Ilyinsky potatoes will appeal to lovers of early varieties who strive to obtain a stable harvest with excellent commercial qualities. The variety has excellent taste characteristics, is time-tested and suitable for cultivation both in private gardens and on an industrial scale.
Description of the variety
The Ilyinsky variety belongs to the mid-early potato varieties with high commercial qualities. The ripening period is 75 days from the moment of emergence. Tubers contain up to 18% starch. The weight of one of them reaches 160 grams. One bush produces up to 13 full-fledged tubers.At the stage of technical ripeness, the skin becomes pink in color and the flesh is white. Productivity of Ilyinsky potatoes per hectare ranges from 180 to 350 centners. Root vegetables are oval in shape.
Tubers are universally used, suitable for preparing all culinary dishes. The keeping quality of the variety is up to 93%, which is almost a record for early varieties. Ilyinsky is recommended for cultivation in private gardens and farm fields in the Central Black Earth and Middle Volga growing regions.
This variety is resistant to drought and elevated air temperatures. Suitable for growing exclusively in open ground. Soils where perennial or annual herbaceous plants were previously planted are excellent for growing potatoes. Ilyinsky exhibits good resistance to potato blight, but is affected by late blight and nematode.
Potato bushes are erect, of medium height. The leaves are rich green in color with smooth edges, medium in size. The inflorescences are small, the corollas are red-violet in color. The eyes on the resulting roots are of medium depth.
Growing
The Ilyinsky potato variety is planted mainly in May. The distance between plants is left at least half a meter, and between rows - 35 cm. Well-lit areas with loose and fertile soil are suitable for growing. Organic fertilizers are first applied to the garden bed.
Place 2-3 medium-sized Ilyinsky potato tubers in each hole. If the seed is large, the tubers can be cut. It is not recommended to leave too small specimens for planting, since they do not have a sufficient supply of nutrients and a good harvest will not be obtained.
Features of care
Potatoes of the Ilyinsky variety require standard care.In particular, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and remove emerging weeds. To combat the latter, mulching is effectively used.
There is no point in watering Ilyinsky before the shoots appear. The tubers have enough moisture in the spring soil. Watering during this period of development is even dangerous, since the plants are just beginning to form a root system. If the plantings are actively irrigated, the roots will be close to the surface, which will reduce the yield. They begin to water the bushes during the period of bud formation once a week.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Ilyinsky variety has already been tested by time. Reviews from gardeners indicate that it has many more advantages than disadvantages. These include:
- early ripening;
- high productivity;
- good commercial quality;
- keeping quality;
- low maintenance requirements;
- universal use of tubers.
Ilyinsky is not without certain shortcomings. It is affected by some diseases and pests. Like any early variety, these potatoes are not stored in the best marketable condition until spring.
Pests and diseases
Unfortunately, diseases and pests do not bypass Ilyinsky potatoes. The description of this variety states that it is susceptible to late blight and is affected by nematodes. For preventive purposes, preventive spraying with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture is carried out. Affected plants are treated with Oxychome or similar preparations.
You can cope with the nematode by treating the plantings with Thunderbolt.
Ilyinsky, like many other varieties, is affected by the Colorado potato beetle. It is this pest that causes the most trouble for gardeners and farmers.The area must be sprayed in a timely manner with special preparations against this insect. Experts recommend using a new product every season so as not to cause addiction and adaptation in the pest.
Harvest and storage
The Ilyinsky potato harvest is harvested in late August or early September. Young tubers are dug for food much earlier. To store potatoes, they must lie in the ground. A sure sign of the onset of technical ripeness is yellowed and dried tops.
For storing the harvested Ilyinsky potato crop, a dark, cool room with moderate humidity is best suited. In such conditions, the tubers are preserved with minimal loss of commercial quality, and the surplus can be used as planting material in the spring.
Reviews from gardeners
The characteristics of the Ilyinsky variety are impressive. But what do gardeners say about it? This potato has long taken pride of place in gardens, which is why summer residents and professional farmers are happy to share reviews about it.
Lyudmila Nikolaevna, summer resident: “A neighbor gave me Ilyinsky potatoes for divorce a couple of years ago. Since then I have given preference to him. Modern hybrids do not inspire confidence, because a lot is now said about genetically modified potatoes, and I am a supporter of healthy and natural food. The old and proven Ilyinsky showed excellent results on my site. True, in the summer we had to work on it and carry out timely processing. But we didn’t buy potatoes all winter and in the spring we had our own planting material.”
Igor Sergeevich, an experienced farmer: “Ilyinsky showed itself in my fields as an excellent early variety.He carried out timely processing, applied the necessary fertilizers and received a high-quality harvest. Even dry, hot weather did not have a significant effect on the formation of tubers. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised.”
Alina Georgievna, owner of a private plot: “I purchased Ilyinsky potatoes for planting at a garden store. The seller recommended it as an excellent early variety. After planting the tubers, the weather was hot and I decided to organize watering of the beds in advance and speed up the emergence of seedlings. Apparently this was my mistake. As a result, the harvest was decent, but the tubers were small in size. Next season I plan to correct my mistakes and try to plant this variety again.”
