Potatoes - the most common garden crop. For gardeners it is important to get a good harvest. But there are many problems on their way.
The best varieties of potatoes are taken for planting, all the necessary agrotechnical manipulations, fertilization of the soil with organic fertilizers are carried out in a timely manner, and the harvest is still not what we would like. And he has to look for new and new methods of cultivation, to experiment. One such experimental method is planting potatoes in boxes.
What is the principle?
It is necessary to spud potatoes well, which will increase the underground area of the trunk.. And then it is clear what the efficiency of growing in boxes. Potato stalks grow tall. Design boxes, set one on another, sprinkle the soil, thereby stimulating the emergence of new stolons. Then repeat the process again.
The productivity of this method is very high. Under all conditions of one potato you can get a bucket of potatoes.
Pros and cons of the method
Pluses planting potatoes in boxes:
- High yield.
- Saving land space for potatoes.
- Minimization of labor costs: there is no need to weed and spud.
- Convenient and easy harvesting. It is enough to disassemble the box and collect the clean selected potatoes in a bucket.
- There is no Colorado potato beetle. Because potato sprouts are almost all the time underground.
Cons planting potatoes in boxes:
- There is a need for boxes that you need to either buy or make.
- Garden soil will not work. We'll have to shape it yourself.
- Boxes are a hotbed for slugs.
- It is necessary to control the soil moisture quality.
The necessary conditions
Planting material
For growing potatoes in this way, the following varieties of potatoes are recommended:
- Belarossa.
- Shante.
- Reliable.
- Youth
- Slav.
- Nevsky.
- Sineglazka.
- Lugovskoy.
- Lukyanovsky.
- American.
The optimal size of tubers for planting is medium, about 50-80 g.
Small planting material will give a small crop. Large planting material contributes to the development of the aerial part, which will eventually take over all the food, and the crop will be average.
Tubers better sprout before planting. It is necessary to let them live in the light until green and sprouting of small seedlings.
Inventory
The principle of installation of the boxes: you need to drive the stakes into the ground and fix the walls of the boards to them with wire, or just put boxes on top of each other without the bottom of the same size.
Potato box built from pine bars and planks. If there are pallets, you can use the material from them. Stakes need to drive on a flat, slightly elevated surface in the lighted area of the site.
In the boards at the points of attachment to the bars, you need to drill the holes for the screws so that they do not split. The method can be used for more than one year.
Soil and fertilizers
Ordinary garden land is not suitable for growing potatoes in boxes. In the boxes, the soil is in a confined space; there is no possibility for soil aeration.
The basis for the soil is peat. It has a porous structure. Perfectly absorbs moisture and is able to retain it in the dry season. Peat warms up well in the sun. Also, peat plants are less susceptible to diseases, which is important when tying tubers.
To enrich the mixture, sand is added to peat to better warm the layer; it is about 1/4 of the total volume of the soil. Then add chalk or lime flour: if the peat is wet, then for every 10 kg 70 grams will be enough, if dry - the dose is increased to 75-80 g. What should I do if it is not possible to produce peat? You can form a mixture of compost and land from the site, enriching it with ashes.
Ash is recommended to roll and potatoes in any method of planting in order to protect against diseases and pests. Add manure to the ground is not recommended. It may contain the larvae of various insects.
Secondary soil from under the potato can not be used, since it may contain pathogens of potato diseases. This soil is poured on the beds, and for planting prepare a new soil.
To place the boxes better place in the sun or in partial shade. Shaded areas will not work. There, potato blight is best affected.
How to grow crops in boxes without bottom: step by step instructions
The box must be installed on the bricks so that the bottom does not touch the ground for good aeration (ventilation). It is important to lay the bottom of the structure with a layer of paper and cover it with a layer of light soil (ideally - expanded clay screenings with humus in a 1: 1 ratio).- Now you can put germinated, protruded tubers on top and cover them with soil. If the landing is done in the early stages, then the top of the box should be covered with polyethylene.
- As soon as potato sprouts begin to appear above the box, you can add a second floor to the structure and re-fill the plants with soil. Such manipulations should be carried out until the buds appear on the potato, that is, until the beginning of July. To prevent budding from starting too early, it is necessary to water the potatoes with dung compost and protect the structure from excessive heating.
- Further care for standard potatoes - watering, feeding, preventive measures in the fight against blight and pests.
- At the end of September, the potatoes will ripen and can be harvested. Additionally, a week before harvesting, you can cut the tops to give the potatoes a boost. The rind will become more dense.
The box must be installed on the bricks so that the bottom does not touch the ground for good aeration (ventilation). It is important to lay the bottom of the structure with a layer of paper and cover it with a layer of light soil (ideally - expanded clay screenings with humus in a 1: 1 ratio).Care
The main methods of caring for potatoes:
- watering;
- fertilizer;
- hilling;
- pest protection.
The method of planting potatoes in the boxes saves gardeners from hilling. But other elements of care for potatoes are not canceled.
Watering in the boxes is difficult for the enclosed space, therefore it is necessary to bring four metal pipes with radial holes to the first layer of soil, which is about 40-50 cm thick.
These holes make at different heights for the supply of water in the lower layers of the soil. In addition to watering, they can be used when feeding plants.
Fertilizers and preventive measures against late blight, Colorado potato beetle and other pests should also be carried out as in the case of the classical potato growing scheme. To understand whether this technology works, you need to test it yourself. Already this spring you can try out the method in practice.. For this all you need to find some boards. And in the fall from one potato to get a rich harvest.
