Characteristics of Meteor potatoes

Gardeners often acquire new varieties of vegetables for their plots. They plant seeds and tubers, care for plants and share experiences with beginner gardeners. Based on the description of the potato and the reviews of experts regarding the cultivation of the plant, we can say that the early variety of Meteor potatoes, despite their young age, gained popularity.It can be cultivated throughout the country: in the Central, Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth regions and in the fields of the West Siberian regions.

Characteristics of Meteor potatoes

This variety differs from other varieties in high growth shoots. But there are some peculiarities inherent in this particular plant.

1. Potato Meteor for table use.
2. The fruit yield is above average.
3. Suitable for all types of heat treatment, without exception.
4. It tastes great.

If you follow the agricultural technology, you can get more than 450c / ha. The minimum yield was observed at about 200c / ha, with a combination of adverse weather, poor maintenance and inappropriate soil composition.

You can make various salads from potatoes. The presence of about 14% of starch suggests that it is not digested and is suitable for dietary nutrition. But mashed potatoes can be prepared if you cook it a little longer. An interesting feature is the ability to use vacuum packaging for semi-finished products.

Very tasty and nutritious are fried potatoes and tubers in their skins. A dense peel, in the stage of technical ripeness, does not crack at high temperature.

Resistance to diseases

Favorable is the high resistance of the Meteor to diseases such as:

• potato cancer;
• viral mosaic of leaves;
• late blight on tubers;
• rhizoctonia;
• common scab.

This characteristic allows you to use less chemicals, makes it possible to grow environmentally friendly products.

Advantages of potatoes

Visible plus it is its early maturity and other features.

1. You can harvest the first crop of young tubers 1.5 months after emergence.
2. The full ripening of tubers suitable for storage lasts up to 70 days.
3. Marketability is high up to 98% of the total harvest.

Young tubers can be harvested early enough, but they are only suitable for consumption for a short time and for sale .

Potatoes of technical maturity are put into storage, at which, until the new crop, the tubers retain their presentation. They do not give in to decay, are not affected by rotten rot, do not lose turgor.

With industrial cultivation, you can transport goods over long distances and provide vegetables to the regions of the Far North, Trans-Urals and the Far East. Neither distances nor difficult transportation conditions spoil the appearance of tubers. Dents and gray rot do not appear on them, which can harm other varieties less suitable for transportation.

Adaptability to various soils is also high. But if you grow potatoes for yourself, you can create good soil in a small area and not experiment.

Disadvantages of Potato Meteor

It is necessary to protect plants from the beetle

A significant disadvantage when growing this variety may be poor resistance to late blight on leaves and banded mosaic virus. Medium response to the Alternaria virus can also be a nuisance to potato growers.

The plant is affected by the mass exit of Colorado potato beetle larvae. But the right cultivation strategy and disease prevention will help overcome these obstacles.

Description of the bush

Meteor early potatoes have lush erect bushes.Some stems on the periphery may be slightly tilted. They are of medium thickness, ribbed, green in color.

The stems have good shape. Potato leaves, not large, slightly dissected, slightly corrugated. The veins are weakly expressed. The color of the leaf blade is dark green, saturated.

The flowers are located on the top of the stem, collected in simple inflorescences. Corolla flower fused at the base. Petals are white in color, without anthocyanin color inside.

Berries do not bind well and may fall. Those that remain on the plant carry few seeds, which is not advisable for seed propagation.

Description of tubers

Meteor, this is a potato, the description of which will be not complete unless you talk about tubers. Up to 12 large tubers ripen in a fruit nest. Their shape is close to the classic potato type: oval-round. The weight of potatoes is about 120 g.

Early potatoes have a thin and delicate peel, yellow in color. Eyes weakly expressed. When cut, the color of the pulp is also yellow. Starchy on the cut is poorly visible, it does not darken with time.

Growing potatoes

You can plant tubers at a soil temperature of at least 10 ° C. The soil composition for this variety does not matter much, but it is better if the site is sandy loam.

If possible, in early autumn green manure plants are sown on it, such as:

• white mustard;
• lupine;
• alfalfa;
• winter wheat and rye.

The grown sprouts of mustard, lupine and alfalfa are planted in the soil, digging it deep, in the autumn. Winter crops need to be cut with a chopper, in the spring. The introduction of 35 40 buckets of humus in the fall, for fertilizing the soil, will also help make the land more fertile.

The ridges are oriented from north to south, for better heating and lighting. The distance between the rows, according to the reviews of experienced gardeners, is left at least 60 cm, and between the landing pits 25 cm. The pits should be shallow, on the order of 10 cm.

Preparation of seed material

Tubers taken from the fall inspect and discard those that show signs of rot. They are laid out in boxes, a month before planting and put on landscaping in the light and for germination.

The room temperature should not be lower than 10 ° C. Gardening is necessary in order for solanine to form in the tubers, which will protect young plants from pests. When planting in the soil, the height of the sprouts is usually about 2 3 cm. Before planting, the tubers are treated with Prestige.

Care for potatoes

Even beginner potato growers can master the growing process, which requires the Meteor early potato variety. It includes several items.

1. Timely weeding and loosening of the soil.
2. Hilling and fertilizing.
3. Watering the site.
4. Pest control.

Weeds are harvested as they appear. Loosening the soil is a prerequisite because it gives access to the root system, carbon. It contributes to the rapid growth of tubers.

In the rainy summer, complex fertilizers are applied to the surface of the soil in the area of ​​the stems and are embedded in the soil when hilling bushes. In dry times, they are added to water for irrigation. Fertilizers should include:

• ammonium nitrate;
• potassium salts;
• superphosphate.

When applied per 1 m², you will need 20 g of each substance.

Feeding can be done with organic matter. To do this, take a mullein or bird droppings and dilute with water 1: 1. They put in a warm place for 2 weeks and periodically stir for better fermentation. Water is added to the finished substance 1:10 and the plantings are watered under the root or between rows.

You need to fight the Colorado potato beetle by collecting adult insects. But when the larvae appear, they use insecticides such as Antizhuk, Aktara and other chemical preparations.

Conclusion

The characteristic of this tuber plant says that, regardless of which regional or weather conditions for growing vegetables, you can work hard to achieve high yields of Meteor. A delicious potato prepared by a skilled housewife, in the form of first and second courses, will appeal to everyone, without exception. Excess early harvests can easily be realized in markets where young potatoes are in high demand in spring and summer.