Potato "Meteor": variety description and cultivation
Many potato varieties that summer residents prefer to grow on their plots were bred by breeders from Holland. But Russian scientists also have good work, these include the Meteor potato variety. He is loved for his unpretentiousness and high yields.
Characteristic
Potato "Meteor" can be grown in any corner of Russia. It is distinguished from other varieties by the tallness of the shoots.
In the description of the variety, one can distinguish the characteristic features of the plant that other varieties do not have:
- dining destination;
- high and medium yield;
- any method of heat treatment is possible;
- good taste qualities.
The stalk of the potato has an average thickness, it has dark green leaves that are moderately dissected. The flower of this variety has a small size and white corollas. Each bush can annually reward the owner with large tubers, weighing about 140 grams. One plant gives an early harvest of ten fruits, and sometimes more.
This variety of potatoes has a thin cream-colored skin and small eyes. When cut, you can see the flesh of a light yellow color. The period of full ripening for fruits is seventy days. Harvesting of a young crop can be carried out by the forty-fifth day. The variety is characterized by high yield, which reaches from two hundred to four hundred centners per hectare.Under favorable weather conditions and proper care, Meteor can produce four hundred and fifty centners of tubers per hectare.
The young tuber begins the process of formation along with the development of buds. The tubers contain about twelve percent starch. This variety has collected a lot of positive feedback from people who grow it. People love this food product boiled, fried and stewed.
Advantages and disadvantages
In addition to early maturity, the Meteor variety has the following positive features:
- a high level of keeping quality, provided that the correct storage conditions are observed;
- gives high yields;
- has a pleasant taste;
- does not darken during cooking;
- characterized by excellent presentation;
- fruits do not rot;
- adapts to different climatic conditions and soils.
But also do not forget that potatoes contain useful substances that are so necessary for the normal functioning of the body. First of all, this vegetable is rich in potassium and ascorbic acid, an important source of strength and energy for the body. Eating Meteor potatoes helps in the fight against hypertension and dilates blood vessels. The Meteor has practically no drawbacks, but still some of them have been noticed. For example, the plant does not have high resistance to late blight.
The following contraindications regarding the use of this potato are known:
- an unripe tuber with a greenish peel should not be eaten, as it contains a harmful substance - solanine;
- people who suffer from diabetes, obesity, low acidity of the juice in the stomach should eat fruits in limited quantities.
Landing
The advantages of "Meteor" include its ability to grow and bear fruit in a variety of conditions. Thanks to this quality, even novice gardeners do not spend a lot of effort on growing this variety, while collecting excellent yields. The quality and volume of harvested root crops will depend on the quality of the material and the starting conditions with which it is provided.
According to the recommendations of experts, it is worth planting potatoes from the second half of April to the first half of May. Orientation to a calendar period is not always correct, since heat comes to a particular region at different times.
There are two ways to determine the optimal period for planting a vegetable.
- Scientific. It is based on warming up the soil at a depth of ten centimeters. To plant a vegetable, it must be at least ten degrees Celsius. This indicator is achieved at average daily temperatures of at least plus eight.
- People's. Guided by this method, work on planting a tuber plant can begin when the bird cherry blossoms, or the birch leaf has reached the size of a penny.
Choosing the right landing time, you should be guided by the weather forecast for the near future. If weather forecasters promise unexpected frosts, then this can have a detrimental effect on the plant.
Potato "Meteor" refers to light-loving plants. The best place for its further growth will be an area that is well lit and not shaded from the fence and buildings. Laying beds for vegetables should be carried out from north to south. A low-lying area with water stagnation and close groundwater will also be a bad option. This type of plant is “fearful” of strong winds, so the site for planting must be selected protected.
Soil fertility is an important factor that affects the future abundant potato harvest. Soil with a loamy composition will be the right choice for Meteor. Many gardeners have long known that crop rotation has a positive effect on the future harvest. From a separate culture, the territory must rest for at least 2 years.
The best predecessors for potatoes of this variety:
- pumpkin;
- melon;
- cucumber;
- watermelon;
- onion;
- garlic.
