Content
Molly potatoes are the result of the work of German breeders. Best growing regions: Northwest, Central.
Description
The Molly variety belongs to the early canteen. Bushes grow in different heights (from 50 to 70 cm). Light greenish leaves are characterized by slight waviness at the edges. The tops grow quite abundantly, and relatively few buds are tied. Molly potatoes ripen in the period from 55 to 65 days. However, the first fruits can be dug up 40 days after planting.
A distinctive feature of the variety is fertility. From one bush of the Molly variety, you can dig up to 25 tubers with an average weight of 100-160 g. Starch in fruits is 13-22%. The peel and pulp have a pleasant yellowish tint, but the pulp is somewhat lighter (as in the photo). Molly fruits are formed oval in shape or can be oval-round. The skin is very smooth, the eyes are almost invisible. Thanks to its good taste and medium friability, the Molly variety is very popular with summer residents.
Advantages and disadvantages
Molly's potatoes are one of the first to appear on the shelves, but its advantages are not limited to this:
- seed germinates well;
- attractive presentation of Molly tubers;
- easy to care for the plantings;
- excellent taste.
The disadvantage is considered to be poor resistance to damage by potato nematode or cancer.
Landing
The Molly variety has no special soil requirements. But, according to the reviews of experienced gardeners, a more plentiful harvest is collected from light soils or medium in structure. Potato beds are best placed next to cabbage, cucumbers, beets. These same crops may be the predecessors of the Molly potato. Bad neighbors are plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers).
Early ripe potatoes are recommended to be planted in warm ground. The rows are located at a distance of 65-70 cm from each other. Between the holes in a row, a step of 20-25 cm is observed. Shallow deepening (about 3-4 cm) will contribute to the friendly and rapid germination of Molly tubers.
The planting material is necessarily germinated and processed. For planting, healthy tubers, without damage, weighing 50-80 g are suitable. For germination, Molly potatoes are kept for about a month and a half in the light, in a warm, dry place. To increase productivity and protect root crops from diseases, they are treated with growth stimulants ("Krezacin", "Albit", "Immunocytofit").
Care
Compliance with the rules of caring for the crop will be the key to obtaining a high-quality early harvest. Since when planting early Molly potatoes there is a possibility of late frosts, there should be a special covering material “at hand” (an inexpensive plastic wrap will do). If it is not possible to cover the plants, then if there is a threat of frost, they should be huddled high.
A week after the sprouts appear, you can gently loosen the ground near the Molly potato sprouts. The soil is pre-moistened if there was no precipitation. Loosening promotes the flow of air to the roots, prevents the soil from drying out. Are removed at the same time weeds.
If the potato tops have begun to wither noticeably, then the beds need to be watered, but not poured. In order not to erode the huddled plants, the water is directed along the grooves along the rows. Plants require more liquid during the tuberization period.
Hilling and feeding
During the summer, the potato beds are huddled repeatedly. The first time is when the tops grow by about 20 cm.Molly potato bushes are dropped to a height of about 10 cm.Then the procedure is repeated during the flowering culture. The height of the beds is increased by another 5 cm.
Thanks to this procedure, the earthen crust is broken, which impedes the flow of air to the roots, additional tubers begin to set, and the moisture of the soil is preserved.
It is believed that during the season you need to fertilize potato beds three times:
- Initially, top dressing is added after the appearance of the Molly variety sprouts. An excellent option would be a complex fertilizer: dilute a tablespoon of the solution "Solution" and urea in 10 liters of water. If preference is given to organic fertilizing, then a manure / mullein solution can be used (half a liter of organic matter is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of water).
- During the budding period, plantings are fertilized with the following mixture: potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. L), wood ash (3 tbsp. L) are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
- During the period of active flowering of Molly potatoes, a combined solution is introduced: 2 tbsp is diluted in a bucket of water. l superphosphate and a glass of chicken manure (mullein). For one bush, half a liter of solution is enough.
For feeding, time is allocated on cool days or in the evening if hot weather is established. A prerequisite is wet soil. Therefore, the beds are treated after rain or watering.
Diseases and pests
Molly potatoes are considered disease resistant. However, one cannot categorically exclude the possibility of being affected by certain diseases:
- Late blight - fungi that damage leaves and fruits. The first signs of damage to the bushes are the appearance of brown spots on the lower leaves. Favorable weather for the spread of the fungus is wet, cool days. When the plant is damaged, both the aerial part and the tubers disappear. For the treatment of the disease, a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid is used.
- Rot Blackleg affects the root part of the stems. After 5-6 days, the diseased area of the plant softens and the bush breaks and falls. Fungi develop in the soil and infect plants in conditions of thickened plantings, with poor ventilation of the beds, excess moisture and sudden temperature changes. The way to resist the disease is to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g is enough for a ten-liter bucket of water). An excellent option is spraying the seed before planting with solutions of fungicides (Fitosporin-M, Vitaros).
- Colorado beetle able to destroy all the beds of Molly's potatoes. Insects and larvae are harvested by hand if the area is small. An excellent means of control is the insecticidal preparation "Confidor".
Preventive measures can prevent disease from occurring. These include, first of all, the removal and burning at the end of the season of residual tops of potatoes and diseased tubers, pre-sowing treatment of the soil and seed, compliance with the rules of crop rotation.
Harvesting
About 7-10 days before harvesting, the tops are mowed and tails about 10 cm high are left. Due to this, the skin of the molly potato tubers is denser. And the likelihood of damage to root crops when digging is reduced. It is easy to find the center of the bush by the remains of the stems and you can not be afraid to miss the potato tubers. If the soil is rather loose, then you can try to simply pull out the fruits by the remains of the tops.
Harvesting is preferable in dry weather - tubers retain their presentation and are better preserved in winter. Molly potatoes are not immediately stored for storage - they are left in the beds so that the skin of the root crops is weathered, strengthened and dried. If the weather is damp, then the potatoes are left to ventilate in covered areas or in a dry room. When harvesting, Molly's potatoes are carefully sorted. Otherwise, damaged tubers can rot and damage neighboring healthy ones.
In the presence of light, the upper layers of the potato turn green and the fruit becomes unfit for human consumption.
If the plants remain healthy and have not been damaged by diseases, you can use the tops as mulch. Damaged stems must be burned.
Excellent presentation, excellent taste and stable yield make Molly potatoes popular not only among summer residents, but also among farmers.
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