The best fertilizer for potatoes when planting

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 20:55

Almost all summer residents are engaged in growing potatoes in Russia. The culture is very productive and relatively undemanding. But of course, you need to take care of potatoes correctly. During the season, summer residents usually do not feed this plant. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right fertilizer for potatoes, designed to be applied to the holes at planting.

One of the features of this culture is rather weak roots. At the same time, potato tubers, as you know, grow very large. Therefore, plants in the process of development require a lot of nutrients. In autumn, the soil in the area with potatoes is very depleted. Accordingly, in the spring, when planting this crop, it is required to use fertilizers containing a large amount of various microelements.

What fertilizers are required for potatoes

Scientists have found that for the proper development of this garden crop per season for 1 m2 is required:

• magnesium - 6g;
• nitrogen - 20-30 g;
• phosphorus - 7-10 g;
• potassium oxide - 35-45 g;

Also, potatoes need boron, manganese, copper, zinc, calcium. In the presence of all these components in the soil on the site in autumn, you can collect up to 5 kg of tubers from each 1 m2.

What soil do potatoes like

This crop can develop well and give rich harvests on almost any soil. However, it is believed that soils are best suited for this plant:

• soddy-podzolic;
• light loam;
• Sandy loam.

The richest potato yields on loose, moisture and breathable soils. The most unsuitable soils for this crop are:

• clay;
• sandy.

In particular, the yield of potatoes is reduced in this case on clay soils. Determining this type of soil is relatively easy. When snow melts or during rains, water stagnates in areas with such soil.

On sandy soils, you can get richer potato crops. But such soil for planting this crop should be carefully prepared.

It is believed that acidic and alkaline soils should not be chosen for potatoes. These plants feel best in areas with soil, the acidity of which varies between pH 5.5-6.5. That is, for example, on a new allotment, potatoes should be planted where dandelions, clover, and wheatgrass used to grow.

Varieties of dressings

Choicethe specific type of fertilizer for potatoes depends primarily, of course, on the characteristics of the soil in a particular area. You can use this crop for feeding:

• organic;
• mineral compounds;
• growth stimulants.

The best fertilizer when planting potatoes is, of course, organic. But mineral top dressing in the spring for this crop is also used quite often. Growth stimulants have also become very popular with summer residents recently.

What are the most commonly used organic fertilizers

Of course, in suburban areas, potatoes are most often fed with manure. In most cases, such fertilizer is applied to the wells from about a liter jar. If desired, manure when planting potatoes can also be replaced with humus.

Organics is a very useful type of feeding. And, of course, this fertilizer must be applied to the wells. For potatoes, however, it will be very useful to use some ash and sand when planting.

The application of manure can significantly increase the yield of this crop. In fact, this is the best fertilizer for potatoes. But top dressing is still mostly nitrogenous. There are not so many other substances in manure as N_{2. Therefore, potatoes fertilized with organic matter alone may subsequently lack phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium during the season. To make up for this shortcoming, ash is used. All sorts of minerals in this fertilizer is just a huge amount.}

Sand is introduced into the holes when planting potatoes in order to make the soil more loose and breathable. In addition, when using such a component in the fall, absolutely clean tubers can be dug out of the ground. In addition, sand is able to protect potatoes in the soil from wireworm damage.

What other organic matter can I use

Many summer residents are interested, of course, what else, besides manure, can be poured when planting potatoes in a hole? There are many fertilizers for this crop on sale today. And one of the cheapest and most effective at the same time is bone meal. This tool also belongs to the group of organic dressings. At the same time, the main useful element that is part of it is phosphorus.

If desired, bone meal can be sprinkled over the area in autumn or spring. But it is best to throw it into the hole when landing. Phosphorus is an inactive trace element. Therefore, the closer it is initially to the roots of the potato, the better.

What mineral fertilizers can be used

Such dressings in most cases are simply scattered over the site before digging the soil in the spring. But if you wish, you can apply mineral fertilizers for potatoes and when planting tubers in the spring in the holes.

Feed this crop in this way using compounds:

• nitrogenous;
• potash;
• phosphoric;
• complex.

