In order for the tubers to form smooth, large and tasty, you need to feed the potatoes on time. Fertilizers must be applied in a timely manner, calculating the dosage correctly. Thanks to feeding, the plant develops well, rarely gets sick and resists adverse factors.
The right approach to fertilizing
Potatoes absorb almost all useful components from the soil throughout the entire season. Therefore, adequate fertilization is recommended. It is better, of course, to change the planting location of the vegetable every year.
They begin to apply fertilizers in the fall, while digging the soil. You can make a composition from humus, simple superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Fresh manure is allowed. Over the winter it will rot and release all its nutrients to the soil. You can apply fertilizer from double superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
If the soil is characterized by high acidity, then in the fall it is recommended to add dolomite flour (the consumption rate is 200 g of dolomite flour per 1 sq. m.). It can be replaced with wood ash.
In the spring, it is preferable to apply the fertilizer directly into the prepared hole before placing the seed potatoes. A composition of humus, ash, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate is ideal.
If you fertilize potatoes after planting regularly and correctly, you can get a good harvest. The number of medium and large-sized tubers with excellent taste and beneficial properties is increasing.
If there is weak growth of tops, you can use a composition of urea, Solution and mullein. All components are filled with water. If the flowering period is delayed, a composition of wood ash and potassium sulfate will help.
Special vegetable preferences
Potatoes at any stage of their development need nitrogen, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and other microelements. Can be used complex mineral fertilizers or one-component formulations that can be alternated with organic fertilizers. Horse or cow manure, bird droppings, and infusions of meadow herbs are popular.
Additional fertilization increases resistance to fungal and viral infections.A sufficient amount of microelements in the soil determines the amount of starch in the tubers and the duration of storage of the harvested crop.
Potatoes poorly and slowly absorb nutrients added to the soil. Therefore, it is necessary to use large amounts of fertilizer so that at least some of it gets inside the plant. It is more effective to use foliar feeding.
Applying fertilizers at the roots
At certain stages of development, vegetable crops need additional microelements. The appearance of the bushes can also help determine what to feed the potatoes with. Fertilizer is applied at the root at the stage of appearance of the first shoots, then during the formation of buds and during active flowering.
It is not advisable to carry out surface fertilization of the soil where potatoes grow. In order for all the necessary elements to reach the roots, you need to embed the fertilizer into the deeper layers of the soil. Experienced vegetable growers carry out root feeding as follows. A peg is driven into the aisle to a depth of 25 cm. And a liquid composition of useful substances is added into the resulting recess. They will be evenly distributed over the next three roots without causing burns.
First feeding
As soon as the first shoots appear, it is recommended to apply fertilizer. It is recommended to apply mineral fertilizer in a timely manner to prevent problems with the growth and development of the plant. You can make a mixture of cow dung and urea. These components are filled with a bucket of water.
Second feeding
During the second application of fertilizers, it is necessary to reduce the amount of nitrogen so that the underground part of the plant gains strength, and not the foliage. During this period, the plant most needs potassium and phosphorus. You can make a composition of potassium sulfate, ash and superphosphate.
There are several reasons why potatoes do not develop well.The condition can be determined by external signs:
- If the leaves are pale in color, irregular in shape, or the tops have turned yellow, this may indicate a nitrogen deficiency.
- A lack of boron causes the bushes to grow small and the foliage to be dense. Spots can be found on the leaves, the tubers are small and have an unpleasant aftertaste.
- A lack of magnesium leads to a decrease in the amount of starch in tubers. The leaves begin to turn yellow and curl at the bottom.
- If the leaves have a mosaic color with light green spots, a manganese deficiency may be suspected. Productivity decreases and immunity deteriorates.
- Calcium starvation is indicated by the pink color of the leaves, their curling, drying out and slow growth.
- Potassium deficiency is manifested by dark green leaves with spots. The bushes do not grow, and the flowering period is late.
Third feeding
The last feeding of potatoes is carried out no later than three weeks before the start of harvest. A composition of slurry and superphosphate is suitable.
Yeast feeding
If the question arises about what fertilizer can be used to feed potatoes, you can confidently note the beneficial properties of yeast. They contain a lot of magnesium, zinc, boron, and iron.
The use of yeast compositions helps speed up the process of mineralization of already introduced organic matter, increases immunity and stimulates the growth of the root system, prevents the proliferation of pathogens and creates conditions for the active activity of beneficial bacteria in the soil.
The addition of yeast infusions should be carried out following a number of recommendations:
- the soil must be warmed up so that all the beneficial properties can appear;
- It is not recommended to use such fertilizer too often;
- The prepared composition cannot be stored for a long time.
A composition prepared according to the following recipe is considered effective. 10 g of dry yeast and 50 g of granulated sugar are dissolved in a bucket of water. Leave the composition to infuse for three hours. Before use, the prepared solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3.
You can use fresh yeast. They are dissolved in warm water 1:5. Before use, the fertilizer is diluted with water 1:10.
Application of foliar fertilizers
Foliar processing for potatoes useful, but they need to be done correctly. Potato leaves have a dense shell, so if sprayed incorrectly, the nutrients will be poorly distributed and absorbed. To ensure that this shell does not interfere with the penetration of fertilizers, special products with surfactants (surfactants) are used.
You can spray with infusion of nettle, copper sulfate, manganese, and nitrogen-based compounds. All these components increase disease resistance, repel pests and increase the shelf life of harvested tubers.
For the first spraying, when the first green leaves appear, a urea solution is suitable. It contains a lot of nitrogen, which promotes fast and healthy plant growth. You need to dilute urea and boric acid in a bucket of water.
Throughout the growing season, it is useful to treat the bushes with solutions of humic acids. It is enough to dissolve 2 g of the drug in a bucket of water.
To improve the taste of tubers, foliar phosphorus treatment is carried out at the last stage. You can dissolve 100 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water.
