Content
Every vegetable grower dreams of growing potatoes on his plot, which ripen very early. Arosa makes it possible to feast on a young root crop in June. The variety is valued for its high yield, drought tolerance and unpretentiousness. This is especially important for busy summer residents who, due to circumstances, cannot provide the plant with proper care.
Origin story
The Arosa potato variety originated in Germany. German breeders bred it in 2009. The originator of the new variety is Uniplanta Saatzucht KG. In 2000, the variety was officially included in the state register of Russia. Potatoes were actively imported into the country, sold and multiplied.
Arosa is suitable for cultivation in the Ural, Caucasian, Middle Volga regions of the Russian Federation and in Siberia. German potatoes are also popular in Ukraine and Moldova.
Description
Arosa potatoes are a versatile, early-ripening variety that is characterized by high productivity. From germination to harvest, an average of 70-75 days pass. The first digging can be done after 55-60 days after landing.
The potato bush is compact, medium in size, with semi-erect stems. The plant is covered with small green leaves. Inflorescences are lilac, with a reddish tint. Seedlings are uniform.
Arosa tubers have a rounded, slightly elongated shape. The peel is dark pink with a reddish tint. The surface is smooth, with a slight roughness in places. Small eyes are located on the surface of the potato. The pulp is dark yellow, crumbles during cooking. Potatoes have excellent taste and marketability.
Tuber mass is within from 70 to 135 grams. An average of 15 potatoes are obtained from a bush. With proper care, 50-70 tons of crops can be harvested from one hectare of plantings. The root vegetable contains about 12-15% starch. This variety is great for making chips and fries.
Advantages and disadvantages
Arosa has many positive characteristics:
- rapid maturation;
- high productivity;
- excellent taste (4.6 points out of 5);
- tolerates drought well, therefore this potato variety can be grown without additional artificial irrigation;
- excellent presentation of tubers;
- resistant to nematode, U virus, mosaic and cancer;
- during storage and transportation, it does not lose its taste and appearance;
- uniform shoots.
The disadvantages of this potato variety are much less than the advantages. Arosa can be affected by rhizoctonia, silver scab and late blight. Therefore, before sowing, it is necessary to etch the planting material. Also, the bushes can be attacked by the Colorado potato beetle.
Landing
Arosa is usually planted in May. The earth should warm up to + 9-10 degrees. For planting, choose a sunny area with a flat surface. The best precursors to potatoes are legumes, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, and winter rye. This variety is unpretentious, therefore can be grown in any soil.
Since autumn, the following organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the selected area (per 1 m2):
- superphosphate - 1 tbsp. l .;
- potassium sulfate - 1 tsp;
- ash - 1 glass;
- humus or compost - 1 bucket.
If the soil is clayey, river sand is added to it.Fertilizers are evenly scattered over the surface of the site and the soil is dug to a depth of 20-25 cm. In the spring, the soil is harrowed again, leveled with a rake and weeds are removed. The procedure saturates the soil with oxygen.
Two weeks before planting, the root crop is taken out of the cellar. Tubers are sorted, damaged and diseased are thrown away. The mass of seed potatoes should be in the range of 60-75 grams. The more eyes on it, the better. For germination, the tubers are harvested in a bright room, the air temperature in which is maintained at a level of +12 to +15 degrees. When the sprouts stretch up to 3-4 cm, the potatoes are planted.
For the prevention of diseases, before planting, Arosa tubers are sprayed with Fitosporin, Alirin or a solution of copper sulfate. To increase yields and accelerate the ripening of potatoes, they are treated with growth regulators. Some of the most effective stimulants are Agat 25-K and Cherkaz.
In order for the harvest to be of high quality, each bush must have a sufficient feeding area. Arosa tubers planted to a depth of 8-10 cm with an interval of 35-40 cm. At least 70-75 cm of free space is left between the rows. According to the planting scheme, holes or trenches are dug. Potatoes are planted with sprouts up and sprinkled with soil 5-6 cm.
