At what depth to plant potatoes, depending on the timing and methods of planting
The yield of vegetable crops is influenced by many factors: the quality of seed, air temperature, timely application of fertilizers, compliance with agrotechnical methods of planting or sowing.
These factors also apply to potatoes. At the very beginning, you need to decide on the choice of variety, then wait for sprouts to sprout from the “eyes” and only then plant in the prepared soil.
To obtain a good harvest, the planting depth must be observed. So at what depth should you plant potatoes to get a good harvest?
Content:
- Preparation of soil and planting material
- Which potatoes are better to plant: small or large?
- At what depth to plant potatoes under a shovel, with a walk-behind tractor, what factors should be taken into account
- Depth of planting potatoes in ridges
- How does planting depth depend on its timing?
- How to quickly plant potatoes using a potato planter
- How to plant potatoes before winter, under straw
Preparation of soil and planting material
Is tuber preparation necessary? The answer is unequivocal - yes. The fact is that during the preparation process, biological processes are launched in the tubers, as a result of which sprouts sprout and the root system develops.
Preparing tubers allows you to discard unproductive and contaminated material. This way you can get friendly shoots and a good harvest.
Common ways to prepare tubers for planting
Regardless of the chosen method, pre-sowing preparation takes about a month.
| Germination | The good thing about this method is that it promotes rapid germination, which significantly speeds up the harvest time. Germination is considered the most effective method. It can be dry, wet or combined. |
| Drying | The essence of the method is that the tubers are laid out in one layer in a warm room. As a result of wilting, they lose some of their moisture, which contributes to the rapid appearance of sprouts |
| Warming up | This method is good when you need to achieve a quick awakening. Especially when the time has already come, and the tubers in the cellar have not yet sprouted. Emergency awakening can be achieved in 4-5 days. |
Which potatoes are better to plant: small or large?
After reviewing the forum responses regarding optimal tuber sizes and taking into account the scientific literature, we can definitely say that size matters.
Too small tubers will produce very few sprouts, the green mass will be small and filamentous. If the potato bushes are small, then you won’t have to wait for a good harvest.
Large potato also not suitable as planting material. Experienced gardeners advise cutting large tubers in half.
The optimal size is medium. It is advisable to harvest the achen during harvest, choosing smooth, even tubers from under the bush.
At what depth to plant potatoes under a shovel, with a walk-behind tractor, what factors should be taken into account
Depending on how potatoes are planted: manually under a shovel or under a walk-behind tractor, the depth of planting the tubers into the soil is very different.
Under the shovel. This method is considered labor-intensive, but is suitable for summer residents who grow potatoes for their own needs.
For planting, you need to prepare holes 8-9 cm deep. Then you need to put a tuber in each hole so that the eyes look up. During planting, it is recommended to place ash, rotted manure or mineral fertilizers in each hole. Next, the tubers are covered with earth. After embedding the material into the soil, the beds are leveled with a rake.
When carrying out work, it is important to ensure that the plantings are in even rows. This will make caring for potatoes easier and simplify the task of hilling.
Landing potatoes using a walk-behind tractor. This method is suitable for processing a large area. You need to attach a potato planter to the walk-behind tractor. Special equipment plants the tubers in the ground at a certain set distance and covers them with soil. The depth is set independently, but cannot exceed the factory settings.
You can attach a hiller to the walk-behind tractor. The potato planter is cost-effective for cultivating a large area, while the hiller is suitable for planting potatoes in a small area.
Let's watch a video with recommendations at what depth to plant potatoes:
Depth of planting potatoes in ridges
Planting potatoes in ridges is recommended in damp areas. The height of the ridges is 20 cm. A mini tractor or garden equipment is used to form them.
The ridge option is also used on heavy soils. The tubers are buried 6-8 cm into the soil. During plowing with a plow, shallow trenches are formed. After laying the seed, a ridge is formed, also using technology.
The good thing about this method is that even with early planting, weather conditions cannot affect the germination of tubers, since they are above the soil surface, water does not linger in the ridges, and the soil is well ventilated.
How does planting depth depend on its timing?
The depth of planting affects the provision of tubers with sufficient moisture. The deeper the seeds are embedded in the soil, the less heat they need for germination and less air.
If planting is carried out in early spring in unheated soil, then the tubers should be located closer to the surface. Late periods of work allow for deepening to the optimal depth.
Planting too early as well as too late has a negative impact on yields.
You need to start working at a time when the ground has warmed up to a depth of 10 cm. The soil temperature is +7-9°C.
As a result of research, scientists have proven that there is no connection between planting potatoes and the depth of soil heating. However, gardeners still advise planting potatoes in warm soil. But many are guided by the rule: “the sooner, the better.”
The timing of the work varies depending on the region and falls on the end of April - beginning of May.
The optimal planting depth is 13 cm, the minimum is 6 cm. Neglecting this condition will significantly reduce germination and lead to the loss of part of the crop.
How to quickly plant potatoes using a potato planter
Using a potato planter, you can quickly plant potatoes without spending a lot of time and effort on the process. The equipment itself plows the soil, places the tubers in the prepared furrow and immediately covers it with soil.
New models of potato planters are equipped with a new option: fertilization.
For greater cross-country ability on light soil, it is recommended to change the wheels of the walk-behind tractor to lug lugs. Before use, it is important to check the settings, set the required depth, adjust the width of the rows, and the distance between the holes.
Attention! To ensure uniform planting, it is important to select tubers of equal size.
How to plant potatoes before winter, under straw
In regions with warm winters, this method of planting potatoes is practiced before winter.
Advantages of winter planting:
- Shoots appear after the ground warms up
- Early yield
- The plot can be replanted with potatoes
The main advantage of this type of planting is early harvesting, which guarantees plants protection from late blight.
When planting before winter, the depth of planting of tubers is important. If you bury them to a shallow depth, you can freeze the potatoes; if you bury them too deep, you may wake up late.
To ensure harvest, potato tubers are immersed 20 cm in the ground.
To ensure the safety of the seed material, in the fall the beds are insulated: spruce branches, grass, and straw are laid.
There is another interesting way - planting under straw, which does not require additional plowing. This method guarantees good air permeability and the roots will certainly not be stuffy.
The seed material is laid out on the surface of the soil and covered with a layer of straw. As the tops grow, straw is added. Summer residents who grow potatoes using this method are proud of their unprecedented harvests.
On any soil you can get a good harvest, the main thing is to study all the intricacies of a vegetable crop, methods of preparing tubers for planting and the process of planting seed material in the soil.
We invite you to watch another video about the rules for planting potatoes:
Comments
The main thing is not only the depth, but also that the potatoes that are placed in the ground have sprouts, they sprout faster and gain strength, which means you will get a harvest faster than from potatoes without sprouts.
We always plant two potatoes per hole.If you plant potatoes in beds, then the yield, I think, will be lower. You need to plant potatoes so that there is 1.5 - 2.0 cm of soil above them.
We also plant potatoes at a depth of about 10 cm. It is not recommended to plant them too deep, since the sprouts will spend all their strength trying to break through to the surface, and if they are shallow, young tubers will eventually peek out of the ground and turn green from the sun.
Every spring I look at the planters with interest, but somehow we manage on our own, we plant for ourselves. We prepare an area for potatoes, treat the finished tubers with a solution against pests, mark out the rows and off we go, one lifts a pile of earth with a shovel, the second lifts a potato into the hole, and sprinkles it with earth. The depth is probably 15-20 centimeters and it turns out, just like that, a good shovel of earth taken from the hole. The harvest is more often pleasing than disappointing.