Is it possible to feed potatoes with urea? Fertilize potatoes correctly

Victor Ivanovich. Tell me what is the best way to feed the potatoes after planting? ?
The most common and popular vegetable today is potatoes. Even in small plots, gardeners select a planting site for this vegetable. But in order to get a rich harvest, like other plants, potatoes need to be fed. Perfect for this task folk remedies, fertilization of which will ensure productivity and environmentally friendly products.

Features of growing potatoes

This vegetable is particularly unpretentious, but requires utmost attention. The main thing is to perform care on time. Planting is done with heated, sprouted tubers. It is desirable that the earth is warmed up. This will ensure quick germination. You also need to adhere to the distance between the bushes; it is recommended to plant at intervals of 60x60 cm. Planting depth is 5-8 cm.

The soil needs to be loosened as it compacts; potatoes like to grow in soft soil. When the bushes grow up to 30 cm, they need to be hilled up so that the stems do not fall or break. Spraying potatoes will help protect seedlings from the Corolad beetle and diseases. For this purpose, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides are used. It would seem that such care is enough to obtain a generous harvest, but without fertilizer it is almost impossible to achieve good returns.

Humus is a useful organic fertilizer for potatoes

Folk remedies for feeding potatoes

The most effective home fertilizers include:

• humus;
• slurry;
• wood ash;
• bird droppings;
• nettle.

Humus is considered an effective useful organic fertilizer. It is applied to the ground before plowing the land in the fall. During the winter, humus releases useful substances into the soil. Planting crops in spring in fertilized soil contributes to the formation of a good harvest.

But not every gardener has the opportunity to add humus. A frequent use other types of fertilizers contribute to the accumulation of nitrates and other harmful substances. Therefore, many gardeners prefer to fertilize potatoes after planting with folk remedies.

After germination, it is recommended to fertilize the potatoes with diluted slurry. The solution is prepared by diluting the slurry with water in a ratio of 1:5. It is enough to pour about one and a half liters of the prepared liquid under the bush. To make the fertilizer more nutritious, you can let it stand for half a day.

Attention! Any fertilizing of potatoes must be done after watering or immediately after rain!

If it is not possible to get slurry, then chicken or bird droppings are good for fertilizer. You only need a little bit of water per bucket of water, one or two tablespoons of already dried droppings. Dilute it well in water and add 0.5-1 liter of the prepared liquid under the bush. This fertilizer is good to apply during the flowering period of potatoes.

After germination, potatoes can be fed with a solution of slurry

Another effective folk method Fertilizer is the use of herbal infusion. To do this, finely chop 10 kg of nettle and fill it with water. The mixture is allowed to brew for 5-6 days, after which it can be used. Add 1 liter to each bush.

An infusion of wood ash is widely used for root fertilizer. This mixture can be applied throughout the entire growing season of potato growth. The mixture is prepared using 1 cup of ash per 10 liters of water. Pour liquid under the bushes. This fertilizer is especially effective during the period of potato budding.

Despite the fact that fertilizers are natural and organic, it is not recommended to exceed their dose, since in hot weather the plant can simply burn.

Attention! Fertilizing potatoes after planting should be done in the morning or evening, or in cloudy weather.

Potato feeding is carried out in three stages:

1. During the growth of tops.
2. During the formation of buds.
3. When flowering.

The last feeding of potatoes is done during flowering.

When using root fertilizers, you should also avoid getting them on the leaves. Another negative factor when growing potatoes is excess moisture. Therefore, if the summer is rainy, then it is better to apply fertilizers after the rain, so that after a while you do not have to water the garden specifically before applying nutrient mixtures. When using natural home fertilizers, the harvest will be generous and environmentally friendly.

By observing this distribution of fertilizers and alternating their types, the result of your efforts will be justified. After all, potatoes will receive nutrients during the most important growth phases.

Feeding potatoes - video

Potatoes are one of the most important crops, occupying the main share in agriculture in our country. It is not always possible to create favorable growing conditions for potatoes. Different regions have their own climatic characteristics. Also, the composition and structure of the soil do not always meet the requirements of this vegetable. Potato fertilizers applied in accordance with the deadlines and required dosages will help correct any errors.

Article outline

Nutrients – what do potatoes like?

