wheatgrass and sow thistle, are the scourge of the garden. Many even believe that they can only be limed with strong herbicides. However, there is a simple, environmentally friendly way to completely get rid of weeds in your potato field. It is enough in the fall, after harvesting, to fill the area with hay (preferably fresh, but dry is also possible) or straw. There is no need to be afraid that the seeds spilled from the mown grass will sprout: this is only possible if the layer of hay covering the ground is thin. If you lay the hay in an even thick layer in the fall, then by spring both the stems and the weed seeds will rot.

You need to cover the area with hay or straw (mulch) as early as possible. The soil is first dug up to a depth of 20-22 cm, in large blocks, without loosening: this way the soil gets the opportunity to “breathe”. Then it is fertilized with ash or peat, from mineral fertilizers Urea is most preferred. For additional protection from the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm are scattered on the ground onion skins. The area prepared in this way is covered with a “fur coat” (40-60 cm thick) of hay or straw.

The soil is mulched in the fall after harvesting.

If manure is used for fertilizer, it is better to spread it on top of the hay: this will prevent the grass from being blown away by the wind, and it will rot faster.

Colorado beetles burrow into the soil for the winter. If the soil is covered with a thick layer of compost in the fall, pests will not be able to penetrate deep into it and will freeze, and most overwintered beetles will not make it to the surface. Ash and urea are poison for them. That's why early fertilization followed by mulching will help exterminate not only weeds, but also Colorado potato beetles.

By spring, the layer of rotted compost is compacted, its thickness is reduced to 13-20 cm. In early spring, the mulch should be stirred a little with a rake and raked from the beds so that the snow melts faster, the soil warms up and is well saturated with moisture. When the snow melts, the mulch is leveled with a rake and rows of potatoes are outlined. The distance between rows must be at least 60 cm.

Seed preparation

In a mulched area, you can grow potato varieties of any ripening period. The soil covered with hay or straw warms up faster, so this method is especially good for planting early potatoes.

Despite the fact that Dutch varieties are becoming increasingly popular, you should not neglect domestically bred varieties zoned for your area, even if they are considered to be slightly less productive. Domestic varieties tolerate frost, drought and other unfavorable conditions better. In the central and southern regions, a good harvest (400-600 kg per hundred square meters) is produced by the Dutch varieties “Impala” and “Red Scarlet”, which are very resistant to diseases. For northern regions“Kholmogorsky” (yield up to 392 kg per hundred square meters) and “Antonina” (up to 300 kg per hundred square meters) are perfect.

As seed material tubers with a diameter of 3-4 cm are used; each potato must have at least five eyes. If planned early boarding, it makes sense to take larger tubers, weighing 80-100 grams: they will give stronger and more viable shoots.

Planting large sprouted tubers is half the success

Germination begins approximately 30 days before planting. The temperature in the room where the tubers are germinated should not exceed +15°C, otherwise the shoots will turn out too long and thin. Before sprouting, potatoes are dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for several minutes.

Potatoes are laid out on shelves or in boxes. Once a week, the tubers are lightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle. If the site is far away, potatoes can be sprouted in plastic bags with handles. For ventilation and to prevent mold, several holes should be made in the bags.

The soil under the mulch is very warm, so the shoots may be longer than when planting potatoes in the usual way. They should reach 3-8 cm.

Planting and caring for potatoes

Before planting, you need to prepare several buckets of earth in advance ( better than black soil). The most important thing is that you don’t need a shovel. The humus is so soft and crumbly that holes in the beds are made with a pointed pole. The depth of the hole is 10-12 cm, the distance between them is 40 cm. A tuber is thrown into each hole with its shoots up, sprinkled with a small amount of crushed ash. eggshells, dry bird droppings, onion peels, and on top with earth. When planting is completed, the bed is covered with a layer of dry straw 30 cm thick. To prevent the straw from being blown away by the wind, it is lightly sprinkled with earth.

If the summer is dry, potatoes should be watered occasionally (once every one to two weeks). But you shouldn’t be zealous: mulch retains moisture well even during drought. IN additional feeding tubers have absolutely no need, since all the necessary substances are obtained from mulch.

If you grow potatoes in this way, they are not afraid of wireworms: pests usually do not crawl up. And they settle in the mulch predatory insects-enemies of Colorado potato beetle larvae.

