Despite its pretentious name, the handsome potato variety differs not so much in the attractive commercial appearance of the tubers as in its taste and other impressive consumer qualities. More on this interesting variety of potatoes will be discussed in the article.
Description and characteristic
This potato variety was bred in 2009 by Russian breeders from the Potato Farm Research Institute named after A. Lorch was originally intended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Economic Region. However, quickly enough, Handsome spread to many other regions of the country and even beyond its borders.
This potato plant is a semi-upright bush of medium height, covered with medium-sized green foliage. The tubers are oval and reddish with pink flesh inside. Small eyes facilitate the cleaning of tubers, and the density of the pulp contributes to the good transportability of potatoes. The mass of tubers varies between 90 and 165 g.
Did you know? In addition to traditional potatoes with white or yellow pulp, there are varieties with red, black and even blue pulp.
Taste qualities
With a high starch content reaching 17.8%, the tubers retain their original shape during any heat treatment and are suitable for:
- cooking;
- frying;
- extinguishing;
- cooking french fries;
- use in salads and soups;
- baking;
- making mashed potatoes.
The pulp of Handsome during heat treatment does not darken and has high palatability.
Ripening period and productivity
Reaching the phase of technical maturity after 80-90 days of the growing season, Potato belongs to mid-early varieties. Moreover, its productivity, depending on the region of growth and the conditions created for this, fluctuates between 170 and 200 c / ha, sometimes reaching over 280 c / ha. On average, with proper care, the handsome bush gives up to 5 kg of full-fledged fruits.
Pros and Cons of the Grade Handsome
- The advantages of this potato are:
- high palatability;
- high starch content;
- attractive presentation;
- good transportability;
- a long period of rest;
- resistance to many diseases of solanaceous crops;
- good keeping quality;
- high commodity yield, reaching 98%.
The only noticeable drawback of this variety is its susceptibility to the golden nematode. In addition, lovers of boiled potatoes, to which Handsome obviously does not belong, make some claims against his tubers.
Did you know? It was potatoes that became the first vegetable that was grown on the space station. It happened in 1995.
Planting and growing potatoes
The cultivation of potatoes of the described variety practically does not differ from the agrotechnical methods used for other potato varieties.
Optimal landing times
Planting dates vary markedly depending on the climatic conditions of the growing region. But there is a rule according to which you can determine exactly when to plant potatoes, regardless of the location of planting. If the soil is stably warmed up to a temperature of + 8 ° C to a depth of at least 100 mm, you can safely plant potatoes in the ground.
Crop rotation rules
A potato plant is very sensitive to what predecessors grew earlier on a plot of land allocated for its cultivation.
The best potato precursors are presented:
- forage grasses;
- cereals;
- legumes;
- flax;
- carrots;
- beetroot;
- rutabaga;
- cucumbers;
- radish;
- cabbage.
Potatoes should not be planted after:
- Tomatoes
- pepper;
- eggplant;
- physalis.
Important! It is extremely undesirable to plant potatoes on the ground, where it previously grew, until 3 years pass.
Soil requirements
Handsome is not picky about the composition of the soil and grows well in any soil, if its acidity does not exceed 5.5 units. More acidic soils must be calcified, for which, in the fall, when digging the soil, 600 g of lime or 250 g of dolomite flour are added to each m². In addition, in autumn, the soil should be enriched with humus (up to 10 kg per 1 m²) and superphosphate (65 g per 1 m²). Since Potato is prone to attack by a golden nematode, a month before planting material is planted, the soil is decontaminated by incorporating the Tiazon nematicide into it.
Preparing planting material
Planting potato tubers are selected according to their impeccable appearance, which does not allow damage, rot, loss of elasticity and other flaws. For a month, potatoes are vernalized at a temperature of + 12 ° C to + 15 ° C, for which they are laid out in 2 layers in boxes. Sprouts formed on potatoes in the light should be pink in color and at the time of planting in the soil have a length of at least 10 mm.
Important! Sprouts that are white in color and formed during storage in the basement should be removed.
Right in the boxes where the tubers are vernalized, they are treated with growth stimulants, insecticides as a preventive measure against Colorado potato beetles, and fungicides that prevent fungal diseases.
