Potato tops dry. How to determine the readiness of potatoes for harvesting (tuber ripeness)

At home, in the Andes, potatoes - perennial. But in our climate, already at a temperature of -1 ° C, the conversion of starch into sugar begins in the tubers, due to which the taste deteriorates significantly. On the other hand, it is a pity to dig up an unripe, small potato, and even in winter it is poorly stored due to an unformed peel. To collect maximum yield before the onset of frost, it is necessary to determine exactly when the potato stops growing.

Signs of stunting. Flowering is a turning point in potato development. From the moment of germination until flowering, the tops grow much faster than tubers, then the growth of green mass slows down and gradually stops, and the plant gives most of its strength to potatoes.

The purpose of potato tops is to supply tubers with photosynthesis products. In yellowed, withered leaves and stems, photosynthesis is impossible. Hence the logical answer to the question of whether potatoes grow if the tops are dried up: of course not, since the tubers have nowhere else to take nutrients.

Dry leaves and yellowed stems indicate the cessation of potato growth.

Determination of the timing of harvesting

After the leaves die off, the potatoes in the ground are covered with a dense peel: this is how the plant prepares for wintering. If the potatoes are not dug up within two weeks, they may begin to rot.

However, there are no rules without exception: the tops of some varieties, especially late ones, are able to remain green and strong almost until frost. Often this happens on well-fertilized soils. The condition of the shoots is also affected by the weather: heavy rains at the end of the growing season lead to the fact that the tops that have already drooped come to life again and grow. Because of this, the taste of potatoes deteriorates: actively growing shoots draw off nutrients instead of giving them to tubers.

If frosts are approaching, and the tops have not yet dried up, it is better to hurry up with the harvest. It is not worth waiting for the complete withering of shoots affected by late blight. It’s easier to mow the tops 10-14 days before digging potatoes. Removing the green mass will serve as a signal for the cessation of potato growth and roughening of the skin.

Chemical means to accelerate the drying of the tops

When the shoots dry out naturally, the nutrients and moisture contained in them pass into the tubers. If you mow completely fresh tops, potatoes will not receive the due vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, many vegetable growers use chemicals, provoking premature wilting of the tops. Such drugs are classified depending on the type of effect on the shoots:

desiccants - chemical compounds, dehydrating tops;
means for senication - desiccants, accelerating the process of natural aging and withering of the tops.

The most common desiccation methods are:

spraying with a 0.5% solution blue vitriol(50 g per 10 liters of water). The procedure is carried out 2 weeks before harvesting;
spraying with 2% magnesium chlorate solution. The treatment of one hundred square meters requires a solution of 200 g of magnesium chlorate in 10 liters of water. The leaves dry out 3-5 days after spraying.

For senication, concentrated solutions of complex fertilizers are used, which act more slowly and sparingly than conventional desiccants. Thanks to this, it enters the tubers maximum amount useful substances from the tops.

Senication can increase potato yield by 10–15%.

The most popular preparation for senication is a concentrated solution of superphosphate. To prepare it, you need 2 kg of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Superphosphate dissolves very slowly, so the suspension is prepared 2-3 hours before use. Fertilizer is poured into a container, filled with water and thoroughly stirred. After 1.5–2 hours, the liquid is poured into another vessel, and the precipitate is stirred. Both parts of the suspension are combined only after complete dissolution of all the granules.

Acceleration of potato ripening

Usually vegetable growers are guided by the ripening dates set for various types varieties:

up to 65 days - early;
65–80 days - medium early;
80–95 days - mid-season;
95–110 days - medium-late;
110 - 120 days - late.

The problem is that these terms were calculated for ideal conditions. If potatoes are planted in insufficiently heated soil, they will sprout and ripen much later. In heat above +30 ° C, the development of tubers stops.

In order for the growth of potatoes to stop by the scheduled date, weather conditions and the nature of the soil must be taken into account. The simplest and affordable way accelerate the ripening of potatoes - plant them not just with tubers, but with seedlings.

Seedlings are grown from whole or cut potatoes, even from eyes. The meaning of the method is that a ready-made plant that has begun to develop must be planted in the ground. If the spring is cool, it is recommended to use a film, spunbond, or install small greenhouses over potato beds.

A variety of growth regulators help to speed up the development and ripening of potatoes for at least a week. Usually, such drugs have a complex effect: they strengthen the immunity of plants, protect them from fungal and viral infections.

The most popular growth regulators:

"Poteitin" is a low-toxic agent that increases yield by 25%. It is used for preplant treatment of tubers and spraying during the growing season;
"Agat-25 K" is a biological product with a fungicidal effect, containing the pseudobacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens. Used for preplant processing;
"Novosil" - a product with triterpene acids (based on an extract of Siberian fir). It is used for spraying during the growing season.

Probably, every summer resident has ever had to deal with such an unpleasant phenomenon as premature wilting of potato tops. If shortly before harvesting such a process is natural, then at the beginning and middle of the growing season - it clearly indicates that something is wrong.

