Latona potatoes: characteristics and description of the variety, yield with photo

The potato variety Latona, bred by Dutch breeders, has rapidly gained popularity in the vastness of Russia. The tubers of this variety are highly valued by gardeners and are planted in areas with a predominance of a temperate climate. The highest fruit yield is achieved in the south of the country. This variety is in demand due to the possibility of seed planting, which helps to grow he althy tubers.

Variety description

A distinctive feature of the variety are erect bushes and large leaves of rich green color with wavy edges. Tubers have a weight of about 90-130 grams, oval shape, smooth surface and skin with a predominance of yellow.Potato flowering is moderate, white flowers form on the bushes. Lush and spreading tops appear at an early stage of ripening and die off for a very long time. About 9-11 root crops can grow on one bush with proper care.

The flesh of the fruit is pale yellow and starchy, due to which the potatoes practically do not crumble when cooked. The starch content is about 20%. Keeping fruit in the absence of condensate at the storage location reaches 85-90%, which allows you to leave a large amount of the crop for a late period.

Growing

It is necessary to plant Laton potatoes after pumpkin, legumes, cabbage and cucumbers. Before planting, the soil should be treated from infections and pests. In the spring, ammonium nitrate, phosphate and potash fertilizers, manure, and lime are introduced into the soil. The technology of growing this variety includes standard procedures: periodic loosening, mulching, watering and fertilizing.

To improve the quality and volume of the crop, a root crop should be planted when the soil warms up to 8-10 degrees. It is necessary to control the density of the placement of bushes, since rare or very dense plantings prevent proper growth and maturation. The optimal planting depth for prepared tubers is 10 cm.

Features of care

Despite the standard methods of agricultural technology, the characteristic of potatoes involves the observance of a number of features during care. Including:

A week after planting, you need to visually inspect the beds and, if necessary, remove noticed weeds from the surface.
During the flowering and budding period, the plant requires watering to increase the yield.
Tubers do not perceive stagnation of meltwater, so it is necessary to provide adequate drainage.
Periodic spraying of bushes with protective agents helps to eliminate Alternaria and late blight disease.
Each watering of the planting field should be accompanied by top dressing with organomineral components.

Watering the beds for the entire growing period is necessary about 2-3 times, depending on how dry the season turned out to be. The main thing is not to water the ground immediately after planting, as the soil will be saturated with moisture from melting snow in the spring. The first watering is required 15 days after emergence. The second watering falls on the flowering bushes. The next watering time depends on the degree of soil drought. If the ground is too dry, you can loosen it as an additional measure.

Pros and cons

The prevalence of the variety Latona is explained by the presence of a number of comparative advantages. As the reviews of experienced gardeners say, the main advantages of the plant are the following:

Variability of use. Taste qualities and low friability allow the grown fruits to be used in different dishes. As the description of the variety indicates, the potatoes do not boil soft, while becoming soft.
Crop stability. More than 130 centners of potatoes can be grown on one hectare of land.
Easy to grow. Due to the pickiness to the state of the soil, resistance to pests and diseases, even novice gardeners can plant a plant.
Drought tolerant. The plant is immune to atmospheric conditions and adapts well to any climate, which gives a large yield both in dry soil and in high humidity.
Precocity. Young potatoes can be harvested a couple of months after planting.
Presentation. The tubers differ from other varieties with a smooth surface and good preservation even during long-term storage or transportation.

The disadvantages of the plant in most situations are caused by unsuitable growing conditions and improper care. Failure to follow the rules can lead to a decrease in yield and loss of taste characteristics.

Pests and diseases

Latona potatoes are rarely exposed to diseases, but with improper care and adverse climatic conditions, plants can be affected by tuber rot, late blight, cyst nematode and rhizoctonia. In rare cases, gardeners encounter leaf curl virus on bushes.

Processing a plant to eliminate diseases can be done in two ways. The first involves only a preventive effect and is carried out before disembarkation. The second treatment option has the goal of controlling pests and diseases only when they are directly detected.

Insecticide and fungicide preparations are used to spray the plant.

Sprouted tubers before planting are treated with any disinfectant and heteroauxin to stimulate growth. When processing an already grown bush, you need to use a more concentrated solution and spray it only in cloudy weather or in the evening. If it rains after processing the plant, the procedure should be repeated.

Harvest and storage of crops

Latona is an early variety and the first tubers are ready for digging in early July. During this period, the bushes cease to bloom and the thick tops fade. Before harvesting, you can check the condition of the tubers and for this, remove one bush from the soil. If the fruits have reached three centimeters in diameter, the rest of the crop can be dug up.

The last crop is harvested in the middle of summer, because if the tops are completely wilted, then the plant is no longer fruitful.

The exact harvesting period depends on the area and climatic conditions where the potatoes are planted. In the southern region, the fruits can stay in the soil for a long time and not deteriorate, and in the north, even late-ripening tubers are harvested only at the beginning of autumn. When harvesting, you need to carefully dig the ground with a pitchfork and pull the bushes by the leaves.

To get more yield, it is recommended not to immediately collect dug out tubers, but to put them next to the hole. This method will help you find the most productive bushes.

Reviews of gardeners

I have been growing only this variety for several years. Mainly due to the fact that you do not have to carefully care for the seedlings. I encountered pests a couple of times, but they did not affect the crop in any way.

I read a lot about the Latona variety and for the first time decided to plant it in my country house. The first harvest was collected in three months. I want to note the pleasant taste and large size of the tubers.