Potatoes grow poorly in the garden: why and what to do with the photo

Specialists identify several reasons why potatoes can grow poorly and what to do about it offer ways to solve problems. Unfavorable factors may be weather conditions, an incorrectly selected variety, and unsuitable soil composition. Often vegetable growers make mistakes in caring for vegetables. To correct the situation, you need to determine the cause in time and start the fight to eliminate it.

Reasons

There are several reasons why potatoes do not grow after planting, therefore, knowing in advance about adverse factors, you can prevent the development of problems:

Potato varieties are divided into three large groups according to the maturity of root crops: early, mid-ripening and late-ripening. Agronomists recommend planting varieties of different time groups.
Don't plant early and late potato varieties at the same time.
Poor-quality planting material.
Failure to observe crop rotation, lack of timely top dressing, improperly prepared land.
Planting too deep can result in no seedlings appearing at all. Seeding depth approx. 8 cm.

Not the last role is played by weather conditions. Heavy rains, the return of frosts, low air temperatures or, conversely, hot days, also cause poor plant development. Diseases and pests significantly impair the quality and quantity of the crop.

Varieties

In order for root crops to grow large in size and with high taste, you need to choose the right variety. You need to take into account the climate, the composition of the soil, the purpose of the crop.

According to the ripening period of the crop, they are distinguished:

super early varieties that can be harvested after 40-45 days, so you can get two harvests per season;
for early potatoes, the boundaries of fruit ripening are 50-60 days;
medium-early group of vegetable crops begins to ripen after 80 days;
root crops of medium-late varieties after planting ripen in 95-100 days;
You can harvest late potatoes in 110-120 days.

Depending on the variety of potatoes, the flesh can be white, yellow, purple, red.The shape of the potato is round, oblong, cylindrical. In addition to these indicators, attention is also paid to the main characteristics of the variety: productivity, resistance to cold and drought, resistance to diseases and pests.

No matching variety

Among the large number of varieties, there is a suitable variety that will adapt to climatic features, soil composition, individual preferences.

For some, yield is extremely important, for others it is necessary that the potatoes boil during cooking. You can find varieties that will feel great in sandy and clay soils, will tolerate drought and cold well.

Specialists in vegetable growing recommend planting different varieties of potatoes, which will surely bring a good harvest of root crops.

Poor quality seeds to plant

Planting material is selected and carefully examined. Medium-sized potatoes (weight 80 g) are suitable for planting, without damage, stains and rot. Damaged seeds should not be left for reproduction, otherwise there will be poor germination, low yields and a high risk of developing diseases.

The selected planting material is stored in a separate container. The room should be cool, about +2 degrees.

Tubers of any potato variety are disinfected before planting. For this purpose, the seeds are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, copper sulfate can be added to the composition.

Without sprouting, seedlings will appear slowly, the yield will be low. The most common way to germinate is to germinate in the light. Planting material is distributed on the surface in one layer, the temperature in the room should be +8 degrees.In this state, leave until sprouts 1 cm long appear. Periodically, the potatoes are turned over.

Simultaneous planting of several varieties

It happens that a variety is selected in accordance with climatic conditions, planting rules are followed, but the vegetable does not grow. The reason may be that all varieties were planted on the same day. This is wrong.

Early ripe potatoes are planted in the spring, as they are not afraid of cold snap. Varieties with medium fruit ripening boundaries begin to be planted when the air temperature warms up to +13 degrees. Late varieties are planted last, when the temperature reaches +21 degrees.

The way to plant different potato seeds might look like this. Furrows are made on the prepared land, in which early varieties are planted in turn, then medium-early and late.

Landing

One of the main reasons why potatoes do not grow in the garden is poor soil. Best of all, the vegetable develops in light, fertile, well-aerated soil.

Categorically not suitable land with high acidity. It is not advisable to choose a site where groundwater passes too close to the surface. Tubers will form small with low taste.

The soil is prepared in advance before planting potatoes. Since autumn, the site is dug up to a depth of 30 cm and fertilizers are applied. Well-rotted manure and humus, superphosphate and potassium nitrate are best suited. If the soil is acidic, dolomite flour or wood ash is added.

No crop rotation

Every year, the soil gives plants a lot of nutrients and as a result is depleted, so it is not recommended to plant potatoes in the same place for several years in a row. In addition, bacteria and pests accumulate in the soil.

The best neighbors for potatoes are corn, sorrel, onions. Good predecessors are cabbage, cucumber, beets, rye. Potatoes do not develop well after crops such as sunflower, eggplant and tomatoes.

Depleted soil

For 3-4 years of growing potatoes continuously in the same area, the soil is depleted, so fertilization is required.

