Picasso potatoes: features of the variety care how to grow

Picasso potatoes. Quite often, on store shelves, customers see potatoes of an incomprehensible variety, so they do not dare to take it. In order not to be disappointed, it is important to know the characteristics of the tubers. Some may contain too much starch and boil during heat treatment. Others are late varieties and should be purchased in the spring. It is difficult to determine all these characteristics by mere appearance.

But the Picasso potato variety cannot be confused with any other due to one important distinctive feature – bright eyes on a light peel. This is a favorite potato of many housewives, which has a lot of positive qualities. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Features of the variety

Picasso is the result of the work of Dutch breeders. It was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation back in 1995, so it cannot be called a novelty. This is a late-ripening table potato, fully ripening 110-130 days after planting.

The variety has an unsurpassed taste, high yield and resistance to many potato diseases. One bush gives up to 20 tubers, the average weight of which is 80-140 g. The overall yield is 250-400 c / ha. Under favorable conditions, 500 c / ha can be harvested. Picasso potatoes retain their presentation throughout the entire storage period. Keeping quality is satisfactory – 93-95%.

Picasso (potatoes): characteristic of appearance

This variety has tall, upright bushes with thick stems. The green mass is very lush and dense, so the bushes, as a rule, begin to creep long before harvest. The leaf plate is wide, slightly wavy, almost never curled. When flowering begins, large flowers with delicate whitish petals open on the stems.

picasso potato tops

Description of tubers:

  • slightly oval shape;
  • light yellow thin peel;
  • eyes are deep pink with large bright spots;
  • the pulp has a pleasant creamy shade;
  • the percentage of starch is 10-12%;
  • taste meets all requirements;
  • the average number of tubers in one bush is 16-20 pieces.

sort-kartofelya-pikasso

Comparative table with quantitative characteristics of other varieties

As you can see, Picasso is one of the most productive varieties, which is why many summer residents like to grow it on their plots.

Picasso (potatoes): description of the characteristics of the variety

Why are these potatoes so popular among amateur gardeners and professional potato growers? The answer is simple: it has a lot of advantages.

storing picasso potatoes

Pros of the variety:

  • excellent presentation.
  • fairly high keeping rates.
  • expressive potato aroma and excellent taste.
  • high resistance to many diseases, immunity to scab, nematodes and potato cancer.
  • unpretentiousness to temperature and climatic conditions.
  • excellent yield indicators.
  • good long-distance transportation tolerance.

Minus Picasso only one, but it’s essential. Unfortunately, the variety has no immunity to late blight. This is a very insidious disease that affects not only stems with leaves, but also tubers. In order not to risk it, it is recommended to treat the seed material with the preparations Maxim, Prestige or Fitosporin-M before planting.

Peculiarities of growing

Late-ripening varieties are better planted a little earlier than mid-ripening and early-ripening varieties. Early planting is necessary in order for the tubers to form and mature. Recall that the full growing season of Picasso is 125-130 days, so late April or early May is the ideal time to plant. At the same time, we must not forget that the ground at the time of planting planting material in the ground should warm up to + 7- + 10 degrees.

the soil is ready for cultivation

Another important condition for a good harvest in late-maturing varieties is the preliminary germination of seed tubers. You need to germinate 2-3 weeks before planting. Planting material is taken from storage in early April, laid out in 1 layer in a warm, slightly lit room. In 15-20 days, small plump sprouts will appear on the potatoes.

Before germination, you can use special preparations to stimulate growth, then the sprouts on the tubers will germinate faster. For these purposes, Epin or Zircon are suitable. Recommendations for their use are clearly described in the instructions on the sachets with the substance.

Picasso is not particularly picky about the characteristics of the soil, but still, preference should be given to loam and sandy loam soils. On such lands, the yield increases significantly compared to cultivation on heavy clay soils or poor sandy soils. Do not plant Picasso in the part of the plot where tomatoes, beets or eggplants were previously grown. The best precursors for this potato are legumes, grains, greens, cabbage, carrots and peppers.

green manure on the site

When planting, it is worth considering the fact that the bushes of this variety are large, thick and spreading, so the scheme must be correctly calculated. The recommended distance between bushes is 50 cm, between rows – from 65 to 70 cm. With this planting, the root system will grow well, form a larger number of tubers, which will have enough space for full development and growth.

