Oktyabrina Ganichkina is a TV presenter and writer, who is often called the main summer resident of the country. In her books and programs, Oktyabrina Alekseevna easily explains even the difficult moments of caring for a garden and a vegetable garden, suggests unobvious tricks of combating weeds and pests and infects summer residents with enthusiasm by her own example.
Childhood and youth
Little is known about the childhood and youth of Oktyabrina Ganichkina. The future TV presenter was born in Moscow on February 2, 1949. The Vinokurov family - this is the maiden name of Oktyabrina Alekseevna - had 8 children.
Oktyabrina Ganichkina at the beginning of her career
In 1966, after graduating from school, the girl entered the Institute of Automation and Electrometry in Novosibirsk, choosing the Faculty of Optics. However, Ganichkin defended her dissertation in another specialty, becoming a candidate of agricultural sciences.
Gardening
In gardening, caring for a summer cottage and plants, Oktyabrina Ganichkina found her true calling. Moreover, a talent was discovered in a woman: she could easily talk about even complex things, systematize the principles and rules of growing vegetables and fruits from watermelon to beets and, most importantly, present this information in an exciting way.
In the mid-1990s, a new page opened in the biography of Oktyabrina Alekseevna: the woman was invited to television. Soon the name of Ganichkina among viewers became associated with the programs "Country stories", "Vegetable garden all year round", "Bow-bunches", aired on different channels.
In addition, the main summer resident of the country began to conduct a radio broadcast, called "Advice to gardeners". At that difficult time, the summer cottage became a serious help for many people, therefore, programs about caring for garden and garden plants and trees were popular.
In 2016, the professional piggy bank of Oktyabrina Ganichkina was replenished with another program - the woman became the host of the program "Country Fairies". Her co-host became, familiar to the audience on the project "Fazenda", as well as on the heading about gardening and horticulture in the program "Good Morning" on Channel One.
The saying about a talented person who easily finds application in any area is true for Oktyabrina Alekseevna. A woman has time to both prepare fascinating material for television programs, and write her own books, which are popular with summer residents. On account of Ganichkina more than a dozen publications dedicated to the secrets of truck farming and gardening. The main thing, the gardener emphasizes, is that each advice is tested by her on personal experience and is suitable for Russian realities.
In an interview, the woman admitted that sometimes summer residents plant rather complex plants, for example, strawberries or watermelons, but at the same time they do not know the peculiarities of caring for them. Ganichkina considers her task to clarify those little things that make up success in gardening. In addition, Oktyabrina Alekseevna often criticizes advice on the Internet: according to the writer, sometimes recommendations from the Internet are simply harmful to plants.
One of these tips is to use potassium permanganate as fertilizer. Ganichkina emphasizes that only seeds of flowers and garden crops can be treated with a solution of permanganate. But it is impossible to water the beds with it under any conditions: in the future, this will negatively affect the well-being of the liver of the would-be gardener. Also, Oktyabrina Alekseevna insists on using peat instead of the usual manure. According to the woman, manure is an aggressive environment for the delicate roots of seedlings, therefore inept summer residents sometimes ruin the plantings, and do not fertilize them.
An interesting story is connected with fertilizers - in an interview, Ganichkina admitted that in her lectures she often drinks a little of this or that drug in order to show its harmlessness. Such a gesture shocks the listeners, but it demonstrates the safety of fertilizer better than words. Of course, Oktyabrina Alekseevna chooses only natural formulations made from harmless components. But the main summer resident of the country advises to give up strong chemicals once and for all.
Also, Oktyabrina Ganichkina admits that she does not believe in the lunar calendar, which gardeners often follow when preparing seedlings. According to the writer and TV presenter, first of all, the planting dates must be observed: they will be different for asters and tomatoes. And also do not forget to water the plant in time, notice possible diseases in time and monitor the light and thermal regimes. Only in this way, emphasizes Oktyabrina Alekseevna, will it be possible to grow strong plants that will delight you with abundant fruits.
Personal life
The personal life of Oktyabrina Alekseevna is reliably hidden for prying eyes. For a long time, the woman even successfully hid her age. It is known that the woman received the name of Ganichkin from her husband. The son of Oktyabrina Alekseevna - Alexander Ganichkin - followed in the footsteps of his mother. Together with the main summer resident of the country, he writes books about caring for a garden and a vegetable garden.
In an interview, the TV presenter likes to say that she also devotes her free time to her beloved business - caring for the dacha with her children and grandchildren. According to the woman, there is no greater happiness than seeing the fruits of summer labors in the fall.
Oktyabrina Ganichkina now
Now Oktyabrina Ganichkina, despite her venerable age, continues to "tour" the country: a woman meets with fans, gives lectures and helps summer residents with advice. According to the presenter, she is warmly received everywhere.
Also, Oktyabrina Alekseevna continues to work on television. On the eve of autumn, most of the issues are devoted to preparations for the winter. The gardener shares unusual recipes, teaches how to properly sterilize jars, as well as competently freeze products so that they retain their taste for the whole winter.
