How to germinate potatoes before planting. Sprouting potatoes before planting: five best ways, conditions and recommendations Do I need to germinate potatoes before planting

The quality and quantity of potatoes depends not only on the growing conditions, but also on the pre-sowing preparation of tubers. To speed up the germination process, and thereby increase the yield, it is necessary to start laying potatoes for germination as early as March.

Pretreatment of potato tubers

Before sprouting tubers, it is necessary to first discard the diseased and damaged ones, and process the remaining planting material in order to prevent various diseases.

1. To begin with, you should select the required number of potato tubers. You should choose not the largest, but medium-sized fruits, weighing 60-80 g. For every 100 m2 of planting, you will need about 40 pieces.
2. Prepare hot water, temperature 50ºС, and place the tubers in it for 20 minutes.
3. When the liquid cools slightly, add a little potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) powder to it until the solution acquires a bright pink hue.
4. After another 20 minutes, you can take out the potatoes, rinse with water and leave to dry completely. The tubers are now ready to germinate.

Choosing a place and container for germination

Prepared planting material must be laid out on window sills, shelves or specially prepared platforms. It is important that these places are well lit, and the tubers are stacked on top of each other in no more than 3 layers, so as not to create a lot of weight pressure.

For convenience, sprouting potatoes can be stacked in three or five-liter glass jars. The procedure itself takes 3 to 4 weeks. During this time, it is necessary to turn the tubers over several times so that all sides warm up evenly. Thanks to the germination procedure, it is possible to select good planting material and remove tubers with thin and unhealthy sprouts in time.

Sprouting potatoes in plastic bags

There are several other ways to pre-sow the preparation of potatoes. One of the best is sprouting in plastic bags:

• Fold in bags of 10-12 tubers and make a dozen small holes in the cellophane for free access of oxygen;
• Hang the bags in a well-lit place, but so that they are not exposed to direct sunlight;
• Turn the container over regularly throughout the germination period;
• When transporting, be careful not to damage the young sprouts.

The easiest way to germinate potatoes

You can also germinate potatoes in boxes with soil, with the addition of fertilizers to the soil.

1. It is necessary to lay tubers and sawdust with peat in layers in the prepared container. Do not do more than 7-8 rows.
2. The earth in prepared containers with potatoes must be moistened every few days;
3. The boxes themselves should be stored indoors at a temperature of +15-17ºС.

Outcome

The potatoes planted for germination, under the conditions, will quickly germinate. This procedure will make it possible to prepare for planting only high-quality tubers with good and strong sprouts, rejecting diseased and poor-quality tubers, and preliminary vernalization will help protect plants from many diseases.

Early varieties of any horticultural crop have always been in great demand among farmers. And this is understandable: getting a crop as quickly as possible is always profitable. But later varieties are more productive and much better in palatability. Sprouting before planting helps speed up the ripening of potatoes with a long growing season.

You can prepare potatoes for planting in three different ways:

• vernalization in the light;
• germination in the dark;
• simple heating.

But whichever option is used, in any case, healthy tubers must first be selected by calibrating them in size. Potatoes with a chicken egg are considered the optimal planting material. Larger tubers, weighing 90-120 g, already need to be cut into halves. You can germinate both early and late varieties - in any case, you will harvest the crop faster.

Vernalization

This is the best way to reduce the maturation time of marketable tubers and increase the yield of any variety. During vernalization, root tubercles begin to form on the lower part of the potato, a large number of buds sprout, the plant “wakes up” from hibernation. The seed prepared in this way gives quick and friendly shoots, and the number of shoots is much greater than that of unprepared potatoes. And each new sprout per season gives an additional ovary of tubers. Therefore, vernalization not only accelerates ripening, but also increases the yield.

Vernalization is a fairly simple operation. Potatoes begin to be cooked 20–30 days before planting, which in Central Russia usually falls on May 1–10. Based on this, we assume that you need to start cooking tubers from about April 1 to April 10.

1. You can simply scatter potatoes on the floor in a bright room in one or two layers at a temperature of + 12–15 ° C, or place the tubers in boxes. The main thing is that the points of growth, the so-called "eyes", are up.
2. Once every 5-7 days, the tubers should be sprayed with water to prevent wilting and accelerate the growth of shoots and roots.
3. Sprinkle with wet sawdust or peat a week before planting. This is done so that the tuber can release roots into the substrate.

Preparing potatoes for vernalization - video

For the prevention of diseases, the backfill can be soaked with solutions of copper sulfate (2 g per 10 l of water), boric acid (2 g per 10 l of water) or methyl blue (3 g per 10 l of water). You can also use other recommended drugs that you fully trust.

Only in the light the sprouts acquire a normal green color.

Tubers properly vernalized in the light have thick green shoots 2–3 cm long and roots of the same length.

Growing in the dark

Germination is carried out in a dark room at a temperature of + 12–15 ° C.

Placing in several layers allows you to prepare twice as much seed on the same area.

• sprouts from the lower layers in the heat will grow rapidly and rush towards the light and as a result will stretch and break when transferred to the field and planting;
• deep layers (third and below) are difficult to control. With a two-layer placement, it is enough to remove one or two upper tubers to see what condition the sprouts of the lower layer are in;
• multilayer laying is poorly ventilated, and rotting processes can quickly begin below. which will spoil the planting material.

Darkness and a moist layer of the substrate create conditions for faster formation of sprouts and roots. Tubers germinated in this way can be planted in just 12-15 days . Therefore, seed material begins to be prepared 10–14 days later than during vernalization. Here the main risk is to overexpose the potatoes for more than this period. It often happens that they unfavorably add up weather, frosts or rains occur and there is no way to plant ready-made seed in time. In the dark, sprouts and roots quickly lengthen, get confused and either break off when planting themselves, or they have to be torn off. After planting in the ground, both shoots and roots will re-grow on the tubers. And this, of course, will lead to a lag in development.

How to germinate potatoes under a layer of sawdust - video

When stored in cellars with temperatures above +5°C, closer to spring, potatoes sprout in the same way with long brittle shoots, which are then simply removed.

If, due to weather conditions or for other reasons, with this method of germination, the planting time is delayed, and the sprouts are already too long (more than 5–7 cm), there is only one way to stop the growth of shoots - lower the temperature to + 4–5 ° C and ventilate the room, to reduce humidity.

Potatoes germinate in the dark in about two weeks, if the room temperature is maintained at the right temperature, + 12–15 ° C

With vernalization, preparation takes 20–30 days, and germination in the dark takes only 12–15 days, that is, almost two times less. This is important to consider, because 30 days before planting there is a real threat of frost returning or it is still winter outside. Therefore, preparation requires a special room with a temperature of + 12–15 ° C. There are not always such empty areas, especially when there is a significant amount of seed. But 15 days before planting, as a rule, it is already warm enough, and potatoes can be germinated anywhere, even outdoors in the shade. The darkness of the tubers will provide the top covering layer of the substrate. In case of frost, you can simply cover the collar (storage) with any material at hand, up to old clothes.

To prevent potato diseases, peat or sawdust, as in vernalization (and in the same proportions), can be impregnated with a solution of copper sulfate, boric acid, or methyl blue.

warming up

Warming up is accelerated or shortened germination, the easiest way to prepare tubers for planting.

