Potatoes under the straw - high yields with a minimum of effort. Potatoes in the Urals under the straw! Garden without the hassle of growing potatoes

Do you know how to plant potatoes? Not no traditional way into the ground. And under the straw. Yes, so that in the summer not to spud and not to break through the weeds, and in the fall to reap a rich harvest.

Experienced summer residents are able to talk endlessly about their methods of planting tubers. But if you ask them how much they managed to dig up, you can hear a plaintive story. After all, diseases also affect productivity, and the year turned out to be unsuccessful, and there were many pests. If you are tired of listening to country stories, try new technologies.

For example, planting potatoes under straw guarantees a hassle-free garden. . You will be able to spend less time caring for a potato bed, you will be spared from hilling, loosening, weeding. As a result, you will harvest directly from the surface of the earth without digging.

And, using the Dutch method, you can collect surprisingly bountiful harvest elite potatoes. True, you will be required to comply with the rules of agricultural technology and the availability of certain knowledge. Which way is better, you choose. But it is worth experimenting, because the result promises to be positive.

Potatoes under hay and straw video

Planting tubers for hay is a long-standing method that has lost its popularity in Soviet times. The cult of labor did not recognize easy ways. But today many farmers in Siberia, in middle lane and in the Urals they began to plant potatoes under straw, gradually remembering and putting into practice the old methods of growing abundant potato crops with minimal use of physical labor.

It is not necessary to dig up the earth before planting. Tubers are laid on the surface of the soil in a checkerboard pattern. After they are crushed with nutritious humus or compost and covered with straw. If it is not available, hay (ordinary dried grass) will do.

Planting is completed as soon as all the tubers are covered with a 20 cm layer of straw. No more work under normal weather conditions will be required until autumn. To make planting potatoes under straw more understandable - the video at the end of the article is for your attention. Russian farmers share their experience.

When can boarding start?

Agronomists recommend planting when the average daily air temperature has reached +8 degrees. By folk omens planted at the time when the bird cherry blossoms. In any case, this happens in spring time when the soil is slightly damp and already warm. Therefore, having laid the potatoes and covering them with a thick layer of hay or straw, you should not worry about watering and fertilizing. the time will come and you will be able to see for yourself the good results.

Do not worry that shoots do not appear for a long time. They need time to break through the hay. But after the sprouts appear on the surface, they will quickly get stronger and begin to grow.

Growing Benefits:

Raise a layer of straw and break through to the sun, many weeds are beyond the power. Therefore, they die, eliminating the work of weeding.
Straw creates the optimal balance of temperature and humidity for tuber growth. Exception: too rainy or dry summer.

If it rains too often, moisture will remain under the layer of straw, which will contribute to the debate. It is better to replace part of the cover with a dry one. In hot, dry weather, it will be useful to water the beds.

And another undoubted advantage is the harvesting process. All you need is a rake. With their help upper layer the hay is removed and the tubers can be harvested directly from the ground. They do not require purification from the soil. It is enough to dry them and sort them.

yield

In autumn, when the tops turn yellow and dry, the harvest begins. Those who have tried potatoes under straw leave the most positive reviews. It is noted that from a plot of 10 sq. m. you can collect 5 - 6 buckets. If farmers grow vegetables for sale, then in warm regions they can plant potatoes at the end of winter. To do this, you just need to double the cover layer. Harvest will be in early summer.

Growing potatoes using Dutch technology

This method will be appreciated by those who, in the struggle for a high-quality and plentiful harvest, will spare neither time nor effort. mainly used in fields and large areas. She is different from conventional way particular attention to the selection planting material, providing access to the roots of air and moisture.

Growing potatoes using Dutch technology , it is necessary to prepare even rows in loose soil up to 10 cm deep. The distance between them is about 70 cm. It is also important to comply with all the conditions of the technology. Those farmers who use a simplified growing scheme get a lower quality result.

Important Factors

Certified potatoes are suitable for planting. Which was carried out for the presence of pests and infections. Elite dutch varieties guarantee an excellent harvest.
During the growth and development of the tops and tubers, treatment for diseases is necessary, as well as regular fertilizer.
Compliance with the rules of crop rotation. That is, it is unacceptable to plant crops in the same place for three or four years in a row. It is good if cereals grew on the field a year before potatoes.
An important factor is the planned loosening of the soil and the hilling of bushes by creating ridges.

