Lorch potatoes: description, cultivation features, photo

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Lorch potato is one of the oldest potato varieties bred in Russia. It is very popular due to its excellent taste. This type of root crop has been tested by time; many generations of gardeners have grown it. From our article you will learn about the characteristics of this potato variety.

General information

Lorch potato is a versatile variety of potato. This variety is characterized by medium-late ripening. The yield is average. The taste qualities are excellent. Approximately 110-120 days pass from the moment the root crop is planted in the ground until it ripens. It contains quite a lot of starch, about 15-20%. For comparison, in potatoes of the Natasha variety, the content of this substance is 11-14%. From 9 to 11 tubers are formed in the bush, the mass of which reaches 90-120 gr.

History

Lorch seed potatoes, as we have already said, are one of the oldest varieties bred in our country. He appeared at the breeding station in 1922, at presentAt the time, this organization was called the All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Farming. The greatest contribution to the breeding of this variety was made by the domestic breeder A. G. Lorch, in whose honor the vegetable was given such a name. The variety was included in the State Register in 1931 and has been very popular ever since.

Where is it grown?

Lorch potato has good cold tolerance and does not tolerate too high temperatures, as well as lack of moisture. Therefore, it is widely used for cultivation in the northern regions of the country. Most often it can be found in gardens and greenhouses located in the North-Western, Central, Middle Volga, Ural and West Siberian parts of Russia. In addition, it is suitable for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka, North Caucasus and Central Black Earth regions.

The vegetable has a rich history. During the time that it exists, it has taken root in almost all regions of Russia. Moreover, it is also grown abroad, namely in the CIS countries and Europe.

Description

According to the reviews of gardeners, Lorch potatoes are large. Its tubers are oblong, heavy and large. The peel is light beige, may have a yellowish tint. It is very smooth and thin, easily removed from the root crop. There are not too many eyes, they are evenly distributed over the surface of the potato. The pulp is white, becomes crumbly during the cooking process, therefore most often mashed potatoes are made from this vegetable.

Presenting your attention to the description of the Lorch potato, one cannot help but talk aboutbushes. They are quite tall, reaching a height of 80 cm. They are sprawling and lush. Light green leaves of medium size are formed on the branches, there are practically no cuts on them. In addition, pretty flowers appear, the petals of which are painted in a delicate light red-violet color. No berries.

Consumer quality

Let's talk a little about the taste of Lorch potatoes. According to reviews, root vegetables are not too sweet and not too bitter, crumbly pulp is suitable for cooking various dishes. Potatoes do not darken when cooked, which is an indisputable advantage of this variety. In addition, the variety can be used not only for food purposes: starch is obtained from it.

Soil

People who grow this vegetable, in their reviews of Lorch potatoes, are advised to carefully prepare the soil in which it is planned to place the planting material. It is impossible to have beds with this variety of root crops in too hot and dry areas. It is best to set up an automatic watering system.

Potatoes are undemanding to the soil. However, it is necessary to plant it where phosphorus and potassium are contained in sufficient quantities, since with a shortage of these elements, the fruits lose their attractive appearance. In addition, sometimes gardeners are advised to cut the planting material to increase its quantity. You should not follow this recommendation, as the result will be a significant decrease in crop volumes.

Soil preparation

Old people recommend plantingpotatoes only after the leaves on the birch blossom. This period falls on the first half of May. The soil should warm up to 6-8 oC, otherwise the growing season will take a longer time. Best of all, the plant feels in open areas, not hidden in the shade. Lack of sunlight will cause poor flowering, the bush will become weak, and the yield will decrease.

To prepare the soil for planting, it is necessary to remove the remains of crops that grew there earlier in the fall. Then you need to loosen the soil. This will improve fertility and reduce evaporation. After a couple of weeks, dig deep into the ground, but do not break up earthen clods, as they trap snow cover, which helps increase soil moisture. At the same stage, organic fertilizers are applied at the rate of 4-6 kg of top dressing per 1 m22. Manure is best.

Dig up the soil again in spring. Nitrogen fertilizers are immediately applied, which help the potatoes form a bountiful harvest. Complex top dressing will not be superfluous.

Crop rotation

This term is used to refer to the collection of plants that grew in a particular area in the past. It is best to plant potatoes where cabbage, legumes, pumpkins or cucumbers were previously cultivated. But the lands where tomatoes, sorghum and sunflower were grown are not suitable for planting potatoes in them, as they contain a large number of pathogens of various diseases.

Listen to the advice of experts and for the yearbefore planting root crops, sow the area with oats. This simple method will help to disinfect the soil.

Planting material

How plentiful the Lorch potato crop will be (you can find a photo on the Internet) depends on the planting material used. It is taken at harvest time. It is best to take potatoes of the same size, the mass of which reaches 80 g. Root crops should be whole, you should not cut them, as this reduces the yield.

A month before planting, the tubers are thoroughly washed from dried earth, and then immersed in a weak solution of manganese for half an hour. The next thing to do is to put the root crops in one layer in shallow boxes. When the temperature rises to 10-12 oC, the sprouts quickly awaken. The room is ventilated, the tubers are regularly sprayed with water. As soon as the sprouts reach a length of 1 cm, they are planted in the ground.

Disembarkation

First you need to prepare the wells. Their depth should be at least 8 cm. Bushes are planted at a distance of 35-70 cm from each other. Gardeners are advised to familiarize themselves in advance with the rules for growing potatoes of the Lorch variety, a photo of which is presented in our article. Sprouted tubers are planted in the pits with sprouts down, as this contributes to the formation of more sprawling bushes.

