Potato "bast": variety description, photo, reviews, yield

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

Such a garden crop as potatoes is very popular in Russia. Almost every gardener today grows this root crop in his area. Breeders are constantly creating new varieties of vegetables.

In this article, we will take a closer look at what a "bast" potato is. Description of the variety, photos, reviews of gardeners will also be presented.

Distribution

Potato variety "bast shoes" refers to varieties of folk selection. Today, almost nothing is known about its origin. The first mention of this variety dates back to the 50s of the last century. It has become widespread among gardeners of the Far East and Siberia. It has not lost its popularity to this day, although new domestic and foreign root crops are its competitors. Often found "bast shoes" in those regions that are called the zone of risky farming. Traditionally, these potatoes are grown by gardeners. Transbaikalia.

Characteristic

What is the difference from other varieties of potato "bast shoes"? The description of this variety primarily highlights the large size of tubers and high yields. In summer, under favorable conditions, from hundreds of square meters you can get from 400 to 500 kg of tubers. The weight of a potato averages from 120 to 180 grams. On each bush there is necessarily a record-breaking tuber, which reaches a length of 20-25 cm and has a mass of 500-800 grams. Potatoes usually have an elongated, oval, flattened shape, resembling a large cutlet. Apparently, the variety got its name just because of the size and shape of the tubers.

The fruit has a pale pink, slightly rough skin. There are few eyes on the surface of the tuber, and they are all superficial. The variety has a low starch content - only 10.5-14%. This does not affect the taste in any way. The pulp of root vegetables has a pale yellow color. It is similar in color to butter. On average, 6-10 potatoes are harvested from one bush.

Yields

Why is the "bast" potato so popular? The description of the variety would be incomplete if you do not pay attention to its stable high yield. "Lapot" is a mid-early ripening variety. The duration of the growing season is 65-85 days. It is rather difficult to name the exact time of harvesting. It can start from the second decade of August and end only in the 20th of September. This largely depends on whatthe weather was summer. You can take your time with digging potatoes. This will not affect the durability in any way. Potato bushes usually have an average height (50-65 cm) and dense foliage. They bloom very profusely with snow-white inflorescences.

Origin

Many agronomists are of the opinion that potato "bast shoes" as a variety does not exist. In principle, this applies to almost all varieties of folk selection. They believe that these are just wild cultivated varieties that have been grown in a particular area for a long time, and their official name has simply been forgotten. Agronomists believe that "bast shoes" is one of the varieties bred back in the USSR by crossing "Cuban" and "American". Of course, in the process of long-term cultivation, the variety has changed somewhat.

Benefits

Why do many gardeners prefer to plant "bast shoes" potatoes? A photo and description of the variety will help to identify the advantages of this variety.

Here are the main ones:

1. "Lapot" is not grown on an industrial scale, but it is quite suitable for growing in a household. It is well tolerated by transportation over long distances. Tubers of this variety rarely deteriorate during storage and retain their characteristics for a long period even with minor mechanical damage.
2. The bast shoe variety has a universal purpose. According to the official classification, it belongs to the AB varieties. These potatoes are suitable for boiling, frying,cooking first courses and salads.
3. "Lapot" is resistant to cold. With the onset of frost, you can not even cover the seedlings. Cool summer will not affect the quality and quantity of tubers. The only thing that will change is the timing of the harvest.
4. "Lapot" has good immunity to many diseases typical of the culture. However, this variety does not have good fungal resistance.
5. The variety is distinguished by "plasticity" and unpretentiousness. It does not impose special requirements on the quality of the soil, watering. "Lapot" easily adapts to the climate, brings a consistently high yield, despite cool, rainy or too hot weather.

Disadvantages of the variety

Does the "bast" potato have any disadvantages? Reviews of experienced gardeners reveal the following variety disadvantages:

1. Low resistance to Alternariosis, late blight. Bast shoes also do not tolerate the effects of pests such as wireworms.
2. Lack of quality planting material. "Lapot" is not included in the State Register and has no official originator. In this regard, this variety is almost impossible to find in nurseries and catalogs. In garden plots, it is gradually being replaced by new official varieties. So it will be quite difficult to get tubers for planting.

Preparatory stage and landing

One of the advantages that the potato variety "bast shoes" has isit is unpretentiousness. However, if you want to get a stable harvest, you still have to allocate some time for planting and care. It is also worth remembering the need to prevent diseases that pose a particular danger to this crop.

The article contains photos of potatoes "bast shoes". The description of the variety and the reviews of gardeners confirm that this is a large and beautiful root crop. What should be done first if you decide to plant it in your summer cottage? The most important step is the choice of a place for the garden. This species loves sunlight and warmth, so it is better to give it an open place. As mentioned earlier, "bast shoes" are unpretentious to the type of soil. But it will not grow in a swamp either. Groundwater should not come closer to the soil than 65-70 cm. Like any other potato, "bast shoes" do not tolerate acidic soil. Determine the acidity index in advance and, if necessary, add a “deoxidizer” to the soil. This composition can be prepared independently, using sifted wood ash, dolomite flour and crushed eggshells. Prepare a bed for planting potatoes in advance, since autumn.