Bibliography
- 1998 - "Our Garden"
- 2000 - "Garden - all year round"
- 2003 - "To my gardeners"
- 2006 - "Encyclopedia of the Gardener and the Gardener"
- 2006 - "Favorite Culinary Recipes"
- 2007 - "Flowers on your site"
- 2008 - "Favorite Flowers"
- 2013 - "To my florists"
- 2017 - "Handbook of a successful gardener"
How to plant lilacs correctly
Dig a 40x40x40cm planting pit with sheer walls. -Prepare a nutrient mixture of fertilizers: 15 kilograms of compost, 300 grams of wood ash, 20 grams of superphosphate.
Before planting, shorten the shoots by 2-3 pairs of buds, cut off too long roots, and remove the damaged ones completely.
Place the bush in the center of the hole, spreading the root system evenly, then fill in the nutrient mixture and compact it.
After planting, water abundantly, and when the water is absorbed, mulch with peat or humus with a layer of 5-7 cm. The distance between the bushes should be 2-3 meters.
How and where to plant roses
The most successful placement of roses is in the southeastern part of the site, there is good lighting and at the same time the sun's rays do not burn out delicate buds. Landmark planting time - blossoming lilac, at this time roses have a good survival rate.
Before planting, place the rose bushes in water for several hours, trim the old roots until a white cut appears.
Prepare a pit measuring 50x50 centimeters.
Lay drainage: on clay soils - broken brick, expanded clay. The next layer is a mixture of garden soil, humus, compost and top dressing in the proportion: half a glass of superphosate per bucket of soil.
After filling the hole with soil to the height of the roots, pour it over with warm water. - Submerge the seedling and cover it with earth to a height of 10 centimeters below the level of the root collar. This is done in order to prevent the formation of wild overgrowth and so that the grafted plant does not freeze out in the cold season. Next, we huddle the ground at a distance of 10-15 centimeters, and after two weeks we get out and take care of it, like an adult bush.
Planting gladioli
Planting gladioli requires areas with good lighting, no stagnant water and no strong wind. Gladioli should not be planted in places where pumpkins, tomatoes or asters used to grow. They are well suited to places where vegetables, perennial herbs and legumes used to grow. The soil should warm up to 15 degrees at a depth of 10 centimeters.
- Next, organize trenches: for large bulbs 10-15 cm, for children 5 cm.
Dig up the garden bed, fill it with compost and special fertilizers. Manure should not be used categorically.
At the bottom, pour a 2-centimeter pillow of coarse sand, then a layer of fertile soil and plant the bulbs, which can be treated with garlic infusion before planting.
Garlic infusion recipe: chop 5 garlic heads in a meat grinder and pour 10 liters of water. Insist the resulting solution for a day in a dark room.
take care of the berry harvest
For root dressing, slurry made from mullein or bird droppings is most often used. It must be applied during the period when the most intensive plant growth is taking place. Usually this time falls on the end of May - beginning of June. It is better to feed plants in this way: dig a circular hole 50 cm deep at a distance of more than a meter from a tree or shrub. Pour fertilizer into the resulting trench. One square meter of planting will need 5-10 liters of organic matter. It is necessary to dilute slurry with water in a ratio of 1:10, and bird droppings 1:20.
When carrying out foliar dressing, fertilizer is introduced by spraying the leaves with an aqueous solution. In sunny weather, the nutrient solution dries quickly and the plants do not have time to absorb it, so this work should be done early in the morning or in the evening. Carefully read the instructions on the label for the concentration of the solution, since non-observance can cause burns to the plant.
Collect celandine
Now is a good time to collect celandine, which will come in handy in the fight against garden pests.
Colorado Potato Beetle Recipe: add a glass of calcium chloride, 10-15 crushed celandine plants to a bucket of water, leave for 24 hours, then strain. Dissolve 40 grams of liquid soap in the resulting infusion. Celandine will also come in handy in flower beds - gladioli and tulips will hurt less if the soil under them is mulched with chopped greens of celandine.
Are there moles and mice in your garden? Spread the dried celandine between fruit trees and bushes, its smell will scare away rodents
fertilizer and nettle ash
Mow the nettles and let them sit in the sun for a few hours. Then put it in plastic or wooden containers (for example, in a barrel), fill it with real water, and to enhance the fermentation effect, you can add a jar of old jam.
Mix the resulting substance thoroughly every day, and in two weeks the valuable fertilizer will be ready. The resulting nettle infusion is an excellent remedy for all plants, flowers, fruit trees. The exceptions are beans, onions and garlic; nettle fertilizer is not suitable for these plants.
If there is a lot of nettle, then it can be dried and burned. The resulting ash, in terms of nitrogen and potassium content, will be several times higher than wood ash.
The people call nettle "vegetable meat" as it contains the most protein. The plant is harvested for future use, dried and crushed. Next year, the resulting powder will be the best seedling feed.
Young nettle has especially valuable nutritional properties. Its leaves have twice as much ascorbic acid than black currant berries, and the carotene content is higher than in carrots, sea buckthorn and sorrel. Do not miss the time to cook cabbage soup, prepare a delicious and healthy salad, bake pies from this wonderful plant.