What fertilizers for potatoesuse: nitrogen compounds

Feeding of this type primarily affects the yield of potatoes. With their lack of too many tubers, it will, unfortunately, be impossible to collect from the site. Relate to this group, for example, such dressings as:

• sodium nitrate;
• calcium ammonium nitrate;
• ammonium sulfate.

And, of course, the most popular type of nitrogen fertilizer, often used, including when planting potatoes, is urea. Such top dressing can be purchased at any time in a specialized store. And urea is relatively inexpensive.

The best time to use nitrogenous fertilizers for potatoes is spring. Most often, to feed this culture, a mixture of urea and a small amount of ammonium sulfate is introduced into the wells.

Phosphorus mineral fertilizers for potatoes

Such top dressing when growing potatoes can be used both in autumn and in spring. The application of this type of fertilizer has a positive effect not only on the yield of potatoes, but also on the quality of tubers. With a sufficient amount of phosphorus in the soil, the degree of starch content in potatoes increases. As a result, indicators such as keeping quality and transportability of tubers are improved.

Most often, gardeners, as already mentioned, fertilize this crop with bone meal when planting. But if such top dressing cannot be found, you can replace it with regular superphosphate.

Potassiumfertilizer

This type of top dressing, like nitrogen, primarily has a positive effect on potato yields. Each kilogram of such fertilizer is capable of producing an increase of about 20 kg of tubers.

The use of this type of composition for potatoes can bring great benefits. But this type of dressing should be used with caution. An excess of potassium in the soil can lead to such unpleasant consequences, for example, as:

• prolonging the maturation of tubers;
• decrease in plant immunity to viral diseases;
• reduce starch content in tubers.

If desired, this type of fertilizer can be applied to the soil when planting potatoes. But still, it is believed that potassium supplements are best used in the fall.

Such fertilizers can have a negative effect on potatoes due to the fact that they contain a certain amount of chlorine. It is believed, therefore, that it is best for potatoes to use such top dressing as potassium nitrate. This fertilizer does not contain too much chlorine - about 2.5%.

Complex feeding

Nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers improve the land in areas allotted for potatoes quite often. But the most popular type of mineral supplements among summer residents are still complex.

Such compounds contain a large amount of both nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. From this group of fertilizers for potatoes, summer residents most often use:

• Kemiru.
• Bionex.
• Gumi-omi.

"Kemira" in this case should be purchased, designed specifically for potatoes. Approximately 20 g of Bionex is applied to each well. Bionex is also used in an amount of 20 g. Gumi-omi is poured into each well 12 g.

If desired, complex fertilizer for potatoes can be made independently. For example, a mixture consisting of:

• urea in the amount of 10 g;
• crystal hydrate of copper sulfate - 1 tsp;
• azofoska - 5 g;
• potassium chloride - 10g

All these components should be dissolved in 12 liters of water and dipped in the resulting solution of the sphagnum moss pillow. Further, moss saturated with mineral fertilizers should be placed in each hole when planting potatoes. The use of such top dressing will not only have a positive effect on the yield of this crop, but will also protect plants from various kinds of fungal infections.

Use of growth promoters

Organic or mineral fertilizers should be placed in the holes with potatoes when planting. But in addition, the soil in the area with this crop can be improved with the use of growth stimulants. Summer residents also use such substances quite often when planting potatoes.

Very well suited for this culture, for example, compositions such as:

• Epin.
• Poteyten.
• Bioglobin.

Means "Epin", activating the immune system of potatoes, helps to accelerate the growth of tubers. Also, the use of this composition can significantly improve the quality of the crop. "Epin" removes from tubers, for example, such harmful substances as radionuclides, heavy metals, pesticides.

"Poteiten" differs in that, in addition to accelerating the growth of tubers, it increases the resistance of plants to weather changes. When using this tool, the degree of resistance of potatoes to late blight increases significantly.

"Bioglobin" is a new generation drug synthesized from the placenta of mammals. The proteins contained in it cause an acceleration in the rate of cell division. When using this tool, the yield is almost doubled.