Compared to unprepared potatoes straight from cold storage, this simple method speeds up germination by 4-6 days and increases yields by about 10%. For tubers vernalized and germinated in the dark, these figures are higher.

Growing potatoes in the light and planting - video

Terms of preparation, planting and emergence of seedlings

The usual time from planting to the appearance of the first shoots, if the seed is not prepared, is about 21 days. A vernalized potato planted in well-warmed soil germinates in 7–12 days.

In practice, there were cases when tubers with green sprouts, planted in warm soil, sprouted already on the third day after planting.

Potatoes germinated in the dark in the same thawed soil hatch more slowly, after about 12–17 days. For heated seed under equal weather conditions, the time for the appearance of the first shoots is 15–20 days.

Training planting material has a very great importance, although it does not determine what the crop will be. Many other factors influence the growth and development of potatoes - what variety is planted, how warm the earth is, how the weather conditions are, what is the structure and nutritional value of the soil, whether agricultural technology is correct and timely. But how quickly shoots appear depends on how carefully the seed is prepared.

• Advantages of sprouting potatoes
• Combined germination

With water in the dachas more often bad than excellent. Well, this pleasure is precious - artificial irrigation. Correct preparation of planting material will help to get a good harvest of potatoes in conditions of lack of water.

Germination is especially necessary for tubers that have been stored at low temperature and refrigerated. If they are immediately planted, then the sprouts appear late, after 5 weeks or more, the growing season is reduced, the collection is reduced. If supercooled potatoes are planted in cool soil, then instead of growing stems on tubers, children are formed in the form of small nodules. It is not necessary to lay on a good collection from such landings.

Benefits of Sprouting Potatoes 1. Early Root Growth

The fact is that the rich early growth of roots at the initial stage of bush development makes it possible to better use spring water and thereby reduce 1-3 waterings. In addition, in such a bush, tubers are formed in the period from low temperatures air and earth. Therefore, this process takes place more vigorously, which contributes to an increase in yield.

Such root growth can be achieved with the help of preplant germination of seed tubers. In dry years, even with the complete absence of irrigation, planting with germinated tubers allows you to get about 100 kg of potatoes per hundred square meters.

2. Emergence of seedling occurs much earlier

Sprouts appear in 25-28 days, and in a cool spring even 40 days after planting. To accelerate the emergence of seedlings and the subsequent development of plants, it is necessary to germinate the seed tubers before planting. In this way, we can influence the processes taking place in the tubers. During the germination of tubers in heat, insoluble nutrients run over into soluble ones, bud germination in the eyes is activated. In the light, strong greenish sprouts develop from them. Excessive humidity provokes the formation of roots.

From sprouted tubers, sprouts appear 10-12 days earlier, potatoes begin to bloom and create new tubers earlier, the collection is formed 15-20 days earlier even in cool spring conditions. The increase in the yield of early potatoes from the germination of tubers achieves 40-60%, and in areas with a small summer - 2-3 times.

3. Sprouted potatoes maintain advanced rates of development at all stages of the growing season

Having received a push at first development, the plant maintains "advanced" rates throughout the growing season. Plants developing from germinated tubers more fully consume nutrients not only from the mother tuber. They develop more powerful root system, which means that the applied fertilizers are also better used.

In years when the frost-free period is very short, even early ripe varieties potatoes do not have time to accumulate the highest yield of tubers. If you do not prepare planting material, then the early autumn frosts will catch the plants during the period of the most rapid growth of young tubers. The collection will be irretrievably lost. Germination in these conditions seems to lengthen the frost-free period for plants and thus ensure a higher yield.

In years when there is a general defeat of potato plants by late blight, the advantages of germination of tubers are especially pronounced. It contributes to the formation of the crop before the mass development of the disease. The earlier the growth of new tubers begins, the more the collection will form before the onset of late blight.

4. Sprouting Potatoes Prevents Disease from Infecting the Ground

The usefulness of the germination of tubers is expressed in the following. Often, in the middle of the planting material, completely healthy tubers come across from the outside, but in reality they have hidden diseases. You can identify them only by the appearance of plants at first growth. When planting, infected tubers, along with everyone else, enter the soil and become a source of the spread of diseases. Sprouting allows you to find the disease before planting the tubers in the soil: unhealthy and degenerate tubers are identified by incorrectly developing shoots, in most cases narrow right down to filamentous.

Consider the various methods of germinating tubers. Everyone can choose the best method for germinating seed material according to their own criteria and abilities.

Growing potatoes in the light

To germinate potatoes in the light, you can use any bright room in which it is possible to maintain the temperature at 12-16 degrees. Light is needed so that thick and short green sprouts form on the tubers. They, in contrast to the long etiolated ones grown in darkness, firmly adhere to the tuber, do not break off during transportation and planting.

Daylight

Although light is needed for high-quality germination, at the same time, direct sunlight does not need to fall on the tubers. This can lead to woody seedlings and lower yields. The light should not be direct, but diffused. Confused light can be obtained if the boxes, packages or mounds are covered with any light, snow-white cloth or paper, preferably a filter, in the latter case, a newspaper. When placing tubers in places protected from direct sunlight, cover is not required.

artificial lighting

In an insufficiently bright room, the sprouts on the tubers turn out to be long, thin, pale green in color; they are not strong, they just break off. Because in rooms with bad natural light for germination of potatoes, you can use electronic light at the rate of 40-75 W per 1 sq. m of spread potatoes.

With artificial lighting, any electronic lamps are used. Fluorescent lamps are more durable and economical than incandescent lamps. For the germination of tubers under electronic illumination, any black, warm room is applicable. Tubers are illuminated from the moment of sprout formation for 8-10 hours a day.

The duration of germination will vary depending on the degree of maturation of tubers in the field, varietal characteristics, temperature and humidity.

The main indicator of a good preparation of planting material during light germination is the formation of strong sprouts about 1 cm long on tubers and the formation of whitish tubercles on their basis, from which roots will develop.

Description of the types of tomatoes Yana, Tatyana, Pink lamp

Time of light germination

The timing of the start of light germination is very dependent on the temperature in the room where it will take place. At 12-17 degrees, the tubers for light germination are laid out 35-40 days before planting, at a higher temperature - 30 days. At a temperature of 5-7 degrees, germination is delayed, and at temperatures above 20 degrees, the sprouts can become woody, and the tubers dry out very much. To obtain products at an earlier date, germination is extended up to 45 days. In this way, in order to plant potatoes in the first half of May, the tubers must be taken out of cellars or cellars at the end of March or at the beginning of April.

When calculating the area required for germination, it must be taken into account that when laying potatoes in 2-3 layers per 1 sq. m can accommodate 40-60 kg of tubers. To plant 1 acre of a garden with sprouted potatoes, you need to take 0.5-0.7 square meters. m of area for germination of tubers in the light.

Germination in the light must begin with a bulkhead, remove unhealthy and warped tubers. If the seed tubers are grafted, they are soaked for 10-12 hours in warm water in a warm room. They need to be washed later. With all this, a significant part of the pathogens that can germinate during germination and infect young shoots will be washed off the surface. Already infected tubers after washing, most likely, will emit a nasty smell. Healthy ones smell great or don't smell at all.