Basic elements

All crops require a complex of the basic elements nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK). And potatoes especially need it; this root crop is demanding in terms of nutrition and quickly depletes the soil solution. During the growing season, the plant consumes approximately 50 g of nitrogen, about 20 g of phosphorus and 100 g of potassium.

And if we take into account that some of the elements can go into a form inaccessible to plants or simply evaporate from the soil surface, then we can conclude that feeding potatoes in open ground- the event is mandatory.

The main elements are introduced complex and single-component mineral fertilizers, as well as organic matter: composts, manure and bird droppings, the green manure method, infusions of “green fertilizers” from various herbs.

Micronutrient nutrition

Microelements are necessary for all root vegetables. They enhance biochemical processes at the intercellular level, help better assimilate basic elements, increase the resistance of root crops to various types diseases: scab, late blight, nematode. But most importantly, microelements are responsible for the starchiness of potatoes and their shelf life. Potatoes that are not fed with microfertilizers will quickly deteriorate and will not survive the long winter.

First of all, potatoes need manganese, then zinc, boron and copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, sulfur and further in small quantities cobalt and molybdenum. Depending on the type of soil, the content of microelements varies. The lighter the soil, the lower its content of nutrients. It should be noted that the use of organic matter to replenish microelements on sandy and sandy loam soils is more than justified. Experts have long proven that soil humus contains up to 25% of the zinc, copper, molybdenum and cobalt needed by plants. There is less boron and manganese - about 5%.

It is possible to fill light soils with humus only with the help of organic fertilizers, and the use of organic matter will not be enough, and it is necessary to use chemical additives. Industrial microfertilizers are applied to potatoes using the root method; foliar feeding of potatoes is also an effective measure.

How to prepare the site?

Potatoes quickly deplete the soil. If the root crop is planted in one place every season, significant doses of mineral additives and organic fertilizers will be required. The most better harvests usually removed in the first two years of development of virgin sites, when the soil solution is still saturated with all nutrients.

Planting in one area obliges to carry out and preventive measures against the spread of diseases and pests. If possible, it is better to change the area for potatoes. If this is not possible, you cannot neglect the application of fertilizers in the fall. In spring, the first fertilizing of potatoes is done when planting.

Autumn site preparation

In order for the care and cultivation of potatoes to be effective, in the fall it is necessary to use both organic matter and chemical additives. Organics should be abandoned only if the soil was seriously infested with pests in the previous season, or the potatoes suffered from some kind of disease. Organic matter is a favorable breeding ground for pathogenic flora.

Mineral-organic dressing for potatoes in the fall:

• 50 l – 100 l of humus/30 g/15 g/1 m².

The amount of humus depends on the type of soil. For heavy soils, the minimum value is taken, for light soils – the maximum. Humus can be replaced in the fall with the same amount of fresh manure. During the winter, fresh organic matter will rot without harming the plants in the spring. Potassium and phosphorus are elements with a prolonged decomposition period, so it is most useful to use these elements in the fall.

Mineral fertilizers for potatoes in autumn:

• 30 g double superphosphate/60 g potassium sulfate/1 m².

The double dose of potassium supplements compared to phosphorus supplements is explained by high requirements potatoes to potassium. The addition of potassium sulfate can be replaced with potassium sulfate. In any case, the ratio of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be 1:2.

Potash agrochemicals are often substituted. Ash contains essential potassium and prevents the spread of harmful microorganisms. A glass of ash will replace 10 g of any potassium-containing fertilizer.

Fans of the green manure method can be advised to sow a potato plot with white mustard. This cold-resistant green manure will have time to rise before the first frost and, in a green state, go under the snow. In the spring all that remains is to dig up the area.

Liming

Another mandatory procedure that must be carried out in the fall is liming the soil solution. Planting and caring for potatoes will become ineffective if you sow potatoes in soil with increased acidity. Liming is carried out at any time after harvesting, but no later than fifteen days before fall plowing with the laying of fertilizers.

For liming:

• 250 g dolomite flour/1 m².

If in autumn digging It is planned to use ash; there is no need to lime the soil. Ash successfully replaces dolomites and deoxidizes the soil:

• 200 g ash/1 m².

