Characteristics of Asterix potatoes
It is difficult to find a person who would not like potato dishes. Therefore, almost all gardeners and farmers grow its various varieties. Some focus on early and mid-season varieties, while others prefer late-ripening vegetables. One of the most beloved by consumers, medium-late varieties, is the Asterix potato. A large set of positive qualities made it universal when compared with other species that are grown in different regions of the country.
Characteristics of Asterix potatoes
Characteristics of the variety
The long ripening period makes it possible to ensure the planting of the vegetable with all the necessary measures to grow high quality products. You can harvest the fruits ahead of schedule for personal use, but the yield will decrease.
The average yield of Asterix potatoes is usually about 200c / ha. The maximum yield of up to 275 c / ha, according to the reviews of experienced potato growers, can be achieved by fulfilling all the care requirements.
Asterix is a potato, the characteristics of which will not be complete, if not to say that ripe tubers are perfectly stored at a temperature of about 7 ° C. Until the next harvest, they do not lose weight, remain elastic and retain their taste.
It is possible to cultivate the potato variety Asterix in the Central regions, in the fields of the Middle Volga region and the Far East. This is especially valuable because not many varieties are suitable for cultivation in these places.
Advantages of potatoes
Some positive features of this vegetable can be noted:
- It takes 4 months from germination to harvest.
- The yield of tubers is high.
- The taste is excellent.
- Marketability of products at the level of 90%.
- Stores well and tolerates transportation.
Some potato varieties may darken when cutting tubers for main courses or pancakes. This potato has no such disadvantage. Dishes are of a beautiful color, delicate consistency.
The potato variety Asterix is immune to many viruses, including:
- cancer;
- late blight on stems and tubers;
- phomosis and rolling of leaves.
It also does not respond to the presence in the soil of a golden cyst nematode parasitizing the roots of nightshade crops.
When fertilizing plots, you should pay attention to organic matter. Using manure, you can increase yields by 50%. It is desirable to add superphosphate to the soil.
Disadvantages of the variety
The main disadvantage can be considered the fact that these vegetables require increased attention when growing. But gardeners, confident that they can cope with all the problems, easily get quality products.
The main enemy of this potato is the Y virus. The plant has no immunity from it. If the landings are infected, then nothing will save them.
The best remedy is prevention. To prevent infection, it is necessary to treat young plants with insecticides. After all, it is aphids and cicadas that carry the virus.By destroying these pests, you can protect your potatoes.
Description of the bush
High erect stems of the plant are ribbed in shape. They are well leafy, but foliage can crumble at the bottom if the bushes are poorly lit. Leaves are large, open type, without waviness along the edge. Their color is dark green.
The bush is dark green
Flowers are collected in apical simple inflorescences. The petals are fused at the base, painted in red and purple tones. They are pollinated in a natural way, but few berries are tied, and even they can fall off.
Description of tubers
The starch content in the tubers is 17%, which makes it possible to prepare various dishes. Vegetables retain their shape well when cooked. On an industrial scale, it is from this variety that chips are most often produced. Potatoes are called chips, thanks to such a feature.
The tubers are distinguished by a beautiful red color.
Their shape is elongated, oval, slightly elongated. The peel is smooth and small eyes are visible on it. Potatoes are resistant to mechanical damage such as compression or shock during transportation. It does not lose shape and does not darken if the peel is abraded.
Asterix is a potato variety, the description of which can be ended with the fact that the mass of its tubers ranges from 70g to 120g. When cut, the pulp is rich yellow. Starchiness is clearly visible, in the form of a matte coating.
Seed potato preparation
When harvesting, you need to sort the crop immediately. Select seed potatoes and tubers for storage. Medium-sized potatoes are suitable for planting.
In the spring, a month before planting, it needs to be germinated and landscaped. To do this, the tubers are brought into a room with a temperature of at least 10 ° C and laid out in 2 layers in boxes. The boxes are placed in the light so that solanine is formed in the tubers - a poisonous substance that can destroy insects, at first after planting the potatoes.
With a height of eyes of about 2 cm, you can process potatoes with Prestige and plant them.
Soil preparation
The soil must be fertilized in autumn with humus: 40 buckets per hundred square meters. You can add complex mineral fertilizers to it. The main thing is that the nitrogen content is not high. With an excess of it, plants may die.
The ridges are formed at a distance of 60 cm from one another and are oriented from south to north. With this arrangement, the bushes will be well and evenly lit all day. This promotes the formation of chlorophyll and helps the plant to eat well.
Leave 25cm between the planting pits. Put 1 tsp in each hole. potassium salt, and phosphates. A handful of ash will protect tubers from late blight, and a handful of onion husks from small insects and wireworms.
Plant care
After planting the tubers, you need to wait for the shoots and start the first hilling. It is necessary in case of frost on the ground. In the process of growth, other activities are carried out, such as:
- watering;
- hilling;
- weeding and loosening;
- fertilizer;
- insect control.
You need to water the plantings at least 3 times in arid regions. When watering, fertilizers are applied, both mineral and organic.
Fresh manure cannot be used. It must first be prepared in order not to burn the plants. Take a container, which is filled 1: 1 with organic matter and water. The mixture is left to ferment for 2 weeks. Then dilute 1:10 with water and water the soil. After watering or rain, the ground must be loosened.
The characteristic says that the fight against insects is reduced to the collection of the imago of the Colorado potato beetle and the treatment with insecticides from aphids, beetle larvae and cicadas. Aktara, Ratibor and other drugs are used, a description of the recipes for their preparation is always on the packaging.
Conclusion
Experienced potato growers and gardeners with little experience can grow potatoes Asterix The description tells in detail about the advantages and disadvantages of the variety. When working, you need to follow the recommendations, timely feed and prevent diseases.Your work will help you get a high-quality and large harvest of environmentally friendly products. And hundreds of recipes will provide a huge selection of dishes that will decorate the table, delight you with a delicate aroma and excellent taste.