The procedure for vernalizing potatoes before planting
Vernalization of potatoes is the preparation of seed for planting. If the gardener is going to plant seeds, then they are treated with low temperatures, if potatoes are planted, then they are engaged in sprouting tubers. Also, people often carry out vernalization of winter wheat. Vernalization of potatoes before planting is necessary to get an early harvest, this activity is performed by every experienced gardener.
Vernalize potatoes before planting
Preparation of planting material
In order to harvest a good harvest of potatoes, be sure to prepare the tubers before planting in the ground. For planting, small fruits are chosen, about 70-100 g. It is important to carefully consider this process, the gardener must review each tuber and select only healthy and whole fruits. Any stains on the potatoes can reduce yields and expose the plant to disease and pests.
If the potatoes sprouted during storage in the cellar, the sprouts need to be revised. If the potatoes are suitable for planting, the sprouts are pink, green, or purple. They are large, dense and even. While viewing the fruits, it happens that the sprouts are very thin. This only happens if the tubers have an infection, so it is not worth planting such a plant. If most of the seeds have such roots, you need to change the planting material.
If the sprouts have grown ahead of time, then they must be broken off. This will help the potatoes to sprout new, healthy shoots. It is impossible to plant tubers with long shoots, since the duration of cultivation can be significantly delayed.
Duration of the procedure
Vernalization of potatoes is carried out 30-40 days before planting. If the potato variety is early, then the shoots may appear a couple of days earlier than in the later varieties. To determine the start date of the procedure, you need to subtract 40 days from the exact date of planting the potatoes. If you start vernalization of the plant ahead of time, the shoots will grow long, so there is a danger of damage to potato seeds during planting in the ground.
Planting the plant begins at a time when the air temperature is 8-12 ° C °. In addition, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the earth itself, do it to a depth of 20-40 cm. The temperature of the soil should be 6-8 ° C. In case the frost returns, a shelter is being prepared.
Existing methods
If this is the vernalization of potatoes, then you need to determine the variety of this procedure so that it fully meets your requirements. Vernalization of potatoes has 3 versions - dry, wet and combined. For such a potato procedure, you can choose any method at home. Gardeners often wonder which method is right. How to do it correctly: in the light or in complete darkness?
Gardeners, when using such methods, are inclined to believe that light acts on the fruit and creates solanine. The fruits, which contain solanine, are a little sick and are affected by parasites.Gardeners, who carry out the second method, argue that, under normal conditions, potatoes develop in the ground, and a person will not be able to interfere in this process, because he can only ruin everything.
Dry method
If you choose a dry method of vernalization, you need to keep the potatoes dry and spray them from time to time. This method is wonderful in that the plant cannot become infected with fungal diseases. There are several options for distributing potato seeds during the event:
- laid out on the floor in 1-2 rows;
- placed on racks;
- hung in a bag;
- strung on a wire.
The first version requires a lot of light and heat, which cannot always be provided. If there is such a place, then paper or oilcloth is placed on the floor. The fruits are placed in several layers, for 1-2 weeks, and must be sprayed. Also, the fruits are transferred to the other side every 2-3 days.
For the second option, the vernalization of potatoes is carried out using racks. The interval between the shelves is set to 30 cm. This method will save space in the house, but you will need to spend a little on all the necessary materials. You can save money if you use the sachet method. You can place them anywhere, for example, on a balcony. It is also worth monitoring the air temperature, it should not be less than 5 ° C.
The latter option will help save space, because the potatoes can be strung on a wire and placed throughout the room. If it's warm outside, the procedure is carried out there. It is not difficult to vernalize winter potatoes, it is easy to do it at home. Before planting, the tubers will have a pair of shoots 3 cm long.
Wet method
Soak potatoes
The vernalization of potatoes by this method allows the fruit to be soaked in humid conditions; this method is often used for winter wheat. For vernalization in this way, apply:
- sand;
- peat;
- sawdust;
- perlite.
The best option for wet vernalization of a plant is sand, because it does not allow air to pass through well. Holding the fruit in the sand can help prevent diseases and pests. Vernalizers using sawdust are not very reliable. Sawdust may not pass air evenly, leading to infection. It is also forbidden to use oak sawdust.
Vernalization of potatoes with peat is excellent. It does not allow fungal infections to get to the fruit, and the tubers in the peat grow well. Peat contains nutrients. But there is one drawback - this is an excess of moisture, so you can mix peat with wood ash. The vernalization of seeds in perlite is also good; fungal diseases will not damage the planting material. Perlite absorbs moisture well and prevents infections from spreading.
Before the procedure, paper or film is placed on the bottom of the container, then a little wet substrate is poured. Lay the tubers and substrate in layers until the container is completely filled. In order to perfectly vernalize the plant, the container is removed to a warm room, in which the temperature is 15 ° C. To prevent vegetables from drying out, gardeners should monitor the moisture and quality of the fruit. Before planting, the fruits have shoots of 3-5 cm. Make sure that the planting material does not dry out during planting. Before planting, potatoes are treated with insecticides.
Combined method
Vernalization of potatoes in a combined way is the use of light and moisture. First, the tubers are placed in the light, and then transferred to a wet substrate for further growing. The selected material for vernalization is carried to a bright place at a temperature of 10 ° C and waited for 2 weeks. Every day you need to transfer the fruits and process.
When the potatoes show the first shoots, they are transferred to boxes with a damp substrate until the roots appear. This process takes 3 weeks. If the potato is early, then it is able to form roots much faster. After the procedure, the fruits should be immediately planted in open ground so that the roots do not have time to dry out.
Plant processing
Before winter vernalization, wheat and fruits must be processed in order to exclude the appearance of diseases and pests. The following chemicals are used to process the plant:
- stimulants for good growth;
- insecticide;
- useful items;
- fungicide preparation;
- disinfectants.
Spraying with fungicides is carried out if the plant grew in poor weather conditions. Moisture increases the risk of various diseases. Not all gardeners can see that a plant has become infected with a fungus. The first symptoms are seen during maturation. If potatoes are purchased on the market, they may contain a number of infections that affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
In such cases, the fruits are washed well before vernalization, but so as not to damage the tubers. After washing, the fruits must be disinfected and sprayed with fungicides, as written in the instructions. If you use a growth stimulant, you can speed up the process of growing potatoes by 1-2 weeks. Also, this tool will increase the yield itself.
Potassium treatment will add nutrients to the plant. The potatoes will ripen much faster and will be more stress-resistant. It is also important to process the fruits from the appearance of pests.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to vernalize fruits, seeds and wheat before winter, it does not take much time and effort. Vernalization can be chosen by the gardener in any way, and applied before planting. The procedure will help to collect a high-quality early harvest and increase it several times.
Do not forget to treat the plant with special agents before planting. They will help protect tubers from the appearance of infections and harmful insects. In this way, any gardener, without experience, will be able to grow a large amount of crops on their own, and most importantly, that it will be of high quality and useful.