Which month is best to plant potatoes?

Potatoes, also known as potatoes, sweet potatoes or yam eggs, originated in the mountainous areas of tropical America and are one of China's important food and cash crops . Potatoes are not only nutritious, but also can be cooked in a variety of ways. They are loved by the public and are widely grown everywhere. So which month is better to plant potatoes?

Which month is best to plant potatoes?

The minimum temperature for potato tubers to germinate is 5℃. When the average daily temperature is stable above 5℃, sowing can be carried out. For spring potatoes, you can usually start sowing after the beginning of spring. In areas with lower temperatures or drier soils, you can choose to sow between the Rain Water and Jingzhe solar terms (mid-to-late February). If temperatures drop when sowing, it may result in slow emergence.

Autumn is also an important season for potato planting , which usually takes place from September to October each year. Potatoes planted in the fall can be harvested in the winter or the following spring, depending on the variety and climatic conditions.

Potato sowing tips

1. Select seed potatoes

The water and nutrients required by potato seedlings in the early stage of growth are completely dependent on the seed tubers. The quality of seed potatoes directly affects the health of the seedlings, and thus affects the yield and quality of potatoes. When planting potatoes , you should choose potatoes with smooth surface, no diseases, no deformities, and no necrotic eyes as seed potatoes. In addition, potatoes are divided into yellow-heart potatoes and white-heart potatoes. It is recommended to choose yellow-heart potatoes for planting because they taste better and have higher nutritional value.

Newly harvested potatoes usually have a "dormant period" during which they cannot germinate even under suitable conditions. This dormant period may last up to 1 month, and some varieties may last up to 4 to 5 months. Therefore, do not use newly harvested potatoes as seed potatoes.

2. Drying seeds

Although potato tubers can germinate when the temperature is above 5℃, the optimal germination temperature is 15-18℃. Many seed potatoes are stored at low temperatures before sowing, which can result in slow germination after sowing. Therefore, well-selected seed potatoes can be dried in the sun for 2 to 3 days to break the cold dormancy mechanism. The potatoes that have been dried in the sun will germinate faster after sowing and the sprouts will be stronger.

3. Control the size of seed potato pieces

After selecting and drying the seed potatoes, they can be cut into pieces. The pieces should not be too large or too small. Too small pieces will lead to weak growth of the seedlings, while too large pieces will increase the planting cost. Generally, 20 to 30 grams is appropriate. When cutting, the multi-cutting method should be adopted, and each seed potato should have at least one eye. The germination speed of potato tubers at different positions is different. Usually, the top bud germinates the fastest, and the middle position (navel) germinates the slowest.

4. Mix seeds with plant ash

It is not advisable to sow potatoes immediately after cutting them. You can mix them with wood ash. This has four benefits:

Prevent wound infection and rot: Wood ash has bactericidal and antibacterial effects, which can prevent the cut seed pieces from being infected by pathogens and rotting, thereby increasing the survival rate of potatoes.

As seed fertilizer: Potatoes like potassium, and wood ash is rich in potassium and minerals, so it can be used as seed fertilizer.

Increase soil temperature: Wood ash can increase soil temperature and help shorten the germination time of potatoes.

Keep the soil loose and breathable: Wood ash can improve the soil and make it looser, which is conducive to the enlargement of tubers and increases yield.

Special note: When planting potatoes on a large scale, you can soak the seed blocks in 3% Lysol or 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 5 minutes to effectively prevent the seed blocks from being infected by pathogens.

5. Choose suitable soil

Potatoes have high requirements for soil. When planting, you should choose soil with a deep soil layer, loose structure, and rich in organic matter. This is conducive to root development and tuber enlargement, and improves potato yield and quality. Potatoes should not be planted continuously, and the soil where peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and beets were planted before should not be selected to avoid aggravating soil-borne diseases. The previous soil should preferably be bean stubble or grain stubble.

When planting, apply 3,000 kg of fully decomposed farmyard manure (pig manure is best) and 40 kg of triple compound fertilizer as base fertilizer per mu. Potatoes are suitable for high ridge cultivation. You can dig a 7 to 10 cm deep trench and place the seed blocks in rows with a plant spacing of 20 cm and a row spacing of 70 cm. After sowing, add soil several times according to the growth of the potatoes to create a cool soil environment.

Note: Fertilizer should be placed between two seed blocks to avoid direct contact with the seed blocks to prevent seed burning.

After all the potato seedlings have emerged, they should be checked in time. If there are missing seedlings or broken ridges, they should be supplemented or replanted in time to ensure that all the seedlings are complete. After potatoes bloom, underground tubers enter a period of rapid expansion. At this time, applying 20 kg of potassium sulfate per mu and spraying 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer can significantly increase potato yields .

The above is an introduction to the sowing time and techniques for potatoes, including selecting seed potatoes, drying the seeds, ensuring that the cut pieces have buds, and mixing the seeds with wood ash before sowing. During the entire growing period, the soil needs to be cultivated many times and topdressing needs to be done during the flowering period, so that high-yield potatoes can be grown.