Potatoes are probably the most popular farmed crop on the territory of both Russia and its neighbor Belarus. Now potatoes are no longer grown in order to stockpile for the winter, but simply because growing potatoes is already a tradition.
Well, which of us didn’t go to grandmother “for potatoes” ?! Is it always nice to harvest and fry potatoes harvested and grown independently? Whatever you say, such a potato has a special taste.
But in order for the potato to grow, and it was possible to collect a generous harvest, it is important to consider the conditions for growing potatoes, the sowing dates, as well as all the nuances of caring for this famous crop and the diseases that most often attack potatoes. And also, it is important to consider the favorable days for planting potatoes in May 2016. Gardener lunar calendar always gives practical clues that it’s a sin not to use it.
When to plant potatoes
It all depends on the region and the weather conditions that prevail in it. The fact is that if you plant potatoes too early, it simply freezes. Gardeners read that the best option is when the soil at a depth of 10 centimeters warms up to +6. But, who likes to run around the garden and a thermometer and delve into the ground? Most often, the air temperature gives a hint. If the air temperature does not drop below 13 degrees, then you can sow potatoes.
For example, in the southern regions, planting potatoes can begin as early as mid-March, but in Moscow and the Moscow region, for example, in mid-May.
If the time for planting potatoes falls in May due to weather conditions, then it's time to pay attention to favorable days for planting potatoes in May 2016. These days will be the following dates: May 1,2,5,29 and May 30. The same favorable days for planting potatoes in 2016 will be in Belarus. For those regions that are going to plant potatoes in May. It is worth paying attention to these dates.
How to grow potatoes
Planting dates and favorable days for planting potatoes in May 2016 are only part of the factors on which the future of the crop depends. The right conditions for growing potatoes are also important.
For example, a landing site should be selected sunny, as open as possible, with a good loose topsoil. By the way, since we are talking about soil, we must mention that potatoes love light soils, for example, loamy or sandy, or chernozem soils. In this case, the soil should be slightly acidic or with a neutral reaction.
Heavy loams are not suitable for planting at all, since too little air is supplied to such soil, which is so needed for the growth of potato tubers. Plus, this soil is very wet. And this can cause rot, which will quickly spread and destroy all the potatoes. How is growing zucchini in bags.
The soil for planting potatoes must be prepared in the fall. Loosen, clear weeds, fertilize with organic or mineral fertilizers.
Planting potatoes
When all the conditions are ready for potatoes, the queen of the fields, the favorable days for planting potatoes in May 2016 are selected, you can safely proceed to the process itself. In order to grow high-quality potatoes, which certainly will not be affected by any diseases, it is better to buy potato tubers in special stores for the garden.
If they ate their material for planting, then it must be prepared in the fall. For seeds, those tubers that look the strongest and healthiest are selected.Given that diseases like to attack potatoes, you need to check each tuber carefully. The selected tubers must be dried by holding them for 14 days at the place where the diffused light.
A sign that the tuber is ready is green flesh. These tubers can not be touched and not sorted until spring, as they are not attacked by rodents. Seeds, before being stored until spring, must be sorted into groups according to size and weight. And in the spring, on favorable May days for planting potatoes in 2016, each group is planted separately. When spring comes, the tubers harvested from the fall must be sorted again.
A month before planting, tubers are better to germinate. How to do it? Lay them on the floor in a room with good ventilation and turn them over every 10 days.
10 days before planting, the tubers must be collected in a heap, covered with burlap and left in this form at a temperature of 12 to 16 degrees. Next, the sprouted potatoes are planted on seedlings, until the first shoots appear seedlings must be kept in a dark place. But when the first shoots appear, the seedlings can already be put into the light. Planting seedlings in May, preferably. On favorable days for planting potatoes in May 2016.
You should take into account those favorable dates that the lunar calendar shows for the gardener, in order to catch them sprout tubers and grow seedlings. Then a good and tasty crop of potatoes will definitely ripen and gather everyone at the table!