How to plant according to Dutch technology

The site begins to prepare for planting in the fall. It is dug up with compost or humus. Often add or potassium salt. After wintering, they are introduced nitrogen fertilizers. The soil is loosened to a depth of 20 cm and leveled. When the soil is ripe, planting begins. It will take 400 - 500 tubers to plant a hundred square meters.

The procedure is as follows:

first, rows are formed, which are pulled out as far as possible in a north-south direction;
sprouted potatoes are placed in them at a distance of 30 cm from each other;
after the rows are buried and ridges 10 cm high are formed above them;
two weeks later, the soil is wrapped on the ridges from the row spacing, loosening them a little.

As soon as shoots appear, spend preventive treatment from late blight.

Useful events

Ridges need to be watered at least three times during the summer. Moisture should soak the ground up to 15 cm deep.
When Colorado potato beetle must be processed. Do not use chemicals during flowering.
Two weeks before digging, the tops can be removed. If it is mowed, the risk of tuber rot will be reduced. Their ability to survive winter period will increase many times over.

The choice is yours: Dutch technology or potatoes under the straw. How to plant - you know. And you can get results only by trying the technique yourself.

Potatoes under straw, hay, mulch - video

On the small areas no need to dig beds for potatoes. You can do without land at all. There are alternative ways of planting, tested by time and summer residents - under hay, straw or cardboard.

Pros and cons of growing potatoes under hay and straw

Exists alternative way growing potatoes - under mulch, without digging the site. Compared to the traditional one, it has the following advantages:

saving time;
facilitated planting and harvesting;
slow growth of weeds;
plantings are protected from the Colorado potato beetle;
keeps moisture well;
environmental friendliness of the shelter.

There are also disadvantages:

covering material costs;
availability of tubers for pests (rodents, slugs).

From tubers planted under mulch, the yield is no less than with the traditional method of planting

To protect the site, gardeners install repellers and use chemicals(Slug-eater, Thunderstorm, Ferramol).

From folk methods slug control - sprinkling between rows of crushed eggshells. Planting potatoes is recommended as far as possible from the cabbage.

What is better to choose for shelter beds

You can mulch potatoes with different materials, the costs for them will be approximately the same. A covering layer of hay/straw protects the planting from impact external environment the whole season.

Comparative characteristics of hay and straw - table

It takes more straw than hay to get the same layer of cover.

You can grow forbs for mowing yourself:

Divide the area into two parts.
In the first year, plant a mixture of oats, vetch and peas on one half, and potatoes on the other in the usual way.
Dig up the tubers, leave the crops before winter. The soil does not need to be dug.
In the spring, plant potatoes on a plot with fallen straw without digging: make shallow holes, lay the tubers and sprinkle with a layer of earth 4-5 cm.
Where the crop was harvested last year, plant a mixture of vetch, peas and oats to prepare straw for next year.

Thanks to this crop rotation, the yield is noticeably increased - with less time spent on processing the site.

Crops of vetch, oats and peas left before winter will be an excellent fertilizer for potatoes next year

Tuber preparation

Before planting potatoes for digging, fertilizers are applied to the soil. For those who prefer organic matter, you can prepare humus in the fall: turn the layer of grass over so that the roots are on the surface. During the winter, it will perepreet and fertilize the soil.

Potatoes are taken out of storage, sorted, diseased and damaged tubers are removed, heated for 3 days at a temperature of + 22 ° C and laid out in the light, periodically turning over. You can plant when strong sprouts are formed.

Before planting, potatoes need to be germinated and green in the sun.

How to plant potatoes under mulch

Traditionally, planting dates depend on the climate of the region: when the soil warms up to +10°C. Under hay / straw, a margin of 10 cm is not needed - the tubers are placed on moist, slightly loosened soil.

Planting under hay or straw

Tubers on the surface of the soil are more illuminated by the sun, so you need a hay shelter of at least 50 cm, otherwise they will turn green.

Video: harvesting potatoes grown under hay

Landing in the ground with subsequent mulching

How to plant potatoes in the ground under hay / straw:

The remaining straw can be used for next year.

