Dutch potato varieties have long gained popularity among our gardeners and gardeners. They are great for our climate and have good yields. One cannot fail to note the persistent immunity of these varieties, which has long become their hallmark. The varieties bred in Holland differ from each other in terms of their ripening and overall yield. In this article, we'll take a look at one of the best mid-late to high-yielding varieties, the Sifra potato.
Characteristics of the variety
The Sifra potato variety has a medium-late ripening period, which allows gardeners to harvest it 95 - 115 days after planting the tubers. We grow it in many regions, but the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation recommended this variety for planting only in the North-West, Central, Volgo-Vyatka and Central Black Earth regions. Besides Russia, Sifra is actively cultivated in Ukraine and Moldova.
Sifra bushes are very fickle: they can be either medium or tall, they can stand upright or spread out. Their average foliage density is formed from medium-sized leaves of an intermediate type. They are dark green in color and have slightly wavy edges. During flowering, potato bushes are covered with corollas of large white flowers.
The powerful root system of the bushes allows them to grow up to 15 large potatoes. Their average weight will be about 100 - 150 grams. The appearance of the Sifra potato is beyond praise. It is smooth and neat, with an almost perfect oval-round shape. The medium-thick yellow skin of the potato is very smooth to the touch. The eyes of the Sifra potato variety are shallow and few in number.
Inside, the flesh of the Sifra potato is white. Like other mid-late varieties, Sifra has an excellent, full-bodied flavor. The flesh of the potato is slightly sweet, without dryness and wateriness. This variety is perfect for all types of cooking, whether it be boiling, pan-frying, deep-frying, stuffing and baking. There is not much starch in it - from 11% to 15%. But despite this, the mashed potatoes from this potato are very airy and without lumps.
Such excellent taste and market characteristics allow the cultivation of Sifra potatoes not only for personal needs and farms, but also on an industrial scale. Neat, even potatoes tolerate transportation well and are perfectly stored without loss of marketability and taste. If the storage conditions are observed, the keeping quality of tubers will be about 94% of the total crop. Due to these qualities, as well as the excellent presentation, Sifra potatoes are often found on store shelves.
The advantages of this potato variety can also be attributed to its drought resistance and not susceptibility to degeneration when harvested as seed. As for immunity, then the Sifra potato variety also has something to be proud of. This potato has strong immunity to many dangerous diseases and pests, such as:
- potato cancer;
- golden nematode;
- scab;
- viral diseases.
But his immunity of this potato may not resist late blight of tubers and various fungal diseases.
The disadvantages of the Sifra potato variety include its sensitivity to sharp frosts, as well as its exactingness to the nutrient composition of the soil.
The yield of this variety of potatoes largely depends on the climatic conditions and the nutrient composition of the soil.The minimum yield will be 179 centners per hectare, and the maximum can reach 500 centners per hectare.
Care advice
Sifra potatoes do not require any complex care. The only requirement for this variety is a light and nutritious soil. When grown on such land, the variety will show excellent yields. But if the land is poor or heavy in composition, then not only the overall yield will worsen, but also the quality of the crop itself.
Sifra potato beds should be prepared in the fall. To do this, they must be dug up to a depth of 30 cm with the obligatory overturning of the earth. To improve the nutrient composition of the earth, humus and wood ash are introduced into the dug up bed.
But planting potatoes after tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplants will not lead to good yields.
Sifra belongs to mid-season potato varieties, therefore, its planting should begin only after the end of spring frosts, when the soil is already well warmed up.
A popular sign of the beginning of the potato sowing season is birch leaves that have reached the size of a small coin.
Seed potatoes of the Sifra variety must be germinated a little before planting. For this, the tubers need to be spread out in a bright place at a temperature not higher than +15 degrees 1.5 - 2 months before planting. During this time, young shoots should hatch from the eyes of the potatoes. The indicator of the potato's readiness for planting is the length of these sprouts - it should be from 1 to 1.5 cm. If the sprouts appeared before the planned planting, then the tubers must be removed in a dark place and kept there until planting.
Germinated Sifra potatoes are planted in moist soil, after making holes or trenches in it. Their depth depends on the soil in the garden - the lighter it is, the deeper the hole or trench will be and vice versa. At the same time, on light soils, the maximum planting depth will be 12 cm, and on clay soil, only 5 cm. The distance between adjacent tubers should be about 30 cm, and between rows 65 cm. Planted tubers are covered with earth. Under favorable weather conditions, the first shoots will appear in 15 - 20 days.
Follow-up care of potato seedlings will include:
- Watering... Typically, Sifra potatoes are not watered before flowering. But if the summer turned out to be very dry, then once a week you will still have to water the bushes. After the beginning of flowering, the soil in the potato bed should always be slightly damp. But this does not mean that potato bushes should be watered every day. Before each watering, the soil should dry out to a depth of one finger. It is necessary to water the bushes of Sifra potatoes in the evening, spending from 2 to 3 liters of water for each bush.
- Hilling... Hilling allows Sifra potato bushes to better keep their shape and contributes to the formation of stolons - shoots on which tubers are formed. Hilling should be carried out twice a season: the first time when the bushes reach a height of 14 - 16 cm, and the second time before flowering. Hilling is easy. To do this, it is necessary to rake the earth from the rows to the base of the bushes. As you can see in the photo below, the potato beds should end up looking ribbed.
- Fertilizer... Organic fertilizers based on manure or chicken manure are best suited for Sifra potatoes. But if the soil is poor, then you can use mineral fertilizers, alternating them with organic matter. In total, potatoes must be fertilized three times during the season: after germination, before and after flowering.
The first digging of Sifra potatoes can be done in the middle of summer. But the highest yield comes in the second half of September. A clear sign that it is time to dig up the potatoes is drying and yellowing of their tops. All harvested crops must be sorted and dried before being harvested for storage.
Despite the fact that Sifra is a relatively young potato variety, its popularity among gardeners and farmers is growing every year. And adherence to simple agrotechnical recommendations guarantees, if not abundant, then a very good harvest.