In the fall, humus, superphosphate, potassium sulfate are introduced. If the soil is acidic, then liming is carried out. It is useful to fertilize any soil with wood ash. It contains many trace elements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium). For 10 sq. m requires 8 kg of wood ash.

During the spring plowing of the land, it is recommended to apply superphosphate, compost, manure infusion, embedding the components to a depth of 12 cm. Fresh manure cannot be applied.It reduces the taste of potatoes, the fruits become watery. In addition, the risk of infection with fungal diseases increases.

Nitrogen fertilizers are recommended to be applied during spring soil preparation for planting, as well as before the first hilling of potatoes.

During the entire growing season, it is useful to carry out root and foliar top dressing. The main components of the solutions can be bird droppings, cow dung, urea, herbs.

Deep landing

If potatoes are planted too deep, seedlings will appear slowly and later than usual. This happens due to the poor supply of heat and oxygen from the surface of the earth. In this case, the sprouts will be weak, the yield will decrease.

Potatoes can be planted in a hole with a depth of 5 to 11 cm. The lighter the soil, the deeper the seeding depth. The optimal hole depth is 8 cm.At the same time, it is useful to fertilize the soil. During planting, a mixture of humus, wood ash and superphosphate is placed in each well.

Incorrect fit

There are many ways to plant potatoes. When choosing, first of all, you need to consider the composition of the soil. The most popular landing method is considered a smooth method. In pre-prepared furrows, recesses are made into which planting material is placed and covered with earth.

Other known vegetable planting methods are as follows.

If the soil is light, sandy, a trench option is suitable. Dig trenches 13 cm deep at a distance of 73 cm. Since autumn, rotted manure, sawdust or straw are placed in the prepared trenches. During the winter, they will decompose and warm the soil. In the spring, potatoes are laid in trenches at intervals of 40 cm. With this method, planting can be done two weeks earlier.
If the soil is heavy and wet, then the ridge method of planting will be ideal. The height of the embankment can be more than 15 cm.

Three waterings are recommended for the entire growing season: two weeks after planting, during flowering, and three weeks before harvest. An important aspect of crop care is hilling and weeding. Hilling is carried out immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, and the second time before flowering.

Height

It is customary for potatoes to distinguish five periods of growth:

Tuber germination and emergence of first shoots.
The appearance of a green stem with the first leaves.
The formation of buds and the beginning of the flowering period.
Active flowering and cessation of leaf growth.
Drying of tops and final formation of roots.

At any of these stages, the growth of potatoes can stop. The reason is improper care, the return of frost, rainy or dry weather, pest invasion, infection.

How many potatoes grow

The first young seedlings, subject to warm weather, begin to appear after 23 days. If the weather stays at + 20 degrees for a long time, then the first shoots appear already on the 16th day. Germination time is delayed due to cold weather.

You need to plant potatoes in warm soil (+10 degrees) and shallow, in the topsoil, it is best to germinate the planting material beforehand.

Sprouts may appear unevenly due to different seeding depths, different tuber sizes, when choosing potato varieties with different ripening dates.

Climate and planting dates

The time for planting potatoes is determined by some criteria: air temperature, soil moisture level (too wet soil leads to rotting of planting material, not germination), selected variety.

Sometimes potato bushes do not develop due to non-compliance with planting dates. Most often, planting work begins in early May, but it is better to focus on weather conditions.

The soil should warm up to 8-10 degrees to a depth of 10 cm. By this time, the risk of frost returning is minimal. In regions with different climatic conditions, the soil does not warm up at the same time.

Why did potatoes stop growing?

Growth of tubers and aboveground vegetable crops can stop due to bad weather, poor care, lack of nutrients, and also as a result of pest attacks. Stops growing potatoes in hot weather, in the absence of regular watering.

What to do if the potatoes do not sprout?

If potato seedlings did not appear by the estimated, calculated date, then measures must be taken:

First of all make sure the potatoes are not planted too deep. It is enough to dig a few tubers and see. If so, then germination will be delayed for 7-10 days.
If the weather is warm and dry, then watering will help speed up the germination of seeds.
Worse, if the sprouts did not appear due to rotting tubers or damage by pests. In this case, they dig up all the planting material and burn it, the land must be treated with fungicides.

In the infected area, it is better to plant another crop that is immune to potato diseases. In another area, you can plant early varieties of potatoes and have time to harvest a rich harvest.

Harvest

Growing potatoes is easy, but some adverse conditions can reduce yields:

too cold or hot weather;
close fit;
lack of moisture, especially during flowering;
lack of air in the soil;
overabundance or lack of nutrients;
lack of light.

