Content
Dutch potato varieties are very popular among Russian vegetable growers. Among the early maturing species, it is worth highlighting the potato "Latona".
Potatoes with very high quality characteristics, so it is worth dwelling in more detail on its properties.
Origin story
The originator of the variety is HZPC-Holland. Breeders bred it in the middle of the 20th century, and in 1996 "Latona" was included in the State Register of Russia. Scientists recommend a potato variety for growing in the middle zone of the Russian Federation, as well as in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
Description and characteristics
The main characteristics of "Latona" that potato growers pay attention to are the ripening period and yield of the variety. However, other parameters are also important for proper crop cultivation.
Characteristic | Description |
Appointment of the variety "Latona" | Dining room. The presentation retains 96% of the yield. |
Ripening period | Early. Harvesting 75 days after planting. The first digging can be done after 45 days. |
The appearance of the bush | Tall, erect, lush. The leafiness of the stems is good, therefore, the variety does not suffer from dry soil. |
Flowers | Corollas are white, the number of flowers on the bush is average. There may be a lack of flowers, which does not affect the yield. |
Leaves | Leaves are dark green, large. The tops are lush and dense, this characteristic makes it possible to water the bushes moderately. |
Tubers | Round-oval, smooth. The peel is yellow, the flesh is light yellow. The peel is tender, easily separated, provided that the harvest is timely. Tubers overexposed in the ground have a rough skin. The weight of one fruit ranges from 90 to 140 grams. Number in a bush - 15 pieces. |
Yield | From one bush 2.5 kg. When grown in the fields is 45 c / ha. |
Resistance to diseases and pests of culture | Potatoes "Latona" are not affected by late blight of tubers, cancer, dry rot and do not suffer from lesions of the golden potato nematode. |
Advantages and disadvantages
The pros and cons of Latona potatoes are well covered in the reviews of vegetable growers. Based on the experience of potato growers, a visual table can be drawn up.
Benefits | disadvantages |
Resistance of potatoes to mechanical damage, the ability to mechanical planting, maintenance and harvesting. | The variety is affected by scab. |
Short growing season. | If not harvested in time, the peel on the tubers becomes very rough. |
Long-term transportability. |
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Good growth of tubers throughout the season due to the gradual withering away of the tops. |
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Resistance of the "Latona" variety to weather extremes |
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High degree of keeping quality, the yield during storage is 97% preserved. |
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Landing
To get a high yield, Latona potatoes are planted taking into account the requirements of crop rotation. The variety grows well after cabbage, legumes, root vegetables and pumpkin seeds. But tomatoes or peppers are unwanted predecessors.
There are three main ways to plant potatoes:
- trench;
- ridge;
- smooth.
All three are equally well suited for the Latona variety. How to plant Latona, gardeners choose depending on the climate and soil composition.
- The trenching method consists in digging trenches, into which the prepared potato tubers are then laid out. The depth of each trench is 15 cm, and the distance between adjacent trenches is 70 cm. Seed potatoes are placed at a distance of 35-40 cm from each other, then sprinkled with soil.The method is ideal for sandy light soil in which moisture does not retain and for regions with a warm climate.
- The smooth planting method is best known to amateur potato growers. In this case, a layer of earth rises, the potatoes are stacked sprouts up and sprinkled with soil. This solution is suitable for areas where there is no stagnant water and good lighting. Between the tubers of "Latona" maintain a distance of 70 cm, planted in a checkerboard pattern in two rows. Planting depth - 10 cm.
- Option ridged landing choose for heavy soil with excessive moisture. The earth is raised to a height of 15 cm in the form of a mound. The optimal distance between the ridges is 70 cm, between the potato bushes 30 cm.
Pre-planting tubers must be prepared - germination, treatment from pests and diseases. For processing, gardeners use drugs such as "Albit" or "Maxim". The tool is used according to the instructions.
If such a hazard exists, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of drainage of the site.
At the time of digging, manure, humus, mineral fertilizers are introduced.
For Latona potatoes, the best planting date is early May. The ridges are located from north to south.
Care
After planting, standard maintenance measures are provided for potato beds. The Latona variety responds very gratefully to the careful implementation of agrotechnical requirements. If you pay enough attention to it, then the yield rises to the maximum level. The most basic steps in the care of Latona potatoes are watering, loosening, hilling, feeding, and prevention of pests and diseases.
Watering most useful at the time of bud formation and flowering bushes. The rest of the time, potatoes do not require regular moisture. For the variety, drip irrigation and sprinkling are used.
Weeding the ridges... A necessary event for potatoes. The first time the beds are weeded a week after planting.
Top dressing is combined with watering.
Preventive measures in order to prevent the appearance of diseases and pests should be done regularly. Potatoes of the Latona variety should be protected from the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle, which can cause great damage to plantings.
Hilling and feeding
The gardeners do not have the same opinion about the hilling of the Latona variety. But you should take into account the climatic conditions and the composition of the soil on the site. When potatoes are hilled inside the nest, the temperature rises. When it reaches + 20 ° C, tuberization slows down. Therefore, some consider this procedure unnecessary. But hilling is necessary to protect potatoes from a possible cold snap, accumulate moisture and stimulate the growth of tops. This significantly increases the yield. The first time potatoes "Latona" need to be sprinkled when sprouts appear. Then after watering or rain. It is important to huddle before flowering.
It is best to feed the potato variety with mixed fertilizers. For potatoes, you need to alternate mineral and organic food.
How to feed Latona potatoes:
- When planting, add 1 tbsp. spoon of nitrophosphate in each well.
- At the time of a set of green mass, a semi-liquid mullein or a composition of 1 tbsp. tablespoons of urea in a bucket of water. Enough 0.5 liters of any of the fertilizers.
- During the budding period, it is necessary to feed the potato bushes with potassium. Wood ash (3 tbsp. L) and potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. L) in a bucket of water are suitable.
- In the flowering phase, granular superphosphate is used.
Diseases and pests
The variety belongs to the category of disease-resistant, but it is not recommended to neglect preventive treatments. You need to start with preventive treatment of tubers before sowing.
Name of the pest or disease | Control and prevention measures |
Late blight, alternaria | Spraying with Metaxil. The frequency of treatments is once every 14 days. Spraying with infusion of garlic |
Wireworm | Scared away by the smell of planted mustard, legumes or calendula. |
Colorado beetle | Dusting with ash, mulching with onion peels |
Harvesting
Early varieties, which include "Latona", begin to be harvested in early July. Although the term may shift depending on the region of cultivation. The harvested crop is laid out on the ridge.
At the same time, the most productive bushes are calculated and the tubers are left for seeds. A few hours after drying, prepare the potatoes for storage. Only healthy, intact tubers are selected. The rest are stacked separately for quick consumption.
Before laying, pickle (spray) potatoes "Latona" with copper sulfate (2 g per bucket of water). This technique increases the shelf life.
The maximum temperature for storing Latona potatoes is + 5 ° C, humidity 90% and no light.
Conclusion
Latona potatoes are a very popular variety, although they are considered a novelty. Compliance with the requirements of agricultural technology is the key to an excellent harvest and crop health. Latona, with good care, does not get sick and shows good results at the end of the season. Reviews of gardeners fully confirm the above.