Cabbage fly control
The cabbage fly is the worst enemy of early cabbage. In mid-May, she lays eggs on the stems of the seedlings and, while hatching, devours the roots of the plant.
Deterrent mixture recipe: Mix 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 100 grams of tobacco dust and the same amount of wood ash. Spray the soil with the compound and loosen it. This method of control can be used against cherry and onion flies.
an easy and modern way of planting cucumber seeds
Draw a longitudinal furrow in the middle of the dug up bed and pour it with a hot solution of "Potassium Humate". In it, at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other, plant seeds of different parthenocarpic varieties (seedless cucumbers that do not need pollination). Powder the filled groove with a mixture of mustard and pepper seeds, and scatter the hydrogel granules to retain moisture. Cover the bed with dense, covering material and wait for the harvest!
Frost protection
Did the weather forecast scare you? Then prepare water - the best plant protector from frost. Place buckets of hot water in the greenhouse, but always on wooden planks to cool down more slowly. Water the plants in open beds with warm water. Moistened soil during a cold snap will give off heat and warm the air. Be sure to cover the plants with covering material and plastic. If they are still touched by night frosts, do not remove the protection, let the sun warm the plants, then sprinkle with any growth simulator.
Protection of radish from pests
Radishes are one of the most popular early vegetables and can be planted every 10 days. I highly recommend varieties: "French Breakfast", "Heat", "Red Giant" and "Ice Icicle".
Caring for them is not difficult. Weeding, loosening, watering and pest control. The worst of them is the cruciferous flea. In hot and dry weather, it can completely destroy young plants. To leave her no chance, plant your radishes next to your celery and irrigate them regularly. Enjoy a pest-free harvest with two simple steps.
Oktyabrina Ganichkina, Alexander Ganichkin
Calendar of work in the garden, vegetable garden, flower garden from Oktyabrina Ganichkina
Cover design used photographs and illustrations: Arevik, adehoidar, DmitryPrudnichenko / Shutterstock.com
Used under license from Shutterstock.com
© Ganichkina O.A., Ganichkin A.V., text, 2016
© Design. LLC "Publishing house" E ", 2016
We purchase fertilizers for the garden and vegetable garden.
Liquid organic fertilizers: potassium humate "Prompter" - for vegetable crops, for green crops, for garden and indoor flowers, universal, for potatoes and fruit crops.
Liquid mineral fertilizers with microelements: "Intermag-vegetable garden" - for tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, cabbage, root crops, potatoes, bulbs, cucumbers, flower and ornamental crops, orchids.
Pest control products: "Imidor" - from aphids, thrips, whitefly and Colorado potato beetle.
Means of protection against diseases: "Abiga-Peak", "Alirin", "Gamair", "Glyokladin" - we spray against bacterial and fungal diseases.
Growth regulators: "Emistim" - to increase yields and prevent diseases and pests.
"Kornevin" - for soaking seedlings before planting.
Herbicides: "Lornet" - against weeds on strawberries and lawns, "Zontran" - against weeds on potatoes and tomatoes, "Sprut Extra" - a continuous action against annual and perennial weeds.
Zeba - retains moisture in the zone of the root system.
For gardeners
We buy only ready-made soil "Seliger-agro" - universal, for tomatoes, peppers, flower crops, etc.
We prepare containers for sowing seeds: trays, boxes, hollow peat pots. We revise the remaining seeds, sort them, check for germination, purchase fresh seeds.
For gardeners
We protect plants from frost and rodents. We pack snow around fruit and berry crops. With the onset of severe frosts, we poke the trees (especially young ones) with snow, throw it on the strawberry beds. We are fighting mice.
We check the storage of fruit and berry and vegetable crops.
We feed the birds.
For flower growers
We continue to monitor the shelter of roses, chrysanthemums, clematis, perennials, bulbs. We insulate with snow with a little trampling.
We continue to monitor the storage of bulbous crops; we maintain the temperature no higher than 6-7 ° C.
We check the seeds of flower crops for germination. Additionally, we purchase seeds. In the third decade of January sow seeds of pelargonium (geranium).
For gardeners
To grow seedlings, carefully wash the window and sill.
From 1 to 20 February we sow seeds of root and stalk celery on seedlings. Before sowing, spray the soil with the fungicide "Glyocladin" (10 tablets per 1 liter of water) to avoid root rot.
February 10-28 we sow pepper and eggplant seeds for seedlings, tall and medium-sized tomatoes (120-180 cm) for seedlings for film and glazed greenhouses. We take only ready-made nutrient soil, sow dry seeds into grooves spilled with a hot solution of "Prompter" potassium humate for tomatoes (1 tbsp. L. Per 1 l of water).
From 1 to 28 February we continue sowing cucumbers for growing on the windowsill, planting turnip onions on a feather in boxes.
From 20 February we begin to sow on greens: parsley, celery, basil, chard for growing on the windowsill, for consumption in winter.
Sow the seeds into moist soil and sprinkle a little water from a spray bottle on top. Do not pour water, otherwise the seeds will go deep.
