Fertilizing potatoes when planting in a hole
To get a high-quality and bountiful harvest, you need to properly fertilize your plantings. Experienced gardeners believe that if the potatoes were fertilized during planting, then this not only increases the yield, but also improves the resistance of plants to various diseases. Properly planted potatoes with good nutrition strengthens the tubers and forms the desired fruit size. Nutritional requirements for potatoes are very high, therefore, when determining the dosage of top dressing, one should take into account the direction of use of the potato, the richness of the soil and the expected level of agricultural technology.
Fertilizing potatoes when planting in a hole
Manure
The successful cultivation of potatoes will greatly depend on whether you added manure to the hole when planting or not. Manure is not only a source of nutrients, but also improves the properties of the soil. All over the world, any kind of manure is the best fertilizing when applied to the hole. The optimal time to use manure is autumn and spring. In order for the manure not to burn your plantings, you need it to perek first. Some gardeners add manure to the soil in the fall and it overheats during the winter. If it is not possible to apply manure for such a long time, then you can prepare it several months and weeks before the intended planting. The optimal dose of manure per hectare is 25 tons, which brings 125 kg of nitrogen, 75 kg of phosphorus and 150 kg of potassium to the soil.
The main function of manure is to bring organic matter to the soil. To have a good harvest, you need to ensure that you have enough digestible nutrients. All this gives you organic fertilization. The use of manure is an integral element accompanying agricultural processing. Only well-digestible manure can be used as such a fertilizer. In the first year after the application of manure, plants can use up to 50% of all its components. Mineralization and decomposition of manure in the soil takes a long time. Such feeding guarantees a better utilization of the nutrients contained in the manure by the plants, and thus increases the yield of the number of tubers.
Benefits
- Owners of living things in the private sector will be grateful for help with processing and can donate manure for free.
- Manure almost doubles the yield.
- Manure helps keep the soil moist, making it soft and oxygenated.
Use cases
Manure can be applied in the autumn before digging the site. The dosage is at the rate of 10 liters per 1 square meter, applied to a depth of no more than 40 cm. A mixture of manure with sawdust is well suited for warming the beds. In order to insulate the beds, manure is scattered in small lumps over the desired area. The dosage is 1.5 buckets per 1 sq. M.
Please note that when manure is outdoors, a large amount of nitrogen evaporates.
Nitrogen
If you correctly calculate the dosage of dressings, then after planting potatoes in the ground, the tubers will only get stronger over time, since such an element is especially necessary for the development and growth of the plant. Nitrogen fertilizing should be applied in the spring before planting potatoes in the hole, thoroughly mixing them with the soil. Uneven distribution of top dressing in the soil can concentrate only around the seed, and this will negatively affect the seeds.
Excessive use of nitrogen affects the lush development of the aerial part of the plant and delays harvest. It also contributes to the exfoliation of the epidermis, an increase in the content of nitrates, a greater darkening of the flesh of the tubers and a decrease in dry matter, starch and vitamin C. In addition, nitrogen increases the susceptibility of tubers to mechanical damage during storage, so it is so important not to overdo it with the introduction of the mineral.
Benefits
Fertilizer will help the plant grow
- Nitrogen combined with magnesium and sulfur improves soil quality and stimulates planting growth.
- When used correctly, natural compounds soften water and improve leaf nutrition, resulting in a layer that makes it difficult for harmful pathogens to penetrate.
- Nitrogen is the most potent nutrient to fertilize before planting potatoes.
Use cases
Nitrogen must be applied to the ground before planting, according to the instructions. The dosage should be calculated based on the number of seedlings planted per square meter. If, after applying nitrogen to the soil, your plantings did not begin to grow actively, but, on the contrary, slowed down in growth, then this may mean that the dosage is violated. In the case of nitrogen fertilization, it is better not to add nitrogen than to oversaturate the soil.
If you plan to fertilize potatoes with nitrogen, then it can be supplied with other nutrients - and trace elements. Otherwise, before the flowering period, your plantings may not absorb nitrogen. Unidirectional fertilization of potatoes without the supply of other nutrients leads to a decrease in technological quality, large losses during storage of tubers and often a higher susceptibility to diseases.
Urea
Another best potato fertilizer is long-lived urea. In early cultivation, it is recommended to use this top dressing when added to the ground before flowering. In addition to other supplements, potassium is equally important for the proper functioning of plants. Potassium controls the uptake of nitrates by the roots, which are then transported to the leaves and used for protein production.
Benefits
- The photosynthetic activity of the plant increases, which leads to an increase in the content of carbohydrates (starch).
- The content of vitamins (B1, C) increases in tubers.
- Fruits become less prone to damage.
Use cases
Urea is used in combination with other minerals, for example, together with potassium. Top dressing has a positive effect on the resistance of plants to pests. Plantings that feed sufficiently well on potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen in combination become more resilient and resist viruses and pests. If you add each mineral to the soil in the right dosage and carry out the right care, then your harvest will become abundant over time.
Top dressing on wet soil
You can fertilize potatoes before or immediately after planting in the hole in case of excessive rainfall, when the soil pH is too low or too high, as well as when the amount of humus is too little or when important trace elements are missing. Dosage: Urea (10-15 kg n / ha, dissolved in 400-600 l of water). Depending on the variety, soil scarcity and the stage of potato growth, approximately 2-4 treatments are carried out with an interval of 7-10 days.
Pest control
Some foliar fertilizers, used in conjunction with fungicides, increase the effectiveness of pest control and reduce the recommended dosage of fungicides. Such processing can be carried out both when planting in a hole and after planting potatoes. Processing should be done in the morning at a temperature of 12-15 degrees and high humidity. These treatments are also effective for several hours after rainfall, when the plants are dry and the moisture in the soil allows mechanical spraying. It can be noted that on wet soils, when planting potatoes in a hole, some fertilizers may not work or they may be washed off by rain.
Useful Tips
Please note that if you process plantings at night, then the recommended dose of nitrogen and other fertilizers is reduced by 20-30% without deteriorating the quality of tubers. As a phosphorus fertilizer, triple superphosphate can be recommended. The best potash fertilizers are potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate because they contain small amounts of harmful sodium chloride and significant amounts of sulfur and magnesium.
In the absence of these fertilizers, potassium salts should be used. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers should be applied on coarser soils in the fall under plowing, and on light soils in areas with high rainfall, it is better to use spring standard fertilizers. When growing potatoes, in addition to standard fertilizers, multi-component fertilizers are applied both during planting and after it until the flowering period. If you fertilize the potatoes correctly when planting, then you will get a bountiful harvest already in the current season.