Harvesting tubers

So what do you need to know about this? The tubers themselves should be germinated before planting. This will have a positive effect on the abundance of the crop and shorten its ripening time. Usually the procedure takes about 1.5 months, so you need to start somewhere in April. Tubers selected since autumn should be checked for signs of disease. Potatoes are placed for 35-40 days ina well-ventilated room with an air temperature of 13-16 degrees. It is better to scatter it in 1-2 layers on fabric or paper. After 20-25 days, the first shoots will appear on the surface of the tubers.

Experts recommend treating the tubers with a solution of "Baktofit", "Maxim", "Prestige" or "Integral" a few days before planting. These funds will help minimize stress when planting plants and improve their immunity. You can also dip the potatoes in the prepared composition for 15-20 minutes, only the concentration of the solution should be reduced by half.

When is the best time to plant?

Many novice gardeners are wondering when is the best time to plant "bast shoes" potatoes. Reviews confirm that there are no unequivocal recommendations on this issue. Here you should focus mainly on the temperature of the soil. It should warm up to 7-10 degrees at a depth of 8-10 cm. As a rule, this happens in late April - early May. You can focus on folk items. It is recommended to plant potatoes with the beginning of flowering of bird cherry, dandelions and blossoming birch leaves.

A bed for planting potatoes has been prepared since autumn. In the spring, it will be enough just to loosen it, select weed roots and other plant debris. Holes should be dug using the planting pattern. 2-3 handfuls of humus or compost, a spoonful of wood ash, a little dry chicken manure, onion peel or eggshells are placed in each recess. All these fertilizers at the bottom of the hole should be mixed withsoil and a little sprinkle with earth. You can not make fresh manure: the pulp of the potato will then become watery and will have an unpleasant taste. In addition, manure creates a favorable environment for the development of bacteria.

How does potato variety "bast" grow? Photos of adult plants allow us to say that the bushes are not tall, but not too compact either. Therefore, when planting, it is recommended to leave a distance of 35-40 cm between tubers, and 70 cm between rows. In rainy summer, the distance between rows can be increased to 90 cm. You should not deepen the tubers by more than 7-8 cm. In light sandy soils, planting depth decreases by another 1-2 cm. If the soil is heavy and clayey, then the distance should be increased by a couple of centimeters.

Features of cultivation

What should you know in order to grow "bast shoes" potatoes in your area? The description of the variety, reviews of gardeners and recommendations of experts confirm that this species does not tolerate prolonged drought. All varieties of potatoes need to be watered at certain times, for example, when buds appear or tubers are gaining mass. At least "bast shoes" will need to be watered three times - at the end of June, mid-July and early August. If possible, during hot periods, seedlings should be moistened every 3-4 days. In cool rainy weather, it will be enough to water once every 10-12 days. Approximately 2.5-3 liters of water should be allocated per bush. The best method of watering is sprinkling, especially for large plantings of potatoes. Since it can already get cold at night in August, it is better to water in the morning. Thenthe leaves will dry out in a day. High humidity and low temperatures can promote the development of pathogenic phytophthora, and the "bast shoe" is very susceptible to it.

Feeding

Row mulching is used to retain moisture in the soil and save time when weeding rows. It is best to use freshly cut grass or peat chips for this purpose. Sawdust can lead to severe soil oxidation. In addition, mice often settle in them.

How to fertilize potatoes "bast shoes"? The characteristic of this variety confirms that it is quite unpretentious to environmental conditions. But still, for the harmonious development of plants and high yields, special top dressing is required. When the first shoots appear, the crops should be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizers. For 10 liters of water, you should take 15-20 grams of ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate or urea. Water the plants at the roots with this solution. For each bush should be allocated half a liter of top dressing. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers contribute to the growth of green mass.

During the ripening period, tubers need potassium and phosphorus. During this period of time, plants need top dressing in the form of superphosphate or phosphate. For 10 liters of water, you should take 35-40 grams of the substance in the first case and 20-25 grams in the second. You can also add a couple of grams of potassium permanganate, zinc sulfate and copper sulfate to the fertilizer. Magnesium has a great influence on the process of tuberization. When adding dolomite flour to the soil before planting, additionalpreparations containing this component are no longer required. Otherwise, you will need to make 2-3 top dressings with potassium magnesia solution.

Diseases and pests

What else can you learn from the description of the variety and reviews of the potato "bast shoes" (a photo of the root crop is presented in the article)? What diseases are affected by the culture? Reviews of experts confirm that this variety is resistant to most diseases typical of a vegetable. If there are other varieties on the site, pests are likely to bypass this plant.

But the "bast shoe" has its weak points. One of them is susceptibility to late blight. With this disease, irregularly shaped brown spots form on the leaf surface. To prevent late blight, water the bed 3-5 days before planting potatoes with a solution of "Ridomil Gold" or "Thanos". The roots themselves should also be treated with "Prestige", "Zircon" or "Agat-25". When shoots appear, 4-5 more treatments are allowed.

Reviews

What do gardeners say about potatoes "bast shoes"? Description of the variety, photos, reviews confirm that the tubers are simply gigantic. Even under adverse weather conditions, the harvest of this variety will not disappoint. Compared to other varieties, "bast shoes" are highly resistant to diseases, frosts and pests. Although its germination is longer than that of ordinary varieties, by 7-10 days.