For gardeners
In the last month of winter we continue to pack snow around the fruit trees. If there is a lot of snow, we systematically shake it off the branches, since during thaws they can break under excess weight.
On warm days in the end of the month we whiten the trunks and bases of branches, especially in young trees, to protect them from sunburn. We continue to protect the trees from rodents, and lay out the "Storm" preparation.
And you can also check if the fruit buds overwintered well: cut off a few branches and put them in water for growing. We purchase plastic wrap, covering non-woven material, inventory, greenhouses and arches for beds.
For flower growers
We monitor tubers, corms, etc.
When decaying, cut it off, process it in a solution of "Glyocladin" (10 tablets per 1 liter of water), dry it.
We sow seeds of perennial crops: sweet pea, delphinium, aquilegia, astilba, cornflower, flax, lichvis, aster, etc.
In the open field, we monitor the shelter of flower crops. We lay out bait against mice on plantings of bulbous crops.
For gardeners
March 1-10 we sow leek and black onion seeds for seedlings to get turnips in one summer, we continue to sow tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for film greenhouses.
March 10-20 we sow low-growing tomatoes (50-70 cm tall) for seedlings for open ground.
March 20-25 - we sow seeds of early varieties of white cabbage for seedlings.
March 25-30 we sow mid-late varieties of white cabbage, as well as cauliflower, savoy, red cabbage, kohlrabi and broccoli for seedlings.
During March we feed seedlings of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, planted in February, dissolve 1 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. "Intermag-vegetable garden" for tomatoes and 1 tbsp. l. potassium humate "Prompter" for vegetable crops.
For gardeners
We shake off wet snow from the branches so that they do not break. The bright sun at this time is quite dangerous: often the bark on the trunks gets burned, especially in young trees. Anyone who did not manage to whitewash the trees in February should do it in early March.
In the end of the month in warm weather, we start pruning and forming the crown of both young and fruiting trees of pear, apple, ornamental crops. When pruning the branches of the wound, we cover it with garden pitch. At this time, we remove dry, broken branches from the trees. We cover trees damaged by rodents with garden varnish or oil paint to protect them from drying out the tissues.
In order to grow a decent crop of tomatoes, you need to get down to business as seriously as possible from the very beginning, armed with practical and theoretical advice from experienced gardeners. One of the most effective methods of planting tomatoes Ganichkina is considered. She is a candidate of agricultural sciences, in numerous television shows, articles and copyrighted books, she tells how easy and inexpensive to grow large crops in your home or in the garden.
The soil, according to Oktyabrina Ganichkina, as well as the climatic conditions of Russia and Ukraine (abundance of sun, dry air, the possibility of frequent watering) are ideal for the growth of a crop such as tomatoes. Today we see these bright fruits all year round on supermarket shelves, they are grown in greenhouse conditions, and they are also brought from abroad. But, of course, the most appreciated are tomatoes grown in the open field. In Russia, the tomato has been known since the 18th century, but the tomato became widespread in vegetable gardens from the end of the next century. There are such types of this plant according to the nature of development:
- undersized, 30-80 cm. Differs in rapid ripeness;
- medium height, 100-120 cm outdoors, indoors - 150 cm;
- tall. In non-greenhouse conditions, they can reach 2 m, and in protected conditions, they reach the entire height of the greenhouse.
In each of the periods of its development, the plant requires certain external conditions. It is important to remember, says Oktyabrina, that seedlings need a short day of light. It is important that the tomato receives a lot of light, as the plant loves light.
The temperature regime of the tomato, which will ensure comfortable growth, is as follows:
- up to 25 ° C during the day;
- up to 18 ° С at night;
- a temperature of 30 ° C leads to shedding of flowers, as a result, to the absence of fruits;
- a short stay at temperatures up to 3 ° C is tolerated by the plant calmly.
The tomato needs moisture constantly, it is very important to water it during the period of development of the ovaries. Many do not know that the terrain through which groundwater passes is not suitable for a plant. A humid environment is also difficult to tolerate (the reason for the development of late blight, brown spot, difficulty in fertilization), as well as frequent rains. Light exposure is also very important for the health of this plant. The lack of light can be seen by the characteristic features highlighted by Oktyabrina: a very elongated seedling, the color of the leaves is soft green, an increase in the number of leaves, as well as an almost complete absence of fruits. 
If the cultivation of tomatoes does not take place in the open field, it is especially worthwhile to approach moisture issues with particular care:
- comfortable - 60-70%;
- in greenhouse conditions - 80-90%.
We plant seedlings
Seedlings are purchased, or they go through the entire process of growing from seeds on their own. Oktyabrina Ganichkina advises the gardeners to sprout tomatoes themselves. When buying ready-made seedlings, you should be careful: the best is the seedling that has a low growth, but a powerful root system.
Such young bushes need to be placed in the ground up to the cotyledon leaves, then sprinkle the roots with soil, press lightly. It is also worth forming small holes in the soil for better heat transfer to the roots, as well as good watering. 