Cardboard as a substitute for mulch

When growing potatoes, enterprising gardeners have learned to use cardboard:

Harvesting is not laborious: you need to rake the cardboard and collect the tubers. You can even do without a pitchfork and a shovel. Depending on the weather conditions about 15 tubers weighing from 50 to 300 g are formed on each bush.

The advantage of this method of growing potatoes is that the soil becomes loose and fertilized. The disadvantage is the time and effort spent on working with cardboard.

Growing potatoes in a bucket - is it a worthy alternative?

An experiment once carried out on growing potatoes in a bucket under hay was successful - the crop was harvested, albeit very small, at one time. But such landings are also practiced.

How to do:

The yield of potatoes grown in a bucket, but not in straw, but in the ground, will be slightly higher. For those who save space on the site or do not have it at all - this is convenient way landing.

Comparison of potato harvest under mulch and grown in the ground - video

The experience of many gardeners shows that a high yield of potatoes can be achieved with little in a non-standard way growing tubers under hay/straw. This is a simple and effective solution for those who do not want to spend the whole summer in the garden, pulling out weeds and hilling the beds.

Planting potatoes under hay or straw is a long-forgotten growing technology that is being revived today. There are many conflicting reviews about this method, but most of them are positive. Vegetable growers who have been without special trouble get good harvests, generously share their experience.

Planting method under straw or hay

The method fits well with the concept natural farming” and corresponds to one of his principles - do not dig the soil. When planting under hay and straw, you do not need to: dig, fertilize, weed, water. And the hilling process is fundamentally different from the traditional one.

The essence of the method is that the potatoes are laid out on the surface of the earth, and covered with straw or hay on top. Many have already been convinced of the benefits of mulch, and here it can be seen in full. With a layer of 15-20 cm, weeds do not break through the mulch, moisture is retained in the soil, temperature fluctuations are minimized, the lower layer is processed earthworms, potatoes receive valuable nutrition - humus. Moreover, when planting, even on virgin soil, turf and dense earth turn, according to gardeners, into fluff.

Video: potatoes grown on virgin soil

There is different ways plantings under straw, they are improved and supplemented useful nuances. If you are afraid of disastrous results, then arrange an experimental bed under straw, plant the rest of the potatoes in the traditional way: in the ground, with hilling, watering and top dressing. In the fall, compare the results and labor costs, draw conclusions for yourself.

How to plant potatoes under straw

First of all, you need to find a lot of straw or hay. Experienced farmers offer several options:

buy by ad;
in the spring, go to a forest or field and collect last year's fallen leaves and yellowed grass (without seeds);
mow the grass in the meadow in summer and dry it;
grow it yourself: in the spring sow green manure (oats, rye, vetch, peas), leave to winter, next spring on this plot there will be an even layer of hay, and plant potatoes under it.

Dry grass (hay) can be borrowed from nature

Landing dates and site selection

In the middle lane, they start planting potatoes in mid-May. There is an opinion that it can be planted for hay 1-2 weeks earlier, but in early May the ground is still cold. It turns out that the potatoes are laid out on cold soil and covered with a thick layer of straw. The tubers are, as it were, in the refrigerator and germinate for a long time. Therefore, it is better to plant at the usual time. The sprouts will break through for a long time anyway, their path through the dry stems will be tortuous, but then they will overtake the potatoes that are planted in the ground.

Choose the same place as for a regular potato field - well lit and warmed by the sun. If planted under a fence or among trees, and then compared with a crop harvested in a sunny area, then, of course, the experiment will be a failure.

Video: how not to plant potatoes - detailed instructions

Planting material preparation and step-by-step process

A month before planting, transfer seed potatoes to a warm (+18 ⁰C ... +22 ⁰C) place.
Moisten (spray) with drugs for diseases: Fitosporin - 4 tbsp. l. concentrate from paste per 300 ml of water, blue vitriol- 10 g per 1 liter of water, potassium permanganate - 1 g per 10 liters of water.
Spread out thin layer in a bright place.
A week before planting, transfer to a dark room. Can be covered with damp burlap or sawdust. Roots form at the base of the sprouts, shoots will appear faster.
On the day of planting, treat pests with solutions: Turbo - 8 ml per 1 liter of water, Prestige - 10 ml per 100 ml of water.

