Red Scarlet Potato: description and characteristics of the variety, reviews of gardeners with photos

A detailed description of the Red Scarlet potato variety is the best advertisement when choosing seed material for the new planting season. Potatoes of the Dutch selection - this already says a lot. Dutch selection stands for yield, disease resistance, presentation and good taste.

Benefits

The main advantages of Red Scarlett potatoes over other varieties can be considered its early ripeness combined with high yields. Tubers dug out at the right time (75-80 days from the date of planting) retain their marketable appearance for a long time, tolerate transportation over long distances well, and do not lose their taste during storage.For summer consumption, young potatoes can be dug up after 45 days.

The appearance of the tubers is not satisfactory, they have a marketable appearance, rarely suffer from mechanical damage. The flesh does not darken on the cut and during cooking, it is characterized by excellent taste.

Potato does not boil soft, can serve as a raw material for making chips and cooking any dishes, it can be used fried, boiled and stewed as:

• side dish;
• salad component;
• soup and stew dressings.

The state of the immune system of Red Scarlett potatoes will please vegetable growers, it is satisfactory. With proper care, the plant copes with most infections and is rarely attacked by pests.

Flaws

When growing Red Scarlet potatoes, gardeners note a direct dependence of the yield on soil structure. This can be attributed to serious shortcomings, since the yield on heavy clay soils without additional costs will be below the norm. In order for the formation of tubers to proceed normally, the earth will have to be loosened after each watering.

Alternatively, on heavy soils, you can plant Red Scarlet under straw. This method is practiced by many gardeners in different climatic zones; with this method of planting, the yield will not suffer. On loose soils, it takes no more time to care for Red Scarlet than for other varieties.

Description of the plant

The bushes are low, erect, covered with medium-sized leaves. Coloring of a tops and leaves of saturated green color. The thickness of the stems is medium. The edge of the leaf plate is slightly wavy. Flowers can be of different shades:

• light pink;
• lilac;
• red-violet.

The tops grow actively, from 15 to 20 potatoes are formed on one bush It is convenient to take care of the plantings, as the bushes are compact and do not grow in breadth with timely hilling. The probability of growing a good crop of Red Scarlett is high. By purchasing high-quality seed material, the gardener may well expect to receive marketable tubers in the required quantity in the fall.

Description of the tuber

Real potato lovers are interested in all the main characteristics of the Scarlet potato. First of all, a description of the tubers of the Red Scarlet potato variety. All important parameters guaranteed by the manufacturer's description for this variety are shown in the summary table.

Characteristic	Value
purpose	table (frying, cooking, fries)
potato splendor	weak
taste	medium
starch (%)	from 10.1 to 15 ,6
dry matter (%)	≤ 18.6
maximum yield in industrial cultivation	270 q/ha
maximum yield in household plots	from 16 to 19 kg/sq.m
harvested commercial qualities (%)	96
keeping quality (%)	98
weight of one medium size tuber	50-120g
pulp (color)	white to cream
eyes (depth, amount)	a little, shallow
peel (texture)	smooth or slightly rough
peel ( color)	red-skinned root vegetables
tuber size	medium, straightened
shape	oval, long

Preparation of seed material

Plan the harvesting of seed material Red Scarlett to start in the summer. Choose the he althiest bushes and label them with tags. The tops should be free of signs of disease and pests. In the fall, by digging up these bushes, the crop can be visually assessed and decide whether the tubers are suitable as seed material.

Perhaps this approach will take more time, but the quality of planting material will be higher. Red Scarlett Seed Requirements:

• peel of even red color without spots;
• peel surface without mechanical damage, smooth;
• the bulk of root crops in the nest is from 50 to 100 g.

Scarlet seed potatoes selected for these characteristics must be dried. The average drying time is 10 days. Potatoes need to be scattered under a canopy in one layer; after drying, it should turn green. Tubers are not dried under direct sunlight.

Important! Red Scarlet seeds do not degenerate, their seed potatoes can be used for many years.

Before storage, Red Scarlet seed potatoes must be cooled, placed in boxes, lowered into a cellar (basement) or other storage location, where the temperature regime is maintained within the range of 2 to 4 °C throughout the entire storage period.

In the spring, large potatoes can be put on seeds. To do this, cut it into pieces, dry the slices. There should be several eyes on one segment.

Fit specifics

Red Scarlet potatoes are recommended to be planted in combs. Reviews of summer residents about the variety, a description of this method and the resulting crop speak in favor of using this method of planting. Before planting, the soil must be fertilized, adhering to the proven planting rules:

1. Dig a hole no deeper than 8 cm.
2. Apply nitrogen fertilizers such as urea. It will stimulate the growth of the above-ground part of the bush.
3. Be sure to add ash to the bottom of the planting hole, about 1 cup. Place the tuber on the ashes so that the sprouts look up.
4. Form high ridges (12 cm) over the holes.

