Potato vernalization – it is the preparation of seed for planting. If the gardener is going to plant seeds, then they are treated with low temperatures, if potatoes are planted, then they are engaged in the germination of tubers. Also, often people vernalize winter wheat. The vernalization of potatoes before planting is necessary to get an early harvest, this event is carried out by each experienced gardener.
If the potato sprouted during storage in the cellar, you need to review the sprouts. If the potato is suitable for planting, the sprouts are pink, green or purple. They are large, dense and even. While viewing the fruit, it happens that the shoots are very thin. This only happens if the tubers have an infection, so you should not plant such a plant.If most of the seeds have such roots, you need to change the planting material.
If the sprouts have grown prematurely, then they must be broken off. This will help the potatoes to sprout new, healthy sprouts. It is impossible to plant tubers with long shoots, as the cultivation time can be significantly delayed.
Duration of the procedure
The vernalization of potatoes is carried out 30-40 days before planting. If the potato variety is early, then the shoots may appear a couple of days earlier than in later varieties. To determine the start date of the procedure, you need to subtract 40 days from the exact date of planting potatoes. If you begin to vernalize the plant ahead of schedule, the shoots will grow long, so there is a danger of damage to the potato seeds during planting in the soil.
Planting begins at a time when the air temperature is 8-12 ° C °. In addition, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the earth itself, do it to a depth of 20-40 cm. The temperature of the soil should be 6-8 ° C. In case the frosts return, prepare the shelter.
Existing methods
If this is vernalization of potatoes, then you need to determine the variety of this procedure so that it fully meets your requirements. The vernalization of potatoes has 3 versions – dry, wet and combined. For this procedure, potatoes, at home, you can choose any method. Gardeners often wonder which method will be appropriate.How to do it right: in the light or in total darkness?
Gardeners, when applying such methods, are inclined to believe that light acts on the fruit and creates solanine. The fruits in which solanine is found are slightly ill and are affected by parasites. The gardeners who conduct the second method claim that under normal conditions, potatoes develop in the ground, and a person will not be able to intervene in this process, because he can only ruin everything.
Dry method
If you choose the dry vernalization method, you need to keep the potatoes dry, and spray from time to time. This method is wonderful in that the plant can not be infected with fungal diseases. There are several options for distributing potato seeds during the event:
- laid out on the floor in 1-2 rows;
- placed on shelves;
- suspended in a bag ;
- string on the wire.
For the first version you need a lot of light and heat, which is not always possible to provide. If there is such a place, then put paper or oilcloth on the floor. The fruits are laid in several layers, for 1-2 weeks, while always sprayed. Also, the fruits are shifted to the other side once every 2-3 days.
For the second option, the vernalization of potatoes is carried out using racks. Set the interval between the shelves 30 cm. This method will save space in the house, but you will need to spend a little money on all the necessary materials. You can save if you apply the method with bags.You can place them anywhere, for example, on the balcony. It is also worth monitoring the air temperature, it should not be less than 5 ° С.
The last option will help save space, because the potatoes can be strung on a wire and placed throughout the room. If the street is warm, the procedure is carried out there. It is not difficult to vernalize winter potatoes, it is easy to do at home. Before planting, the tubers will have a pair of processes 3 cm long.
Wet method
Soak the potatoes
The vernalization of potatoes by this method allows the fruits to be soaked in wet conditions, this method is often used for winter wheat. For vernalization in this way, apply:
- sand;
- peat;
- sawdust;
- perlite.
The best option for wet vernalization of the plant is sand, because it does not allow air to pass through well. If you hold the fruit in the sand, you can prevent the appearance of diseases and pests. The vernalizers using sawdust are not very reliable. Sawdust may not allow air to pass through evenly, leading to infections. It is also forbidden to use oak sawdust.
The vernalization of potatoes using peat is excellent. It does not allow fungal infections to get to the fruit, and the tubers in peat grow well. Peat has nutrients.But there is one drawback – this is an excess of moisture, so you can mix peat with wood ash. The vernalization of seeds in perlite is also good, fungal diseases will not damage planting material. Perlite absorbs moisture well and prevents infections from spreading.
Before the procedure, put paper or film on the bottom of the container, then pour a little damp substrate. Lay the tubers and substrate in layers until the container is completely full. To perfectly vernalize the plant, the container is cleaned in a warm room, in which the temperature is 15 ° C. To prevent vegetables from drying out, gardeners should observe the moisture and quality of the fruit. Before planting, the fruits have 3-5 cm shoots. Make sure that the planting material does not dry during planting in the ground. Before planting, potatoes are treated with insecticides.
Combined method
The vernalization of potatoes in a combined way is the use of light and moisture. First, the tubers are placed in the light, and then transferred to a wet substrate for further growing. The selected material for vernalization is carried in a bright place at a temperature of 10 ° C and wait 2 weeks. Every day you need to shift the fruit and process it.
When the potato shows the first shoots, it is transferred to boxes with a moist substrate, until the roots appear. This process lasts 3 weeks. If the potato is early, then it is able to form roots much faster.After the procedure, the fruits should be immediately planted in open ground so that the roots do not have time to dry. pests. The following chemicals are used to treat the plant:
- stimulants for good growth;
- insecticide;
- useful elements;
- preparation fungicide;
- disinfectants.
Spraying with fungicides is carried out if the plant has grown under bad weather conditions. Moisture increases the risk of various diseases. Not all gardeners can see that the plant has become infected with a fungus. The first symptoms are visible during the ripening period. If potatoes are purchased on the market, it may contain a number of infections that affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
In such cases, the fruits are washed well before the vernalization, but so as not to damage the tubers. After washing, the fruits must be disinfected and sprayed with fungicides, as it is written in the instructions. If you use a growth stimulator, you can speed up the process of growing potatoes by 1-2 weeks. Also, this remedy will increase the yield itself.
Potash treatment will add nutrients to the plant. The potato will ripen much faster and get stress resistance. It is also important to treat the fruit from pests.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to align fruits, seeds and wheat before winter, it will not take much time and effort. Spring vernalization can be chosen by the gardener in any version, and applied before planting. The procedure will help to collect a quality early crop and increase it several times.
Do not forget to treat the plants with special means before planting. They will help protect the tubers from the appearance of infections and harmful insects. In this way, any gardener, without experience, will be able to independently grow a large number of crops, and most importantly, that he will be of high quality and useful.