Unwanted precursors are:
- potato;
- tomatoes;
- different types of pepper;
- eggplant;
- sorghum;
- sunflower.
In order to properly prepare the soil for planting Meteor, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the area from weeds, previous crops, and also lay fertilizers. The best option for feeding the soil will be manure, it will take ten kilograms per square meter. And also a good option would be humus, which you need half as much. The spreading of fertilizers must be carried out in the autumn, and in the spring to dig up the ground. But it is also necessary to apply mineral fertilizers in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium and sulfur.
If you properly prepare the planting material, then the growth and maturation of the plant will be much faster. In addition, this way the area is used more efficiently due to the absence of a defective patient and a weak tuber. Before starting the planting process, the tubers should be disinfected and sprayed with a growth stimulator.
Treater options:
- a tablespoon of copper sulfate with a few granules of potassium permanganate;
- kilogram of wood ash.
To further feed the soil and provide it with protection from parasites, it is worth adding urea, superphosphate and boric acid to the solution.A good option would be to use insectofungicides in the form of "Matador", "Masterpiece", "Aktara". Potatoes should be kept in these solutions for about twenty minutes. It is necessary to germinate tubers strictly in a well-lit place, so the sprouts will be properly formed. Proper planting of Meteor potatoes should be carried out at a distance of 0.35 m between plants and 0.6 m between rows. The laying is carried out to a depth of ten centimeters.
Feeding the hole will be effective:
- half a glass of bone meal, one tablespoon of nitrophoska;
- 0.7 kg of humus;
- five tablespoons of wood ash.
Next, two or three potatoes should be placed in each hole and buried with earth.
Care instructions
Growing and caring for "Meteor" is very similar to other early varieties. Care for this variety will depend on climatic conditions, soil characteristics and growing area. Seven days after the potatoes were planted, you need to start caring for the plant.
"Meteor" is a heat-resistant variety, it tolerates dry weather well. But in order for the crops to be good, it is worth watering the potatoes every ten days. In rainy weather, irrigation is not required. When watering a vegetable, it is worth making sure that not only the surface is wet, but also the soil is soaked by about 0.5 meters.
The soil where potatoes are planned to grow must be filled with nutrients before planting. Provided that any bush lags behind the rest in growth, it is possible to carry out its double feeding with complex mineral fertilizers. The more often precipitation in the form of rain is noticed on the territory, the more top dressing the Meteor will need.Any early potato variety responds well to the addition of magnesium, calcium and mullein. We must not forget about the removal of weeds, as well as loosening the soil. When seven days have passed since the potato was planted, these activities can begin. It is not worth loosening the soil too deep, and the area of \u200b\u200bwork should be reduced with the development of the bush.
If potatoes grow in a cold climate zone, where late frosts are possible, then the bushes should be spudded. In other territories this is not necessary due to the deep landing.
Diseases and pests
Not so often you can find a plant that is not attacked by diseases and parasites. Potato infects the Colorado potato beetle, the bear and the nematode. In order to protect the "Meteor" from them, it is worth carrying out preventive treatment with insecticides. As prevention, good agricultural practices and plant care have a good effect. A strong and healthy bush copes with pests with ease. At the level of genetics, resistance to diseases of various kinds can be instilled.
"Meteor" can be attributed to the most resistant varieties of potatoes. He copes well with potato cancer, scab, late blight, golden nematode. Thanks to these features, the cultivation of this plant is a pleasure. From the Colorado potato beetle, you can use folk methods, as well as spraying with "Regent", "Confidor", "On the spot".
Despite the fact that this variety of potatoes is perfectly stored, with the onset of heat, it germinates. This is why every dug up tuber must be inspected and sorted out after harvest. Potatoes must be laid out in a place that is protected from light and well ventilated.
"Meteor" is the kind of potato that combines the best qualities of this plant. It ripens quickly, gives good yields, is well transported and stored for a long time. The variety is demanding on soil nutrition, but this is compensated by tasty and healthy fruits that can be consumed both young and ripe.
That is why, by choosing Meteor potatoes, you will not regret, but, on the contrary, you will be satisfied with the result of simple and productive cultivation.
In the next video you will find the secrets of growing potatoes.