In a week in a dark and humid environment, the sprouts will turn white and grow roots.

For the first planting under straw, the worst tubers are often taken, which are a pity to throw away. In most cases, in autumn, surprised by a good harvest, vegetable growers regret that they did not plant seeds of the best varieties using this technology.

Suitable for growing under straw:

leveled plot of land in the garden, not dug up and not fertilized;
virgin soil, that is, potatoes are laid out on top of turf, grass. But better grass mow, cover it with newspapers;
furrows cut in the turf.

In any case, the layer under the tubers should be moist. The harvest will be richer if you make a substrate of humus, peat, chicken coop bedding, half-rotted leaves, compost, add ash, deoxidize the soil dolomite flour. Follow the planting pattern the same as in traditional cultivation: between rows - 70-100 cm, in a row - 30-40 cm. If you plant only two rows, for example, in a garden, row spacing can be reduced to 50 cm and the tubers can be arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Top with a layer of straw or hay. To begin with, its thickness can be small - 5-10 cm, so that seedlings appear faster, but the optimal layer that does not let weeds germinate is 20 cm.

Video: one of the options for planting under straw is humus on top of tubers

If you put the tubers down with sprouts, then a hilling effect will be created. Sprouts, bending around seed potatoes, will grow longer and give more yield.

Cultivation and care

Growing under straw also has its downsides. Care basically consists in their elimination. So, a large accumulation of hay attracts slugs, mice and rats.. To control rodents, place ultrasonic repellers around the perimeter of the straw field. Against slugs, use the same means as in any area:

pour spices around the perimeter of the beds (salt, pepper, cilantro, dry parsley), ash, egg shell, fluffy lime;
set traps (beer bowls) and clean them regularly;
use special preparations: Slug-eater, Thunderstorm, Meta, Ferramol, etc.

Do not plant potatoes next to cabbages that are very attractive to slugs.

Love for beer does not bring pests to good

Throughout cultivation, especially at the beginning of germination, keep an eye on the moisture in the bottom layer. In regions with wet summers, the straw should be gently shaken (beaten) so that it does not rot from high humidity and ventilated. In a hot climate, on the contrary, you will have to water, otherwise the earthworms will not want to make their way through the dry ground to the mulch and process it. The potatoes will dry out.

Breaking sprouts need to be helped, but only when you clearly see mounds in the straw - potatoes protruding from under dry grass. If you rake the straw at random, the seedlings can be broken.

Video: first shoots under straw

The only time-consuming technique that needs to be performed when growing using this technology is hilling, that is, adding straw, hay or cut grass as the tops grow. The level of mulch can be brought up to 50 cm. Fan hilling significantly increases the yield. When the sprouts rise 10-15 cm above the straw, spread the stems in different sides and put mulch between them.

Video: correct fan hilling

You will also have to fight the wireworm, the Colorado potato beetle and diseases. According to gardeners, there are fewer Colorado potato beetles on straw than on regular field. Diseases also do not have time to accumulate, because potatoes are grown under one straw for no more than two years. Interestingly, in the second year the harvest is greater than in the first. Apparently, this is due to the fact that part of the mulch has already turned into humus, the soil structure has improved, and gardeners have taken into account the mistakes of the first year of cultivation.

Planting in a bucket under straw

The method is good only as an experiment or in the case when there is no plot of land, but you want to grow potatoes, for example, on a balcony. Another plus is very early young potatoes, because a bucket can be kept in a greenhouse or at home and taken out into the street only in warm days. However, the yield with this method is several times lower than when grown on the plot in the traditional way.

It is assumed: the higher the bucket, the more potatoes will grow

First, prepare the container. Drill drainage holes at the bottom of the bucket, pour a layer of expanded clay (3-4 cm) on the bottom. These measures will exclude stagnant water, otherwise the roots and potatoes will rot. On top of the drainage, arrange a fertile pillow - 5-7 cm of moist earth, humus or compost. Now put 1-2 sprouted tubers and cover with a layer of straw 5-10 cm. As the stems grow, put straw until the bucket is filled to the brim with it. Periodically check the moisture under the mulch and water if necessary. With this method, it is not clear how the straw will be processed into food available for potatoes. All hope is for the beneficial bacteria that got into the bucket and will survive in it. Therefore, the harvest grows very modest.

