Content
Each variety of potatoes grown by gardeners has its own characteristics. One requires precise adherence to planting dates, the other deteriorates when untimely harvesting, the third is very sensitive to damage and weather fluctuations. Early maturing varieties are appreciated for the opportunity to get tasty potatoes faster than others. Vegetable growers fell in love with the Gala variety for its unpretentiousness to the soil composition. This potato grows well in any region.
Gala potatoes are medium early, the short ripening period attracts vegetable growers. You can start harvesting 75 days after planting it in the ground. German breeders have made every effort to breed Gala potatoes, which made it possible to create a universal variety type.
It is resistant to habitual crop diseases, grows in any region, gives a stable harvest, and withstands weather fluctuations. With good care, summer residents collect from 20 to 25 potatoes from one bush. Not every variety has such indicators. In our article we will try to consider the main topics for those who grow Gala potatoes - a description of the variety, photos, reviews.
Description of varietal potatoes Gala
For vegetable growers, the main characteristics of the potato are important. These include:
- yield indicator;
- exactingness to care;
- varietal features;
- resistance to weather parameters, diseases and parasites;
- ability for long-term storage.
To get to know Gala potatoes better, you can start a description of the variety with the appearance of the plant.
Bush. Semi-upright, medium height and intermediate type. The leaves on the bush are also medium in size, large, dark green, slightly wavy at the edges, allow the plant to tolerate heat without problems. Inflorescence corolla is white.
Tubers. They also withstand average values in size and weight. The mass of one varies from 100 g to 120 g. The shape of the root crop is round-oval. The skin and flesh are yellowish. The eyes are shallow, shallow. Gala potatoes do not darken after processing. Young tubers can be easily cleaned mechanically, which is also considered an advantage of the variety.
The nutritional value of the vegetable is also great. The percentage of starch (up to 14%) allows the use of the Gala potato variety in dietary and baby food. Another valuable component is carotene.
Among the special advantages of the variety, resistance to nematodes and high shelf life are noted. But the variety has disadvantages. Gala potatoes can be affected by:
- Rhizoctonia... This is a fungal disease that manifests itself on the lower part of the stem. To save the planting can be a competent prophylactic treatment of plants.
- Leaf-rolling virus.
- Late blight of tubers... Although this nuisance is very rare. The defeat of late blight tops is more common.
The small number of dangers that lie in wait for Gala potatoes during the growing period makes it a competitive variety.
Another characteristic that brings Gala potatoes to one of the first places is their high marketability. Not every variety has an indicator of 94%.
It tolerates transportation well, so farmers are happy to grow the variety in their fields.
How to properly grow a healthy variety
The first important step is the acquisition of seeds. Seed material is selected small in size without damage and signs of damage. Potatoes are planted a few days after the seeds are warmed up in the sun. The Gala potato variety is planted in the ground, deepening the tubers by 15 cm. The distance between them is kept in the range of 75 - 80 cm. The seeds germinate together, all at the same time.
The soil requirements for the variety are low. More attention should be paid to watering and feeding, which will significantly increase the return of the planted material. It is optimal for the good development of root crops to introduce nutrition:
- before boarding;
- during the second hilling.
This technique will increase the safety of tubers until spring.
Planting potatoes is the second important step. To get a decent harvest, it is necessary to comply with the requirements of crop agrotechnology.
How to carry out this process correctly? First you need to find out the basic requirements.
The soil
If you have light sandy loam soil, you're in luck.
Although the variety adapts perfectly to any soil, young tubers still have difficulty growing in heavy soil. Therefore, the hole produces more potatoes than usual, but smaller. In heavy soil, the shape of the root crop is uneven and the volume of waste increases during cleaning.
One ton of humus is required per hundred square meters.
Fertilizers
It is best to nourish the earth in the fall. Then you can add any kind of organic matter - compost, humus, manure. Until spring, the substances will have time to decompose and dissolve in the ground. If you need to fertilize in the spring, anything except fresh manure will do. For 1 sq. m make from 5 to 8 kg of nutrient composition. If there is a shortage of compost, it is recommended to add it later. When is it planting potatoes, add a little compost and 1 tablespoon of wood ash to each hole.
Seed preparation
Tubers for planting are chosen of medium size, small ones contain few nutrients and will not give the root system enough nutrition. Bring the planting material out into the light, avoiding direct sunlight. Tubers with strong sprouts, slightly green and dense skin are good for planting. Shoots length - 1 cm. Photo of tubers ready for planting.
Planting time and scheme
The soil temperature should rise to 10 ° C. This is the best option. In cold soil, tubers can rot. Be sure to follow the recommended planting pattern.
The hopes that more potatoes planted will increase the yield are completely unfounded. A thickened planting of potatoes leads to oppression by the plants of each other. Planting Gala potatoes under a walk-behind tractor greatly facilitates the work of gardeners. How to use the walk-behind tractor correctly when landing can be seen in the video:
Gala Potato Planting Care
Many summer residents, having planted potatoes in the ground, believe that other activities are unimportant. First of all, this concerns the hilling of plants. Even if this technique is carried out, they do not follow the rules of hilling. The ground must be in contact with the stems of the bush, otherwise there will be no additional roots. And simply shoveling the soil closer to the plant does not make any sense.
Top dressing is a very responsible business. It is best to fertilize in the fall or spring before planting.You should be careful with mineral compositions, especially during the growing season.
Harvesting will be more fruitful if the tops of all bushes are cut a week before it begins. The tubers stop growing and the skin becomes rough. Gala potatoes will be ready for storage. After digging, leave the potatoes in the soil for a while so the sun can help destroy pathogens.
Some tips for summer residents growing the variety on the plots:
- Maintain your crop rotation requirements. In small areas this is problematic, but you need to try not to plant potatoes in one place for a long time. Another way out is to renew the seed.
- Inspect your plantings regularly for diseases and pests. Timely start of the struggle is the key to success.
- The ripening of the variety directly depends on compliance with all agrotechnical measures. Therefore, before planting, try to learn the nuances of Gala potatoes.
- Observe the temperature and humidity levels during storage. So, you will keep the harvest much longer.