The soil for planting should not be dry. Small glasses or boxes of 10 × 10 cm are suitable for seedlings. Before planting, they need to be made a little denser and watered with the diluted Bud stimulant (1 g per 1 liter), as well as any other preparation for planting seeds. In each of the glasses we make a hole up to 1 cm, place one seed, pour soil on top. After sowing, the containers should be placed in a warm room (24-25 ° C) with good penetration of sunlight. If you want to achieve rapid growth, Ganichkina advises you to put a film on the containers, which must be removed after germination.
Ganichkina notes that with early sowing, the seedlings have an increased length, and later they do not take root well in the open field. Therefore, it is important to clearly know the right sowing time of the plants.
The optimal period for planting in protected ground for undersized people is up to 60 days, for medium-sized ones - 70 days. They are transplanted into greenhouse conditions from May 5 (without heating). Oktyabrina also advises to hold the seeds in special liquids ("Bud", "Agricola Vegeta", "Energen", "Effekton") before sowing. 
The temperature of the solution must be above 20 ° C. Place the bags in liquid for a day. Then we carry out the process of stabbing: we put a wet bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The seeds can then be placed in the soil. This preparation makes the plant sustainable and influences its development in the future.
We take care of seedlings
After germination, the growth of tomato seeds is very slow, but after 2-3 weeks, growth is accelerated. In order for the seedlings not to stretch out, you need to make sure that they receive enough light and the appropriate temperature. We observe the temperature regime as follows:
- during the day not higher than 18 degrees, not lower than 13 - at night - the first seven days;
- not higher than 20 degrees - during the day, not lower than 15 - at night - until the appearance of 2 and 3 leaves.
Seedlings must be watered twice and fed. For the first watering, we use boiled water at a temperature of 20 ° C. We pour water only at the root, so as not to give the young leaves the opportunity to rot. Turning the cups upside-down to the light every day will provide protection against unproportional stretching of the plant. It is not worth keeping the cups just on the windowsill; it is better to come up with a stand for free air penetration to the roots.
Ganichkina notes that after 5 days of growing a tomato, you can remove weak plants. Plant feeding begins after the appearance of the first leaf.
- First feeding: 1 liter. water - 1 teaspoon "Agricola Vegeta" plus growth stimulator "Kornerost".
- Second dressing after the appearance of the third true leaf: 1 l. water - 1 tbsp. spoon "Effekton-O". Leaves are undesirable.
You need to water the seedlings with high quality once every 7 days. Long pauses are bad for tomatoes. In April, hardening begins by opening the window for a day. You can also transfer tomatoes to the balcony (the temperature should be at least 12 ° C). If the temperature drops, then the seedlings should not be outside. During the hardening period, it is necessary to moisten the soil well. Seedlings ready for a greenhouse have a height of 15–35 cm, as well as 12 developed leaves and 1-2 inflorescences.
Grown independently on the advice of Ganichkina, the seedlings will turn into an adult healthy plant that will bring a lush harvest in the future!
Video "Growing tomatoes according to the method of Oktyabrina Ganichkina"
On the recording, the famous gardener Oktyabrina Ganichkina gives practical advice on growing tomatoes from seeds.
Section 1
Harvest vegetable garden
Nightshade crops
Potato
The potato is a perennial plant propagated by tubers. Depending on the variety, tubers are oval, round, flat, barrel-shaped in shape; in color - white, pink, red, red-violet, in color of the pulp - white, cream, light yellow, blue-violet.
Precursor cultures
Potatoes are best planted after cucumbers, radishes, radishes, beans, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, green peas, and siderates. It should not be placed after tomato, eggplant. The best precursors of potatoes when planting are cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, the good ones are carrots, legumes, beets, parsley. Potatoes should not be grown in the area where they were cultivated in previous years, especially if the tubers were infected with scab or other fungal diseases. You can not place potatoes after a tomato, as well as in the immediate vicinity of it, as they have a number of the same diseases.
Soil preparation
Until recently, it was believed that potatoes easily tolerate increased soil acidity. However, potatoes growing on acidic soils are more damaged by diseases and pests.
Light and medium loams, sandy loams are considered the best for potatoes; cultivated and well-fertilized sod-podzolic, gray forest soils, drained peat bogs.
With proper soil cultivation and application of the required amount of fertilizers, as well as good planting care, potatoes can grow and give good yields on almost all soils. Soils with good water retention and air permeability are ideal.
It is important that the dug layer is deep enough to promote good root development. Potatoes give the highest yields on floodplain, as well as sod-podzolic light loamy and sandy loamy soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.
To get the earliest harvest, it is better to plant potatoes in open areas that are not darkened from the south and south-west, and early free from snow.
Planting material
They buy pure-grade tubers weighing 50–100 g. Small tubers (10–20 g) can also be used as planting material, but they are planted in holes of 3-4 pcs.
Selected tubers are first warmed at a temperature of 24-25 ° C for 2-3 days, and then laid out on the windowsill, on the floor or in low boxes, which are placed near the window. In this case, the tubers should be laid out in one layer and evenly illuminated by daylight without sunlight.