Instead of a bucket, you can use a box.

Video: potatoes in anything

Which is better: hay or straw

Hay consists of grasses cut whole

hay is meadow grass, beveled green, before ripening, and dried. Straw is what is left after threshing cereals, legumes, that is, part of the plants that have completed their cycle, without leaves, inflorescences, seeds. The latter is an advantage over hay when considered as mulch. Hay can contain weed seeds, which is a problem for gardeners. Although weeds that have grown through the mulch are easily pulled out, their roots are superficial. In addition, this is an additional organic matter that can be placed under potatoes.

Straw - dried stems without leaves, inflorescences and seeds

There are more nutrients in hay, it is looser, lighter, worms and bacteria will process it faster and more willingly into humus. Straw is heavier and denser, less ventilated. Therefore, in dry weather, the soil under the straw will remain moist longer, and the potatoes under the hay will have to be watered. To create a layer of the same thickness of straw, you need more than hay.

Video: comparison of potato yields without mulch and under mulch of different materials

During the summer, mulch is applied, so most often a layer is formed on the potato from a mixture of fallen leaves, straw, hay, weeds, tops. And this is good, because the potato receives comprehensive protection (from cold, drought, dampness), as well as a varied diet. It is not recommended to put cabbage leaves, they begin to rot, infect all mulch and potatoes with rot spores. Dry any other greens, especially weeds, or lay them on top with a thin layer of roots in the sun.

For harvesting, you do not need a pitchfork and a shovel, just rake the mulch with your hands. If, when planting, you sprinkled the tubers with earth or humus, then you have to dig in. A big plus of the method is also that it allows you to collect young potatoes during the summer. You can carefully rake the straw, pick the largest tubers without damaging the bush, and cover again. The plant will continue to grow and develop.

Video: hay-grown potato harvest

The method requires a large amount of mulch, which needs to be laid all summer, so it’s hard to call it lazy. In addition, you will have to deal with rodents and pests, if necessary - water. But the method is justified by a richer and healthier harvest at much lower labor costs. The difference between growing under hay and straw is noticeable only at the first stage. It is more difficult for sprouts to break through heavier and denser straw. In the future, a mixture of different materials(hay, straw, leaves, weeds). Each has its own advantages and compensates for the shortcomings of others.

The article will not exactly correspond to the title, it is impossible to do without the hassle in the garden. But there are several effective ways to significantly reduce the amount of physical labor. For those who want to have vegetables and fruits without any hassle, one piece of advice can be given: call the supermarket and order groceries for home delivery. Everyone else will have to work a little, which is very useful for the elderly (and not only for them) people.

Most of the labor is spent on digging, watering and fertilizing the land, we will tell you how you can do without these operations and at the same time get a good and environmentally friendly harvest. Additionally, soil fertility will not decrease, but increase. Due to what it is possible at times to facilitate the processing of the garden and increase the yield of crops?

For many summer residents, this call will seem, at least, strange, but in vain. Back in the distant times of the development of virgin lands, a method of non-moldboard processing was proposed, the soil layer was not turned over by a plow, but was cut with a flat cutter. Unfortunately, in our country the method was not widely used, although it was immediately introduced abroad. Why this happened is a separate issue, but the fact remains. What is the basis of the assertion that digging the earth is not only in vain physical work, but also a rather significant blow to the fertility of the earth?

Soil is a complex biological system with numerous living organisms located in their spatial niches. When a layer of earth is turned over, the places of residence of microorganisms change, those that live in the upper layers turn out to be deep underground and vice versa. At the same time, most of them die, the land becomes less fertile. After all, it is these microorganisms that process nutrients in digestible for plants. This means that the efficiency of all applied fertilizers is sharply reduced. Another harm of digging is the violation of existing capillaries, through which moisture and air enter the fertile layer.

Most summer residents consider digging the only method of weed control, and this is far from the case. During digging, weed seeds are transferred to the lower layer of the earth and successfully winter there. They cannot even theoretically lose their germination capacity in such conditions; friendly shoots appear in the spring. What to do?

