Description of the potato variety Meteor, features of cultivation and care
Mainly in the fields and gardens of Russia grow potato varietiesbred in Holland. But in recent years, domestic breeding has also achieved considerable success, thanks to which new high-yielding and unpretentious varieties have appeared, for example, the Meteor potato.
It is impossible to imagine Russian cuisine without potatoes. Therefore, many gardeners do not just grow it, but strive to provide a supply of potatoes for the winter. For this, they often use a large part of the personal plot or grow potatoes separately, in specially designated fields.
The future harvest largely depends on the choice of the variety, so it is so important to know its features.
Specificity of the variety
Meteor potatoes are distinguished by their ultra-early ripening period. From the moment of germination to harvest, it takes only 60–70 days, and the first sample can be taken in a month and a half.
Description of the variety:
- The bush is high, erect, semi-spreading, intermediate type.
- The stem is strong, of medium thickness.
- The leaves are dark green, dense, medium to large in size.
- The flowers are small with white corollas.
- It easily tolerates drought, is able to adapt to various climatic conditions.
- Meteor is highly resistant to cyst nematodes and potato crayfish. It is relatively immune to late blight, rhizoctonia and rot.
- The yield of the variety is high - 210-450 centners / ha or 1-2 kg per bush.
Root characteristic:
- tubers are large, oval-round;
- from one potato bush you can get from 10 to 12 fruits;
- tubers weight from 100 to 150 grams;
- the skin is thin and dense, cream-colored, with small eyes, easy to clean;
- inside potatoes of a yellow hue, not darker during heat treatment;
- starch content 10-16%.
It should be noted the excellent taste and table properties of the Meteor variety, as well as it is suitable for vacuum packaging and has a high percentage of keeping quality, which makes potatoes suitable for long-term storage.
Agrotechnics
Potatoes of the Meteor variety are officially recommended for growing in the Central, Volgo-Vyatka, Central Black Earth and West Siberian regions. But after reading the reviews, it becomes clear that Meteor potatoes are successfully grown not only throughout Russia, but also in the neighboring countries.
Plot processing
It is better to decide on the site and carry out preparatory work even in the fall:
- When choosing a plot of land, it should be borne in mind that potatoes are picky about lighting and develop worse in the shade. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a place on a hill so that it is well warmed up and illuminated.
- It is not recommended to plant potatoes in the same place for two consecutive years. Other representatives of the nightshade will also be unfavorable predecessors: eggplants, peppers or tomatoes. Areas after legumes, cucumbers or cabbage are ideal.
- Loamy soils are better suited for growing Meteora, but it takes root well on both dense clay and light peat soil.
- At least two weeks before planting, the site is dug up and fertilizers are applied: urea is scattered over the site (1 tbsp. L. Per 1 sq. M.), And overripe manure is distributed in rows (1 bucket of manure per 1 sq. M.).
Preparation of planting material
It is better to harvest seed material immediately after harvest. Many people mistakenly select the smallest and most unsuitable potatoes for planting, which themselves ruin the future harvest. For planting, you should leave good healthy tubers from the best bushes.
A month before planting, the seed tubers are laid out in separate boxes or boxes in one layer for germination. The boxes, in turn, are placed in a bright place with an air temperature in the range of + 10-12 degrees. This is done in advance so that the sprouts have time to grow 1–2 cm before planting.
Planting potatoes
Potatoes should be planted when the threat of frost has passed, and the soil warms up to +10 degrees:
- The potatoes are planted in rows. Planting scheme 30x60 cm.
- The depth of the holes depends on the type of soil: the denser and heavier the soil, the shallower the depth of the holes should be. For example, on clay soils - 4–6 cm, and on sandy soils - 10–12 cm.
- Before planting seeds, it is advisable to add organic matter to each hole: wood ash or dry humus. It is strongly not recommended to use fresh manure, as this can provoke a number of diseases.
- After that, 2-3 tubers are placed in the fertilized pits with sprouts upward, dropped on top with earth and leveled with a rake.
There are other options planting potatoes, which may depend on the location of the site, soil characteristics and climate.
Growing and care
Meteor is an unpretentious plant and does not require special care, it is enough to adhere to standard agrotechnical methods for growing potatoes:
- For the whole season, the bushes are spud twice. When the bushes grow up and their growth is about 15 cm, the first hilling is carried out. The second time - in 3-4 weeks.
- Potatoes of the Meteor variety are drought-resistant, but they still need to be watered, especially in arid areas. Watering is recommended early in the morning or after sunset, three to four times a month, provided there is no rain.
- Timely feeding has a beneficial effect on the future harvest. Meteor responds well to fertilization with slurry from rotted manure and diluted poultry droppings.
The first feeding is done during the active growing season, the second - in the bud formation phase, and one more - when the bushes will bloom.
Preventive measures
Although Meteor potatoes are immune to many diseases, preventive measures will not harm it either:
- Careful digging of the soil and timely watering will help protect the future crop from damage by Alternaria.
- Periodic inspection of the site and dusting the bushes with ash will help to avoid the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle.
- Lowering the acidity of the soil and the merciless destruction of wheatgrass will avoid meeting with a wireworm.
As an additional protection of the plant from pests, the bushes should be sprayed with insecticides.
Reviews
Alexander Gerasimenko:
“The best early domestic variety. The yield is excellent - 1.5 buckets of potatoes were harvested from two kilograms. And it is stored for a long time without losing its presentation and taste. "
Lyubov Zotova:
“The Meteor variety really lives up to its name. This potato is the record holder for ripening speed. Digging began at the end of June. But the taste was not impressed. "
Sergey Savushkin:
“My potatoes are not very large, you cannot call them super-yielding either. But the taste is excellent and the keeping quality is good. "
Irina Osina:
“The meteor rose quickly, even imperceptibly. He did not require constant care, there were no problems with him, even the insects did not attack. Harvested in August. The tubers are medium in size, but, for some reason, there are a lot of potatoes with a void inside. And it didn't taste very good either. So we decided not to plant any more. "