The yield may decrease, and the tubers lose their taste and appearance or are not fully formed.

Small fruit

Small potato crop may be formed due to many unfavorable factors:

A common cause is a fungal disease - late blight. When the bushes are affected, the tubers do not rot, but only stop their growth.
An excess of nitrogen leads to the active development of green mass. All nutrients go up, roots develop poorly.
High air temperature. If the heat comes during the period of active growth of root crops, then their growth stops. Even if the temperature drops soon, the tubers will be small.
Lack of moisture also causes a small crop.

Regular watering in hot weather, compliance with the dosage when fertilizing, preventive treatments against diseases and pests will help to collect a large and tasty harvest.

Rotten fruits

The potato crop may rot. The reason is wet, rainy weather, too densely planted bushes, fungal or bacterial infections.

If dry and yellow tops appear among the green potato bushes, some kind of disease most likely develops. Rotting potatoes can cause: late blight, fusarium, black leg, ring rot. Sick bushes are dug up and burned.

Another cause of tubers rotting during growth is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Voids form inside the tubers, and the flesh begins to rot. The following year, you need to reduce the application of nitrogen, and increase potassium.

Little ovaries and fruits

Little ovaries and fruits are formed due to hot weather and dry air. In this case, the ovaries fall off. The bushes look lethargic, emaciated, there are few tubers, and they are small. In this case, you need to water the area with water and treat with Zircon.

If the stem is even, the leaves are green, the whole bush looks he althy, but there are no ovaries, then this will not affect the quality and quantity of the crop. You also need to know that not all varieties are able to bloom.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests can significantly worsen the condition of bushes and reduce yields.The vegetable slows down in growth and stops developing. The disease can be triggered by viruses, bacteria and fungi that penetrate the plant through leaves, roots, damage.

Fungal diseases of potatoes

Spores of fungal infections are spread by wind, insects, water. Under favorable conditions for them (cold weather and high humidity), fungi begin to multiply actively, spreading over large areas.

Potato Virus Diseases

The most common viral disease is mosaic, which has three varieties. The reason is a decrease in the immunity of the plant due to improper watering, lack of nutrients in the soil, damage to the bushes by pests.

The leaves of the plant curl, change color, light, brown blotches appear. Over time, the stem is damaged, and the leaves become completely yellow, dry and begin to fall off.

Bacterial diseases of potatoes

Bacterial infection can occur throughout the growing season. The most common source of infection is seed material. Rots that affect tubers are especially dangerous, and they become unfit for food.

Potato late blight

The first sign of late blight is the appearance of brown spots on the top of the leaves. The inner half of the leaf plate is covered with a white coating. If you do not start treatment, then in a month all potato plantings will be infected with the disease. The leaves turn brown, and the tubers are also affected. Over time, the tops become thinner, rot, wither and dry out. For a month, every week it is recommended to treat the bushes with Bordeaux liquid.

Dry Potato Rot

Dry rot or Fusarium refers to a fungal disease that affects the ground part of the plant during growth. It develops on tubers most often during storage. Spread begins in dry, hot weather.

When fusarium leaves change color. Their edges become a brownish-purple hue, and the top begins to lighten. Gradually, the leaves wither, the stem darkens, brown spots appear on the fruits, covered with a white-gray bloom.

Black potato leg

The black leg can destroy the entire potato crop. The stem and root crops begin to rot, the leaves curl and become stiff. The tubers become soft and have an unpleasant odor. Rot can develop both from the inside of the fruit and from the outside. A preventive measure is the treatment of seed material with special preparations.

Potato ring rot

A common bacterial infection is ring rot. It is problematic to notice the disease at an early stage. When the leaves and tops begin to wither, the plant is already infected from the inside.

In the veins of the leaves, the juice becomes yellow-brown, which indicates the process of decay. Putrefactive rings and spots are visible not only on the surface of the tubers, but also inside, when cut. The damaged part of the potato fills with an oily liquid that turns brown over time.

Medvedka

Adult insects (up to 6 cm in length) and larvae of the bear cause significant damage in vegetable beds. They damage the roots and stem of potato bushes, gnaw through root crops. In the fight against the bear, folk methods and chemicals are used (Prestige, Aktara, Masterpiece).

Colorado potato beetle

The Colorado potato beetle feeds on the leaves of nightshade crops, but most of all it prefers potatoes. It eats leaf petioles, but does not touch flowers, stems and root crops. If you do not take action, the plant will stop developing, and the tubers will be small.

From the Colorado potato beetle, such means as Confidor, Regent, Commander are used. You should not allow the appearance of weeds, it is imperative to observe crop rotation, it is important to plant planting material on time and remove all plant residues from the site after harvesting.