Potatoes are considered one of the most popular vegetable crops. Gardeners appreciate it for its unpretentiousness, good yield. Potatoes are called the second bread. It grows in almost all regions of Russia. The climate of the Moscow region is favorable for growing crops. To get an excellent harvest, you just need to choose the right time for planting, prepare the tubers and subsequently follow all the rules of agricultural technology.
Features of the climate of the region
The climate of the Moscow region is not considered a zone of risky farming. Potatoes and many other crops grow well in the region. But a decrease in productivity is also possible due to a strong cold snap or, conversely, a dry and hot summer. The climate in the Moscow region is moderately continental. Seasonality is very clear. From northwest to southeast, the continentality is increasing. In the suburbs of Moscow, winters are cold and long, and summers are moderately warm.
Warming in the region begins in March. By the end of April, the soil warms up, but the threat of frost remains. In May, the probability of recurrent frosts is low. At the end of spring in the Moscow region, a sharp cold snap is extremely rare. The maximum amount of precipitation is observed in summer, which is very favorable for many garden crops, including potatoes.
Planting days
The timing of planting potatoes depends on the time of collecting root crops, yield. It is generally accepted that potatoes are planted in the spring. In fact, the planting period is longer. In the Moscow region, the sowing campaign can be planned not only for May, but also for June, and even for the beginning of July. If spring is early, tubers can be planted at the end of April.
When choosing a date, it is important to consider the weather conditions. The soil should warm up to a temperature of + 10 Β° C. At the same time, it is worth focusing on the long-term forecast. In May, there are still frosts in the Moscow region. If the temperature drops to 0 Β° C after emergence, the planting may die.
Potatoes are planted with tubers in open ground. But sowing with seeds is also possible. This breeding method is laborious. But it allows you to grow rare varieties, as well as update the planting material. From time to time, renewal is necessary, as the culture gradually degenerates if it is planted in the same place.
Planting potatoes according to the lunar calendar in the Moscow region
Astrologers recommend planting potatoes according to the lunar calendar. During a full cycle, the moon goes through the following phases: new moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon. Scientists have conducted research and found that seeds and tubers germinate better on a growing moon. During this period, sap flow in the aboveground part of the plants is accelerated. If you plant tubers or seeds at this time, the growing season will be slightly shortened, and the yield will increase. Favorable days for planting potatoes in the Moscow region in 2021 are shown in the table:
Type of planting material / Month March April May June July Tubers (outdoors) – 13-26 12-25 11-23 11-23 Seeds (for seedlings) 14-27 15-18 14-20 – –
Seeds for seedlings are sown about 2 months before planting. If you plan to plant tubers in May, you need to sow seeds in March. On the growing moon, it is recommended to do not only planting work, but also foliar feeding. In this case, potato tops absorb nutrients better.
Recommendations for varieties
Almost all potato varieties are suitable for growing in the Moscow region. Varieties of culture differ among themselves not only in appearance, shade of peel, but also in the growing season. There is a potato that you can start to dig up after 1,5 months after planting, and there is one that fully ripens in 4 months. According to the duration of the growing season, varieties are divided into several groups:
- ultra-early, which ripen in 40-50 days (“Riviera”, “Timo”, “Karatop”);
- early ripening with a growing season of 50-60 days (“Zhukovsky early”, “Breeze”);
- mid-season, which can be dug out in 60-85 days (“Aurora”, “Blakit”, “Zhuravushka”);
- late ripening with a vegetation period of 85-140 days (“Atlant”, “Seagull”).
Ultra-early and some varieties of early ripening potatoes can be grown in the Moscow region for 2 harvests. If spring is early, the first batch is planted in late April or early May. In late June or early July, young tubers are dug up and the field is replanted. This approach allows you to save space on the site. Moreover, it is associated with certain risks. Ultra-ripening varieties are not without drawbacks. They are much worse stored, do not have such a rich taste as mid-season and late varieties.
Mid-season potatoes in the Moscow region can be planted throughout May. Late varieties should be planted in the first half of May, and even better in the first decade of the month. Otherwise, the tubers simply do not have time to ripen. Digging them out of the soil prematurely leads to a reduction in shelf life.
Bad days
Astrologers do not advise sowing potato seeds and planting tubers in open ground on a waning moon, as well as on a full moon, on a new moon. The strict prohibition applies only to the full moon and new moon. These days it is better not to work in the garden at all, not to start anything new. In 2021, potatoes cannot be planted in May on 1-10 and 27-31. On the waning moon, potatoes grow worse. But you need to be guided by the circumstances. If the moon is waning, it’s cold outside, the landing should definitely be postponed. The risk of rotting tubers in the soil is too great due to an insufficiently high germination rate.
When the deadlines have already been missed, potatoes need to be planted as soon as possible, and the period is unfavorable, you can not follow the recommendations of astrologers. The waning phase lasts 2 weeks on average. In some cases, it is better to plant the tubers on bad days than to delay planting too much. Unfavorable and prohibited landing days for 2021 are reflected in the table:
Π€Π°Π·Π° ΠΡΠ½Ρ/ΠΠ΅ΡΡΡ
ΠΠ°ΡΡ
ΠΠΏΡΠ΅Π»Ρ
ΠΠ°ΠΉ
ΠΡΠ½Ρ
ΠΡΠ»Ρ
Π£Π±ΡΠ²Π°ΡΡΠ°Ρ ΠΡΠ½Π°
Β 1-12, 29-31
Β 1-11, 28-30
Β 1-10, 27-31
Β 1-9, 25-30
Β 1-9, 25-30
ΠΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΎΠ»ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ΅
28
27
26
24
24
ΠΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠ»ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ΅
13
12
11
10
10
There are also folk signs for potatoes. So, for example, in the old days it was believed that if the leaves on a birch are less than a penny, it is too early to plant tubers. But we are talking about a penny of tsarist times. Its size is equivalent to the modern ruble.
