When is the best time to plant potatoes?

Potatoes are also called sweet potatoes, or yam, in some places. They are grown in a very wide range and are one of the important food crops. They can not only be used as staple food, but also used in cooking, fried and eaten as snacks. Many people grow potatoes at home, so when is the best time to plant potatoes? Let’s take a look below.

1. When is the best time to plant potatoes?

The temperature in China varies greatly, and the time for potato planting is also different in different regions. Generally speaking, potatoes are planted in most parts of China from October to December each year. Of course, if the temperature in this area does not differ much throughout the year, potatoes can be planted all year round.

The planting time in the north and south of China is different. For example, in the Northeast, potatoes are planted in April and May. Hunan and Shanxi generally have two planting seasons in February, March and August, while Zhejiang has two planting seasons in January, February and September. The planting time of potatoes is basically determined by the temperature of the planting area, so the sowing time needs to be determined according to the temperature of the area.

2. How to achieve high yield in potato cultivation?

1. Deeply plow the soil

Potatoes develop and grow in the soil, and the soil used for planting must be loose and breathable. Therefore, before planting, choose the right soil first, preferably sandy soil. If there is no sandy soil, make the soil loose and rich in organic fertilizer . Then deep plowing, and make the soil fine and level. This is the basic condition for obtaining high yields of potatoes.

2. Remove the tail and keep the top

Removing the tail and keeping the top means that when cutting potato seeds, the buds at the tail are removed and only the buds at the top are used. Those who often grow potatoes should know that the buds at the top of the potato grow particularly thick, while the buds at the tail are thin and weak. Therefore, when cutting potato seeds, use the top buds as seeds. After germination, the seedlings grow thick and lush, while the seedlings planted with the tail buds grow thin and weak. Therefore, removing the tail and keeping the top is the basis for high potato yields.

3. Ridge cultivation

Potatoes like deep, loose and breathable soil. In addition to having good soil, ridges must be built. Because there are two times to plant potatoes, one is in spring and the other is in autumn. Ridge building can first increase the thickness of the soil layer, second increase soil permeability, third increase the temperature in the soil, and fourth prevent water accumulation in the soil due to excessive rain. Fifth, it allows the potato stems to stretch easily. In addition to ridge formation during planting, soil should be added about twice before closing the ridges to make the ridges larger and higher, which is conducive to the development and expansion of tubers.

4. Prepare the fertilizer

When planting potatoes, do not use nitrogen fertilizer alone. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium must be reasonably matched. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium required for potato growth is 1:0.5:2.5. It is a potassium-loving crop. In addition, there are also calcium, boron, etc. Therefore, when planting potatoes, in addition to using organic fertilizer as base fertilizer, it is best to apply high-nitrogen and high-potassium fertilizer during the tuber formation period to meet the needs of potato growth.

5. Control the growth of flowers and pick the flower buds

When the potato seedlings grow to the size of the ridge, that is, when flower buds begin to appear, pay attention to controlling their vigorous growth. You can do this by pinching the buds and tips, and spraying dwarfing agents if necessary. Be sure not to let the seedlings grow too lush. If they grow too wildly, they will result in no potatoes or fewer and smaller ones. The purpose of controlling excessive growth and pinching off flower buds is to save more nutrients to supply the development and expansion of potatoes. If the seedlings grow wildly, the potatoes will not have sufficient nutrients to develop, which will result in low yields. This is a key step to high yields.

6. Foliar fertilization increases yield

When planting potatoes, in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer and topdressing, foliar fertilization cannot be ignored. Foliar fertilization can not only control the excessive growth of seedlings, but also allow them to be absorbed quickly and supply the tubers to expand, which has a significant effect on increasing yield. To fertilize potato leaves, you can use 50-60 grams of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 15 grams of 0.1% triacontanol, add 30 kilograms of water, mix well and spray on the leaves once a week for 3 consecutive times, which can significantly increase potato yield and quality.

That’s it