Description of the Colombo potato variety, features of cultivation and care
No family can do without this culture. It is not difficult to grow Colombo potatoes on the site, you need to follow simple agrotechnical techniques, show diligence and patience. Received recognition among summer residents for its early ripening and excellent taste.
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The summer resident, before planting something on the site, is looking for information about the plant. A description of the Colombo potato variety will facilitate the search process. This species is a very early, relatively young Dutch variety.
In many catalogs, the potato has the name Colombo, although it is correct to call it Colomba. Because it is grown in large quantities in Finland, it is mistaken for a Finnish variety. In fact, Holland is his homeland.
Potatoes ripen within 45 days, the full growing season of the variety is 65 days. The yield depends on the harvest period. At the stage of initial maturity, it is 1-3 kg from 1 m2, full maturity 3-4.5 kg.
Description of tubers:
- Shape: rounded oval.
- Weight: 80-130 g.
- Flesh: yellow.
- Skin: thin.
- Eyes: shallow.
- The starch content is 11-15%.
Plants:
- Semi-spreading.
- Height 55 cm.
- Flowers are white, sometimes lilac tint is present.
The Colombo potato variety is gaining the favor of summer residents at a rapid pace, becoming a favorite for many.
Advantages
There is no better advertisement for the kind than positive feedback from people growing crops on the site. The main positive properties are called:
- The ability not to crumble during cooking and frying. Excellent taste.
- Presentation, affects demand. Consumers are willing to buy neat tubers.
- Ripening period. Some regions manage to harvest 2 crops of this variety.
- Unpretentious care.
- Plant immunity.
- Drought tolerant.
- A bountiful harvest.
The only, but very significant disadvantage, root crops are poorly stored.
Place selection
Particular attention is paid to the choice of a site for planting varieties. The tubers are placed on the sunny side. Don't forget about crop rotation. For several years in a row, potatoes planted in the same place often get sick, their overall yield decreases. Feels good after legumes, pumpkin and cabbage crops.
Not worth it grow potato variety Colombo is next to tomatoes as they belong to the same family and suffer from common diseases. If the land is plowed for the first time, there is a risk of damage to the crop by the wireworm.
Seed preparation
Usually potato tubers for planting are selected in the fall, but in the spring you need to sort out the potatoes again, select only healthy root crops that are not damaged. Each is about the size of a chicken egg.
Vegetables are taken out of storage in 25-35 days. Lay out in one layer in a well-ventilated, bright room. A temperature of +15 ⁰С is considered suitable for this purpose. If it is higher, the potatoes quickly lose moisture and begin to shrivel.
To get an early harvest, the tubers are left intact. To get a large amount of vegetables, cut the roots. Don't forget about disinfection. The knife is treated with alcohol after each root crop. The cut is sprinkled with wood ash and left for another 4-5 days for the appearance of a protective crust. It will prevent the vegetable from rotting in the ground.
Landing
Potatoes are planted in well-heated ground. The optimum temperature is + 7-10 ⁰С.
A characteristic sign that the soil is warmed up to the required temperature is the flowering of dandelions and the appearance of leaves on the birch.
The holes for root crops are placed at a distance of 35 cm from each other, the row spacing is 8 cm. 250 g of wood ash are added to each. Planting depth is 7 cm.
Care
Further care consists in watering, hilling and processing from pests and diseases.
Particular attention is paid to hilling the beds. The first time this is done when the plant reaches 15 cm in height. At the same time, weeds are removed, which clog the tubers, preventing their normal growth. After that, it is necessary to huddle 2 more times, providing a favorable environment for the formation of a larger number of tubers.
Watered in hot weather about 1 time per week, after the soil dries up, fertilize. In a rainy summer, water as needed. Each irrigation field is recommended to loosen the soil, preventing crust formation.
They treat pests in a timely manner using folk methods of control or chemicals. We should not forget about the dangers of chemistry for humans, if the site is small, then insects are collected by hand.
Variety immunity
The characteristic of the variety shows that Colombo potatoes withstand:
- Golden nematode.
- Cancer potatoes.
- Scab.
- Late blight.
The last two diseases are moderate. That is, it is not 100% stable. An important condition for growing a crop is the implementation of simple agronomic techniques that are the same for all varieties. Their use can help fight disease.
Harvesting, storage
The first crop is drilled in during flowering.
This species begins to form tubers simultaneously with the growth of stems.
It is important to pick a sunny, dry day when digging up potatoes. Potatoes are sorted immediately, rejecting those root crops that are not subject to long-term storage. Dry in a dark room for several days. Then they are removed to storage.
Growing planting material
Varietal potatoes cost a lot, but it is possible to multiply the seeds yourself. To obtain a healthy root crop, breeders advise:
- Change the growing area.
- Plant separately from the rest of the potatoes.
- It is imperative to germinate the tubers before planting, thus culling diseased roots.
- Plant less frequently than regular potatoes.
- Inspect plantings to identify diseased plants. Destroy bushes with pathology immediately.
- Dig up separately.
- For seeds, select planting material the size of a chicken egg.
Meeting these requirements will allow you to grow a healthy varietal root crop.
The opinion of summer residents regarding Colombo potatoes
Numerous reviews of vegetable growers provide invaluable assistance to a novice gardener. They contain helpful tips and advice.
- Amazon: “Planted in a high bed at the end of April. A total of 14 pieces, with a total weight of 1200 g.The crop was harvested at the end of July - 37 kg. Most of them are selected root crops. The planting material was purchased at the store. The whole family likes it. "
- Zolotunka: “Very unpretentious, tolerates drought calmly. It grows on black soil and sandstones. "
- Alex: “I tried it with a friend for the first time, liked it, decided to grow it myself. I grow constantly with my husband, on average 15 tubers are obtained from a bush. There is no need for frequent watering, I also like disease resistance. "
- Evgeniy: “We tried to grow Colombo on the site, I liked everything. Does not require special attention to itself, ripens quickly. Delicious in cooked meals. The only negative is that it is not stored for long. "
Colombo is an early variety of potatoes, the features of which are resistance to adverse conditions and undemanding care. Those who grow crops for sale are satisfied with its characteristics, transportability and retention of presentation.
For two years in a row I have grown this variety, but grown using a growth accelerator BioGrow, noticed that it grows faster with it and the harvest is generous, the potatoes are large, without rot. And the variety is really excellent, very tasty potatoes, ideal for frying and cooking.