Features of care

To get a bountiful harvest, you need to properly care for the plant. You need to regularly apply fertilizer and top dressing, water and mulch the soil.

• Fertilizers. During spring digging and in the first weeks after planting, nitrogen fertilizers can be used, then mineral supplements are applied. Organics are used in autumn.
• Water. If the plant experiences a lack of moisture, then the tubers are deformed. Therefore, you need to monitor soil moisture and water as needed. Be sure to carry out this procedure after the emergence of seedlings, before setting the buds, during the period of mass flowering and after it ends. Under each bush pour 3-4 liters of water. Do this once every 8-11 days, early in the morning or in the evening.
• Loosening is a necessary procedure that is carried out after watering or rain. The purpose of loosening is to restore gas exchange in the soil by destroying the crust formed on the soil surface. In addition, this procedure helps to get rid of weeds.
• Mulching. For it, dry grass is used, which is placed on the ground after watering and loosening. This helps retain moisture in the soil and also discourages weed growth.

Hilling is one of the most important techniques used in the care of Lorch potatoes. You will find a description of the process in our article. The purpose of hilling is to loosen the ground and promote unhindered access of oxygen and moisture to the tubers. In addition, hilling helps protect the plant from frost. The procedure is carried out in 2 stages. This is done for the first time when the height of the tops reaches 15 cm. It is best to hill up in the morning or evening. The second procedure is carried out after 2-3 weeks,piling moist soil to the lower parts of the bush and loosening the soil

Diseases

The immune system of this variety is very well developed. Gardeners in their reviews of Lorch potatoes note that vegetables are resistant to late blight. However, the plant can be affected by diseases such as potato cancer, common scab and nematode.

The greatest danger, according to reviews, for a vegetable is cancer. This disease affects not only root crops, but also the nearby soil, so you can get rid of this disease only in radical ways: for this, the affected bushes are burned. It is impossible to delay, as the disease spreads very quickly. In addition, you need to properly implement crop rotation. As a prevention of potato cancer, row crops can be used that protect the soil from this disease for 6 years. Chemical preparations, for example, a suspension of benomyl and a suspension of foundationazole, which are used to treat planting tubers, will not be superfluous.

The same advice can be given for scab control. As its preventive measures, green manure and trichodermin are widely used. Remember that the best protection against disease is a good crop rotation and the use of he althy planting material.

Pests

According to the reviews of gardeners, the Lorch potato variety is most susceptible to the appearance of pests such as medvedka and wireworm.

The most common pest is the wireworm, whose larvae are very difficult to detect. The beetle hides in the soil, where it gnaws out movesin roots and tubers. As a result, the plant quickly dies. To counter this pest, chemicals are widely used, for example, Thunder and Dohlox. In addition, when planting, superphosphate granules are placed in the wells. First you need to treat them with a special solution consisting of water, Actellik and acetone.

Preventive measures must be taken. To do this, the site is dug up twice a year (in spring and autumn), weeds are removed from it. Fragrant herbs are planted along the perimeter of the potato bed, the aroma of which repels the wireworm.

Another pest is the bear. Harm can be caused by both an insect and its larva. Medvedka gnaws through various parts of the plant, including stems, roots, tubers. This leads to the death of the bush. There are several ways to deal with pests. For example, you can digest the grain, treat it with the preparation "BI-58". Then the grains are placed in the wells with the root crop. Another way is to treat the rows between the bushes with chemical compounds such as Medvetoks, Grizzly or Thunder.

To prevent the appearance of a bear in the fall, they dig a deep hole, which is filled with horse manure and straw. As soon as the cold comes, they dig it up and scatter manure on the ground. The bear is dying. In addition, wormwood, mustard and flax can be grown on the same plot. All these crops repel pests. Planting material must be treated with drugs such as"Prestige", "Masterpiece" or "Aktara". According to reviews, such activities can reduce the risk of a bear in areas where potatoes grow.

Harvest and storage of crops

Lorch potatoes, the description and photo of which you found in our article, have good keeping quality. This means that it can be stored for a long time. Harvesting is done at the end of the summer of the summer season. 10 days before this, the tops are mowed, leaving stems 10 cm high above the soil. As soon as dry weather sets in, harvesting begins. To do this, use a pitchfork.

Potatoes are left in the air for several hours, giving the root crops the opportunity to dry. After that, the tubers are thoroughly cleaned from the ground. Then the sorting process begins, during which diseased and damaged potatoes are destroyed. At the same stage, planting material is selected, which will be used for the next year.

Lorch potatoes are stored (a description of the variety and reviews about it are presented in our article) in boxes or on shelves. The room temperature should be quite low, only 2-4 oC. Humidity cannot exceed 85%. The storage room must be regularly ventilated. In addition, potatoes are sometimes sorted out and rotten tubers are removed.

Pros and cons

Summing up all of the above, we can list the main advantages and disadvantages of the Lorch potato variety, which is described in our article. What are the benefits of this vegetable?

• Excellent taste.
• Relative frost resistance.
• Good keeping quality of tubers.
• Bountiful harvest.
• Resistant to many diseases and pests.

However, this variety also has disadvantages. First, it does not tolerate a lack of moisture. Secondly, it is prone to diseases such as cancer and common scab. Despite this, the variety is very popular and suitable for cultivation in many regions of Russia.