Warming up the tubers

To awaken more kidneys, start any germination by warming up for 6-8 days at a temperature of 15-20 degrees. Then it will start to grow most of kidneys. This will ensure the simultaneous formation of a bush of 5-7 equivalent shoots. If the temperature at first germination is below 15 degrees, then the apical bud will take the lead, slowing down the growth of others. The total collection will not be affected, but the early collection will decrease. And in terms of missing summer moisture, the total collection will be less.

Peculiarities this method sprouting tubers

Healthy tubers are laid out in two or three layers on the floor, window sills or on a table near windows. For 1 sq. m have approximately 40-60 kg. If possible, for more uniform lighting, it is purposeful to spread the tubers in 1-2 layers or put them in shallow boxes and twist the tubers from time to time so that all the sprouts that have hatched become stronger and greener in the light.

To save space in the room, the boxes are placed one on top of the other so that there are gaps between them. During germination, the boxes are sometimes reversed: the top ones are placed down, and the bottom ones are up.

Germination can be considered sufficient when snow-white streaks appear on the sprouts at the base - the beginnings of roots. With all this, the sprouts will be strong, thick (4-5 mm or more in diameter) and greenish or purple, depending on the variety.

5 days before planting, the tubers should be covered with mats or grass - shade. During prolonged light germination, a growth inhibitor was formed in the tubers under the action of light, which restrained the elongation of the seedlings. Now it needs to be deactivated so that it does not delay the emergence of seedlings after planting. This is what the darkness will do.

Germination of seed potatoes in bags or bags

It is convenient to germinate potatoes in narrow (25-30 cm wide) bags or bags of transparent polyethylene film. Tubers are moderately illuminated from all sides. Along the entire length of the bag or package, after 10-15 cm, holes are made with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm, through which air enters and exits carbon dioxide formed during the respiration of tubers.

Here is one of the methods of using such containers for sprouting. Plastic bags 28 cm wide and 135 cm long are filled 2/3 of the volume with tubers. This is approximately 12 kg. The ends are tied or pinched with special clips. The tubers are distributed approximately equally in both directions, the bag is intercepted in the center and hung on a crossbar or pole. From time to time they are strung on a wire or a nylon fishing line and hung in front of a window. With uniform, good lighting, strong, thick sprouts are formed.

The room needs to be ventilated from time to time. If the air is dry, then during the germination period, the tubers are sprayed 2-3 times with water.

When germinating in room conditions, tubers need repeated moisturizing. Once every 5-6 days they are sprayed with water or a weak substance of potassium permanganate ( color pink). This is very excellent, because potassium permanganate acts as a trace element that stimulates metabolic processes in tubers, and as a disinfectant that inhibits the development of bacterial microflora. In general, during light germination, it is convenient to spray the tubers with mixtures of growth stimulants, mineral fertilizers, trace elements or wood ash.

Growing potatoes in a humid environment

This method makes it possible to obtain a collection earlier than with the light method. On tubers, not only sprouts are formed, but also roots, sprouts from planted tubers appear faster, tuberization occurs earlier.

As a substrate, you can use peat, humus, sawdust, chaff and other similar loose materials. The use of humus does not increase the collection compared to the use of sawdust. The main conditions for such germination are heat, fresh air and moisture. The temperature should not be lower than 12-15 degrees and not higher than 25. At temperatures below 12 degrees, the tubers germinate poorly, but a temporary cold snap will not harm them.

The substrate must be evenly wet. An increase or decrease in humidity adversely affects the results of germination. At higher humidity, air is forced out. Without it, the sprouts die, the tubers also suffocate and rot. With the lack of moisture, the roots grow very weakly.

How master potatoes are grown

Tubers can be germinated in boxes, baskets, also in small heaps in a heated room on the floor. Wet, loose material is poured into the bottom of the container or as a bedding with a layer of 2-3 cm. If it is cool, then it is necessary to let it warm up to 12-15 degrees, and it is better to moisten it with hot water. It is excellent to moisten peat, humus, sawdust with a weak substance of copper sulphate at the rate of 1-2 g per 1 liter of water.

On the 1st layer of the substrate, the tubers are laid with their tops up 1 cm from one another and covered with the same wet material. The layer above the tubers should not exceed 2-3 cm. The 2nd layer of tubers is laid on top in the same order as the 1st, and so on until the container is full. On the floor, tubers are usually laid out in 3-4 rows. The last layer of tubers is also covered with peat, humus or sawdust.

The substrate must be kept wet, but not wet, during the entire germination period. Therefore, the contents of the boxes are not watered, but are sometimes sprayed with water, and better substance fertilizers (60 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium salt per 10 liters of water).

The period of germination of tubers in a humid environment is 15-20 days. During this period of time, shoots 2-4 cm long and a root lobe are formed. The presence of roots is especially important for the rapid growth of plants after planting and accumulation of crops.

During the period of germination of tubers in wet environments, it is necessary to ensure that the sprouts do not outgrow and do not exceed the diameter of the tuber. Overgrown sprouts and roots break rapidly when carrying and planting tubers. Therefore, if the sprouts and roots on the tubers began to outgrow, the potatoes should be planted immediately in the soil.

Combined germination

This germination method allows you to get an earlier harvest of potatoes. It starts 35-40 days before planting. The title is about combination. various methods germination of tubers. The technique of carrying out combined germination is as follows. Seed tubers are germinated in the light in warm rooms for 25-30 days until strong, thick shoots are formed. After that, the potatoes are placed in baskets, boxes or stacks for germination in a humid environment. The 1st layer of tubers is laid on a loose substrate 5-10 cm wide. Then each row of tubers is covered with the same material with a layer of 4-5 cm.

Before the roots appear, the tubers are laid out in a room with a temperature in the range of 20-22 degrees. Under these criteria, the roots at the base of the sprouts appear already on the 2-3rd day after laying the tubers for germination.

When roots appear, they are fertilized with mineral fertilizers at the rate of 60 g of superphosphate and 20-30 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. In order not to cause overgrowth of roots and sprouts, the germination temperature after top dressing should be lowered to 12-14 degrees. To do this, containers with tubers are transferred to a colder room.

After 3-5 days, the potatoes are fed again. After 2-3 days after the 2nd feeding, the tubers can be planted in the soil. Their germination in a wet substrate with such temperature regime lasts 7-10 days.

Combined germination must be applied in order not to lose the quality of the seed, which began to germinate early and formed etiolated (whitened) seedlings. Under no circumstances should they be broken off, but it is better to pinch the tops and green them (the stage of light germination), then place them in a wet environment.

Germination in piles in the garden

For wet germination of tubers, heated rooms are not indispensable. When the danger of the return of strong and prolonged frosts has passed, germination can be organized not indoors, but in heaps in the garden. To do this, on a flat area or in a pit, a bedding of humus or peat is laid out with a layer of 10-15 cm. Tubers are laid on it in one row and covered with moistened humus or peat with a layer of 10-15 cm. Tubers are again placed on top of it, covered with humus or peat, the next layer of tubers is laid out on top. This is how a collar is made of 6-8 rows of tubers. The top of the collar is covered with a layer of peat up to 15 cm.

The best conditions for the germination of tubers in open heaps are made by manure heating. Warm manure is laid out on the ground with a layer of up to 25-30 cm, sprinkled with soil or peat, then potatoes are poured in 2-3 layers. The tubers are layered with loose earth, peat or humus. To make the best temperature regime in all layers of potatoes, the piles are covered with a layer of peat (3-5 cm) and on top with a loose layer (up to 10 cm) of grass or manure. Tubers germinate in such stacks usually 12-15 days.