To speed up the emergence of seedlings, vernalization is carried out: seed tubers are germinated in the light at a temperature of 14–16 ° C for 30–35 days.
To do this, use any room where this mode can be maintained. Light is needed to form strong, plump, dark green sprouts with a purple-pink tint on the tubers, not exceeding 2 cm.With insufficient light, the tubers form long, thin, white sprouts that break easily, from which a weak plant will grow, so every five days they are carefully shifted so that the lower eyes with sprouts are at the top, and then vice versa.
Sometimes the wet method of vernalization is used. With this method, the tubers are placed in baskets or boxes in 2–3 rows with their eyes upward at a distance of 2–3 cm from each other and sprinkled with peat or sawdust, which should be moist during the entire vernalization period. With wet vernalization, tubers, firstly, lose less water and nutrients; secondly, in addition to sprouts, roots are formed; thirdly, vernalization is reduced by two weeks.
Prevention of diseases in tubers
For prophylaxis against diseases, especially from late blight and scab, tubers are treated with Alirin-B solution (1 tablet per 3 liters of water) before germination. Tubers can not only be sprayed, but also dipped in this solution for 3 minutes. Arrange the processed tubers again. Wear rubber gloves.
5 days after the preventive treatment, the tubers are alternately sprayed with a solution of universal "Potassium Humate" (1 tbsp. Spoon per 3 l of water) at intervals of 4–5 days to accelerate the germination of tubers.
The second solution is diluted with 1 tbsp for 3 liters of water. spoon "Intermag" for potatoes.
The third solution is diluted with 1 tbsp for 3 liters of water. spoon of "Potassium humate" for vegetable crops.
The fourth, fifth and sixth spraying is done with a solution of the universal "Potassium Humate". Spray in the morning or mid-day, but not in the evening.
So, the tubers are almost ready for planting. They have short, thick, strong shoots. If the tubers are large, they are cut with a sharp knife so that the weight of the cut pieces is at least 50–70 g and there are 2–3 strong sprouts on them. It is not recommended to plant cut tubers right away, since a fresh cut can rot, therefore, for 1-2 days, the cuts are dried or the cuts are powdered with ground coal.
If the tubers did not have time to germinate, then 3-4 days before planting, they must be warmed up at a temperature of 35-40 ° C. This contributes to the awakening of the buds and the rapid emergence of seedlings (especially in imported varieties - Polish, Cuban, etc.).
Thus, planting material is prepared for both early-maturing and mid-season varieties.
Growing seedlings of early potatoes
Earlier potatoes can be grown from seedlings. To obtain seedlings, healthy varietal tubers are selected, at the beginning they are germinated in the light for 25-30 days, as mentioned above. Then they take light boxes 40 × 50 cm in size and 10–12 cm in height, fill them with a peat mixture with a layer of 8–10 cm, and place small sprouted tubers in them at a distance of 3 cm from each other, sprouts up. Fill in the same mixture with a layer of 4–5 cm. Then the boxes with the planted tubers are watered with a solution of "Intermag" for potatoes (for 5 liters of water, 1 tbsp. Spoon). Water so as to moisten the top and bottom layers of the potting mix. It is better to put boxes with potato plantings in a bright, sunny place, but you can also not in the sun. Seedlings are grown within three weeks. At this time, it is necessary to carry out one top dressing, when shoots with a height of 2-3 cm appear (in 10 liters of water dissolve 1 tbsp. Spoon of liquid fertilizer "Effecton-O" and 1 tbsp. Spoon of "Intermag" for potatoes).
Valuable potato varieties can be grown by layering. To do this, the tubers are germinated for two weeks in the light, then planted in a small box (as described above). To obtain good layering, take large tubers. As soon as the shoots reach a height of 5–8 cm, the tubers are removed from the box. Layers are separated from them together with the root system and at the end of April they are planted on a bed at a distance of 20 cm from each other and 40-50 cm between rows, temporarily covered with a film. And the tubers continue to germinate again in diffused daylight until the sprouts grow up to 1–2 cm. The re-obtained layers are planted on a garden bed together with tubers at a distance of 25 cm from each other and 50 cm between rows.
Site preparation and fertilization
The potato is a light-loving plant and only gives a good harvest when there is sufficient light. When planted in shaded places, the tops are stretched, the leaves become pale yellow, there is no flowering, the tubers are small, the yield is low. If groundwater comes close, then ridges or ridges are made for planting.
The selected area is dug up in the fall and the acidic soil is necessarily deoxidized by adding lime or dolomite flour at least 1 glass per 1 m 2 (the rate depends on the acidity of the soil). The dug, but not leveled area is left until spring.
On heavy clay and loamy soils, 1 bucket of peat or humus is applied per 1 m 2.
On sandy and sandy loam soils, in addition to humus and peat, clay soil is introduced.
On peat soils, a bucket of coarse sand, clay, manure humus or compost is applied. In early spring, when the soil is suitable, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied. From mineral fertilizers, 1 tbsp is scattered per 1 m 2 of soil. a spoonful of powdered superphosphate, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate and 1 glass of wood ash. If there are no such fertilizers, then you can add 2 tbsp for 1 m 2. tablespoons of nitrophoska and 1 cup of wood ash.
