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Planting potatoes in spring has long been a part of our mentality. Even the most ardent opponents of such a summer cottage pastime sooner or later think about the allocation of a small garden bed for potatoes. After all, no matter how good the purchased potatoes are, your own harvest will always be better. Moreover, modern selection has provided summer residents with a large selection of various varieties of this vegetable. Below we will talk about a variety like Bellarosa.
Description of the variety
The history of this variety has been going on for about 17 years. It was in the early 2000s that German breeders presented the world with the result of their painstaking work - the Bellarose potato variety. Initially, they recommended this variety for planting only in Eastern Europe, but Bellarosa quickly conquered other countries as well. We grow this variety most actively in the Urals, in the southern, central and northwestern regions.
Bellarosa potatoes are early ripe table varieties.
Many gardeners fell in love with this variety due to its persistent and high yield - up to 35 tons of potatoes can be harvested from one hectare of land.
Residents of these regions carry out the first harvest in early July. When replanting, a second crop can be harvested in early September.
Bellarosa potato bushes have strong stems up to 75 cm in height. The leaves on the bushes are rather large and mostly closed, with slight waviness at the edges. During flowering, the bushes are covered with medium-sized red-purple inflorescences. After flowering, 7 to 10 large oval or round oval potatoes are formed on each bush. The weight parameters of Bellarose potatoes, as a rule, are between 115 and 210 grams, but there are also champions with a weight of 700-800 grams.
Skin potato varieties Bellarose is reddish or light pink with small, shallow eyes. Due to its light roughness and good thickness, it perfectly protects the potato pulp from damage. The pulp itself can have a color from pale yellow to rich creamy color.
Bellarosa potatoes have an excellent sweetish taste, and the starch content in it will be between 12% and 16%. These potatoes can be boiled or fried. It is perfect for any culinary idea.
Of course, it was not only the high yield and excellent taste that allowed Bellarosa potatoes to become one of the leaders in planting on our plots. In addition to these characteristics, it also has a number of positive qualities:
- Drought immunity - this quality is especially appreciated by weekend gardeners and those who plant potatoes in large areas without an automatic irrigation system. In many areas, the Bellarosa variety grows well, generally without watering, being content only with rainwater. If necessary, this potato variety can withstand even very severe droughts.
- Undemanding to the composition of the soil - the Bellarosa variety grows and bears fruit with equal success on all soils, except for loamy soils. Due to the strong density of this soil, it is difficult for even the strongest roots to grow tubers. Clay soil on the site is not a reason to postpone planting potatoes. It can be dug up and well diluted with humus and sand.Also, good results are obtained by pre-planting green manure crops such as mustard, oats or buckwheat. After harvesting, they can be embedded in the soil to improve its composition.
- Resistance to damage to tubers - the Bellarosa potato variety has a rather thick skin, so in the process harvesting potatoes tubers are not damaged.
- Disease and pest resistance - the Bellarosa potato variety has excellent resistance to such common diseases as potato cancer, black leg, spotting, rhizoctonia. But this variety cannot boast of immunity to the most common pests. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to protecting bushes from the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm.
- Long storage period - early potato varieties do not have the proper shelf life, but Bellarosa is an exception to the rule. Under proper storage conditions, losses of this variety can amount to only 6% of the total yield.
Thanks to all these qualities, the Bellarose potato variety has earned its popularity. He is not picky about care, but he will still require some manipulations from the gardener.
Growing recommendations
It's no secret that the key to getting a rich harvest lies in caring for vegetables. So let's look at what kind of self-care Bellarose will require.
Sowing
Given that Bellarosa is an early variety, it should be planted for planting at the end of April. But until that time, seed potatoes need to germinate a little. To do this, 15–20 days before planting, potato tubers must be provided with access to daylight and a temperature of about +15 degrees. The readiness of Bellarosa potatoes for planting is very easy to determine: young shoots will grow from its peephole.
Some gardeners for germination put potatoes in wooden boxes in several layers. But with this placement, the bottom layer may lack ventilation and some tubers may deteriorate.
Before planting Bellarose potatoes, you need to mark the garden and make holes. Between adjacent rows there should be at least 90 cm, and between the holes - up to 40 cm.The holes should be made quite deep: from 8 to 10 cm.
When planting potatoes of this variety, any potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, for example Nitrofoska, must be put on the bottom of each hole. Only after that, you can lay potatoes in the hole, cover it with earth and level it.
Top dressing
All early potato varieties need fertilizers containing magnesium. Especially if they are grown on sand-predominant soils. Most often, dolomite flour is used for this. In addition, it is recommended to apply fertilizers during growth periods that are important for plants:
- After the first shoots appear, it is recommended to use an infusion of manure or chicken droppings.
- Before flowering, potatoes should be fertilized with urea or a solution of potassium sulfate and ash.
- During flowering, the most optimal composition for feeding will be a mixture of mullein and superphosphate.
The introduction of any of these fertilizers is carried out only after good watering of the potato bushes or after rain. Fertilizing unprepared dry soil can burn the roots of plants.
Care
All care for this variety of potatoes consists mainly of two procedures: loosening and hilling.
Loosening of Bellarosa potatoes is a must. It is thanks to loosening that the roots receive more moisture and oxygen. In addition, this procedure helps to combat weeds, who especially like to settle near potato bushes. Despite all the benefits of this procedure, it is recommended to carry it out only during the period of active growth of the bushes, when they have not yet reached a height of 15 cm.
After the Bellarosa bushes have grown above 15 cm, loosening the soil is replaced by hilling it. Hilling, like loosening, helps to improve the carrying capacity of the soil, making it easier for the roots to access air and water.The essence of this procedure is to rake the earth closer to the potato bush so that with its further growth it does not lean to the ground. The photo below shows that a kind of embankment is formed around the bush.
Experienced gardeners practice rolling hilling of potatoes. You can learn more about this method from the video:
Many gardeners annually choose this particular potato variety. Below we give the reviews of those people who have already planted Bellarose at their place.
Great potatoes! They planted the first year. The result exceeded all expectations. Recomend for everybody.