​Related Articles​

Tubers for planting

The shares must have two sprouts or more, and their mass must be at least 25 g;

Selection and calibration

Place unsprouted tubers immediately after barely removing them from storage near heat sources for a couple of days or arrange a “bath” for them from water, which temperature should be maintained within 4 ° C for 20 minutes, carefully adding hotter water. Such thermal stress will quickly awaken vitality tubers located in hibernation, and partially rid them of pathogens. It is impossible to warm up abruptly already grown tubers, their fragile sprouts will die.

room

Good lighting, stable temperature and humidity can be created by sprouting potatoes in transparent plastic bags or sleeves. Their width should be no more than 28 cm, holes with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm should be made along the entire length. Such perforated bags can be hung on crossbars or loops in a well-lit room or on the street (when the weather is right). Quite often to create favorable conditions germination of tubers, gardeners use window sills, homemade shelves, racks, etc. It is desirable to place potatoes on them in 1-2 layers.

Conditions for sprouting tubers

Tubers that are not warm enough and poorly sprouted will stay in the ground for a long time without noticeable development, will give sparse or uneven shoots. The longer

Tuber cutting

Another way is sprouting in containers with special additives. It is almost identical to germination in the light. The tubers are placed in baskets or boxes, on the bottom of which a mixture of humus with sawdust or peat is first poured. The first layer of potatoes is covered with the same mixture on top a few centimeters and the root crops are laid out again. So you can lay 6-8 layers. Then the contents of the boxes are poured with water. For this, a watering can with a fine spray is used so that all formed layers absorb moisture evenly. After that, they wait for the first seedlings to appear on the root crops. This should happen in a few days.​

landscaping

However, before starting preparation according to one of the methods, it is advisable to disinfect the tubers. To do this, it is necessary to prepare a solution of copper sulfate and manganese - dissolve 2 g of vitriol and 10 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water. The tubers are immersed in the resulting mixture for 30 minutes, and then removed and allowed to dry. Such treatment will serve as a good prevention for planting material from many diseases.

Treatment of tubers with drugs

The preparation of tubers itself is one of the most important stages in growing potatoes. Often this is not done at all in any form and cold seeds are planted immediately after being removed from the cellar or basement, and then they are surprised at their slow germination and late, poor harvest.

Germination in sawdust

Potato planting methods

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Time to germinate potatoes before planting

​Spend

An important element in the technology of growing potatoes is considered For Russians since ancient times, potatoes have become the second bread. Without this culture, our table is incomplete. To ensure friendly shoots and a rich harvest of tubers in the future, you need to take care of the planting material. Consider several options for how to germinate potatoes faster, what methods of processing tubers are used, as well as the requirements for the room where they are stored. Cutting should be done in a heated room, and further wound healing at a temperature of 18-25 ° C, in the light and with sufficient humidity (94-96%);​

This is followed by the treatment of tubers with disinfectant and nutrient solutions. And here the potato grower must make a conscious choice between bioorganic preparations containing microorganisms and their metabolic products.

After a very hot summer, in a frost-free winter or at high storage temperatures, potatoes can germinate prematurely while still in storage, give short or even long (10-20 cm) sprouts. Short non-dried sprouts without ulcers and red spots, with non-blackened tops (even if the rudiments of the root system have formed around them) can be left, but be sure to moisten them with water of the same temperature that was established in the storage. However, long sprouts should still be broken off before heating, as without proper care they can dry out. In the light, the tubers will sprout again with strong short shoots. All dried and blackened, as well as broken sprouts should also be removed.

maternal

Then the boxes should be spilled with the following mixture: ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride are dissolved in a bucket of water, 10 g each, as well as superphosphate - 50 g. You can use a different composition - stir 1 glass of wood ash in a bucket of water. It is also recommended to add a few grams of boron and copper to the selected mixture. So the boxes are shed every 2 days until numerous sprouts form on the tubers, which will mean the potatoes are ready for planting. It will come in about a week. When spilling, the following norms must be observed: for the first time - a bucket of solution for 50 kg of seeds, the next - for 80 kg. Another mandatory requirement for this germination method is that the boxes must be installed indoors, where the temperature is approximately +15–+17 °C.​

This is the most common way to prepare tubers. It is carried out until the appearance of true sprouts on the seed material. In the soil of unprepared tubers, they begin to germinate only after 7–12 days, and even 15–20 days after planting, seedlings will break through to the soil surface. Sprouting allows you to speed up these processes and bring the harvest time closer by 15-20 days, which is especially important when growing early potatoes.​

How to germinate potatoes before planting

How to prepare potatoes for planting, there are quite a few different techniques. These include:​

sprouting potatoes before planting sprouting potatoes before planting If you examine the tuber, then you can see eyes on its smooth surface. From them, sprouts appear. Potatoes are carefully selected and specially prepared before planting. Before getting acquainted with the options for processing planting material, we will talk a little about the most popular varieties of this crop. There are types that are suitable for frying, for making mashed potatoes and chips. There are large varieties, such as potatoes Impala, Giant and others. According to the ripening period, early, mid-early, mid-season, late are distinguished.

use knives for cutting of stainless steel, after each incision, disinfecting them in a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate or in a 0.5% solution of salicylic acid;

("Baikal EM-1", "Shine-1", "Shine-2", MG-Zaime (I personally use Bioyodis)

​Reproduction potatoes may contain tubers sprouted in a bunch of long thread-like sprouts. This is protection from colorado potato beetle, soil pests, carriers of viruses and many potato diseases is achieved using 1 liter of working solution (60 ml of prestige + 50 ml of maxim and water up to 1 liter). With this amount of working solution, 70-80 kg of tubers can be sprayed immediately before planting them on 2 acres.

The tubers are underground, the more they are damaged by soil pests, infected with fungi and other diseases. Shoots of weeds will appear much earlier and, without feeling any competition, will increase the green mass at a faster rate than potatoes, and it is very difficult to weed them out without seeing potato shoots. Many potato plants will be damaged underground during the first weeding. Naturally, seedlings will appear weakened and at a later date.

If germination did not work out, then it is necessary to do a wilting, and then thermal heating of the tubers. In a relatively warm room, where at night the temperature does not drop below 0 ° C, not necessarily lit, but dry, the seed potatoes are laid out in 1 layer and kept for about a week until pecking sprouts appear. This is what weaving is about. During its holding, enzymes and nutrients accumulate in the tubers, accelerating the germination of sprouts. This contributes to a higher yield.​

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Preparing potatoes for planting - simple ways to increase yields

How to prepare potatoes for planting

Germination is carried out in a lighted room with good ventilation, where the temperature during the day is not lower than +12–+14, and at night - +6–+8 °C, and there is always an inflow fresh air. It is best to select large planting material for this, with a tuber weight of 80–90 g. They must be laid out on the floor, window sill, wooden racks and the like in no more than 2 layers, and kept in this room for 30–35 days.

wilting of tubers;

• And here typical mistake- the use of one's own seeds for many years, selected from the potatoes of the harvest. Such material from year to year degenerates more and more, loses the best parental properties, qualities, and eventually becomes suitable only for food use. Meanwhile, it is recommended to change the seeds at least every 2 years. The next error is improper storage seeds. That from their conditions winter storage potato harvest depends to a large extent, many are well aware.