Care
It is not difficult to care for this variety of potatoes. It is necessary to regularly clean the area from weeds, as well as to loosen, irrigate and fertilize the soil. The ripening period of the crop and the volume of the crop depend on the quality of care.
Watering and loosening
For the entire growing season, it is recommended to water Arosa at least three times. The first irrigation is carried out a month after planting, the second - during the budding period, the third - after flowering. In hot and dry weather, the plant is watered more often. Each potato bush should receive at least 3 liters of warm water. Moistening the area is carried out in the evening or before sunrise.
To saturate the soil with oxygen and retain moisture, the soil is regularly loosened. The procedure is carried out after watering, when the soil dries up a little. Loosening helps to get rid of weeds.
Hilling
Hilling is the process of backfilling the bottom of the bush with moist soil. After the procedure, the roots of the potatoes begin to grow and branch intensively, so more tubers are formed.
Over the entire growing season, potatoes of the Arosa variety are spud 3 times:
- When the height of the shoots reaches 8-10 cm. If frosts are expected, then the plant must be completely covered with earth.
- During the period of bud formation.
- During flowering. The height of the comb should be about 18-20 cm.
If the bushes stretch out and fall apart, it is recommended to carry out unscheduled hilling. The procedure is performed carefully so as not to damage the tubers.
Top dressing
Top dressing of this variety of potatoes is carried out in several stages. It is important to strictly observe the proportions, since excess fertilizer can kill the plant.
During the formation and growth of tubers (during budding and flowering), mineral and complex dressings with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are introduced into the soil. To prepare the nutritional composition, you need to mix 15 g of potassium sulfate and 15 g of superphosphate. The mixture is dissolved in 10 liters of water and the potato plantings are watered. Consumption - 1 liter of solution per 1 m2.
20 days before digging out the tubers, Arosa bushes are watered with a complex mineral-organic fertilizer. To do this, 0.25 l of manure and 20 g of superphosphate are dissolved in a bucket of water. Thanks to such feeding, root crops will receive a supply of nutrients necessary for long-term storage.
Diseases and pests
Arosa is characterized by high resistance to mosaic, nematode, Alternaria, Fusarium, potato cancer and viral infections. This potato variety susceptible to infection with rhizoctonia, silver scab, late blight tops and tubers.
The photo shows a tuber affected by a silvery scab.
From the table you can find out how each of these diseases manifests itself and how to deal with them.
Disease | Signs of infection | Control measures |
Late blight | Brown-brown spots form on the leaves, then a gray bloom appears. The bush begins to dry out. | Spraying with Kurzat, Ridomil or Acrobat. At the first signs of illness, potatoes can be treated with Fitosporin. |
Silvery scab | On the tubers, brown spots are found, which eventually acquire a silver tint. The rind dries and shrivels. | After harvesting, the potatoes are sprayed with the agrochemical Maxim. And before planting, they are treated with Celest Top or Quadris. |
Rhizoctonia (black scab) | Dark spots appear on the tubers that look like bits of dirt. They rot during storage. Brown spots and sores are formed on the shoots and roots. | Seed potatoes are sprayed with the agrochemical Maxim, and before planting they are treated with Tecto, TMTD or Titusim. |
For the prevention of diseases, crop rotation must be observed, healthy seed is planted and the harvest must be carried out on time.
Of the pests of Arosu the Colorado potato beetle and the bear can attack. They get rid of them with the help of drugs such as Bicol, Fascord and Kinmix.
Harvesting
The peculiarity of this variety is that 15 days before harvesting, the tops of potatoes are mowed. This reduces the likelihood of plant infection with late blight. At the same time, watering is stopped.
For food, potatoes can be dug out in the last days of June - early July, when the plant will fade. Harvesting of the crop is completed at the end of July. The tubers are carefully dried, sorted and laid out in boxes with small holes. The root crop is stored at a temperature of +2 to +4 degrees.
Conclusion
Arosa attracts attention with its unpretentiousness and versatility. This German potato variety is considered one of the best. It is resistant to many common diseases. Therefore, Arosa can be safely grown on your site without worrying about the safety of the tubers.
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