Growing rules
A lot depends on the correct planting of potatoes, on the choice of soil. Experienced gardeners recommend taking this issue responsibly. Potatoes should not be planted in a field where nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes) grew in the previous year. If you neglect the rule, the crop will lack nutrients, while increasing the risk of disease and pest damage. Potatoes grow best after legumes, onions, garlic, herbs.
Potato preparation
Before planting, the tubers need to be prepared. It is recommended to germinate them. The optimum sprout length is 1 cm. Most tubers sprout naturally. If this does not happen, you can place them indoors for 5-7 days. There is no need to cover the boxes with planting material. In the light, substances with bactericidal properties are formed, and the tubers turn green. They are poisonous, so it is no longer possible to eat slightly green potatoes.
Sprouted large tubers can be cut into 2-3 pieces. Each part should have 2-3 “eyes” with sprouts. It is recommended to spray the planting material with Epin or another growth stimulant 3-5 days before sowing. This procedure is mandatory when growing crops for the second harvest. In this case, it is necessary to use young tubers as planting material, which naturally sprout poorly.
Immediately before planting in the ground, potatoes are treated with a fungicide solution. Fitosporin-M can be used (10 g of paste and 10 l of water). The resulting solution should be sprayed on the tubers or soaked in it for 20 minutes. Strong insecticides can be used if there are signs of damage. In other cases, this is not necessary.
Soil Preparation
Potatoes love sandy loam and loamy soils. The acidity of the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. You can measure this indicator using a litmus test. The increased acidity is indicated by the spread of horsetail and some other weeds on the site. In this case, add dolomite flour or slaked lime to the field at the rate of 200 g per 1 mΒ².
It is better to prepare a field for potatoes in the fall. Manure and humus are applied every 2-3 years. Mineral fertilizers should be applied annually. You can use superphosphate (40 g per 1 mΒ²) and potassium salt (20 g per 1 mΒ²). These fertilizers can be replaced with complex fertilizing. It is convenient to use a mineral complex of the “Autumn” type. This fertilizer contains all the necessary components and no nitrogen component. Lovers of organic farming can use ash (2 glasses per 1 mΒ²) instead of chemical fertilizing.
Planting and care
The plowed field needs to be leveled and cut into furrows up to 15 cm deep. The distance between them should be 50 cm. Prepared potatoes are spread into the furrows at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. In this case, the sprouts should look up. The furrows are covered with earth. There is no need to water the potatoes after planting. If you have to plant potatoes on a waning moon, you can go for a little trick. To make the tubers germinate faster, the furrows are made not very deep (up to 10 cm). After sprouting, the rows can be huddled to deepen the root system.
Subsequent care should consist in loosening row spacings, removing weeds, hilling. Do not give up hilling. This procedure helps to strengthen the root system, to grow new tubers. According to the rules, it is held 2 times per season. If the weather is dry, the potatoes need to be watered. The soil in the field should not dry out too much.
Fungal diseases, pests can destroy plantings quickly. It is necessary to inspect the tops at least once a week. If it shows signs of damage, the entire field should be immediately treated with fungicides or insecticides. After 1 weeks, the treatment is repeated. In doing so, it is important to study information from chemical manufacturers. After treatment with some solutions, it is forbidden to eat potatoes for 2 to 1 weeks.
On a note!
In order to prevent potatoes, it is better to process them on the waning moon. During these periods, the tops absorb less harmful substances. At the same time, the spraying efficiency remains the same.
Useful Tips
To get an excellent potato crop, it is important to follow the correct agricultural practices. Failure to comply with the recommendations can lead to a decrease in yield, and in some cases, to partial death of plantings. To reduce all risks to a minimum value, you need:
- do not plant the tubers too close (thickening of the planting does not allow the tubers to fully develop);
- do not grow potatoes on the same plot for several years in a row;
- do not apply manure and bird droppings in spring or summer (excess nitrogen provokes the growth of tops, and root crops grow small);
- do not use low-quality planting material, and always treat the tubers with fungicides before embedding in the soil;
- water the plantings when there is little natural precipitation;
- treat potatoes with fungicides and insecticides when the first signs of damage are detected.
Collecting potatoes is recommended on the waning moon. In this case, the crop will be stored better. But you need to focus not only on the phases of the moon. It is important to consider the growing season. You can dig up potatoes only after they reach biological maturity. If you do this earlier, the crop will rot. The peel of unripe potatoes is not strong enough and can be scraped off with a knife. At this stage, it is impossible to plan the harvesting of tubers. When planting potatoes in May, they usually dig it up in late August, early September.
You only need to dig potatoes in dry weather. After harvesting, the crop should be air dried and then left in boxes indoors for 1 week. After this time, it is worthwhile to sort out the tubers again, sort out all the rotten, damaged ones. Only healthy, cut-free potatoes can be stored.
It is recommended to plant potatoes in the Moscow region in 2021 in early May. At the same time, a later planting is possible for ultra-early and early varieties. All work must be planned according to the lunar calendar. In this case, the tubers will germinate faster, the tops will actively grow, and then young tubers will begin to form.
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