in humid environment on tubers, along with sprouts, roots are also formed, as a result of this, shoots appear earlier. Tubers can be germinated using this method in boxes or in baskets. Wet compost is first poured onto the bottom of the container, heated to a temperature of 15 degrees, with a layer of 2-3 centimeters, tubers are laid out on it with their eyes up and the same material is poured on top and to the same height. This operation is repeated until the used container is completely filled. Optimum temperature with this method of germination, it should be 15 - 17 degrees, and the germination period is 15 - 20 days. Such germination of tubers is especially effective when they are wetted with a weakly concentrated solution of copper sulphate (only 1-2 grams of the substance is taken per 10 liters of water).

in open ground.​

After the harvest, care must be taken to select the highest quality tubers for seeds. They should be sorted by weight, size. For planting, you need to choose tubers, the size of which does not exceed the size chicken egg. Try to avoid specimens that are affected by pests, show signs of disease, or are injured during digging. Thus, it is necessary to select potatoes for planting, devoid of any defects. Otherwise, it will not be stored. Before planting, the tubers need one more careful review. At the same time, those that have signs of frostbite, spoiled by pests, suffocated during storage, affected by rot, and ugly are rejected. Only healthy tubers can provide an increase in yield of up to thirty-six percent and reduce the time from planting to digging potatoes by ten to fourteen days.

Sections should be immediately sprayed with a solution that activates wound healing, for example, 5-10% barley malt with the addition of growth stimulants (succinic acid-0.0025%);

Selection and sorting of seed material

etc. and solutions of macro- and microfertilizers. You cannot combine these two technologies.​

Please note:

Remove tubers from storage and start heating them in advance. Vernalization occurs most naturally if the planting material that has not come out of dormancy is germinated before planting for 20-30 days at a temperature of 12-15 °C. However, if it is not possible to remove the potatoes from storage in early dates and it is difficult to maintain the required temperature for the entire period (for example, in case of frost), you can start warming up the tubers later, 15-20 days before planting, but at a higher (room) temperature. In extreme cases, if potatoes need to be planted urgently, they are heated for 3-5 days at a temperature of 20-35 ° C, placed near heating appliances, and for enough high humidity(tubers are periodically sprinkled with water).

Thermal heating is done when 3-4 days remain before planting. The tubers are brought into a room where high-temperature conditions can be created - + 30– + 35 ° C. Such heating contributes to a sharp increase in enzymatic activity, accelerating the germination of all the eyes of the root crop and, as a result, increasing the yield.

Such germination gives the best results with a consistent change in temperature. That is, for the first 7 days in a room with tubers, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 20–22 ° C, after which they are kept at + 7– + 8 ° C for the remaining 4 weeks. In the first week, high temperature causes the awakening of the kidneys, but its prolonged exposure leads to an increased and unproductive consumption of the nutrients of the tubers for the respiration of the emerging sprouts. Therefore, the temperature is greatly reduced, which contributes to the strengthening and thickening of the latter.

Preparation of selected seeds: methods

preparing their slices;

Potatoes suitable for planting should be selected immediately after harvesting, and stored separately from the rest intended for food. Moreover, the amount of seed should initially be more than it is supposed to be planted, so that in the spring there is something to sort it out and choose better tubers, rejecting rotten and unsuitable for other reasons. For the storage of seeds, it is necessary to create conditions better than for the rest of the potato. The most common defect in seed storage is premature germination of potatoes. White long sprouts have to be broken off, and sometimes several times during the winter.

• Can also be applied combined method sprouting potatoes before planting. To do this, first the tubers are placed in the light, and then in boxes and sprinkled with a thickness of up to 4 centimeters with compost or peat mixture. Before the roots appear on the tubers, the temperature in the germination room must be maintained within 20 - 22 degrees. And when the roots appear, you need to feed with a solution at the rate of 20-30 grams of ammonium nitrate, 60 grams of superphosphate, 20-30 grams of potassium salt per 10 liters of water. After three days, you can feed the potatoes once more with this solution. The germination period usually lasts for 7 - 10 days.​
• When germinating for a month, under the influence of heat and light, the process of accumulation of nutrient soluble substances in the buds of potato tubers, which ensure the germination of these buds, is activated. When the dormant buds of the eyes germinate, thick green seedlings are formed.
• For storage of potatoes after harvest, it is necessary to prepare a dry and cool place. The temperature should be maintained no higher than 4 degrees. Previously, it can be treated with chemicals that prevent the development of mold and bacteria. As a rule, planting material is collected in wooden boxes and install them in the cellars, stacking them. The room is equipped with fluorescent lamps.
• Cut tubers need to be laid out in one layer with the cuts up for drying and speedy suberinization.
• So, if you are an adherent of bio-organic farming, then treat the tubers with biological products during the entire vernalization according to the attached recommendations, but if you trust official science, soak the tubers for 1 hour or spray with a fertilizer solution. It has been proven that the treatment of tubers in a solution of mineral fertilizers accelerates germination, enhances vegetation and tuberization, and increases yield. Fertilizers also stimulate the breakdown of nutrients contained in
• If it is planned to harvest young potatoes for food purposes, disinfectants cannot be used!
• Air humidity during the germination period should be in the range of 85-95%, this is necessary so that the tubers do not dry out. For supporting optimal humidity potatoes can be sprayed or laid out indoors with wet burlap.
• Vernalization is a complex of pre-planting agricultural practices

During germination, shortened thick dark green sprouts are formed on the tubers, as shown in the video, the length of which is about 1 cm, which do not break off during the process of carrying and planting. On their lower part, the rudiments of roots appear - white tubercles. P​

The traditional way of germination - in the light

warming up;

But even once performed, such a procedure leads to a decrease in the potato yield by at least 15–20%, and in some years much more. Such tubers are sown weakened and sprout usually 3-5 days later, then germinated plants are 10-12 days late with flowering and are often prone to disease and degeneration. The main reason for premature germination of tubers is non-compliance with the required temperature regime in the storage (basement, cellar) and poor ventilation in it. To create the best conditions for storing potatoes in the cellar, it is necessary to constantly maintain a temperature of +1–+2 °C.​

With the help of potato seedlings, you can get a crop as early as possible. To do this, it is necessary to plant healthy tubers in pots 10x10x10 cm, leaving the thickness of the earthen walls at least 1.5 - 2 cm. When planting in pots, the tubers are sprinkled with a layer of humus up to 2 centimeters thick, after which the pots are placed in a greenhouse. Potato seedlings are planted in the ground when the plants reach a height of 6 - 8 centimeters.

Potatoes grown from sprouted tubers are 12 to 15 days ahead of the usual ones in development and growth, due to which young plants are able to better use spring moisture, fertilizers applied to the soil and acquire noticeable resistance to potato diseases, especially late blight. Thus, the germination of potatoes before planting in the future ensures the maximum yield of the crop.​ How to properly germinate potatoes, they can tell experienced gardeners, gardeners or farmers involved in the cultivation of this crop. First of all, after long-term storage in a cool place, the seed material must be transferred to another room where there is diffused sunlight and the temperature is higher. If you didn’t have wooden boxes for storing them, you can replace them with other containers. For example, plastic bags. They definitely need to make holes with a diameter of 1.2-1.5 cm for the breathing of tubers. Each bag should contain four to five kilograms of potatoes. A similar method is suitable for tubers on which sprouts have not yet hatched. They appear after 25-30 days. Before germinating potatoes for planting, the tubers must "wake up". Suitable sprouts that have reached 2-3 centimeters. If both strong and weak shoots develop on one tuber, then it is better to remove the filamentous shoots or to reject such a tuber altogether. It will not provide a high yield. To make potatoes germinate faster, you can create a shock temperature for them. It can range from 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. In the rest of the period, it is reduced to 10-14 degrees. If germination takes place in conditions close to home, then room temperature will help delay the process of sprouts. They will appear only after 35-40 days.

