Potato tubers used for sowing require preliminary preparation.
The procedure takes from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the conditions. Its essence lies in the germination of the seed material.
Thanks to this method, seedlings appear earlier, plants develop faster and, accordingly, the harvest is earlier.
Another important advantage is that the potatoes have time to develop before pests and diseases become active.
Terms and Conditions
The room is warm (up to +30 °C). The lighting is weak. In this case, you should not keep the potatoes for the purpose of sprouting for more than 2 weeks. The fact is that sprouts that appear in such conditions are more vulnerable to mechanical damage.
It is preferable to germinate potatoes in a cool room. However, in such conditions the process is not so rapid, the tubers are prepared for vegetation gradually.
Optimal conditions: +18 …+20 °C, diffused light. Germination should be done in plastic air-permeable vegetable boxes.
Preparing for germination
First, it is necessary to examine the planting material. Immediately discard tubers with obvious mechanical damage and signs of disease. If there are sprouts, they should be torn off so that germination is uniform.
Then the tubers are sorted by size. This is done to plant in groups and get more uniform shoots. Large tubers germinate faster. The optimal size of seed potatoes is the size of a chicken egg.
Before sowing
Another inspection is carried out. This time, attention is paid to tubers whose shoots are concentrated in one part. In this case, a vertical or transverse cut is made around the entire circumference with a knife 0.5-1 cm deep for additional stimulation.
Landing Features
Large tubers are placed at a depth of 15 cm. If the potatoes are small, they are placed no deeper than 8 cm. The distance between planting material is 40 cm.
If the tubers are very small, then 2-3 pieces are placed in one hole. The earliest time for sowing potatoes coincides with the period when coltsfoot and crocus bloom.