The causes of premature yellowing of the leaves can vary. Often this is due to a constantly elevated or low air temperature, a lack of important trace elements in the soil - nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. In the worst case, yellowing indicates an attack by pests or a plant disease. Let's sort it out in order.

climatic factors

Yellowing of potato leaves is very common during dry, hot seasons. Remember the summer of 2010 with its temperatures from +30 to +40 C and above. Some bushes in the beds turned yellow almost completely.

At temperatures above +30 C, metabolic processes are disturbed in potato bushes, which subsequently leads to a sharp decrease in yield.

In addition to temperature, humidity also plays a huge role. The optimal level is 70%. Potatoes require the most moisture during the flowering period.

When tubers begin to actively form, it is very important to ensure that enough air enters the soil. During this period, you should take care of loosening.

Nutrient deficiency

Yellowing of potato tops may occur due to a systematic lack of soil necessary for the growth and development of the plant. nutrients. Most often, the problem is caused by a lack of the following trace elements:

Nitrogen necessary for potatoes to build up a powerful green mass and the harmonious formation of tubers. With its deficiency, the leaves first noticeably turn pale, then turn yellow, dry out and fall off. Add nitrogen fertilizers preferably even when planting potatoes at the rate of 50 g per 10 kg of root crops.
Iron and manganese- two inextricably linked elements, with a significant lack of which plants quickly begin to fade. Watering the potato bushes under the root with the following composition will help correct the situation: 5 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. It is also recommended to spray the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 50 g of vitriol per 10 liters of water. Top dressing is performed 1 time per week until the situation normalizes.
Potassium directly affects the health of plants, the taste of future fruits and the duration of their storage. With insufficient intake of this trace element, photosynthesis processes are disturbed, plants become more painful, and they tolerate dry periods worse. To avoid such a development of events, in the fall, when digging the site or in the spring, add potassium sulfate to the soil at the rate of 1 kg per 1 weave.
Phosphorus essential for the development of the root system. It is this element that is responsible for the accelerated development of tubers and their saturation with starch. As in the case of potassium, with a lack of phosphorus, plants tolerate hot weather much worse. With a lack of this trace element, potato bushes develop worse, many leaves on them may turn yellow. To prevent this from happening, since the fall, care should be taken to introduce superphosphate into the soil at the rate of 900 g per 1 weave.

Overdo it with the introduction mineral fertilizers also shouldn't. Their excess can also negatively affect the state of potato tops.

Diseases

Yellowing of the leaves may indicate the defeat of plants by various diseases. First of all, the following diseases can be distinguished:

Pests

With severe pest damage, potato shoots can also turn yellow. Most often, yellowing is associated with the activity of the following insects:

If you find a significant amount of yellowed leaves, first of all, pay attention to the following points:

How much (and how often) fertilizer you applied.
What is the frequency and volume of watering.
What is the weather like.

If everything is fine with this, take a closer look: if there are signs of a disease or pest on diseased leaves. If concerns are confirmed, take the appropriate handling or removal steps.

If even slight yellowing is found on potato bushes, carefully observe if the yellowness is spreading to other parts of the plant or neighboring bushes.

Potato tops can also be used to judge the future harvest. If a potato tops turn yellow , then this is the first (late blight). As a rule, late blight begins to appear during the flowering (budding) of potatoes. After yellowing of potato tops wilting of the leaves and premature drying of the bush begins. At the same time, the yield is reduced by almost half. At the initial stage of this disease, the surface of the leaves should be treated with water with a certain concentration of copper sulfate in it. At the advanced stage of this disease, the only way out of this situation will be only burning the tops in the process of harvesting potatoes, followed by sorting the tubers from these bushes. Signs of late blight of potatoes can be determined during the germination of seed tubers in sunlight. Infected tubers do not withstand the influence of ultraviolet radiation and begin to rot as early as 7-10 days. Also due to the lack of potassium and phosphorus due to depleted soil. The main danger of phytophthora is to reduce the growing season of potatoes by almost half. The crop yield from such infected areas rarely exceeds 250 kg per hundred square meters (250 centners per hectare). The tubers in such bushes are small, because. the bulk of the nutrients accumulate in the stem of the potato bush, and he, in turn, does not have time to gain the mass he needs. As a rule, one stem is 1 tuber. By the number of stems in a bush, one can indirectly determine the number of main tubers in this bush. And by the mass of the stem - respectively, the mass of the tuber. I want to note right away that we are talking about elite potatoes, because. a degenerate potato variety, as a rule, has large quantity tubers, to the detriment of their quality. Earlier, about five years ago, I came across bushes where the number of tubers reached 20 pieces. But the size of the tubers in such bushes did not exceed the size of a tennis ball, or even less. If the stem is thin, this is the first sign of a lack of nitrogen (subject to good watering). If you enter the query in the search engine: "forum", you can immediately find several sites with questions and discussions of similar topics. But the conclusion in most of them will be exactly the same. I remember well that year, when almost half of the potato tops turned yellow and wilted almost at the time of budding (flowering). This is another reason why I am now sprout potatoes in advance in sunlight. Planting potato tubers, which are affected by late blight, will make themselves felt even before planting. Rejecting them during planting is not difficult. With a wave of my hand, I send such tubers flying beyond the territory of my site.