​Your planting material, even cut into sections, is more likely to form a higher yield and will be less prone to degeneration (which is important for the longevity of the variety) if you also carry out combined germination. To do this, after the usual germination in the light, 3-7 days before planting, the tubers are placed in boxes or in a greenhouse, sprinkling them with layers of moistened sawdust (preferably rotted), peat crumbs or humus. You can simply cover the tubers with a moist substrate in the boxes where they were germinated. Under such conditions, the potato begins to form a root system and, if planted in open ground, will immediately grow. However, the development of sprouts should be controlled, preventing their overgrowth (length no more than 1.5-2 cm), for which the temperature in the room is lowered if necessary. During wet rearing, it is recommended to carry out 1-2 top dressings with a fertilizer solution, for example, of the following composition: urea - 30 g, potassium monophosphate - 30 g or superphosphate and potassium sulfate - 20 g each, copper sulfate - 5 g, water - up to 10 l. ​

maternal

Sprouting in bags and nutrient mixture

And if you have already found the time to spray the tubers, then what will prevent you from making an inexpensive tank mix from a dressing agent, trace elements and a growth regulator? Such treatment will significantly increase the future yield, sometimes by 50% or more. The mixture should be prepared and the tubers should be treated with it immediately before planting and according to the factory instructions for each dressing agent and growth regulator (the best and inexpensive ones are El-1, fumar, poteytin, emistim-S, epin, immunocytophyte, etc. As microelements, you can use ready-made preparations (for example, Reacom-SR-potato, ecolist-standard, nutrivant plus, urea-Kb).You can expect the greatest increase in yield from the use of microelements in a biologically active form in the form of chelates (metal complexonates), for example, Reacom potato But if it is not possible to purchase branded microelement concentrates, then you can prepare such a solution yourself: 0.15 g of boric acid, 0.2 g of copper sulphate and 0.2 g of potassium permanganate are dissolved in 1 liter of tank mixture (all components can be purchase at a pharmacy and hardware store).​

​Pre-landing preparation​

(warming, treatment with disinfectant and nutrient solutions, growth regulators, gardening and germination in the light), which significantly increase the yield of potatoes. Practice shows that these relatively inexpensive and low-labor measures are no less effective than variety selection, soil fertilization, the timeliness and expediency of agricultural technology, and the protection of plants from diseases and pests.​

After planting the tubers in the soil, such sprouts quickly adapt to the new environment and soon switch to nutrition from their own grown roots.

Withering and heating, or what to do when you didn’t have time to germinate?

landscaping;

Only full-fledged tubers should be selected as seed material. All tubers affected by wet or dry rot, scab and other diseases, as well as ugly, irregular shape, unsuitable for landing. The ugly, unusual shape of root crops is a sign of degeneration - which is why such potatoes cannot be used for planting. Also, only tubers should be selected, the mass of which is 30–90 g. Too small and excessively large are also not suitable.

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How to properly prepare potato seeds for planting, vernalization

Additionally, you can influence planting potato tubers by treating them with nutrient solutions of mineral fertilizers, ash, microelements and special substances to activate growth. Such processing will contribute to the replenishment of the reserves of nutrients that are easily accessible to young seedlings, and, consequently, their active development and growth. mineral useful elements Having penetrated inside the tuber, they have a stimulating effect on the breakdown of nutrients, which, during this breakdown, are converted into water-soluble substances, and therefore into easily digestible forms for plants. This type treatment accelerates the appearance of the first shoots and the first flowering of potatoes by about 3 - 5 days. To carry out such a treatment, you need to take 35-40 grams of superphosphate and the same amount of ammonium nitrate per liter. On the day of planting potatoes in open ground, the tubers should be placed in a container with a solution for 1 hour and then planted. When germinating, it is imperative to cull diseased tubers. A particularly good effect is obtained when germinating mid-season and mid-late productive varieties. In this case, mid-ripening varieties can produce a marketable crop at the same time as early-ripening ones, and late-ripening varieties, with proper germination, ripen much faster.

It is recommended to cut the potatoes into pieces before planting. This is most often used for large tubers. If the potato weighs from 160 to 200 grams, then it is enough to cut it into four parts. On each of the pieces (weighing 40 grams) there must be one or two eyes. This operation can be carried out a week before planting or a month and a half. During cutting, the knife must be sterilized in a solution of lysol or ash. At the site of the cut, a protective film. This approach helps to solve several problems at once. The mother tuber, which serves to develop a new plant, rots faster, more stems appear, and the yield is greater as a result.

Minimum program

Immediately before planting, as already noted, the tubers must be pickled and treated with a growth stimulator, microfertilizers. Stimulants will not hurt if treatment with one of them is carried out both at the beginning of vernalization and before laying on wet nursery. For "advanced" potato growers, we recommend a more complex composition of trace elements: boric acid, ammonium heptomolybdate, zinc, magnesium, manganese and copper sulfates - 0.5 g each, cobalt chloride, potassium iodide, iron and aluminum sulfates - 0.15 g each, dissolved in 1 liter of tank mix.​ Tuber, into digestible forms. If growing potatoes is your favorite pastime, hobby, and the desire to get best result from their work coincides with the possibilities, the range of operations for

It begins with the bulkheading of tubers that have overwintered in the storage. Obviously diseased and simply dubious tubers are unsuitable for planting. If a variety has been cultivated in your garden for more than a year, then in order to preserve valuable varietal characteristics in the future, tubers of a typical shape and color for this variety should be selected for planting, and varieties of impurities should be separated. it is necessary to prepare in advance and start it on time. Sometimes life circumstances develop in such a way that it is impossible to fulfill all the recommendations of scientists. There are two vernalization programs - a minimum program, which should be completed in any case (otherwise it would be better to refuse planting potatoes altogether) and a maximum program, only true potato growing enthusiasts who spare neither time nor effort for their favorite crop can fully complete it , no funds. What is very important: the minimum program can be successfully enriched with any of technological operations maximum programs. In the future, this will bring an increase in yield and prolong the longevity of the variety. During the germination period, the tubers must be carefully turned over once every 6–7 days. At the same time, you can’t stir them roughly, because the eyes can break off, and this will greatly reduce the yield. It is also necessary to ensure that the germinated sprouts do not stretch much, are not longer than 1 cm. To make them short and thick, it is necessary to lower the temperature to +4–+6 ° C at night.

germination;

If you use the first ones for planting, then few stems will sprout from them, and the resulting crop will be small. And if you plant too large potatoes, then the part that is above the ground will develop much faster than the underground - the roots. And when the supply of nutrients runs out in the tuber, the root system will not be able to provide nutrition for the entire plant and, first of all, its aerial part. Then the development of the potato bush will stop until the roots grow.