Fresh manure should not be applied under the potatoes, because the quality of the tubers deteriorates - they become watery, tasteless. From fresh manure, potato tops are affected by fungal diseases, especially late blight, and tubers with scab. It is better to apply rotted manure (humus) under the potatoes at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 m 2, depending on the composition of the soil.
When all the fertilizers have been applied, they begin to dig the site to the depth of the bayonet shovel. At the same time, both in autumn and in spring, one must be extremely careful, remove the rhizomes of perennial weeds (especially wheatgrass), wireworm larvae, May beetle and other pests from the soil.
Planting potatoes
Early ripe potatoes are planted both as seedlings and sprouted tubers in the first decade of May. Seedlings that have reached 7–10 cm, after the next watering with water, are carefully selected together with the tubers and planted in holes at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other, and between the rows - 50 cm. The depth of planting of tubers is such that 1/3 of the tops remains above the surface of the soil. If the temperature drops to minus planting with seedlings, they are temporarily covered with film, paper, or sprinkled with moist soil, and early in the morning they are sprayed with water.
Mid-season potato tubers are planted at the end of the first - beginning of the second decade of May.
Landing scheme
In areas with closely located groundwater, it is better to plant potatoes in the ridges, since with this planting the soil is ventilated and warmed up faster. The height of the ridge is up to 15 cm, the distance between the ridges is 60–70 cm, the tubers are planted to a depth of 6–8 cm.
In areas with insufficient moisture, planting is best done on a flat dug area, where the tubers are planted to a depth of 8-10 cm. Then the soil is leveled with a rake to reduce moisture evaporation.
Many gardeners mistakenly use ridge planting in dry areas, as a result of which they receive crop failure and small tubers.
On moist soils, especially in peaty areas, in addition to ridges, they make high, up to 30 cm, beds on which potatoes are planted in two rows. The rows are placed at a distance of 20 cm from the edge of the garden bed and 70 cm from each other. In a row, tubers are planted every 25–40 cm, depending on the fertility of the soil and the size of the planting material. The smaller the tubers, the denser the planting.
10–12 days after sprouting, new tubers are planted in place of non-sprouted tubers. Tubers for planting are additionally grown on a separate bed (covered with a film) at the rate of up to 30 pcs. by 1 m 2.
Potato care
A week after planting the tubers, they start caring for them. First, early loosening is carried out with a rake or a hoe, and very shallow, to a depth of 2-3 cm, which allows increasing the flow of oxygen to the tubers and destroying small weeds. After rains, the soil must be loosened to prevent the formation of a crust that impedes the access of air. This is done very carefully so as not to break off the sprouts or pull the tubers to the surface.
To protect them from morning frosts, young plants are completely huddled, that is, the plant is covered with soil, and after 3-4 days, when the danger has passed, the upper part is carefully freed from the ground with a rake. Smoke is also made, early in the morning, sprayed with water, covered with film, paper or any material.
The first hilling is carried out necessarily on moderately moist soil, when the tops reach a height of 13–15 cm, the ground is raked to the tops with hoes in small portions so that a mound forms around the bush. The second hilling is done in 10-12 days. It helps to accelerate flowering and tuberization. Hilling also protects tubers from late blight, the pathogens of which quickly spread from the affected foliage to the tubers.
The optimum temperature for tuberization and development of potatoes is 18–22 ° C. At a temperature of 25 ° C, the growth of tubers slows down, at a temperature of 30 ° C and above, it stops completely. But even when the temperature drops to 10 ° C, tuberization weakens.
In the period from planting to emergence, the need for water is satisfied by keeping it in the planting tubers. With a lack of light (thickened planting), the yield decreases. For better illumination, it is advisable to place the rows in the north-south direction.
The greatest amount of water is required during tuber formation, which begins in the budding and flowering phase. During these periods, soil moisture should be moderately moist.
With a lack of moisture in the soil, the growth of potatoes is delayed, the leaf apparatus and the root system are poorly developed, the formation of tubers slows down, which leads to a decrease in the yield and its quality indicators, therefore it is so important to have an uninterrupted supply of plants with water and all the necessary nutrients. After each watering or rain, it is necessary to loosen the soil (if the soil sticks to the hoe, the moment has not come yet; if it starts to dust, you are late with loosening).
There is a general rule: on light soils, potatoes should be watered more often, but in smaller doses, on heavy soils, less often, but abundantly, and so that the water is gradually absorbed into the soil without the formation of puddles. The watering can should be kept closer to the ground and quickly walk with it 2-3 times until the soil is completely wetted. The temperature of the irrigation water should not be lower than the temperature of the soil.
Top dressing
During the growing season of potatoes, three additional dressings are made. The first feeding is carried out during the growth of the tops, if the potato bushes are poorly developed, have thin stems, pale yellowish leaves
(in 10 liters of water, dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea and 2 tbsp. spoons of "Intermag" for potatoes). Consumption - 0.5 liters for each bush. Root dressing, as a rule, is done only after the next watering or rain, that is, in moist soil.
