Potato "Red Sonya": description and recommendations for growing
Most gardeners prefer growing early varieties of potatoes. Important conditions are ease of cultivation and a rich harvest that will help you enjoy a sweet vegetable. The most popular among most varieties of red potatoes is the type of "Red Sonya".
It is highly resistant to diseases and unpretentious in care, and is also ideal for growing in central Russia.
Variety characteristics
In search of early potatoes, one cannot pass by the Red Sonya variety, which was created by German breeders. Its ripening period takes only 50-65 days depending on weather conditions. It is also noteworthy that this potato can be easily grown in almost any climate, which is why many domestic gardeners like it. High and low temperatures have little effect on the final result of the crop.
This is a seed variety, the fruits of which are characterized by a standard oval neat shape. Potatoes have a smooth, rich red-brown skin and pale yellow flesh. The eyes are superficial and shallow, making it easy to peel the vegetable for further use. The tops are characterized by rapid and stable growth. The bush does not grow and is distinguished by a powerful trunk and stems. Foliage color typical for potatoes is dark green. Medium-sized sheet with curly edges.Up to 8-10 fruits can grow in one tuber. The average weight of one potato ranges from 120 to 200 gr.
Red Sonya vegetable is also resistant to diseases such as potato nematode and potato cancer. Rarely exposed to any viruses and scab. Resistance to late blight will be determined by the growing conditions of potatoes and the quality of care. This variety has a bright and slightly sweet taste, and thanks to its dense pulp it is perfect for frying and baking.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Red Sonya potato variety has the following advantages:
- a high level of productivity, the variety pleases with large fruits, and since it is very early, two crops can be harvested per season (on average, up to 470 centners of a vegetable can be harvested from one hectare);
- excellent transportability and long shelf life, so "Red Sonya" is suitable for entrepreneurial farmers, as well as those who are used to harvesting potatoes until the next season (during transportation and storage, the fruits do not crack or split, vegetables retain their fresh appearance for a long time, potatoes are also resistant to falls and careless transportation);
- a high degree of resistance to diseases (allows you to collect a quality crop and does not lose tubers at the same time);
- unpretentiousness in care, bushes grow stably even with little care, tubers form together;
- dense pulp allows housewives to experiment while preparing potato dishes, since the vegetable does not boil soft and does not lose its shape.
The main disadvantage of the Red Sonya variety is the risk of being affected by rhizoctoniosis. To avoid this, you should take care in advance that there are no beds with beets, tomatoes and cabbage next to the potatoes.
Growing process
Before growing potatoes of the Red Sonya variety, you first need to make sure the quality of the soil. It must be fertile, saturated with minerals and, of course, loose to ensure oxygen access and normal tuber formation. A poor harvest can result in a too wet environment of clay soils. The growing process can be divided into several stages.
Tuber preparation
It is necessary to choose the largest fruits if the gardener wants to get the same large-sized future crop, and then germinate them. To do this, the fruits are placed in a warm place, devoid of drafts. It is necessary to carry out this procedure a month and a half before the proposed planting of potatoes in open ground. Before direct landing, it is also worth taking care of the prevention of the development of rhizoctoniosis with the help of specialized means.
Planting tubers in open ground
The beds must be formed in such a way that there is at least 30 cm of distance between adjacent potato bushes, and 60-70 cm between rows. This is necessary in order to provide tubers with a place to form more fruits. Do not forget that vegetables need air to germinate, so it is recommended to plant them at least 5-8 cm deep.
The best result, based on the observations of professional farmers, is obtained when the fruit is planted with eyes up. After that, it is necessary to carry out simple care for future potatoes in order to get the highest quality crop.
Care
The variety "Red Sonya" does not like too wet or dry soil. Therefore, to obtain a good harvest, it is worth monitoring the degree of soil moisture, and if necessary, moderately water it.During the growing process, it is recommended to make several dressings. It can be organic or mineral fertilizers. The number of perfect top dressings will directly depend on the initial state of the soil, as well as climatic conditions. If fertilizers were applied at the time of planting, this may be quite enough for the normal formation of tubers.
Do not forget about timely loosening. It must be carried out immediately, as a crust forms on the surface of the beds. Otherwise, the tubers may lack oxygen, and the final crop may turn out to be small. Regular disease prevention increases the chances of a quality crop. It must be carried out throughout the entire growing process and carefully inspect the bushes. After all, the sooner the disease is detected, the faster it can be eliminated and prevented from spreading to healthy bushes.
10-12 days before the start of harvesting potatoes, you need to remove the tops from the site. This is done so that the peel of the fruit becomes more durable and ready for future transportation.
Reviews
Domestic buyers of the Red Sonya variety note the speed of ripening of its fruits. One and a half to two months, and you can harvest, and then plant a new one. Thus, many gardeners manage to get a double crop in one season. In addition, potatoes have a neat appearance and rich skin color. For many, this is a great selling option. Most gardeners in their reviews claim that there are very few small things in the tubers, almost all potatoes are large and dense. The presence of small and shallow eyes allows you to comfortably clean the vegetable for future culinary masterpieces.Gardeners also note the high palatability of potatoes and their long shelf life.
See the following video for an overview of this potato variety.