Spring application of fertilizers to planting

In the spring, fertilizers for potatoes during planting are applied using the nesting method, that is, in each hole in which the tuber will be planted. This method has proven itself in practice as the most cost-effective method compared to digging up the entire site. Typically, a mineral-organic mixture is used in the wells.

Fertilizers for potatoes when planting in a hole:

• 30 kg of humus/2 kg of ash/1 kg of simple superphosphate/500 g/1 weave.

Ammonium nitrate can be replaced with the same amount of ammonium sulfate. In spring feeding, it is important to give root crops sufficient quantity nitrogen for active growth of tops and rooting of tubers. In further fertilizing, nitrogen is used in smaller doses and then completely eliminated so that the above-ground part does not develop to the detriment of the tubers. Nitrogen is supplied together with organic matter, complete complex fertilizers, as well as single-component formulations.

The best fertilizers for potatoes in a hole:

• 3 liters of compost mixture/30 g (two spoons)/20 g ammonium nitrate/20 g potassium sulfate/1 m²;
• 10 l of humus/50 g of nitrophoska/200 ml of ash/1 m².

If green manure was planted on the site in the fall, when planting it is enough to add to the hole:

• 20 g ammonium nitrate/20 g potassium sulfate/1 m².

To prevent diseases and pests on chernozems and heavy loams, only mineral compounds can be applied without adding organic matter:

• 5 kg of nitrophoska/1 weave;
• 3 kg of nitroammophoska/1 weave.

For one well of nitrophoska you will need approximately one tablespoon.

In cases of lack of time or if there is a large cultivated area, you can reduce labor costs and use ready-made agrochemicals.

Please note that any resulting mixture must be mixed with soil before placing it in the holes, avoiding direct contact of tubers and fertilizers, so as not to damage planting material.

Fertilizing potatoes in double rows

Growing season - root feeding scheme

1. fertilizing potatoes after planting, at the emergence stage;
2. applying fertilizers in the phase of inflorescence formation (budding);
3. feeding during the flowering period.

Experienced gardeners, in order to facilitate the process of caring for root crops, tie fertilizing to hilling. For late-ripening varieties, about 3-4 hillings will be required during the growing season; for early-ripening varieties, the procedure is carried out 2 times. The fertilizers are introduced before hilling.

Methods of application at the root

A feature of root feeding of potatoes is the incorporation of fertilizers into the deep layers of the soil, where the roots can get the necessary nutrition. Surface application of fertilizers to potatoes is not suitable. To properly fertilize, large agro-industrial farms use special equipment– feeder cultivators or hiller cultivators.

In small plots, farmers use the “stake” method. To do this, a stake is driven between the rows to a depth of 20 cm - 30 cm according to the triangle principle. That is, one recess will work for three bushes. This is done to serve required quantity nutrition without burning root system. Fertilizer solutions are poured into the resulting depression and sprinkled with earth, or hilling is carried out immediately so that unstable nutrients cannot evaporate.

First deposit

A sign that it is time to fertilize is usually a pale green tint of the seedlings. This indicates a lack of nitrogen at the stage of active development of the tops.

How to feed potatoes for the first time:

• 500 ml / 15 g urea / 10 l / 500 ml per bush.

Cattle manure can be replaced with poultry litter. You will need only 15 g - 25 g (1 - 1.5 tablespoons) / 10 l. Urea is interchangeable with ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate.

Second contribution

Nitrogen should be excluded during the second feeding. At this time, the plant devotes all its energy to the formation and growth of tubers, and the amount of harvest in the end will depend on this. The emphasis is mainly on supplying potassium, which potatoes need in large doses, and phosphorus:

• 15 g of potassium sulfate/125 ml (half a glass) of ash/15 g of double superphosphate/10 l/500 ml per bush.

Third contribution

The last feeding of potatoes is carried out no later than twenty days before harvesting the root crops. Mineral-organic mixtures used:

• 30 g simple superphosphate/250 ml slurry/10 l/500 ml per bush.

The importance of foliar feeding

A feature of potatoes is their poor susceptibility to fertilizers with high demands on nutrients. To carry out root nutrition, gardeners have to supply a large amount of fertilizer, which is sometimes simply unprofitable, given the monetary costs of organic and industrial fertilizers. Feed feeding by leaf is often a more effective and cost-effective way to manage potatoes. But foliar feeding of potatoes also has its own characteristics.