The second feeding is carried out during budding: in 10 liters of water, 2 tbsp. spoons of "Potassium humate" for vegetable crops. This top dressing stimulates potato flowering.
Potatoes need a lot of nutrients. Plants experience the greatest need for them during the period of tuber formation, that is, during flowering, at this time tuberization takes place.
The third top dressing is given during flowering: in 10 liters of water, they are diluted in 2 tbsp. spoons of "Intermag" for potatoes. This top dressing will accelerate tuber formation.
If the area of the potato plot is more than a hundred square meters (100 m 2), then top dressing can be carried out with dry fertilizers:
To accelerate the growth of tops, 0.5 teaspoons of urea and 150-200 g of dung or vegetable humus are scattered under each bush; to slow down its growth, watered with a solution of superphosphate (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water), 0.5 for each plant;
During budding, 1 tbsp is applied under each bush. spoon of wood ash and 0.5 teaspoon of potassium sulfate.
Harvest
Dug up early potatoes for summer consumption on the green tops during the beginning of their flowering. For seeds and for winter use, potatoes are harvested later, in mid-September, after the tops have dried up massively. During this period, the tubers are easily separated from the stem shoots and have a strong skin. When harvested earlier, immature tubers with a thin, flaky skin do not store well. Being late from harvesting leads to excessive heating of tubers and their instability to disease.
To avoid fungal diseases of tubers during storage, the tops of potatoes are cut 15–18 days before harvesting so that stalks 10–12 cm high without leaves remain. The cut tops must be burned.
In mid-September, on a sunny, clear day, potatoes are harvested. The dug tubers are not placed on the soil, but carefully laid out on a dry cloth, paper, on scattered dry sawdust, or immediately brought into the room and scattered on the floor (this is better). Dried potatoes are sorted into seed and food, diseased, cut, very small tubers are selected.
Seed tubers weighing 50–100 g can be rinsed with water immediately after digging and dried in a bright, ventilated room, and then planted in an open place in warm weather for 2-3 days so that they are better stored and not damaged by mice.
If in the area the tops were not affected by late blight, the tubers were clean, they are only dried and greened, in this case it is not necessary to wash the tubers.
Tubers selected for food purposes are thoroughly dried, but not greened. If there is a suspicion of late blight, then it is better to rinse the tubers with water and dry, and then put them in boxes, paper bags or other containers of 30–35 kg.
Storage
Potatoes will be better stored if the tubers during harvesting did not receive sunburn, mechanical damage and did not come into contact with the tops affected by late blight. The dug tubers should not remain under the sun, in the wind for more than 30–40 minutes, otherwise this may lead to their rotting during storage.
Potatoes are stored in cellars, basements, garage pits, etc. They keep well at a temperature of 2–5 ° C.
For storage on the balcony, potatoes must be folded into a double cloth bag and placed in a wooden box, which, in turn, is placed in another, more spacious one. The space between the drawers should be about 10 cm. It should be covered with an old blanket or rags. From above, the potatoes are also covered with something. With this protection, it can withstand frost down to –15 ° C.
Varieties
Getting high yields of potatoes largely depends on the right variety. Old, well-known varieties (such as Sineglazka ), of course, very tasty, but not resistant to almost all types of potato diseases.
According to the duration of the growing season, potato varieties are divided into groups: early (ready for harvesting 50-60 days after planting); medium early (60–80 days); mid-season (80-100 days); medium late (110–120 days); late (more than 120 days).
Late varieties have higher yields. Of the completely new varieties, the following varieties can be called: Hope - unsurpassed taste, high quality tubers; Red dawn - resistance to viruses, high quality tubers.
Even a very good variety should not be grown for more than 8-10 years. It should be replaced by a new one, with better properties and productivity.
The quality of the planting material is of great importance, then you can count on a good harvest for several years.
Early (R) and very early (CP)
Belarusian early (p) - tubers are white, rounded with a blunt apex and a slightly depressed stolon trace, weighing 90–100 g. White pulp. Resistant to cancer. Viral diseases are poorly affected, scab - strongly.
Varmas (p) - tubers are white, aligned, large with small eyes. The average mass of a tuber is up to 200 g. The pulp is white; during steaming and in water, the tuber does not boil.
Spring (Wed) - tubers are long-oval, light pink, weighing 90–130 g. White pulp. Suitable for salads, toasting and cooking. Resistant to cancer, late blight and other fungal and bacterial diseases.
Domodedovskiy (p) - tubers are round, white, weighing 80–100 g. The flesh is white, not darkening. Resistant to cancer. Weakly affected by viruses.
Vyatka (p) - tubers are white with a cream shade, round, large, weighing 90–140 g. The flesh is white, does not darken when cut. Resistant to cancer. At high yields, tubers are prone to cracking.
Spark (p) - tubers are white, round, weighing 96–130 g. White pulp. It responds well to the application of increased doses of fertilizers. Resistant to cancer, black leg.