Characteristics of the potato variety Karatop
Growing vegetables on your own plot is not easy, especially if the region has difficult climatic conditions or the plant is susceptible to diseases and pests. Against the background of all other varieties, Karatop potatoes occupy an advantageous position, since they differ from all others in their excellent taste data and high immunity to pathogens.
Characteristics of the potato variety Karatop
If during the growing process all the norms and rules for caring for the crop are observed, then the vegetable grower will receive a good harvest, which can be used to prepare a variety of dishes.
Features of the variety
Description and characteristics give a clear idea that Karatop is a very early potato variety. The bush is of medium height, has small green leaves. During flowering, white flowers appear on the plant.
The vegetative period is 60-65 days (this is the time from the moment of disembarkation to the state of technical ripeness). After 50-55 days after planting, you can already start harvesting more than 20 pieces from one bush.
Tubers
The description of the potato variety Karatop says that the tubers are round - oval, weight from 80 to 120-130 g. The pulp is granular in structure, yellowish in color, the starch content is 11-12%. Karatop potatoes have a high keeping quality, the safety of tubers from autumn to spring reaches 96%, so it can be left for a long period of time.
Advantages and disadvantages
Recently, this variety has gained great popularity, which proves its clear superiority over other representatives of the "nightshade" family. To make sure of this statement, it is enough to consider all the strengths and weaknesses of the Karatop potato variety.
The undoubted advantage will be:
- Attractive presentation of the product.
- High yield rates: from 1 hectare harvested from 30 to 50 tons.
- Versatility of use (average starch content) On a 5-point scale, taste is evaluated at 4.6-4.7 points.
- The variety develops well in almost all types of soil.
- This culture is characterized by its resistance to the development of diseases such as: viruses A and Y, glandular spot, cancer.
But, despite all the strengths of the Karatop potato variety, it has some disadvantages:
One of the main drawbacks is that it does not tolerate droughts. If you do not provide for an additional irrigation system, then root crops will form very slowly. And this, in turn, affects the quality of the potatoes. Another negative side is that the variety is poorly resistant to late blight.
Planting potatoes
The description of the Karatop potato variety indicates that this is an early crop, so planting can begin in mid-April, when the soil is warmed up well enough. If the gardener lives in the southern regions, the date may shift, the main thing is that the weather conditions are favorable for the normal development of the plant.An important stage in planting will be the choice of potatoes, in the process it is necessary to adhere to the following criteria:
- those root crops that are not affected by fungal diseases are considered good;
- planting material with many eyes is able to give a larger number of shoots;
- the mass of the tuber should be from 60 g to a maximum of 75-80 g.
It is good if the seed is germinated in advance, for this a small box is taken, a weakly acidic soil is poured onto the bottom in a thin layer. Its temperature should be at least 15 C. Selected fruits are laid out here, and covered with earth on top. This process is repeated until the box is completely filled. The box is exposed to light, the average germination period is 2 weeks. After the roots are sorted into a separate container.
Soil preparation
The soil must be prepared for planting in the fall.
Potatoes Karatop will grow well and bear fruit if a place for growing the crop is previously selected in the autumn period.
But there are several conditions here. Tomatoes, cucumbers or carrots should not grow in this area.
It is fertilized with rotted manure, first scattered over the territory, and then dug up the earth. Large clods of earth should not be broken, so the soil will freeze better, and therefore the embryos of pests and weed seeds will be destroyed. In the spring, the land must be plowed, loosened and leveled with a rake.
Planting potatoes
When the seeds are ready and their description matches the standard characteristic, you can start planting. The whole procedure consists of the following points:
- First, they dig trenches, the depth of which is calculated from the type of soil: heavy 7-8 cm, light 9-10 cm, clay - half as much.
- The distance between the rows should be more than 60 cm.
- Planting material is laid out every 30-35 cm and sprinkled with soil on top.
Highlights of care
The ripening time of a crop depends not only on climatic factors, but also on how well the grower takes care of the plant. In this matter, it is necessary to know all the nuances in order to prevent mistakes, thereby causing harm and reducing the amount of the crop. It is unrealistic to completely abandon irrigation and fertilization, given the modern features of the environment.
Watering
It doesn't matter what kind of potato grows in the garden, it is necessary to water this plant at the root. Why is it so? The first reason is that some do not follow the recommendations and water the plant in the morning, but this cannot be done, because the sun can leave burns on the leaves. Second, the culture is exposed to late blight, and if the plant is flooded with water, this is fraught with the development of the disease. Under normal climatic conditions, karat is watered once a week.
Fertilizer
Top dressing plays one of the central roles in the process of obtaining a large harvest.
If the plant lacks certain elements, then it will not be able to develop normally. Oversupply also has a negative impact. The optimal solution would be:
- At the beginning of the growing season until the beginning of flowering and budding, fertilize the tubers with phosphorus.
- As soon as this need passes, potassium is needed for potatoes, which improves the characteristics of the crop.
- Some gardeners add top dressing during watering, as on dry ground, it can burn the lower leaves or roots.
Pest control
In order for the resulting crop to be further sent for storage, it is necessary to take care of protecting the plants from harmful organisms. The tubers are eaten by a nematode, a bear and a Colorado potato beetle. Preventive measures can be taken in advance. To do this, perform:
- Spraying. Root crops are laid out on oilcloth, cellophane or tarpaulin. Chemicals are bred in a bucket and irrigated with them on tubers. Then they are turned over so that all sides are treated with the medicine.
- You can also take the drug in dry form, add ash to it and roll potatoes in this mixture.
- Soak.The drug is poured into a small container and water is added there. After that, the fruits are laid and they remain there for 2-4 hours, after which they are dried and planted in the ground.
Conclusion
Karatop is a table variety that can rightfully be called one of the best options. Since it assumes a rich harvest. Subsequent transportation and storage of the product will not be difficult. If the gardener does not want to waste time preparing tubers for planting, then planting material can be purchased from agricultural firms.