Landing technology
The soil prepared in the autumn is dug up, leveled and dug holes in it up to 100 mm deep. The distance between each well should be at least 200 mm, and the distance between the rows of holes should be set to at least 600 mm. Sprouted potatoes are laid in holes, where you can add a handful of wood ash, and then fill up with soil. Planted potatoes are not watered to avoid the formation of surface roots.
Potato care after planting
After sprouts with a height of 50-100 mm appear on the surface of the beds, they need:
- watering;
- fertilizing fertilizers;
- weeding;
- loosening the soil.
Fertilizer
Potato cultivar Krasivchik begin to feed with fertilizers when the plant reaches a height of 150 mm.
During this period, for the active growth of green mass, potato bushes most need nitrogen, which is supplied to the soil by adding to it:
- Mullein
- chicken droppings;
- urea at the rate of 20 g per 1 m².
- potassium sulfate;
- superphosphate;
- wood ash;
- Fertika or BioMaster complex fertilizers.
Watering
Potatoes are just as sensitive to a lack of moisture as they are to its surplus.
The optimal irrigation scheme for Krasavchik potato varieties involves three times watering during the growing season:
- Watering is carried out for the first time after reaching the top of at least 100 mm.
- The second watering is confined to the appearance of inflorescences on the bush.
- And the third time they water the plant with the beginning of the disappearance of inflorescences.
However, weather conditions and unusual situations often make adjustments to the ideal irrigation scheme. In the dry season, the frequency of watering inevitably increases. Experienced vegetable growers often do not water plants after the disappearance of inflorescences with the existing danger of potato disease with late blight.
The soil around the bushes is moistened to the depth of the old tubers, spending from 3 to 5 liters of water for each plant, increasing its volume in hot weather to 10-20 liters. Experts believe that watering to a depth of 200-300 mm significantly increases the yield of Handsome. It is recommended to pour bushes with warm water in the evenings, avoiding moisture on the foliage. The best way to optimally moisten the soil is by drip irrigation.
Weeding and hilling
The root system of potatoes is sensitive to insufficient oxygen supply. Therefore, loosening the soil around the bushes is very important for these plants. Usually, loosening is combined with weeding weeds and carried out after each irrigation and past rain. It is very important for the well-being of the plant and its productivity that the hilling, which is carried out at least 2 times during the season.
Experts argue that if you do not spud potato bushes, you can lose up to a third of the crop. The first time the bushes are spud when they reach a height of 250 mm, and then the spudding is repeated half a month later. The operation is carried out by pouring ridges from moist soil on both sides of the bush. In the first hilling, the height of the ridges should be at least 120 mm, and re-hilling involves bringing the height of the ridges to 200 mm. It is not recommended to fill the soil in the center of the bush. Combs should be located on its sides.Grade Diseases and Pests
This potato variety is quite resistant to most diseases associated with nightshade crops, but may suffer from infection of tubers and stems. late blight and especially sensitive to attack golden nematodes.
Late blight, manifested in the appearance of brown spots with a grayish coating on the foliage, is prevented by preventive measures in the form of treatment of bushes with fungicides:
- "Ridomil Gold";
- "Acrobat";
- Tattu
- "MC".
Harvest rules and storage
They dig up potato tubers of the Beauty variety, upon reaching their technical maturity, when a dense peel has formed on them. This allows them to better withstand external influences during transportation. About 3 weeks before the harvest, the tops of the potatoes are dug up or cracked so that it dries, and the starch is transformed into tubers. A decade later, the dried tops are mowed. They dig up tubers in sunny weather in August or September so that they can dry in the sun for several hours, since wet tubers are not suitable for storage.
For storage, intact and good looking tubers are selected, which are sent to a dry, dark and cool place with a temperature not exceeding + 5 ° C and a humidity of 80-90%. For storage use plastic nets or boxes. During storage, the Potato variety Krasavchik demonstrates good keeping quality of 97%.
The somewhat playful name of the variety does not detract from its many advantages. In a historically very short period, Handsome managed to win the favor of both amateur vegetable growers and strict professionals who liked the high taste qualities of the variety along with its rather simple cultivation.