Molly potatoes are of constant interest to gardeners. There are enough varieties of second bread. A hardworking summer resident will always find one that meets the technical specifications.
Potatoes are a crop that requires sufficient soil moisture. Excess water causes disease. The harvest does not last long. The gardener spent a lot of work, but the result was zero.
During drought potato tubers are getting smaller. Their number in the nest decreases. The taste deteriorates: the fruits become coarser and more fibrous. The summer resident is disappointed. And he collects significantly less than he expected.
The popularity of Molly potatoes is easy to explain. It is resistant to major diseases, insensitive to excess moisture in the soil, and produces a good harvest even in dry summers. The taste and universal purpose of the tubers are pleasing. They are fried, boiled, mashed. A zealous gardener will always give preference to this variety.
Description of the variety
This is a product of German breeders. It was created by the agricultural company Norica. The German variety Molly has firmly established itself in the Central region and the North-West. It grows on any soil. But potatoes produce the maximum yield on light, slightly acidic soils.
Description of the variety attracts gardeners:
- the height of the bush reaches 75 cm;
- tops are light green;
- medium-sized leaf, wavy along the edges;
- few flowers (white corollas);
- early ripening (70 days pass from germination to the first sample);
- bushes can be dug up after 45 days;
- the keeping quality of the crop reaches 83%;
- in case of mechanical damage, the peel is restored;
- the taste rating is 4.1 points on a five-point scale;
- marketability rate: 89–93%.
During growth, potato bushes do not fall apart. The plant looks compact.
What tubers grow
Gardeners like the ratio of ripening period:taste:yield. Characteristics of Molly root vegetables:
- tubers are smooth, slightly rough;
- oval shape, leveled;
- the weight of one tuber reaches 150 g;
- starch content - 15.3%;
- potato skin color is yellow;
- few ocelli, shallow location;
- when cut, the tuber has a light yellow or cream color;
- fine-grained structure;
- The pulp is medium crumbly.
The yield of the variety with proper care reaches 22 tons per hectare. Some gardeners harvest 36 kg/bush.
A distinctive feature of the Molly potato variety: the pulp changes color during heat treatment.
Growing
The Molly potato variety produces the expected harvest only with proper agricultural technology.
How to plant?
It is recommended to follow the advice of potato growers when planting:
- The soil needs to be prepared in advance. Plant the area with green manure in the fall. Rye, oats, lupine, and mustard are suitable. In the spring, when digging, add humus or mature compost (a bucket per square meter).
- Use only healthy planting material. Tubers should be of medium size (50–60 g), without mechanical damage.
- In 3 weeks, put the tubers for germination. Spray periodically (to prevent drying out).
- If there is a lack of planting material, the potatoes should be cut into pieces with 2-3 eyes. Dry the sections and powder with crushed activated carbon.
- It should only be planted in warm soil. The soil is ready when the leaf on the birch tree grows the size of a 5-ruble coin.
- Planting depth is 3–5 cm. When planting, it is recommended to add a complete mineral complex to the hole.
- Planting pattern: 60x35 cm.
Treatment of planting material with growth stimulants gives good results. In the absence of a factory-made product, it is recommended to use an ash solution (a glass per liter of water, leave for a week, dilute in a ratio of 1:5).
Some gardeners grow Molly under a dark film. The depth of the hole is 10 cm; this method is effective in regions with cool summers: under cover, the earth warms up easier and faster.
Features of care
Features of caring for Molly potatoes: timely hilling, fertilization and weed removal.
The plant forms full-sized tubers only when hilled twice.The first should be done after the tops grow by 15–20 cm, the second - when the buds appear.
It is recommended to remove weeds regularly: shading negatively affects the growth of the above-ground part of the plant.
Foliar fertilizing with nitrogen on the leaves gives excellent results. A solution of manure or fermented greens (1:10) should be used.
It is recommended to remember: digging up bushes early weakens the plant. The growth of its underground part is delayed.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Molly variety has positive and negative qualities. Advantages:
- high productivity;
- unpretentiousness;
- resistance to major diseases;
- excellent taste;
- decent marketability;
- good storage;
- the possibility of digging up bushes early;
- universal purpose.
There is only one drawback: the pulp changes during cooking. This can be partially avoided if the peeled potatoes are kept in acidified or salted water for 5 minutes.
Pests and diseases
The plant is affected by late blight, scab, dry spotting, and rot. Spraying with copper-containing preparations (diluted according to the manufacturer’s instructions) helps against late blight and rot. Please remember: potatoes should be processed no later than 3 weeks before harvest.
Scab is treated by applying ammonium sulfate. The plant needs to be treated during flowering.
It is important for gardeners to remember: potato diseases are easier to prevent than to treat. Proper care of plants will help avoid crop losses. To obtain healthy tubers, it is important to observe the rotation of vegetable crops.
Molly is loved by Colorado potato beetles and wireworms. It is easy to get rid of click beetle larvae by sowing cereal green manure. After 2–3 years they completely disappear.Proponents of insecticides can use pre-planting treatment of tubers with branded preparations.
Modern medications or mechanical removal (collection) will help against the Colorado potato beetle. Regular digging of the site and removal of beetles reduces the pest population.
Harvest and storage
The properties of Molly potatoes promise long-term storage without loss of marketability. But for this you need to follow the rules for harvesting and storing the crop:
- Potatoes are ripe when the tops turn yellow.
- Harvesting should be done in dry, preferably sunny, weather.
- A pitchfork causes less damage to potato tubers than a shovel.
- Place the dug up potatoes on beds for ventilation. Exposure time: 2–3 hours.
- Seed material is immediately selected for subsequent planting.
- For long-term storage, it is necessary to select healthy, undamaged root vegetables.
- Tubers should be stored in fine mesh nets, baskets or wooden chests.
- The temperature in potato storage should be maintained at 5–6 degrees Celsius. Humidity should not exceed 70%.
- The potato storage facility must have supply and exhaust ventilation.
Some gardeners scatter beets on top of the potatoes. It pulls excess moisture out of the air. Potatoes do not rot or mold.
Reviews from gardeners
Gardeners give good reviews about Molly potatoes. The combination of yield and taste is pleasing. The variety is unpretentious and disease resistant. The drought resistance of potatoes deserves attention. The tubers are perfectly stored, the marketability rate is more than 80%.