Proper care after planting

When the sprouts break through the surface of the soil, you can begin to cultivate the land. Care consists of the following activities:

  • loosening;
  • weeding;
  • hilling;
  • watering;
  • application of fertilizers;
  • pest control.

Loosening and weeding are essential procedures that will have to be repeated. The first time the earth is loosened with a rake after the young plants reach 5 cm in height. As it grows, weeds will begin to actively appear. So that they do not take nutrients from the culture, they must be removed entirely, along with the roots. In addition to getting rid of weeds, loosening and weeding saturates the earth with oxygen, allowing moisture to penetrate directly to the root system.

weeding and hilling potatoes

Usually, rainwater is enough for potatoes to grow well, but in some years dry periods occur when hot and dry weather can negatively affect the development of young plants. On such days, they need additional watering directly under the bushes. Also, potatoes respond well to watering during the flowering period. It is at this time that nodules begin to form on the rhizomes, and moisture is needed in order for them to be fully saturated with nutrients. When this condition is met, the tubers will grow of impressive size, weighing up to 150 g each.

Hilling is another important activity when growing a crop. It is necessary to start forming piles under bushes with tops at the moment when they reach a height of 15-20 cm. Thanks to hilling, the bushes will grow compactly and will not decay ahead of time. The second hilling is carried out 2 weeks after the first treatment. This is done again so that the poured layer of earth reliably protects young nodules from exposure to sunlight. With high-quality hilling, the slides remain until the very harvest and indicate the location of the bushes, making it easier to dig out the potatoes.

hilling of potatoes

The Picasso variety gratefully responds to the application of organic and mineral fertilizers. For the entire growing period, the bushes are recommended to be fertilized three times. The first time – after the appearance of the first shoots, the second – immediately before the beginning of flowering, the third – during the opening of the petals. If everything is done on time, a bountiful harvest is guaranteed.

Pest control will be minimized if the planting material is treated with special preparations. They work for a long time, so not a single insect can covet the ground part of plants and tubers. If the ubiquitous Colorado beetles or their larvae nevertheless appeared on the leaves and stems, then an urgent need to spray the potatoes with remedies. It is worth etching even when at first glance there are few insects, otherwise they will multiply quickly and cause serious damage to plantings. In this case, you can not count on a good harvest.

obrabotka-himiey

Collection and storage

I received the Picasso potato variety reviews from many gardeners and summer residents, and all thanks to its beautiful appearance and good keeping quality. To preserve the crop until the new season, you need to properly harvest it and prepare it for storage. The storage also requires preparation, but first things first.

Picasso is a representative of late-ripening varieties, so you should start harvesting no earlier than 120 days from the moment of planting. About a week before this event, it is advisable to remove the tops so that the tubers get stronger and can dry out faster. In private gardens, potatoes are dug out of the ground, usually with a pitchfork or a shovel. Wet tubers extracted from the soil must be dried right on the site under the sun. In half an hour, the peel will not have time to turn green, but it will dry out enough, and the remains of the soil will be easily cleaned from it.

The dried potatoes are carefully sorted out, sorted by size and transported to a shaded area. There she should stay for some time so that excess moisture evaporates from the surface of the skin. This will prevent rotting crops in the basement and cellar.

picasso potato harvest

Before laying in storage, it is worthwhile to re-examine all tubers for damage. Rotten, cut and damaged specimens are immediately recycled. A high-quality part of the crop is placed in a cellar or basement in a special container. To do this, you can use boxes with holes, nylon mesh or bags made of natural materials. You need to pour potatoes so that the filled container can be easily carried and moved. Almost the entire harvest will remain until the end of spring, losses will amount to only 5-8%.

The Picasso variety is ideal for growing both in small areas and on large farmlands. Its tubers are beautiful both externally and internally. They can be used to prepare a variety of dishes that will be appreciated by all family members.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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