Adjuvants

The specific structure of the potato leaf is such that if it is not sprayed correctly, the nutrients will be poorly absorbed. The epidermis of potato leaves is multilayered, covered on top with a protective natural film of wax and cutin. This barrier reduces the effectiveness of foliar feeding by three times.

To overcome this protective layer, foliar fertilizers are used. special means The abbreviation surfactants stands for surfactants. The second name is adjuvants. These substances increase the area of ​​liquid spreading over the surface of the sheet. At the same time, adjuvants retain nutrients and damage the dense protective layer. Through microdamage, nutrition enters the plant.

Often, ready-made formulations for processing potatoes already contain surfactants. Before purchasing fertilizer, carefully read the composition. If adjuvants are not available, you will have to buy them separately and add them for spraying.

Scheme of foliar feeding

Foliar feeding helps the plant to develop normally, in addition, it prevents many fungal diseases. For example, nitrogen sprays will protect potatoes from nematodes. Treatments with nettle infusion are effective against aphids. Late blight will be prevented by treatment with copper sulfate.

To prevent voids from forming in the tubers, it is necessary. Manganese will improve the taste and increase the sugar content of the product, and spraying with copper sulfate a month before harvest will increase the shelf life of tubers, and weight loss during storage will be reduced to a minimum.

Boron-manganese treatment is carried out in the phase of tuber formation, after flowering. During the growth period of the tops, the best fertilizer will be urea spraying. The last treatment on the leaf will be phosphorus. It is carried out twenty days before digging up root crops. Humates are used throughout the growing season, and potassium is applied per leaf during the period of tuber growth, after flowering.

Why do you need boron for potatoes?

Foliar fertilizers for potatoes - compositions and dosages

With the emergence of seedlings, you can fertilize the potatoes with urea. This one-component fertilizer contains nitrogen and will help replenish the deficiency of the element:

• 200 g urea/300 g potassium monophosphate/10 g boric acid/10 l.

You can use urea spraying several times, until the potato flowering phase begins. For the second and subsequent times, the given amount of additives is diluted in 5 liters of water. You can also add ready-made microfertilizer formulations. The content of copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, sulfur should not exceed 1 g per 10 liters of solution. Urea is not used simultaneously with herbicides.

Please note that during the period before flowering, potatoes absorb up to 60% of all nutrients, so it is during this period that most fertilizing should be done. However, it should be borne in mind that the interval between them should always be at least two weeks.

Root crops are fed with humates throughout the growing season, starting the procedure with the appearance of the fourth leaf. Has proven itself well for potatoes:

• working solution - 2 g of the drug / 10 l - for 1 hundred square meters you will need 3 l.

During flowering, potatoes are necessary, which is sold in specialized stores. A mixture that, in addition to the main nutritional components, contains an additive will also be effective. copper sulfate. Treatment with this composition will protect the shoots from pests and provide complete nutrition to the root crops:

• 2 g ammonium nitrate/2 g potassium chloride/20 g simple superphosphate/0.1 copper sulfate/10 l.

Dilute the components into warm water and let it brew for 3 – 4 hours.

When the potatoes fade, the tuber formation stage begins. Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to give the plant boron and manganese. To make the task easier and not have to calculate single-component additives, experienced gardeners It is recommended to purchase Mag-Boron fertilizer for potatoes. The drug is inexpensive and will last a long time. To prepare the working solution you will only need:

• 15 g (tablespoon) fertilizer/10 l.

Phosphorus feeding is carried out at the end of the growing season. It will improve the taste and shelf life of root vegetables:

• 100 g simple superphosphate/10 l.

Everything you need to know about fertilizing potatoes

How to spray potatoes correctly?

Due to the peculiar structure of the potato leaf with a dense protective film, several rules must be followed, otherwise processing potatoes by leaf will simply be ineffective.

1. Spraying should not be carried out on the eve of rain. It takes at least 3 hours for potato leaves to absorb nutrients. In case of precipitation useful elements will be washed away before the plant can assimilate them.
2. In case of frost, it is better to postpone foliar feeding of potatoes for several days.
3. In hot weather, sheet processing is not carried out due to the possibility of burns. It is better to spray early in the morning or in the evening at sunset.
4. Choose your spray bottle carefully. Spraying potatoes should be fine droplets so that the food is absorbed faster and better.