In the fall, all that remains is to rake the straw and dig up the tubers: large (nothing in the loose mulch interferes with their growth) and very clean. The straw that has been lying on the bed all summer will finally rot and become fertilizer for next year.

Tubers in straw are always clean

Using green manure

It is sometimes quite difficult for gardeners to obtain straw. Mowing and transporting hay to the site also takes a lot of effort. But there is an option in which you do not need to prepare hay or straw. Cut stems of plants grown in the same area are used as mulch. Plants that are specifically sown for the purpose of further mulching are called green manure. Legumes (they saturate the soil with nitrogen), rye, oats, mustard (the wireworm is afraid of it), and phacelia are often used as green manure.

Phacelia is one of the best spring green manures for potatoes

At the end of August, the plot is sown with oats or winter rye. The grains must sprout before frost. All that remains is to cut them off with a sharp shovel - and the winter “coat” for the soil is ready. Another option is not to cut the plants, but to allow them to overwinter. As a rule, winter rye is already in early spring begins to grow rapidly. It will need to be cut before it produces seeds, and the stems left on the beds.

In the spring, after the snow has melted, the area can be densely sown with phacelia: it grows very quickly. Phacelia flowers attract bees, which is especially convenient if the gardener has an apiary. Tubers are planted directly in beds with phacelia: it will protect the seedlings from frost, and in the event of a serious drop in temperature, light agrofibre can be thrown over the green manure. When the potato shoots become taller than the phacelia, the green manure is cut off and used as mulch.

Potato yields will increase significantly if it is possible to plant this crop in the same place no more than every other year. In the summer, legumes are grown in the area “resting” from potatoes: beans, beans, peas, lupine.

Inorganic mulching

You can grow potatoes without weeding and hilling without using hay or straw. It is enough to purchase dark agrofibre and cover the area with it. Holes are cut in the canvas, potatoes are planted there, and the agrofibre protects the beds from weeds all summer. However, in this case, you will have to fertilize the soil well before planting, and also use insecticides to combat the Colorado potato beetle. Ordinary cardboard is sometimes used as mulch material. They cover the bed with it, and cut round holes in the holes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Advantages of growing potatoes under mulch materials:

• When using organic mulching materials, potato yields increase significantly. Every year, the fertile soil layer on the site becomes 2-3 cm thicker;
• no hassle associated with hilling and weeding;
• if the cottage is located far away, the owner does not need to travel there too often to care for the potatoes;
• complete absence of weeds and a significant reduction in the number of pests;
• the method is environmentally friendly.

Practice shows that with regular use of organic mulching materials, the yield of individual potato varieties can be increased to 1000 kg per hundred square meters.

Flaws:

• additional costs for purchasing green manure seeds or inorganic mulching materials. These costs are offset by a significant increase in yield;
• the need to mow and transport hay.

Growing potatoes without hilling

This unique way is now undeservedly forgotten, although in the 19th century it was very common. Saving time and money, peasants simply covered the potatoes with straw or other plant debris, without burying them in the ground. This technology for planting potatoes made it possible not even to appear on the potato plot, and at the same time get good yields.

Indeed, there is absolutely no need to dig up the ground. Preparing potatoes for planting consists, first of all, of carefully selecting them and germinating them in the light. Planting material laid in rows along a designated area, and covered with a layer of straw (at least 40 cm) on top.

Such a shelter provides a number of advantages, such as:

• There is no need to water the soil before planting potatoes. It will remain moist even in drought.
• Carbon dioxide, which is released when straw rots, will be very useful for potatoes.
• In rotting straw, microorganisms and worms beneficial to the crop actively multiply, as a result, the crop receives everything it needs for growth and development.

Fertilizer for potatoes also needs to be applied when planting; to do this, sprinkle the tubers with a small handful of soil mixed with it. This way you can protect your crops from a number of diseases, increasing their yield. The straw will not fly apart if it is covered with a little soil.

The huge advantage is that summer period there is no need to bother with weeding and hilling the potato plot; the gardener’s main concern is to select potatoes for planting in the spring. Of course, it will not be possible to get rid of Colorado potato beetles using straw. But the predatory insects living in it will greatly reduce the number of pests, thereby making it easier to combat them.