A additional processing potato tubers 0.01% solution of copper sulfate, manganese, boron stimulates development and growth, significantly increases the starch content in mature tubers. Ash dusting of potato tubers (5 - 10 grams of ash per 1 kilogram of planting material) provides good year yield increase by 15 -17%. For example, such mid-season varieties like Blueberry, Lugovoi, Lorch improved, on average, from germination for 30 days, they give the following increase in yield - from 170 to 240 kilograms per hundred square meters, depending on the variety.​
The effect on tubers with light is the most effective method how to germinate potatoes for planting and ensure a high yield in the future. The seed material is poured into boxes in one layer and exposed to the street, under a canopy. From above they need to be covered with a film that will ensure the safety of moisture and heat. So they are kept for two weeks. Under the influence of the scattered rays of the sun, many sprouts appear, which reach from three to five millimeters. Chlorophyll begins to accumulate in the tubers, they turn green. This process helps to strengthen the root system and foliage development of the future plant. The sprouts appear with many small leaves and are strongly rooted. They do not break off when landing.
After all these procedures, you can proceed with a clear conscience
Tuber soaking solution recipe: urea or ammonium nitrate - 400 g, potassium monophosphate - 200 g or a pre-prepared infusion of 400 g superphosphate, boric acid - 15 g, copper sulfate - 2 g, potassium permanganate - 0.5 g , water - up to 10 l. Several batches of potatoes can be soaked in the solution (it is better to do this in nets) until they lose their color or become dirty.​
preplant preparation of tubers

Tubers are also sized by fractions (large, medium, small). This is necessary in order to achieve a uniform stem, illumination and soil nutrition of plants. But if you plant potatoes by hand and take your time, then you can simply change the distance between the tubers in a row depending on the number of germinated sprouts (at the rate of 5 cm for each sprout formed).

Mandatory preparation operations

Sprouted potatoes can be sorted into a separate box located in a dark, cool room, and the rest must be brought to the desired state of sprouts. It is better, of course, to correctly calculate the timing of germination in order to match the planting time. Root crops with thin shoots will have to be put aside - it is better not to plant such plants. Stimulating cuts;
Preparation of potatoes for planting should begin at the end of March, 30-40 days before planting. And they start it with sorting out the seed. At the same time, all tubers that have not undergone storage are rejected - spoiled, rotted, sick and untimely germinated. Then, full-fledged healthy tubers must be sorted into 3 types: large, whose weight is 70–90 g, medium - 50–70 g and small - 30–50 g.

Maximum program

See you, dear friends! When germinating tubers in warm rooms, it is necessary to adhere to a temperature of plus 12 to plus 14 degrees. Temperatures above these values ​​can be maintained only in the first three to four days. Higher temperatures during the first days of germination stimulate the transformation of stored nutrients into a state that is available for assimilation by young seedlings. But keep in mind that with a longer content of tubers at elevated temperatures, an unproductive breakdown of most nutrients will occur, and there will also be an increased consumption of these substances for evaporation of moisture and respiration. The quality of seed tubers deteriorates, a fungal and sometimes viral infection develops. Since it is necessary to germinate potatoes before planting to increase yields, one should not ignore the process of processing planting material with special fertilizers and compounds. The method of soaking tubers in a solution of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate is very effective. They are taken at four kilograms per hundred liters of water, mixed. Then the tubers are lowered into the resulting solution and left for three hours. Such treatment contributes to the emergence of sprouts, the early development of the plant, the formation of powerful bushes and increased yields. Before planting, the tubers are soaked for one hour. Seed material that germinates in the light is sprayed with the same solution 1-2 days before planting. After that, it is recommended to cover it with a film. If the boxes are in an open place, then it can be black to protect from the sun. The preparation PP "Fitop-Flora-S" is also used. Understanding how to germinate potatoes with it is quite simple. Before planting on the site, you need to dig a recess. Lay a film in it and sprinkle potatoes. Then it needs to be sprayed with fertilizer, covered with a film on top and left for an hour and a half. This treatment helps to strengthen the immune system of tubers. You can increase the soaking time of the seed material until sprouts appear.​

to planting potatoes A large amount of planting material is more convenient to moisten with a plastic watering can or sprayer. For this purpose, I recommend a solution of this composition: carbamide or ammonium nitrate - 40 g, potassium monophosphate - 20 g or infusion of 40 g of superphosphate, boric acid - 15 g, copper sulfate - 0.2 g, potassium permanganate - 0.1 g , water - up to 1 liter. With this solution, 50-75 kg of tubers can be sprayed. Treatments can be repeated every week throughout vernalization. The tubers are periodically turned over so that they turn green and nutrients enter them from all sides.
should be significantly expanded.

Potatoes should germinate in the light, regardless of whether it has been greened since autumn. In the dark, the tuber forms long and brittle sprouts; when planted, many of them will be damaged. Therefore, it is unacceptable to germinate seed tubers in bulk, in baskets, boxes, etc. seed potatoes for planting Potatoes can be germinated in small plastic bags. In transparent "T-shirts" it is necessary to make about a dozen holes, the size of which should be 2 times smaller than the tubers. This is necessary for the ventilation of root crops. Each bag contains 8-12 potatoes. Then the "T-shirts" are tied and hung in a bright place. Due to the greenhouse effect formed in the bags, the tubers germinate very quickly. With this method, you must be attentive to ventilation and lighting.

​treatment with mineral fertilizers and growth substances;​​The best seed material is the middle fraction. When using all 3 species, they must be planted separately, on separate beds, since the frequency of planting and the distance between rows of large, medium and small tubers should be different. In addition, potatoes will germinate and develop from seeds of various sizes in different dates, which means that the necessary processing (watering, hilling, harvesting) should not be done for it at the same time. Many people still mistakenly believe that growing potatoes is a very simple task. He planted, spudded, watered, and harvested in the fall, and the resulting crop is measured in no other way than: more than last year, or less. If the second happens or the collected tubers are sick or Bad quality, they say that the potatoes were not born, and everyone writes off first of all on the weather, well, and also on "unsuccessful seeds". And all the troubles primarily lie in the lack of preparation of seed material.

Potatoes for sprouting can simply be laid out in a thin layer in shallow boxes.

Another effective option on how to germinate potatoes for planting is to use wet sawdust. They can be replaced with peat, humus or chopped moss. Wet substrate is poured into wooden boxes. Its thickness should not be more than five centimeters. Seed material is placed on top of it. At the same time, the tubers are placed close to each other, with eyes pointing upwards. Then the potatoes are covered with another layer of substrate. At the end, you need to enter mineral fertilizers. To prepare the solution, you will need ten liters of water, 60 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of potassium chloride, 30 grams of ammonium nitrate. This method allows you to germinate tubers within 15-20 days. In the room where the seed material is stored, the temperature should be maintained from + 15 to + 20 ° C. After two weeks, a good root system will develop. Here's another one effective method how to germinate potatoes for planting: it is recommended to make incisions on the tubers. They will stimulate the emergence of sprouts. They are performed in two ways. An incision is made either across the tuber, while leaving a small jumper of 1 centimeter, or along the ring to a depth of 1.5 centimeters. This method allows you to redistribute useful material coming to the eyes. The result of such an operation would be a large number sprouts. Moreover, they are distributed evenly throughout the tuber.

Knowing that your favorite culture initially got a good start for its further development.