Now you know how to carry out root and foliar feeding, what fertilizer is best for potatoes, and when to apply it. Take proper care of your plants and have a good harvest!

Potatoes are one of the most frequent guests on our dinner table. This is the main ingredient of first courses; it is included in salads, casseroles, zrazy or potato pancakes. For the holidays, what table would be without potato chips? Actively used in folk medicine, and potato yeast is used for baking and beauty. It is precisely for these reasons that potatoes are the most numerous plant in our garden. To obtain a high-quality potato harvest in the fall, you need to take care of it in both spring and summer. Effective care it includes not only the destruction of pests, but also nutrition. There are several types of potato feeding: foliar and root. In the first case, the fertilizer ends up on the potato bush itself. In the second case, this is caring for root crops.

Read more about the types of fertilizing, the time of fertilizing potatoes and fertilizers later in the article.

It is believed that this plant does not “receive” feeding very well, so they say that feeding better in spring. By the time flowering begins, this crop absorbs only half of the feed provided to it, so potatoes should be “fed” after germination, at the beginning of budding.

As already mentioned, there are two types of potato feeding: foliar and root.

Foliar feeding can be nitrogen, manganese, phosphorus and microelements.

Nitrogen. Use urea (carbamide) for this vegetable planted in sandy or other light soil. Urea should be less concentrated than for root feeding. Make sure that the substance is well dissolved in water. Otherwise, the plants will get burned.

Diagram of fertilizer penetration into the leaf

There is another “recipe” for feeding: 2 g ammonium nitrate and 2 g of potassium chloride, 20 g of superphosphate, 0.1 g of copper sulfate. Mix all ingredients, add warm water, let steep for 3 hours. Next, strain and place in a sprayer. This type of feeding is useful at the beginning of flowering; it triggers physiological and biochemical processes (for example, photosynthesis) and increases resistance to fungal diseases.

Manganese and boron. The first serves to enhance the taste, the second - to prevent the appearance of voids in the tuber. You can use Mag-Bor fertilizer - 1 tbsp. spoon on a bucket of water.

Phosphorus. Good for growing late varieties potatoes. Use 400 g of superphosphate per hundred square meters. Thanks to this feeding, the yield and starchiness of the tubers increases.

When foliar feeding, it is important to know about the factors affecting the absorption of applied substances by potatoes:

• temperature indicators of air and soil;
• degree of soil acidity;
• soil and air humidity levels;
• plant health and planting frequency.

Root method of feeding potatoes. It is carried out using cultivators-plant feeders, cultivators-hillers, herbicide-ammonia machines KRN-5.6, KRN-4.2, KRSh-8.1. Such fertilizing is effective on sandy loam soil or waterlogged soils.

Root feeding of potatoes can be surface or subsurface. To work with this vegetable, subsoil cultivation is just right: it is carried out by incorporating fertilizers into the root-accessible layer of soil.

There is also another way to carry out root feeding. Its name is “under the stake.”

A stake is driven into the soil between the plants, with which a 20 cm deepening is made. Fertilizing is poured into this deepening. It is best to make one hole per 3 bushes in a triangle. And then the potatoes will take the beneficial substances they require from the fertilizer, and the roots will remain intact and will not get burned.

When should you feed potatoes?

Typically, potato growers fertilize potatoes in three stages.

1. during the germination phase. The main symptom is a pale green leaf and poor development;
2. during the budding period;
3. at the moment of flowering potatoes.

Whether feeding is necessary can be checked by the weather. In dry weather, water with fertilizing during the period of budding (flowering) - the moment of harvest accumulation.

Fertilizers and application rates

Fertilizers are necessary for foliar and root feeding. For each period of feeding the vegetable, specific fertilizers should be used.

• 1st period: dilute 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water. a spoonful of urea, 0.5 liters of mushy mullein or 1 tbsp. a spoonful of bird (you can also use chicken) droppings. One bush should require half a liter of solution.
• 2nd period: dilute 1 tbsp per 10 liters. a spoonful of potassium sulfate and 2-3 tbsp. spoons of wood ash and 1 cup of wood ash. This speeds up the flowering of potatoes.
• 3rd period: dilute 2 tbsp per 10 liters of water. spoons of superphosphate, 1 cup of mushy mullein (or chicken droppings). Also half a liter per bush.

