Cultivation of the crop is widespread both on an industrial scale and on private plots. The many varieties of modern times offer a huge choice for the summer resident. Lorch potatoes are one of the domestic varieties that are still grown today.
Variety criteria
Potatoes were bred back in 1922. And all this time, gardeners remember it and grow it in their plots. It is appreciated for its excellent characteristics.The description of the variety helps the vegetable grower learn more about the crop and understand how to grow it correctly.
Plant:
- Height 80 cm.
- Highly branched.
- Heavily leafy.
- The flowers are light red, slightly purple.
- Ripens within 110-120 days after planting.
- 1 plant produces 15-25 root crops.
Tuber:
- Shape: round-oval.
- Peel color: light brown.
- Flesh color: white.
- Weight: 90-120 g.
- There are few eyes.
- The taste is excellent.
The revived variety deserves the trust of novice gardeners, due to the fact that it is immune to diseases.
Selection and preparation of planting material
When purchasing seeds in a store, you should only remove root crops that have external signs of disease or deformation. Healthy planting material will give a rich harvest.
When independently selecting Lorch potato seeds, choose apparently healthy tubers that are not damaged by tools. This is done immediately after harvesting.
In order for the crop to sprout earlier, summer residents advise germinating root crops. To do this, the tubers are taken out of storage a month in advance. Wash and soak in manganese solution for 30 minutes. Then lay out in one layer in a bright, well-ventilated area. The temperature in it is +10-12 ⁰С.
During the entire germination period, the potatoes are carefully inspected. Select all suspicious tubers, periodically sprinkling them with water and turning them over. The length of the sprouts before planting should be at least 1 cm.
Site selection
After the gardener has decided on the choice of planting material, it is necessary to select the right area for the potato beds. A well-lit, open place is suitable. If possible, protected from drafts.
A large amount of shade will cause potato stems to stretch and yields will be reduced.
The soil composition is preferably loamy or sandy loam. An area where cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkins or legumes previously grew would work well.
How to plant tubers?
Popular beliefs say that potatoes are planted when the leaves on the birch tree bloom. It is desirable that the soil warms up to +6-8 ⁰С. Low temperatures will lead to an increase in the growing season.
The period is calculated individually; each summer resident chooses a day based on the climate of the growing region.
Summer residents advise sowing oats in the area for potatoes, leaving them in the winter and digging them up in the spring along with the seedlings.
The seed is planted at a depth of 6-8 cm, the distance between potatoes is 25 cm, the row spacing is 80 cm. If for some reason the timely planting of potatoes is missed, they are buried even deeper by 10 cm.
The amount of potassium and phosphorus should be optimal, as these minerals help plants fight diseases. In addition, Lorch tubers, if they are deficient, become deformed and stretched, losing their marketable appearance.
You should not cut the root crop in order to save planting material, this will affect the volume of the harvest.
How to properly care for the crop?
Summer residents cannot imagine their table without this root vegetable. Therefore, they boldly take on growing varietal potatoes to obtain maximum yield.
Caring for the crop is as follows:
- Watering. The Lorch variety loves water. Water at least 4 times: after germination, before flowering, during and after it. During dry periods, at least once every 10 days.
- Weeding. Weeds in the garden pull out all the useful substances from the ground, which is why the cultivated plants starve. They must be removed promptly.
- Hilling.Providing oxygen access to the roots. The first time they do this is after the potato bushes reach 15-20 cm in height.
- Treatment against insect pests and crop diseases is carried out in a timely manner. In order to identify them, it is necessary to inspect the bushes.
- Fertilizer. Potassium and phosphorus are substances that plants need to actively fight pathogens. Wood ash 20 g per 1 bush will help in the fight against pests and some diseases. Plants need nitrogen both when preparing a site for planting and during growth.
Following the rules of care helps to get healthy plants and a rich potato harvest.
Advantages of Lorch
Speaking about the characteristics of the variety, you should pay attention to the fact that the tuber contains 20% starch. Therefore, when cooked, it crumbles, for some summer residents this is a negative property.
Advantages of the variety:
- Excellent storage until spring.
- Regardless of weather conditions, every year produces the declared harvest.
- There is immunity to diseases.
- It is grown in areas with different climatic conditions.
Minuses:
- Sensitive to heat.
- Negatively perceives a lack of moisture.
- Susceptible to some diseases.
Whatever the characteristics of the variety, the summer resident himself decides which of its characteristics are advantages and which are disadvantages.
Potato immunity Lorch
No less than other criteria, a summer resident pays attention to susceptibility to diseases. The higher the immunity, the more likely it is that potatoes will become popular.
Plants are immune to:
- Viral diseases.
- Bacteriosis.
- Rhizoctonia.
Potatoes have average immunity to late blight.
Susceptible to diseases:
- Parshe.
- Potato raku.
When a summer resident knows in advance about the susceptibility to diseases, it is easier for him to adjust the preventive treatment of potatoes. Taking timely measures will help save the harvest and prevent plants from dying.
The use of Lorch root vegetables in home cooking. Productivity of the variety
Due to their high starch content, potatoes are used for processing into starch. Otherwise, its use does not differ from other crop varieties. It is used to prepare:
- Puree.
- Casseroles.
When boiled, it becomes very soft. Summer residents especially love it baked.
The volume of the harvest directly depends on the quality of care. Compliance with the requirements of agricultural technology and cultivation rules will allow you to collect from 1 m2 2.5-3.5 kg of root vegetables.
What do gardeners say about the Lorch variety?
Most of all, a summer resident trusts his like-minded people. And most of the information is taken from the comments. The reviews that vegetable growers leave on the site help them make a decision and grow the variety correctly.
Zina: “The taste of potatoes is excellent, the only thing I don’t like is that they are too soft. Suitable for making purees. The harvest of large tubers increased by 20 kg. Small ones, for seeds, only 10 pieces. not more".
Lobelia: “An excellent variety of potato, it was developed before the war, but is still grown due to its yield. Highly susceptible to late blight."
Valentina: “The Lorch variety is in question. The first harvest turned out to be uneven, I’ll try to grow it again next year. Then I’ll make the final decision.”
Andrey: “The potatoes are excellent. But I won’t plant any more, I’m suffering from late blight.”
Growing potatoes on the plot is not easy. It is necessary to make a lot of effort in order to obtain the declared harvest.But having your own potatoes on the table will never replace a store-bought vegetable.
