During its development, potatoes undergo a flowering phase, after which berries and seeds are tied. Usually, a vegetative method is used to propagate this culture. Seed cultivation is used very rarely. Therefore, many gardeners believe that it is necessary to pick flowers from potatoes during flowering so that the plant does not waste energy on their development. Then root crops will develop better. For others, there is no need to interfere with the natural process of plant development.
Features of the development of potatoes
If the conditions for the growth of potatoes are favorable, then the first shoots appear from the ground 7-10 days after planting. From that moment on, the entire plant develops intensively. The aboveground part of the bush is actively growing, and under the ground, stolons are formed, on which root crops will then be tied. The formation of inflorescences begins in a month. At the same time, varietal characteristics influence the period of bud appearance:
- early types of potatoes throw out inflorescences after 28-35 days;
- for late varieties, this period averages 47 days.
Under the ground on stolons, small tubers appear much earlier. By the time of flowering, some of them grow to the size of a hen’s egg, but the main part is not larger than a pea. The plant spends a lot of nutrients to build up the mass of tubers. At the same time, the juices are distributed between underground roots and inflorescences, which then form berries with seeds.
The processes in the aboveground and underground parts are parallel. Therefore, according to logic, the removal of one of the consumers of the life juices of the plant should redirect them to the development of another. In fact, potatoes consume 50% of their nutrients for the development of tubers. The rest are distributed equally between inflorescences and foliage.
Development of flower-removed potatoes
To find out whether it is necessary to pick flowers from potatoes, scientists conducted an experiment. According to its conditions, two plots were planted with the same crop variety. On the first, the buds were cut off at the moment of formation, and on the second, the plants developed naturally. As a result, the yield of the first plot turned out to be one third higher.
In the process of plant development, useful elements make a circuit, a part of which are inflorescences and berries. The plant spends a lot of energy on the natural reproduction process. Removing flowers and berries from a potato deprives it of this opportunity. Then all the nutrients go directly to the roots. As a result, the plant develops one-sidedly and increases the mass of tubers.
The positive one-step effect in the long-term perspective of growing potatoes is bad for the development of the crop. If you pluck the flowers constantly, then after a few years you can notice a gradual shrinking of the tubers and their degeneration. Degradation occurs because the bushes cannot be pollinated with pollen from other plants. Additionally, the tubers do not receive the substances formed in the berries during natural development. As a result, the circulation of useful elements in the plant is disrupted.
The practical benefits of picking flowers
Each gardener chooses the methods of growing potatoes independently. In this case, weather and climatic conditions, varietal characteristics of the crop, and the final purpose of the harvested crop are taken into account.
Important!
Usually, flowers are removed from potatoes to increase yields. This procedure increases the number of medium to large tubers. But this rule does not apply to all varieties.
If potatoes are grown for seed, pruning is not recommended. Otherwise, the next year the potatoes grow small and the yield decreases. If the crop is intended for human consumption, then the flowers can be harvested. Therefore, it is better to plant potatoes for seeds and for food in different beds.
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There are the following reasons for removing inflorescences and buds on potato bushes while they are blooming:
- to increase the size of root crops and increase yields;
- to increase the amount of starchy substances in tubers;
- when grown on poor and dense soil, in order to increase the supply of nutrients to the underground part;
- when planting potatoes late to increase yields.
Flower removal technique
If a decision is made to cut the flowers, it is necessary to monitor the formation of buds in order to carry out the procedure on time. It is allowed to cut the inflorescences at the budding stage until they open. If the procedure is carried out later, the probability of drying of the lower leaves increases. This leads to a decrease in yield. Before removing the flowers, you need to prepare to lengthen the growing season by 2 weeks. The plant needs this time to recover.
The buds should be torn off in accordance with the following guidelines:
- The procedure is performed at a moderate air temperature. Do not break off flower brushes during rain or heat.
- The work is carried out with sharp, pre-disinfected instruments to reduce the likelihood of the spread of diseases.
- When moving in the aisles, they walk carefully so as not to trample the soil and not damage the leaves.
- Be sure to cut off the flower brushes that rise above the total mass of the bush, then there will be no strong growth with the formation of a large number of lateral shoots.
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practical recommendations
Most gardeners grow potatoes for food or animal feed. Therefore, to increase yields, many try to regularly renew the seed. To do this, they buy seed tubers at breeding stations or from other gardeners in the markets.
You don’t have to spend your own money to provide yourself with seed. Many do it for free, growing minitubers from seeds formed in potato berries. Especially for this purpose, a few bushes are left to bloom and allow them to form berries. Potatoes grown from harvested seeds give high yields for several years. It is resistant to disease and withstands local weather conditions well.
On a note!
It is such planting material grown from seeds that is classified as “elite” and “superelite”.
Agricultural rules for flowering potatoes
Observing the basic agrotechnical techniques, you can grow a good harvest even with minimal experience in vegetable growing. During the flowering of potatoes, it is necessary to ensure the looseness of the soil so that the tubers developing on the stolons do not encounter obstacles. At the same time, damage to the tubers and root system must not be allowed. Therefore, during flowering, loosening and hilling are not carried out. This leads to a decrease in the number of tubers.
Work on the preparation of a loose and well-moistened soil is carried out even before the formation of buds. For this, the land is well watered, it is loosened between the rows, and the bushes are huddled high. As a result, the soil moisture permeability and the aeration of the root system are improved.
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Avoiding hilling increases the risk of tubers washing out during watering. Once outside the soil, root crops stop growing and accumulate poisonous corned beef, which causes greening. Such potatoes are unsuitable for food.
Watering is also a must. Moisture is essential for the development of tubers. The first time irrigation is carried out after the emergence of sprouts. The repeated procedure is performed at the initial stage of bud formation. Then it is necessary to carry out loosening in order to destroy the crust, which prevents the penetration of air to the roots.
Before flowering, potatoes are fed several times. First, nutrients are put into the hole during planting. These can be mineral complexes or a mixture of organic fertilizers. When the seedlings rise by 10 cm, use mullein infusion as a top dressing or spill the soil with a solution of ammonium nitrate. Since the formation of ovaries, potash-phosphorus fertilizers are used as top dressing.
Reviews
Inna, 38 years old:
Once I conducted an experiment and plucked flowers from potatoes. As a result, many side shoots were formed on the bushes. By the time the neighbors’ tops had already died and it was time to harvest, my potatoes were completely green. It was even a pity to dig it up. As a result, they dug 2 weeks later, when all the neighbors had already taken out their crops.
Oleg, 43 years old:
The potato budding experiment on my site was positive. And I spent it only on a separate row. Plants planted at the same time were very different in growth. Where there was no flowering, tubers formed large. Moreover, the smallest of them were the same size as the largest of the bushes with flowers. As a result, the yield really increases after the buds are cut off.
The link between tuber formation and flowering does exist. But it cannot be unequivocally stated that to increase the yield, you need to pluck the buds from the potato bushes. Much depends on weather conditions, varietal characteristics and crop cultivation goals.