We are not always happy with the potato harvest. Who do we blame first? Of course, the weather, phytophthora, soil and the Colorado potato beetle. But if you think about it, there is a certain share of our fault in the poverty of the harvest. Analyze whether the right place was chosen for planting, whether the potatoes were provided with proper care and feeding, whether the basic rules of planting were followed, whether pre-sowing treatment and germination. It is the preparation and germination that lays the foundation for a good harvest.

Preparing potatoes for planting - a necessary procedure

Of course, you can get seed potatoes selected in the fall and immediately plant them in the ground. But if you analyze the advice of agronomists and experienced gardeners, you can make sure that preparing potato seeds for planting:

• will provide early and strong shoots;
• will increase the yield;
• ensure the removal of diseased, spoiled, potentially dissimilar tubers from the seed fund.

These advantages of vernalization of potatoes convince us of the need for a germination procedure.

Selection of seed material

If you use potatoes from your site for planting, then the procedure for preparing the seed fund should begin with the selection of the strongest and most powerful bushes in the previous season. During the growing season, mark the most powerful bushes (with a peg, stone, rope), dig them out two weeks after flowering and put the best tubers from these bushes into the seed fund.

Seed tubers must meet the following requirements:

• the size of the tuber should be about the size of a chicken egg;
• there are no signs of disease or damage on the tuber.

Selected tubers are thoroughly dried and green. For landscaping, it is best to place potatoes in the sun at an air temperature of at least +12 degrees. After about a week, the selected potatoes will become firmer and take on a greenish tint. This means that a poisonous substance, solanine, has formed in it. Green potatoes are more resistant to mechanical damage, rot, and are better stored.

Important! Green potatoes are not edible!

Potatoes selected for seeds are stored at a temperature of +4 degrees, which helps prevent freezing and early germination.

Seed germination: timing and types

The next stage in the preparation of potato seeds is germination. When should it be started? There are several types of this procedure: light, in a wet substrate, combined and wilting. Light germination should begin approximately 40 days before planting in soil. If potatoes are planted in your region in late April - early May, then, accordingly, germination begins in the second half of March. Terms of other ways - about 20 days. So, germination should be done in the first half of April.

Important! The timing of germination depends on the variety of potatoes: early varieties grow faster.

Regardless of which sprouting method you use, potatoes must be prepared for it. Germination preparation steps:

1. The potatoes removed from the storage should be sorted out again, sorting out diseased, damaged tubers.
2. Disinfection of tubers-seeds. There are a lot of disinfectant recipes. Here are some of them:
   • dissolve copper sulfate (5 grams), boric acid (15 grams), potassium permanganate (0.5 grams) in 10 liters of water. Place the planting material in the solution for a quarter of an hour. This solution will provide both disinfection and additional nutrition for tubers;
   • Dilute 10 grams of boric acid in 10 liters of water. Soak the planting material in the solution for about half an hour;
   • 1 kilogram of chopped garlic insist in 10 liters of water. Keep the tubers in the solution for 3 hours.
3. Drying of seed material.
4. Heating of seeds-tubers for 3 days at a temperature of about +25 degrees.

Video: Preparing potatoes for sprouting

Growing in the light

To germinate in the light, place the tubers-seeds in containers that let the light through: wooden boxes with solid walls, plastic containers with side holes. Seed potatoes are laid in one layer and placed in a bright room. If direct sunlight falls on the tubers, then the containers are covered with a light cloth or paper. The illumination must be sufficient, otherwise the sprouts will stretch out and become brittle.

The duration of light germination directly depends on the temperature regime. At a room temperature of +13 to +17 degrees, strong green 2–3 cm sprouts will appear in 35–40 days. If the room temperature exceeds +17 degrees, it takes about 30 days to achieve the same effect.

On a note!

• if the illumination of the room is insufficient, then you can use artificial lighting, for example, fluorescent lamps;
• potato tubers should be lit for at least 8 hours a day;
• as a container for germination in the light, you can use small plastic bags, which are placed in a convenient place, having previously made several holes in each for sufficient air circulation. 8-10 potatoes are placed in each bag. The advantage of this method is that 90 percent of the seed tubers are exposed to light;
• for the germination of potatoes, film greenhouses are used, laying potatoes on racks in them;
• you can germinate potatoes outdoors by placing them on straw. In this case, it is necessary to provide shelter for potatoes at unfavorable temperatures.

Wet sprouting potatoes

For wet germination, peat or sawdust can be used as soil. Stages of laying seed tubers in the ground:

1. 2-3 cm of soil is poured at the bottom of the container, moisten it.
2. Then, at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other, the tubers are laid up with apical buds.
3. They fall asleep with moist soil with a layer of 2–3 cm. Thus, two (but no more) layers of potatoes can be placed.

The temperature of the room for wet germination should be from +12 to + 25 degrees, it is necessary to provide air flow, the soil should be kept moist (but not wet). Sprouts with such germination will form in approximately 20 days. The main advantage of wet germination is the formation of developed rudimentary roots, which subsequently ensures early germination and the formation of a powerful root system.

How to germinate in a combined way

This germination method combines light germination and wet germination. First, the tubers are germinated in the light. Around day 30, when strong sprouts are formed, the potatoes are placed in a moist substrate and, thus, the forcing of the roots is ensured.

The combined method is the most effective for obtaining early and friendly potato shoots.

Drying seed potatoes

If there are from two weeks to five days left before planting, then for germination, you can use the method of drying potatoes. Its difference is that potatoes are placed in a room with a higher air temperature. At a temperature regime of +20–25 degrees, sprouts will appear within 5–7 days, at a temperature of +15–16 degrees - within 10–14 days.

Important! Heating potatoes at a temperature of +30 degrees can provoke early development viral diseases.

Proper stimulation of germination

How to speed up germination? Exist various ways. We would like to introduce you to some of them.

Stimulating incisions

Two methods of incisions are used - annular and transverse. An annular incision is effective if you want to get an early harvest. The potato is cut to a depth of about 1 cm in such a way as to encircle the tuber. Such an incision stimulates the germination of eyes in the apical part of the tuber. This leads to more early appearance seedlings and the beginning of tuberization.

The transverse incision is deeper. A small jumper about a centimeter thick remains uncut. Thanks to the transverse cut, all tuber eyes germinate simultaneously, and in the future - to the formation of a powerful bush and a higher yield.

Important!

• cut only healthy tubers;
• after each cut, the knife must be treated in a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the spread of diseases;
• incisions are made before the appearance of sprouts;
• stimulating cuts are effective if, after “ringing”, the germination of potatoes begins at a temperature of at least +18 degrees.

Use of solutions

You can speed up the germination time by spraying the planting material with special solutions. The spraying procedure must be carried out once a week, alternating the solutions used. Here are some recipes for stimulating solutions:

• for 1 liter of water - copper sulphate (a fourth of a teaspoon), trace elements (at the tip of a knife), wood ash (without limitation);
• for 3 liters of water - a teaspoon of urea;
• for 3 liters of water - a teaspoon of Nitrophoska.

Before germination, you can immerse seed potatoes for 30 minutes in a solution of the Bioglobin preparation (2 teaspoons per 10 liters of water). Such bathing will help awaken more eyes.

Video: Potato vernalization and EM preparations

If you take the advice and do it right seedbed preparation potatoes, then you will definitely please yourself and your loved ones with a rich harvest of potatoes.