To make it convenient to take care of the plantation, there was enough land to hill each bush, it is recommended to adhere to a planting pattern of 35x75 cm. In a row, the distance between the holes is 35 cm, between adjacent rows - 75 cm.

Care Secrets

There are no special secrets for caring for Red Scarlett. Before the bushes close, it is necessary to loosen the soil between the rows, while simultaneously removing weeds. For the entire period before the potato ripening period, each bush must be spudded at least 2 times. You can loosen the soil between the bushes with a flat cutter or an ordinary chopper.

According to the description of the variety, the drought resistance of Red Scarlet potatoes is estimated at 6.5 points. If the summer is dry, then the potatoes need to be watered. Key Features of Caring for Scarlet:

• watering;
• mandatory hilling;
• prevention of pests and diseases using insecticides;
• when planting, fertilizer is required;
• before digging potatoes, cut the leaves at least 10 days before harvesting.

Scarlet bushes need to be watered at least 3 times during the season. The first full watering is carried out before the potatoes have gained color. The second time - during mass flowering. The third time the potatoes need watering 7-10 days after the end of flowering.

For the whole season Red Scarlet is fed at least 3 times:

• complex nitrogen-potassium fertilizer is applied a month after planting;
• fertilize for the second time during flowering;
• the third time top dressing is also combined with the main watering.

Top cutting is practiced by many gardeners, thanks to this technique, the peel on the potato becomes strong and suffers less from mechanical damage during digging.

Diseases and pests

Thanks to Dutch scientists, Red Scarlett has a high immunity to potato cancer, but often suffers from scab and Alternaria. The aerial part of the plant (stems, leaves) are susceptible to late blight, tubers practically do not suffer from it.

In plants affected by scab, ulcers form on the tubers. Sick potatoes are poorly stored and quickly lose their commercial properties. Symptoms of alternariosis are brown spots on leaves and stems, dry in structure. The disease rarely affects tubers.

The advantage of the Scarlett variety is its resistance to the golden nematode. In the fields where the Red Scarlet potato variety is grown, this pest does not occur. It can be noted that the variety is resistant to viruses A and Yn. Until the time of flowering has come, preventive treatment with insecticides from the Colorado potato beetle, the main pest of potatoes, is carried out. Most requested products:

• Aktara.
• Colorado.
• Corado.
• Actellik.

After chemical treatment, the tubers should be eaten only after the poisonous substance has been removed from the fruit. The decay period is indicated in the instructions. Opponents of chemistry should use folk methods of pest protection: ammonia, ash, laundry soap.

We must not forget about the prevention and treatment of diseases. From phytophthora on tops apply: Celeste Stop and Maxim, the effect of their use lasts 2 weeks.

Advice from an experienced gardener

Beginning gardeners can benefit from the advice of those who have been seriously involved in growing potatoes for a long time.

Julia, Novokuznetsk:

“Red Scarlet acquired her first potato seeds six years ago. Since then it has been my favorite variety. In the spring, I am not in a hurry with planting, the potatoes are early in terms of ripening, so we plant them in early June. Growing does not require much effort: weeding, hilling, loosening and watering if there is no rain. With normal care, we accumulate up to 40 buckets of even, smooth, tasty tubers. We get such a harvest from one bucket of seed potatoes.”

Vladimir, Tula:

“We are not so hot vegetable growers. From my grandmother got a summer house, we decided that we can start growing our own potatoes. Seeds Red Scarlet advised the manager in the store. They planted in the last days of May, at the end of June the tops were already sticking out with might and main, and in July they fell to the ground. Later, phytophthora attacked the bushes, but the tubers were not affected. In the autumn they were with the harvest. Fertilizers were not applied, our land is good, fertile.”

Anna, Omsk:

“Started growing Red Scarlet three years ago. The seeds were purchased from a specialized store. The first year we planted 10 kg of seed potatoes. We were in no hurry with planting, since the variety is early, but we need it for winter consumption. Planted Red Scarlet in June. At the end of July, the tops grew good, strong. The yield of the variety pleased. From 10 kg of seed potatoes, 38 buckets of quality tubers of the same size, smooth, without flaws have grown.

Alena, Tomsk:

"Red Scarlet is my favorite.I like everything about it: taste, shape, skin and flesh color. Peeling the tubers is a pleasure, the puree from it turns out delicious, the son eats it on both cheeks. We no longer buy seeds, we select them from our own potatoes. We take care of plantings as standard, if there is little rain, we water 2-3 times over the summer. We spud bushes during the summer at least 2 times. The first time, when the tops grow up to 25 cm, and the second time - just before closing it. We store potatoes in the cellar, they lie well, spoil little, we put the seed in plastic boxes, in April we get it for germination. ”

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