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German breeders have created many varieties of potatoes. Among them is the highly productive and promising variety Natasha. It was received at the beginning of the XXI century. European gardeners liked the new vegetable.
Russian vegetable growers also grow this potato variety. At first, he was bred in personal plots. High early harvests have attracted the attention of large agricultural producers.
Description
Natasha potato bushes are not too tall, semi-erect, intermediate type. The leaves are large, with noticeable waviness. The tops are light or dark green. The flowers are whitish, with a barely noticeable blueness against the background of bright yellow pistils.
Tubers of high-quality potatoes of medium size, oval, smooth, even. Clumsy is practically not found. The skin color is light yellow, with almost invisible eyes. On average, one potato weighs 96-133 grams. On the cut, the flesh is dark yellow. The value of the Natasha variety in a large amount of starch is 11.2-13.6%.
The photo shows the tuber itself, leaves, flowers.
Advantages of the variety
Potatoes are just beginning to win the love of Russians due to their characteristics. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Potatoes Natasha early ripening. The tubers are ready within 2.5 months after planting.
- More than a dozen tubers ripen in one nest of the Natasha variety. You can harvest from 132 to 191 centners of early potatoes from one hectare. Look at the photo taken by the gardeners. Here is a harvest from two bushes of the Natasha variety.
- Good yield even in dry years.
- When transporting potatoes, there is practically no mechanical damage.
- The Natasha variety, judging by the reviews of gardeners who have tested selective potatoes, is undemanding to the soil, grows well in any garden.
- Varietal potatoes are characterized by high keeping quality. When favorable conditions are created, the safety of the harvested crop reaches 93%. The commercial qualities of the vegetable are not lost during the winter period.
- Potato variety Natasha is resistant to many potato diseases.
- The table variety has excellent taste and culinary characteristics. Due to the high starch content, it turns out to be crumbly. For lovers of potato salad, there is no better vegetable.
Diseases and pests
German breeders have tried their best: tubers and tops practically do not suffer from:
- golden potato cyst nematode;
- potato cancer;
- tuber rot;
- rhizoctonia;
- Y virus.
But this does not mean that having planted potatoes, you can ignore them. The tops should be inspected from time to time.
Features of preparatory work
Since the Natasha variety belongs to early maturing varieties, when choosing the timing of planting, you need to focus on the temperature regime and the readiness of the soil.
Seed preparation
Potatoes the size of a chicken egg or slightly larger are placed on the seeds. Store separately from general stocks. Seed potatoes of the Natasha variety must be removed from the cellar at least 30 days before planting.This is a necessary measure: the seeds need time to warm up, the eyes need to wake up and hatch.
Germination of varietal potatoes Natasha should be carried out in a warm room with good lighting. It is not bad if the tubers are exposed to direct sunlight.
When the eyes hatch, the planting material of the Natasha variety is treated with Prestige and Heteroauxin.
Soil preparation
The soil is usually prepared in the fall after harvest. Even small ones are removed first. weeds... Fertilizers are applied, preferably humus or compost. In the spring, the garden is dug up, the surface is leveled.
Potato planting rules
In large areas, a cultivator or potato planter is used when planting. If the area for potatoes is small, then the work is done manually, the holes are prepared using a bayonet shovel.
At least five tablespoons and 700 grams of well-rotted manure must be added to each hole. It is not necessary to deepen the tubers of the Natasha variety so as not to create inconvenience when digging. Do not forget that a ridge will still appear when hilling from above.
Planting is carried out in rows, the step between them is not less than 0.7 m. The distance between Natasha potatoes in a row is about 35 cm. This gap provides sufficient lighting and warming up of the soil, the bushes are easy to weed and huddle. Each family member finds something to do with planting potatoes, as in this photo.
After planting work is completed, the garden is leveled with a rake. This is necessary to remove the crust on the surface of the earth (even with careful work, the soil is still trampled) and the destruction of the root system of the emerging rudiments of weeds.
How to care for
Potatoes Natasha, judging by the description, characteristics of the variety, photos and reviews of vegetable growers, steadily tolerates an unfavorable climate during the period of vegetative development. When using agrotechnical techniques, you can form a rich harvest.
Necessary actions:
- Weeds grow faster than potatoes. Until the first shoots appear, the garden needs to be buried several times. This can be done using a rake with large sharp teeth or a harrow. Two problems are immediately solved: thin strands of weeds are removed, which immediately dry out in the sun, and a crust is removed from the surface of the soil. The access of oxygen to the plant roots is increased.
- If there is a threat of frost return, the emerging seedlings should be "wrapped" upside down at the first hilling. In addition to retaining moisture inside the bush, such hilling does not allow weeds to live freely. You need to raise the soil above the bush twice to increase the number of stolons and the formation of more tubers.
- If in the fall the soil was fertilized well, when planting the tubers, additional fertilizing was introduced, then for potatoes of the Natasha variety, root dressing during the growing season is not necessary.
- As for watering, in the presence of rain, it is not recommended to carry out it, because judging by the characteristics, the Natasha variety gives a good harvest even in dry years. You need to be careful with watering: excess moisture leads to rotting of the tubers.
- Another important activity required when caring for plantings is tracking the disease and the presence of pests.
Cleaning and storage
Many gardeners cut the tops before digging to prevent diseases from entering the tuber. In addition, in this case, the skin of the potato becomes coarser and the flesh itself is denser.
It is impossible to delay harvesting the Natasha variety. It is best to choose sunny weather to dry the tubers in the sun. Before storage, vegetables are kept in a dry, darkened room.After that, the potatoes are selected for seeds, animal feed and food.
For storage in the underground, an elevation is made of boards so that air flows from all sides. Potatoes are poured into nylon bags or crates with slots (as in the photo), stacked.
For helpful tips from experienced gardeners, watch the video:
Hello!
Potatoes Natasha is not a hybrid; if desired, it can be planted on the site for several years in a row.
This is a new variety of German selection, early and highly productive, medium size, with yellow flesh. It is believed that it is suitable for cultivation in any region, but in Russia it grows best in the Middle Volga region.
The Natasha variety is resistant to many diseases affecting potatoes, but pests will have to be fought. In order to use less chemicals, observe the crop rotation, change crops in places. But remember that potatoes cannot be planted after other nightshades such as tomatoes, peppers or eggplants.
Choose healthy, undamaged medium sized tubers for planting and store in a cool dry place. In the spring, process and germinate the tubers as described on our website, plant on time and enjoy early production.
But every variety grown on any site gradually accumulates negative genetic information. As soon as you notice that the yield has dropped and the quality of the tubers has deteriorated, change the variety or buy fresh planting material.
If you wish, you can grow pure genetic material yourself from the seeds of your own potatoes. Good luck.
Potatoes Natasha hybrid or not? Can you plant it for several years?