Content
Early potato varieties will always be in demand. Gardeners grow them for themselves and for sale. A worthy representative of this class is the Vega variety, which stands out for its excellent taste and high yields.
Main characteristics
Bushes grow medium in size, there are erect or semi-erect. The leaves of the Vega potato are simple, with a dark green color and a wavy or slightly wavy edge. The bush has a medium leafiness. Large flowers of whitish-cream shades are collected in corollas.
Each bush ripens approximately 7-9 large Vega potatoes. The tuber is formed of medium size, roundish-oval in shape, weighing 85-100 g. It is pleasant that the potatoes ripen, as a rule, even and neat, as in the photo.
Tubers are distinguished by a thin yellow skin without spots. The eyes are few, they are shallow and small. According to summer residents, Vega potatoes have a pleasant taste, the structure is not watery and moderately dry. Starch indicators - 10-16%.
Vega potatoes belong to medium early table varieties. The growing season is 60-69 days. The vegetable is perfectly stored, the keeping rate is quite high - almost 99%. Perfectly transported over long distances.
An important advantage of the Vega variety is its excellent yield. The average figure is 230-375 centners per hectare.
The Vega variety has proven itself well and is grown today in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
Growing features
Vega potatoes do not require special attention when growing and tolerate small changes in temperature or humidity quite tolerably. Good yields are observed when potatoes are planted on light sandy soils.
Landing rules
It is advisable to carry out preliminary preparation of tubers for planting - to germinate or warm up. For planting, healthy, even tubers are selected, without signs of disease. It is not recommended to plant tubers of irregular shape or uncharacteristic for the variety. Vega potatoes are placed in boxes or on racks in layers of two or three tubers. Containers or racks are installed in a bright, heated room with an air temperature of at least 15-17 ° C. To ensure uniform germination, containers must be rearranged periodically.
Good sprouts appear on tubers after 21-23 days. To harden the planting material, it is recommended to carry out a sharp decrease in temperature several times - by about 6-8 ° C. Such actions will activate the growth of a larger number of eyes. The hardening of tubers will guarantee a friendly germination of planting material and a bountiful harvest. Before planting, tubers without sprouts or with thin filamentous sprouts are necessarily discarded. It is also undesirable to plant medium-sized potatoes weighing less than 30 g, as this will reduce the yield.
Holes in a row are formed with a pitch of 35-38 cm, and strips approximately 70-75 cm wide are left for row spacing.
During the season, it is advisable to spud the bushes at least twice. Weeding weeds held regularly. Weed control can be done manually or with herbicides.
Fertilizing and watering potatoes
Vega potatoes are very sensitive to watering. It is recommended to carry out infrequent, but abundant soil moisture.To obtain good yields, the soil must be saturated with water by at least 40-45 cm. The optimal irrigation option is drip irrigation, in which water will flow directly into the tubers, which will have a positive effect on yield.
During the season, it is recommended to feed the plant at least twice. During the period of growing tops and formation of tubers, it is advisable to use urea or ammonium nitrate. The second time, superphosphate or potassium sulfate is used. Mineral dressing is introduced after the flowering of the potatoes and before the tops start wilting.
After the stems and foliage are completely dry, you can start digging the harvest. Vega potatoes have a thin but strong skin that reliably protects the tubers from damage during harvesting.
The harvested crop must be left to dry.
It is also not recommended to leave the crop in the field overnight. Otherwise, sudden night or morning frosts can freeze Vega tubers.
When harvesting, it is important to carefully examine the tubers and immediately discard cut, damaged vegetables with hints of rot. After drying, the tubers should be carefully collected in buckets to minimize damage to the potatoes. It is also advisable to calmly pour potatoes into bags.
It is better to store potatoes in containers with a volume of about one and a half to two buckets. The best option is to knock down the boxes from wooden slats. It is more convenient to store Vega potatoes in boxes for a number of reasons:
- the tubers lie in an even layer, and therefore no foci of "fogging" are formed;
- when wet rot appears, the affected fruits can be easily removed, and the spread of rot will be limited to the outside of the box;
- potatoes are practically not injured;
- it is more convenient to check the condition of the tubers faster.
Vega seed potatoes can be harvested by yourself. To do this, it is necessary to mark the most promising bushes in the middle of the season. For subsequent planting, even tubers are selected, without damage, diseases and not cut during digging. It is better to store Vega seed in a separate box, which it is desirable to sign so as not to be confused with other containers.
Diseases and pests
Vega potatoes are considered resistant to viral diseases, common scab, potato crayfish and tobacco mosaic.
Since Vega potatoes ripen early, tubers and leaves are practically not damaged by late blight. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat the bushes with copper-containing compounds (copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid).
When Colorado potato beetles appear, it is possible to use different means of control. Insects are collected by hand or Vega bushes are sprayed with chemicals (Regent, Sonnet, Karate). Some gardeners advise the use of plant infusions (acacia, celandine), dusting with ash.
As a general preventive measure, it is worth preparing the soil: plant residues are carefully removed from the surface, the soil is irrigated with antifungal agents (Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate solution) and dug up.
There is a possibility of damage to tubers by wireworms - these are the larvae of click beetles. To combat the pest, when planting Vega potatoes, you can put 3-4 superphosphate granules sprayed with an insecticide (Aktellik, Karate) in each well. As a preventive natural method, sowing of special plants (mustard, alfalfa) is carried out. It is also recommended to observe crop rotation - planting potatoes after cabbage and root crops.
Vega potatoes are a versatile variety, as this tasty vegetable is suitable for dietary and baby food.Growing potatoes will not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners.
