Dutch potato variety Colombo
Colombo, a hybrid potato variety, has long found its consumer. The potato species is grown on large areas on an industrial scale and is often planted by gardeners in their summer cottages.
Dutch potato variety colombo
About colombo variety
Colombo, a potato variety developed by Dutch breeders, began to be widely cultivated by agriculture in Finland, gradually moving to domestic land. In Russia, areas with warm and moderate climatic conditions are suitable for growing vegetables, which include:
- central and northwestern Russian parts,
- the territory of the North Caucasus,
- regions of the Volga region.
The description of the variety classifies the colombo potato as a type of vegetable intended for growing in open soil. Potato bushes reach a height of slightly more than half a meter, the foliage is green with a characteristic shade of emerald color. Inflorescences form snow-white flowers with a light purple hue.
Potato fruits are distinguished by their regular rounded shape, relatively equal in size. According to the external description, the average mass of each potato is about 100 grams and contains up to 15% of the starch component. Vegetables have light yellow thin skin and flesh of the same color.
The characteristic of the colombo potato variety classifies vegetables as table vegetables, intended mainly for preparing first and second table dishes from potatoes.
Harvest indicators
Pertaining to potato species with average ripening rates, a vegetable culture has about 70 - 75 days from the moment of planting tubers in open ground until the period of technical ripeness of vegetables. Gardeners classify the potato variety as a high-yielding variety, capable of producing from 1 hectare to 220-240 centners of vegetables.
Gardeners in regions with a warm climate have the opportunity to harvest Colombo twice in one gardening season.
The Dutch potato species boasts high commercial quality characteristics, showing stability and safety when transported over long distances. When stored in a cool place, where the temperature in the premises is in the range from -1 to -3 ', the Dutch vegetable potato crop can be stored for 5 months - six months.
Consumer reviews claim that homemade colombo potatoes do not lose their taste and quality characteristics even with prolonged storage.
Gardeners and industrial farmers note the keeping quality of the potato species up to 95%. In most cases, when grown industrially, vegetables are sold wholesale. Private farms use the grown crops for personal needs. The marketability of vegetable crops from Holland is almost one hundred percent and reaches 80-99%.
Features of agricultural technology
Plants need to be fertilized regularly
Potato tubers are planted at a depth of 9 to 10 cm with a recommended seeding pattern of 35 cm by 60 cm. They are planted after the growth of perennial grass, previously planted grains or beans.For the Dutch species, a slightly acidic soil layer will become a suitable soil, but it gives good yield indicators both on loamy soil and in black soil.
Inexperienced gardeners should take into account that the potato crop from Holland does not take root on ridges passing near groundwater, since this species negatively responds to waterlogging of the soil.
When growing, the air permeability of the soil layer is of no small importance, which allows the roots of plants to develop properly, providing high rates of fruiting. Regular weeding will be the key to a future harvest. With a frequency of once every two weeks, hilling is required.
Fearing the cold, the potato species is planted in a heated loosened soil. The best time for planting outdoors is early May.
The subtleties of growing
For this potato variety, such an infectious plant disease as scab is not scary. Vegetables are also resistant to a parasite called golden nematode. The variety has an average resistance to late blight of tuber and foliage. Pests can harm vegetable crops only if they are not properly cared for.
When growing a vegetable crop, it is recommended to analyze the composition of the soil for acidity indicators and stop feeding the plant when its indicators are exceeded.
Reviews of gardeners grown potatoes from Holland are advised to carry out regular feeding of the plant with siderates, for which clover and mustard are well suited. Can be used for bait with lupine, which will destroy the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle. When fertilizing with siderates, one should not forget about the need to suspend the process of digging up potato bushes for a period of 2-2.5 months.