The essence of the technique without weeding and hilling is to create a kind of covering over the sprouts of planted potatoes to retain heat and moisture, promoting the full growth and development of tubers.

Various materials are used as coating:

• special black film (agrofibre) that allows moisture to pass through but prevents the growth of weeds;
• pieces of cardboard;
• hay or straw.

Moreover, the seeds do not have to be buried. You can create “nests” directly on the surface of the earth, for example from straw, and just wait for the result (read about how to grow potatoes under straw).

The method without weeding and hilling involves planting potatoes not only on the site, but also in special devices, such as:

• boxes;
• boxes;

The method without hilling pays off good harvests . You can also hear a lot of summer residents and positive reviews summer residents who tried it.

Productivity

The advantage of this technique is that the mulch (covering) creates an excellent microclimate for growing large volumes of crops at minimum cost resources. As practice shows, from one bush you can get approximately 15-20 potatoes weighing up to 300 grams, and this excellent result, given the minimum effort involved.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of using straw for growing potatoes:

• Straw retains moisture well. The soil, and with it the seeds, will be protected from overheating and drought even on the hottest days. Of course, in the absence of rain, it is still recommended to water the plants, but this can be done much less frequently and less abundantly.
• Over time, the straw will begin to decompose and turn into humus. Along with the production of carbon dioxide beneficial to the soil, worms and microorganisms will appear that promote the growth and development of tubers.
• Weeding will no longer be a painful task, because it is difficult for weed sprouts to break through to the light through a significant layer of mulch.
• Insects that have settled in straw are excellent allies in the fight against Colorado potato beetles.
• There will be no need to hill up the bushes, since the root crops will not be deep underground.
• Due to the absence of stuck lumps of earth, fruit picking will be easier, more enjoyable and faster without any auxiliary equipment.
• Straw will be an excellent fertilizer after harvesting. If you lightly dig it in with soil, the beneficial bacteria will be preserved and remain effective for the next year.

The disadvantages of this method are worth noting:

The necessary conditions

To increase productivity this method To grow potatoes, certain conditions must be met.

Choose your seed potatoes wisely

It is believed that for such a technique cultivation will do any potato.

Despite the fact that many vegetable growers prefer Dutch varieties, we should not neglect domestic ones.

They may be less productive, but they are more resistant to unfavorable conditions. IN southern regions These varieties are perfect:

• Condor for it taste qualities and storage stability.
• Impala for high productivity.
• Red Scarlett for early maturity.

For the northern regions, the following varieties are widely used: Kholmogory and Antonina.

Seed potatoes should have strong, juicy sprouts, while dried out fruits will reduce the chances of getting a rich harvest.

You can prepare your own seeds for planting. To do this you need:

1. Place the potatoes in boxes or boxes and place them in a bright, warm room 3-4 weeks before planting on the site.
2. Select root vegetables the size of egg. Large potatoes can be cut, but sprouts should remain on each part.

What tool will you need?

The main tool required for this method is a coating. If finding film or cardboard is not a problem, then you will have to tinker with hay and straw. There should be enough material for at least two installations. The straw can be used the following year, covered in a dry, safe room..

If space allows, you can select small area and grow your own hay and straw. Having chosen agrofibre as a covering, it is worth considering that the soil will need to be thoroughly fertilized before planting.

Proper fertilizers and soil are the key to success

A mixture of humus and ash is excellent as a fertilizer. If the ground is infested with wireworms, you can lay out onion peels next to the planted potatoes, which also repel Colorado potato beetles. It is recommended to change the planting location every year so that the potatoes do not degenerate.

It is effective to plant potatoes on a peat layer saturated with phosphorus and nitrogen. From organic fertilizers Urea is preferred. It is advisable to prepare the land for planting potatoes in the fall. If the area is densely overgrown with weeds, it is not necessary to weed and dig it several times. Simply turn over the top layer of turf so that the greens are on the bottom and the roots are on top.

The grass will rot all winter, and by spring excellent soil, rich useful substances. Don't be afraid that the seeds weed, having fallen off, they will germinate again, because the straw covering will prevent this process.

Finally, in the fall you can sow the area allocated for potatoes with crops such as mustard, rye or oats. They will not only nourish the soil useful vitamins, but will also help in the fight against annoying weeds.

The grown stems are cut off and left directly on the beds. For cover, you can cut the grass in the spring before it produces seeds..