Potatoes develop best when nutrients are supplied to the tubers in small portions, but constantly. The plant receives up to 40% of useful compounds from the tops, which absorb nitrogen, sulfur, and other macro- and microelements contained in the air.

Agronomists different countries They are experimenting with foliar feeding of potatoes - spraying the tops with fertilizer solutions. For example, Finnish farmers achieve record yields by foliar feeding every 10–14 days throughout the growing season.

Rules for foliar feeding of potatoes

The intensity of absorption of nutrients by the root system of potatoes largely depends on weather conditions and chemical composition soil. Therefore, even on well-fertilized soils, plants may lack any element:

• at low air temperatures and insufficient lighting due to cloudy weather, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, manganese, and zinc are less absorbed;
• during drought, plants do not receive enough potassium, calcium, copper, and boron from the soil;
• potatoes growing in acidic soils do not absorb phosphorus and molybdenum well, and in alkaline soils - boron;
• on acidic sandy and peaty soils, potatoes often lack copper and molybdenum.

Foliar feeding is a way to quickly make up for the lack of nutrients. In addition, it requires less fertilizer than root feeding. Potatoes need spraying with fertilizers the most early varieties, since due to the short growing season the plants do not have time to absorb all the nutrients from the soil.

But when carrying out foliar feeding you must follow the rules:

• You cannot spray the tops with overly concentrated solutions: they burn the leaves, and an excess of fertilizers is just as harmful as a lack. If there is any doubt about what the plants are missing, it is better to treat the tops with a less concentrated liquid than indicated in the recipe, and then, if necessary, feed the potatoes again;
• the interval between feedings is 10–14 days;
• The best time for foliar feeding is late evening. If liquid gets on the tops in bright sunlight, the drops will act as lenses, causing the leaves to get burned. In addition, in direct sunlight, the solution will dry out and not be absorbed into the tops;
• During the day, you can spray the tops only in cloudy weather, and only if it does not rain in the next 2–3 hours. It takes at least 2 hours for the solution to be absorbed;
• You can’t carry out foliar feeding if weather forecasters predict frosts;
• plants absorb nutrients faster if an adjuvant or ordinary laundry soap is added to the solution (40–50 g per 10 l). These substances reduce the force of surface tension, due to which fertilizers are better absorbed: drops of the solution, falling on the tops, do not bounce off, but spread, covering the leaves with a thin film;
• drops should fall on reverse side leaves where stomata are located;
• The smaller the drops of solution, the better. Ideally, the sprayed liquid should look like fog;
• for feeding use soft clean water, preferably rainwater or from a spring, well, artesian well. If the water is chlorinated, it is settled.

If the potato leaves turn yellow prematurely (for example, due to a lack of iron or sulfur), then after foliar feeding they will not regain their previous appearance. But the young leaves will grow strong and healthy.

Foliar feeding of potatoes in organic farming

Gardeners who practice exclusively organic farming methods usually carry out 2 feedings:

• Before flowering, fertilize with herbal infusion. The bucket is filled 2/3 with grass, preferably with nettles. Half a liter of manure or a liter of compost is added there, then filled to the top with water and left to ferment for 4-7 days. A liter of strained infusion is mixed with 9 liters of water. Fertilizing is carried out 2 weeks after emergence;
• during budding or flowering - fertilizing with ash infusion: 2 liters of ash are poured into a bucket of boiling water and left for 1-2 days. Before use, 2 liters of infusion are mixed with 8 liters of water.

If the potatoes are frozen or damaged by hail, another foliar feeding with herbal infusion is carried out before flowering. It is good to add a decoction of horsetail to the infusion for treating damaged tops: it is rich in silicon and protects plants from powdery mildew.

Another feeding option: 2 weeks after emergence, the potatoes are sprayed with an “Epina-Extra” solution (1 ampoule per 5 liters of water), and after another 2 weeks - with a herbal infusion.

An infusion of ash is not only rich in potassium and calcium, but also repels the Colorado potato beetle. If there are a lot of pests, 2 weeks after the first, a second feeding with ash infusion is carried out.

