The Arosa potato variety, bred by breeders from Germany less than 10 years ago, is grown not only in Europe; it is also popular on other continents. Tubers are used for preparing various dishes, side dishes, and producing chips. Boiled new potatoes, which begins to be dug up a month and a half after germination, is adored by both adults and children. Arosa easily tolerates heat and drought, which allows grow potatoeswithout installing an irrigation system.
Description of the variety
From each bush of a plant that has a beautiful shape, smooth straight stems, and abundant foliage, 15 or more tubers weighing 120 grams are dug out. The yield of Arosa per hectare exceeds 55 tons. Potatoes are different:
- yellow pulp;
- pink skin;
- rough surface covered with eyes.
One root vegetable contains slightly less than 15% starch and contains folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. Young potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which restores tissue cells, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects the body from infection.
The description of the variety and its external characteristics attracted farmers and gardeners from different regions of Russia.
Arosa is cultivated both in Western Siberia and in the southern regions, collecting excellent harvests. Potatoes emerge evenly, branches grow straight, dense inflorescences have a reddish color.
Root crops fully ripen in 70 days, but they are dug up for cooking, baking, frying, and preparing salads after 45–50.
Gardeners love Arosa potatoes:
- for ease of care;
- resistance to viruses;
- great taste.
Farmers value the variety because the tubers are not damaged during transportation and retain their marketable appearance for a long time. Such a characteristic as keeping quality, which is 94%, is also of great importance for them. The Arosa variety adapts to any soil and tolerates both cold and hot weather.
Growing
Tubers are planted in the ground when it warms up well. Sowing begins in the southern regions, in Siberia and in the middle zone - a week or 2 later. So that the variety does not let down the yield, choose a root crop:
- weighing from 55 to 75 grams;
- with eyes on the surface;
- no dents or scratches.
Shoots will appear earlier if the potatoes left for seeds are sprouted in advance.The best place for a garden bed will be the area where:
- spring and beans;
- mustard and cabbage;
- rapeseed and radish.
The soil is fed with manure, dug up without loosening the lumps; insects that live in the ground will freeze in winter.
When the soil warms up, tubers are planted. To do this, a place for a hole is marked every 30 cm, leaving 70 between the rows. Sprouted potatoes are placed in the holes and covered with soil.
Features of care
To grow a good harvest, it is not enough just to follow the rules of agricultural technology. The ripening period of tubers is affected not only by the weather, but also by how the rules for caring for Arosa potatoes are followed; the description of the variety indicates the need:
- hilling beds;
- feeding with fertilizers;
- weed removal;
- soil moisture.
Despite its resistance to drought and heat, in order to grow large root crops, the beds need to be watered. It is better to do this early in the morning or late in the evening, otherwise there is a risk of sunburn on the foliage. It is necessary to moisten the soil when sprouts emerge to the surface, form buds, and after flowering. Stop watering potatoes during the rains and three weeks before digging up the tubers.
The bushes are hilled several times per season, the first when their height reaches 18 or 20 cm. During feeding, the dosage of fertilizers should not be exceeded, as this will deteriorate the taste of the tubers.
At the beginning of the growing season, it is better to use the mineral substances superphosphate and nitroammophosphate. When buds form, potassium salt and ash are added to the root of the plant. The third feeding is optional. Nutrient components are well absorbed if they are added during watering.
Experienced gardeners spray the tops with a solution of Bordeaux mixture twice a season.
Advantages and disadvantages
Arosa potatoes have clear advantages over other varieties of this crop. Root crops are suitable for consumption within a month and a half after planting, have a pleasant taste and high shelf life. Arosa is not affected by many diseases, but requires mandatory treatment for scab and rhizoctonia. An important advantage of the variety is drought resistance.
Pests and diseases
Arosa plantations attract with beautiful bushes and lush foliage of a rich green hue, and dense purple inflorescences.
The variety is not affected by mosaic - striped or wrinkled. Arosa rarely suffers from leaf curl and late blight, dry spotting, and does not get sick:
- fusarium;
- verticillium wilt;
- potato cancer.
The variety is not resistant to rhizocnoniosis, which is caused by pathogenic fungi. The problem is easy to detect in the spring. Not all planted tubers germinate; the sprouts that appear curl. Arosa is susceptible to infection with silver scab. To prevent these diseases, seed material is treated with fungicides or potassium permanganate.
To prevent the development of late blight, gardeners cut off the tops two weeks before digging up root crops.
Mole crickets cause great damage to the crop. Insects, reaching a length of up to 5 cm, dig holes in the ground, destroy sprouts and seeds, and damage tubers. To protect potatoes from this insect, root crops are treated with Prestige or Aktara before planting. They cope with it using insecticides Boverin, Medvedox, Rembek.
Colorado beetles can destroy not only beds, but also entire fields of nightshade crops in a short time.They fight the parasite, which feasts on both tops and leaves, using folk methods and by treating potatoes with chemicals. Not all pest control drugs can destroy Colorado potato beetles, since after a while the toxic substances cease to pose a danger to the insects, and the parasites get used to them.
Systemic agents that contain several active components are most effective in the fight against arthropods. Bushido insecticide instantly paralyzes pests, affecting the nervous and digestive systems. When spraying potatoes with Bankol, Gulliver, Intavir, larvae and adults die.
Harvest and storage
Tubers of the Arosa variety for preparing salads, cooking and frying are dug up a month and a half after germination. For long-term storage and chip production, the crop is harvested 20 days later.
Root crops are dried and then sent to the basement or cellar. Arosa potatoes have excellent keeping quality and do not lose their taste and presentation until May. Judging by the reviews, this is one of the best early ripening varieties.
