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There is no such summer resident in Russia who has not heard of the Sineglazka potatoes. This is an old, time-tested and thousands of gardeners variety that has not lost its relevance for eighty years. Farmers love Sineglazka potatoes for the unsurpassed taste of tubers - no Dutch hybrids can compare with it. You can cook anything you want from the harvest of this potato, the culture rarely gets sick, it bears fruit perfectly - just a summer resident's dream! But Sineglazka also has its drawbacks, the most important of which experts consider poor keeping quality.
Photos, reviews and descriptions of Sineglazka potatoes - all information is collected in this article. Below will be listed all the pros and cons of the old domestic variety, it will tell you how to properly grow this potato.
Origin story
The Sineglazka potato variety was bred back in 1940. The author of the new potato was S. Demin, a breeder from the Institute of Starch Products. To get a hybrid of Sineglazk, the scientist crossed several varieties of cultivated potatoes with a wild variety.
The potato has passed many tests at experimental stations in the country, and as a result, it was found unpromising. However, this decision of specialists did not prevent the country's farmers from successfully growing Sineglazka on their plots for decades.
Varietal characteristics
The description of the Sineglazka potato variety should begin with its features: this potato has an average ripening period and a very extended growing season. You can harvest the first crop of young tubers at the end of June, and potatoes can be in the ground until September.
The characteristics of the Sineglazka potato are as follows:
- the ripening period is 85 to 100 days;
- potato bushes are powerful, rather tall, spreading;
- shoots are thick, the root system is highly developed;
- the growth of green mass is abundant;
- leaves of medium size, painted in dark green;
- inflorescences at Sineglazka are small, light blue;
- berries with seeds on the bushes are rarely formed;
- potatoes prefer light, sandy, nutritious soil; on heavy and docky soils they bear fruit poorly;
- the yield of the Sineglazka variety is high - about 500 centners per hectare;
- from 8 to 12 tubers ripen in each bush;
- large potatoes, the average mass of tubers is 170 grams;
- the shape of the potato is oval, slightly flattened;
- tubers are painted in a pinkish-gray shade;
- the eyes are shallow, there are few of them, painted in a blue-lilac shade
- the flesh is white, dense;
- the percentage of starch is 15%;
- Sineglazka tubers are considered very nutritious, suitable for dietary nutrition;
- the taste of potatoes is high - aromatic and delicate mashed potatoes are obtained from the Sineglazka variety, this potato is suitable for frying, stewing, preparing salads and any other dishes;
- Sineglazka potato variety shows resistance to common diseases of nightshade crops (potato cancer, late blight, nematode, scab);
- the skin on the tubers is rather thin, so they can be damaged by the wireworm - the larvae of the click beetle;
- Sineglazka quickly degenerates, losing its strong qualities, so farmers should not use their own material for planting for several years in a row;
- the harvest of Sineglazka is poorly stored, especially in large quantities - most of the tubers are affected by rot;
- for successful storage, potatoes must be folded into small wooden boxes and placed in a spacious dry cellar;
- the yield of Sineglazka and the quality of tubers are highly dependent on weather conditions and soil composition.
Varietal qualities are fully preserved only in potatoes grown from seeds. To grow a high-quality Sineglazka that retains its yield, taste and immunity to diseases, it is necessary to regularly update the planting material.
Advantages and disadvantages
Sineglazka would not have retained its popularity for such a long period of time if it did not have strong qualities. Reviews of summer residents and gardeners about this potato are the most positive - Russians love the Sineglazka variety and are in no hurry to change it to more modern hybrids.
The advantages of the domestic potato variety are as follows:
- excellent taste, pronounced potato taste and aroma;
- wide culinary opportunities (you can cook anything from Sineglazka);
- immunity to the most common infections of nightshade crops;
- large tubers of aligned shape and beautiful appearance;
- thin peel and superficially located few eyes;
- large growing area;
- high productivity.
Among other advantages, the people note the greater resistance of Sineglazka to the Colorado potato beetle compared to other popular potato varieties. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
The Hannibal variety also has disadvantages, it is because of them that these potatoes are not planted on an industrial scale. Agrarians note the following disadvantages:
- rapid and obvious degeneration of the planting material;
- shortage of quality seeds on sale;
- unsuitability of tubers for storage;
- the possibility of damage to potatoes by wireworm.
Due to the listed disadvantages, they are trying to replace Sineglazka potatoes with new, more modern analogues. In recent years, several varieties of potatoes have appeared, similar to Sineglazka. The most popular and successful potatoes are called Dubravka: the tubers are just as tasty and beautiful, and they also have excellent keeping quality.
Many gardeners do not know how to choose the right Sineglazka potatoes for planting and how to propagate them - for this reason, negative reviews of the variety may appear. The fact is that very few fruits are formed in the Hannibal variety, and it is problematic to collect seeds from bushes. Therefore, reproduction and renewal with your own seeds is almost impossible. The best option is to look for agricultural firms selling seed potatoes, which retain varietal characteristics.
Agrotechnics
If you grow potatoes from high-quality planting material obtained from seeds and not infected with viruses and bacteria, you can be sure of the result - Sineglazka will not let you down.
Of course, this potato, like the rest, prefers loose soil rich in fertilizers, it needs watering, weeding and processing. But, as practice shows, even in unfavorable weather conditions and with minimal agricultural technology, the varietal Sineglazka will give a good harvest.
Planting and leaving
It is necessary to plant Hannibal tubers in the second half of April or early May. The exact time of planting is calculated so that the sprouted bushes do not freeze during the frosts in May (the timing is individual for each region).
It is not difficult to take care of potato bushes, but it must be done - a lack of attention will greatly affect the quantity and quality of the crop. The rules for caring for Sineglazka are simple:
- Watering this potato needs moderate watering - the soil is moistened no more than five times per season. Natural rainfall is often sufficient for potatoes to grow normally.
- The soil must be loosened, and the spreading bushes must be hilled. To protect the tubers from overheating and the soil from drying out, it is recommended to use mulch.
- Top dressing for Sineglazka is very important. This large potato prefers root dressing with organic fertilizers such as slurry or water-diluted bird droppings. Mineral fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate or ammonium sulfate are also effective. You should not be zealous with nitrogen, it will only increase the green mass.
- The potatoes grown from seeds will remain resistant to diseases for the first couple of years. Subsequently, chemical treatments cannot be avoided, and it is recommended to process not only bushes, but also tubers and soil before planting. To protect potatoes from wireworms, which can harm the marketable tubers, you should spray the plants with insecticides against the click beetle.
- The best taste is observed in blue eyes at the end of August. It is during this period that it is recommended to harvest this potato. Immediately after digging, the tubers must be dried in the fresh air, so they are left in the open air for 3-5 hours. If the weather is rainy, the harvest is laid out to dry under a canopy.
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Conclusion
Sineglazka has a lot of advantages, this potato is tasty, has a spectacular appearance (which is confirmed by the photo), pleases with large harvests. The country's gardeners agree to put up with the shortcomings of the variety and are looking for ways to combat them: they grow potato seedlings from their own seeds, ventilate storage facilities, sort out the harvest.
Despite the fact that every year new hybrids and analogues appear, the blue eye remains one of the most beloved varieties among summer residents and gardeners of the country.