Foliar feeding with mineral fertilizers

Before flowering, potatoes intensively grow tops, so they need nitrogen. “Favorite” foliar feeding of potatoes is urea: 50 g of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water. The first feeding is 2 weeks after germination, the next one is another 2 weeks later. It is allowed to add 75 g of potassium monophosphate and 5 g of boric acid to the solution.

Potatoes require nitrogen for proper flowering.

Urea fertilizer can be replaced with a complex fertilizer: 50 g of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water. If the seedlings have been damaged by frost or hail, they are in dire need of zinc and molybdenum. In such cases, some chelate fertilizer containing these microelements is added to the solution (Molybdenum Chelate and Zinc Chelate are sold in stores, but complex fertilizers Brexil or Reacom-SR-Potato are also suitable). It is useful to include a growth stimulator with amino acids in the first feeding: Poteytin, Megafol.

During the budding period, potatoes are fed with phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and copper: 20 g of superphosphate, 2 g of potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate, 0.1 g of copper sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of water.

After flowering, potatoes need potassium. Thanks to this microelement, tubers accumulate water, which is very useful in dry years. Feeding recipe: dissolve 30–40 g of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water. Potassium sulfate increases the sugar content of tubers. Sometimes potassium sulfate is replaced with potassium chloride. But you need to take into account that chlorine slows down the growth of potatoes, and some varieties are very sensitive to this element. Therefore, ash or potassium sulfate is preferable for foliar feeding.

Two weeks after flowering, the potatoes are sprayed with a solution of boron and manganese: 5 g of boric acid and 1–2 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water. Boron prevents the formation of voids in tubers, and manganese improves them taste qualities. This feeding prevents late blight.

Preface

Potatoes are the most necessary vegetable in the kitchen. Moreover, it grows in almost any climatic conditions. To get an excellent harvest, you need to create good conditions and choose the best fertilizer for potatoes, which is applied when planting in the spring.

Required tools and materials

Fertilizers for potatoes when planting - preparing the tubers

So, before choosing what to fertilize the soil with, you must first prepare the planting material. It is recommended to choose high quality tubers. Before planting them, you need to thoroughly warm the tubers in the sun and germinate them. A good technique is to treat potato tubers with a solution designed to increase starch and vitamin C in the vegetable.

This solution is prepared by mixing the following microelements: manganese sulfate, copper and boric acid. About 0.5 grams of each substance is dissolved in 1 liter of water. Potato tubers are soaked in this solution for 2–3 hours, then planting begins. Fertilizing applied in the spring undoubtedly affects the future harvest. But in addition to this, you can treat the tubers with special growth regulators. Their choice is huge: Krezacin, Immunocytophyte, Zircon, Albit, Epin and others.

Fertilizer for potatoes when planting in spring - basic methods

There are potassium and organic fertilizers for potatoes. This vegetable gives particular preference to the latter, these include manure and green manure. Regular fertilization of potatoes using these methods will ensure an increase in yield by at least 2 times.

Mineral substances for adding to the soil include ammonium nitrate. Apply 1 kilogram per hundred square meters. They also include: urea (consumption - kilogram per 1 hundred square meters), potassium sulfate (consumption - 2 kilograms per hundred square meters), superphosphate (1 kilogram per hundred square meters). The classic potato fertilizer is ordinary wood ash (consumption - 5 kilograms per hundred square meters). It is important to follow the norms for applying fertilizers to potatoes - too much of them can harm the plant and reduce yields.

The ash contains potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, which are so necessary for the growth of potato tubers. In addition to feeding the plant useful substances, ash protects it from many diseases. It is better to apply such fertilizers to potatoes in each hole, in an amount of 300 grams. In addition, the tuber itself also collapses in ash.

In addition to knowing what fertilizer is needed for potatoes, you also need to know the technology for applying them. The best way It is considered nesting, that is, applying fertilizer for potatoes directly into the hole itself. It is considered not only the most effective, but also less expensive than continuous fertilization of the entire soil. The norm for applying fertilizing is one tablespoon per hole.

Growing and caring for potatoes

Potatoes are considered an unpretentious crop. But, like any plant, it certainly needs care. The main components of care: hilling, fertilizing, etc. It is recommended to hill this vegetable when it reaches a height of 20 centimeters.