Potatoes occupy a very important place in human nutrition and therefore the main characteristics are their good taste, high yield and resistance to pests and diseases. Adretta potatoes are in great demand among gardeners because they fully meet these requirements, although this variety was bred by a German breeder over 20 years ago.
Distinctive features and advantages of the variety
Characteristics of the Adretta potato plant:
- powerful stems;
- the leaves are large, their color is light green;
- active flowering of the bush with white spreading inflorescences;
- high yield - up to 40 tons per hectare or up to 12 fruits per bush;
- mid-ripening variety - tubers ripen in 75–80 days;
- increased resistance to dry growing conditions;
- tolerates sudden changes in temperature well.
In addition to all the above features, it also has a high level of resistance to late blight, nematode and cancer. Pests also rarely bother her.
Let's consider the description of the Adretta potato variety in relation to tubers:
- the fruits have a thin, slightly rough skin and a yellowish center;
- small and few eyes;
- The potato has an oval shape;
- weight up to 150 grams;
- starch content from 16 to 23%.
The characteristics of this variety are rated by experts as 5 points out of five based on the quality of taste. The vegetable has a slight friability and delicate structure due to the increased starch content in its composition.
The keeping quality of the product also compares favorably with other varieties - it is perfectly stored in cellars and tolerates cold. If Adretta freezes, it does not acquire the characteristic sweetish taste, but remains the same.
Features of agricultural technology
Judging by the excellent characteristics of the crop, it is surprising that the Adretta potato variety is unpretentious when grown.
Selecting a site and sowing a crop
It is preferable to sow or plant in loamy, sandy loam or soddy-podzolic soil. The culture reacts very well, when ash is added to the soil and compost (humus). If the top layer of the bed is acidified, liming should be done.
It is advisable that the place for the potato plantation be on a slope and facing south or southwest.In this case, the sun will illuminate the plants well, and excess moisture will easily drain away.
The seeds are prepared as follows:
- soak;
- place in the refrigerator overnight (t=2°C);
- keep warm during the day (t=22°C).
In the south of the country, the vegetable is planted in mid-spring, when the soil is sufficiently warm. At the beginning of summer, gardeners can already feast on young root vegetables.
If the climate is more severe, then experienced gardeners plant the seed material in boxes, and after sprouting and picking, plant it in open ground. Of course, you can delay planting and carry it out when it is warm enough: during the day the temperature will reach 15 °C during the day and 7 °C at night.
In case of shortage of seed material, potatoes are also propagated using tubers. To do this, they are cut into pieces so that each has 1-2 eyes.
Planting and caring for potatoes
Plant the crop in prepared soil. To do this, dig up the ground and add organic matter (up to 7 kg per 1 m2). The standard planting pattern is used - 60x35 cm, but 90x40 cm is also possible.
Plants sprout on the 10th day, and flowering begins 14 days after the sprouts appear. During the active growing season, bushes require abundant irrigation of the beds. Of course, this crop is relatively drought-tolerant, but responds to watering by increasing the yield.
When caring for a potato crop, it needs to be weeded, hilled and fed on time. If all these measures are carried out efficiently, then Adretta will thank the gardener with good fruiting.
Diseases and pests
Although this variety has increased resistance to a number of diseases, it still has several to which it is predisposed. These are the following diseases:
Blackleg
The disease is characterized by wilting of the stems. Plant leaves curl and turn yellow. The bottom of the shoots becomes black and then rots. The development of blackleg occurs in summer, with increased dampness and low temperatures.
The fight against this disease consists of burning the affected specimens, and the area where they grew is treated with a mixture of ash (1 l) and copper sulfate (1 tbsp).
Common scab
Signs of the disease include ulcers, cracks and bulges. Since the concentration of starch in the tubers decreases, a change in taste occurs. For scab to develop, warm and dry weather is needed. Minimize plant infection using fungicides. Treatment of tubers before planting with Prestige or a similar preparation is also highly effective. Prevention is by liming the soil.
Rhizoctoniosis
Visually, the affected root crops look like this: they have black spots on them, as if the remains of soil had dried up. Plants, under the influence of the disease, when shoots emerge, have blackened stems, which leads to the death of the bushes. When potatoes are blooming, the disease contributes to the death of tuber tissue. The development of the disease occurs when it is dry and hot, as well as during the appearance of buds.
Control measures are:
- selection of healthy potatoes for planting;
- treatment with fungicides before embedding in the soil;
- crop rotation;
- planting vegetables in warm soil;
- harvesting the green mass of the crop before digging up the tubers.
In addition to diseases, there are also pests - Colorado potato beetles. Although they do not eat the vegetative part of potatoes as massively as other varieties, they still need to be treated against insects.
Reviews about the Adretta variety
The Adretta variety has been on the market for a very long time, and one would assume that it could easily be replaced by other, more improved varieties. But this doesn't happen. This potato has won the hearts of many people, and continues to win new ones. Here are reviews about this undoubtedly successful variety:
Anna, Saratov
My husband and I had different divorces potato varieties, but we concluded that we have not grown a tastier and more successful Adretta. Therefore, we store it carefully and do not allow it to be mixed with other varieties. In the spring we plant them in different parts of the dacha. Adretta has a beautiful smooth skin and a yellow center. We plant it without organic matter - only mineral fertilizers. To be more precise, we apply more potash fertilizers. Maybe this is why our potatoes are excellent.
Oleg, Sverdlovsk
The most delicious potato is Adretta. It tastes great even without oil.
I grow many varieties, and therefore I know a lot about them. Believe me, I have already tried about 20 varieties. And Adretta also gives an excellent harvest with good care. The only thing is that without a cellar it is not stored well enough - it sprouts before the New Year. But by this time my family is almost eating it.
