Not always new and popular is better than the tried and tested old. There are varieties of potatoes that were grown for a long time and successfully, but gradually lost their fame due to the appearance of new imported specimens. These include the old potato variety Lapot, which has been undeservedly forgotten today. And in vain. It has such huge tubers that one can make a dinner for a family of two.
The variety appeared in the 50s in Siberia, it represents folk selection. He was given the same name “Siberian Lapot”. But then the first word disappeared, and they began to call it simply Lapot. The tubers of this potato are quite consistent with their name; they really have impressive sizes.
Potato Lapot: description
The variety belongs to the medium early and is highly adaptable to growing conditions. The ripening period varies between 65-80 days. The yield is quite good, its indicators are 400-500 c / ha. On one bush, 5-8 potatoes weighing 110-160 grams are tied, which allows it to compete with the advertised Dutch “relatives”. The starch content is 13-16%, so it can be baked and fried.
The bush is tall, erect, strongly leafy. Inflorescences have white large flowers. The root system is well developed, at least 5 large tubers are formed on it.
Lapot is grown practically in all regions with different climatic conditions. It perfectly tolerates drought, hail and light frosts, and is not very whimsical to soils. The only thing that can be blamed on him is poor resistance to diseases such as Alternaria and late blight.
Potato Lapot has a good keeping rate – 94%.
Lapot (potato): characteristic of tubers
If you visually look at the potato, you can distinguish the following external characteristics of the variety:
- big size;
- elongated oval shape, slightly flattened, often irregular;
- the skin is rough, thin, pale pink;
- the eyes are superficial, few in number;
- the color of the pulp is pale yellow, like that of natural butter;
- the taste is excellent, young tubers are well boiled during cooking.
Advantages and disadvantages
This variety has many positive qualities, but there are also disadvantages.
Pros:
- Laptyu is not afraid of natural whims, he easily tolerates any changes in weather conditions.
- During storage, the spoilage of the crop is only 5-6%.
- This is a real giant, since the maximum length of a tuber in a bush reaches 25 cm, an average – 10-15 cm;
- Possesses high resistance to mechanical damage during excavation and transportation.
- In almost every bush, all potatoes are large, without trifles.
- The plant is unpretentious.
Cons:
- Today the variety is considered obsolete, so it is difficult to purchase seed material.
- It is susceptible to late blight of tubers and stems, infection with Alternaria and attack by a wireworm.
Otherwise, the culture is perfect for cultivation in any area.
Peculiarities of growing
As already noted, Lapot seed potatoes are now difficult to buy, but they can be found from amateur gardeners. If you take 2-3 dozen copies, in just a few years it can be bred on your site. To get the maximum yield, this variety must be grown on light, fertile land. It is not worth planting it in low areas, as well as with a high occurrence of groundwater, in such places the yield will be much lower.
The soil must be slightly acidic. If horsetail is seen among the weeds, this means that the soil on the site is acidic. You can reduce it in one simple way – by adding ash to the wells during planting. In addition, ash will serve as an additional source of potassium. Rotted manure can also be thrown into the holes. This method of fertilizing the soil will save the consumption of organic matter by almost 3 times.
Crop rotation is considered the best prevention of diseases for this variety. If only potatoes are grown in the same place every year, then it will suffer from scab, late blight and other “potato” diseases. And the number of the Colorado potato beetle will increase so much that it will be almost impossible to overcome it. Therefore, cultures need to be changed. A good crop of tubers can be obtained in areas where barley, cabbage, legumes, cucumbers, onions or mustard were previously grown.
When to plant Lapot? As soon as leaves begin to grow on the birch, you can start planting. At this time, the earth has already warmed up to the desired temperature, the roots in it will be actively growing.
Siberian Lapot (seed potatoes) is germinated about 1 month before planting. Do this at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, in a sunny place. In such conditions, you can get strong shoots 2 cm long. Treatment of the planting material with preparations that have an insecticidal and fungicidal effect will not interfere. Prestige, Germination, Maxim or Fitosporin will do. All of them increase the stress resistance of the seed tubers.
On clay soil, it is preferable to use the ridge planting method, thanks to which the water will not stagnate, and the earth will warm up faster. When growing crops in sandy areas, only the smooth method is used.
Care instructions
The first shoots of potatoes will have to wait a bit, but the weeds will appear very quickly. Already on the 6th day after planting, light weeding with loosening can be carried out. The second weeding is carried out in a week, it is necessary to destroy the remaining weeds, that is, to consolidate the result.
To save energy on this procedure, you can mulch the place where the vegetable grows. For these purposes, freshly cut grass, peat chips, small sawdust and even straw are suitable.
Before flowering, the culture may not be watered at all. Watering will be needed during the period of active blooming of flowers, especially if dry weather is established. After flowering, the bushes can be re-moistened.
Bast does not like it when there is too much fertilizer in the soil. During the period of active growth, young plants need a small amount of nitrogen, and during the maturation of the root part, they need potassium and phosphorus. From organics, you can use cow dung, ash, bird droppings, nettle or dandelion infusions. The ideal option is to alternate between organic and mineral feeding.
Harvesting and storage
Usually, tubers start to be dug up in the second half of August. By this time, they already have a dense skin, the tops completely stop growing. For harvesting, both a shovel and a pitchfork are used, to whom it is convenient. The potato should dry out a little, so it will be easier to remove the remaining soil from it. Then she is removed to the shaded place for sorting.
It should be noted how well Lapot potatoes are stored. Reviews in this regard, he has only positive. It lies perfectly until next season in the cellar, and in the basement, and in special pits. Ventilation is an important storage condition. Since this variety is susceptible to late blight of tubers, there is a risk of missing the beginning of rotting. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to periodically audit the storage and sort out the tubers.
Use
The taste of this variety is at a high level. The vegetable is suitable for cooking, frying, making rich soups and cold salads. Its long and flat tubers can be baked whole. Many housewives will like potato sandals, the recipe for which is very simple.
First, you need to cut a bast shoe from raw unpeeled potatoes with a knife, removing the middle and making cuts in the form of cells on the front. Further, the resulting blanks are stuffed with any ingredients, here everyone chooses based on their taste preferences. You can use meat, vegetables, mushrooms, fish and so on. When the filling is in the middle, the sandals are sent to the oven. They are baked for 40 minutes at 200 degrees. The finished dish looks delicious and very unusual.
This is how it is, the old forgotten variety Lapot. It is worth growing it in your summer cottage in order to appreciate the size and taste of the tubers.