In extreme cases, to control weeds, you can get by with surface loosening or grunting to a depth of 2–3 centimeters. Today, there are quite convenient and productive manual or mechanical flat cutters in the implementation, use them. It is desirable to cultivate the land in two passes, first along, and then across. This method of cultivating the land not only significantly reduces physical effort, but also significantly increases the natural fertility of the soil.

Don't weed

In terms of labor intensity, weeding ranks second among all works in the garden. Is it possible to grow good harvest cultivated plants, if not to fight weeds? It is possible, you need to fight weeds, but not with heavy weeding, but with light, timely grunting. Systematic cutting of weeds under the root not only inhibits their growth, but also fluffs the topsoil, which reduces the amount of evaporated moisture.

By the way, never remove cut weeds, let them remain in the beds. In a year, they will turn into humus, and until then, the cut stems serve as mulch. And, of course, there is no need to do extra work on the removal of weeded plants outside the garden, the arrangement of special places for the manufacture of humus. As practice shows, only two or three passes with a hoe during the growing season will make the garden clean and the land more fertile.

One more way effective fight with weeds without much effort - to provoke their premature growth. In early spring ash or peat should be scattered over the snow and covered with a transparent film. After such events, the snow will quickly melt, the earth will warm up to sufficient temperatures for the start of weed growth. After 10–12 days, the film is removed, weeds are cut with simultaneous fluffing of the earth, and cultivated plants can be sown. If it is planned to sow in this area later cultures, then the stimulation of weed growth can be repeated again, only ash or peat is no longer used.

What to do if you have sown crops that germinate for a very long time (parsley, carrots, etc.), and while they appear above the ground, weeds can occupy the entire area? You can’t loosen them, there is a high probability of damaging cultivated plants. And there is a way out. To indicate the location, sow with them crops that give the first sprouts in a few days (spinach, lettuce), they will be beacons, you can cut weeds without fear of damage to cultivated plants.

Water wisely

You can do automatic watering, but it is quite expensive, requires certain skills to perform assembly and adjustment works. Not all older people (especially women) will be able to learn the rules for handling systems automatic watering. What can be advised in such cases?

Think about why the earth is watered. That's right, to be wet. Why is she drying up? Due to evaporation by plants and capillaries in the soil. If nothing can be done about the evaporation of plants, then the drying of the soil due to capillaries can be significantly reduced. And this means that you will have to water the garden much less often.

AT natural conditions the earth is protected from drying out by a simple and very effective way- vegetable carpet. The shadow from the plants themselves and from their remains prevents them from falling to the ground sun rays, which reduces the amount of evaporated moisture by several orders of magnitude.

To facilitate work in the city, it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, one should only adopt the experience of nature. It is not necessary to make the row spacings very large, this will allow the tops or green stems to completely obscure the ground. For example, for radishes, a plot of 4 × 4 cm is enough, for carrots 5 × 5 cm, for cucumbers 20 × 20 cm, for tomatoes 35 × 35 cm. times less moisture than from the soil surface. And for the normal development of the root system, there are quite enough free areas. small sizes. For plants that require more nutrients, you can use additional feeding. It's much easier than weed control and watering.

The second way is mulching. You can use polyethylene films (the most unfortunate option), non-woven materials that transmit rain water(medium efficiency option) or natural mulch made from waste from the woodworking industry. Last option the most acceptable, we recommend using only it. If you wish to use modern nonwovens and completely cover the soil with cultivated plants, then it must be borne in mind that the temperature under such materials is 6–10 ° C lower than that of open ground. Such a difference can adversely affect the vegetation of heat-loving plants.

Examples of the correct organization of work

For clarity, consider one of best options conducting household plots with minimal physical effort. We will use all three of the above options to facilitate manual labor.

Before planting, potato tubers must be treated for diseases with a solution of potassium permanganate or any modern drug, put on sunlight for greening (plant poison is formed under the peel) and germinate. This will take three to four weeks, depending on the weather and temperature. Tubers should be chosen completely healthy, the larger in diameter, the better. The fact is that in the initial period of development, the sprouts use the nutrients of the tubers, the more of them, the faster the root system develops.

Planting potatoes should be done right on the virgin soil without first digging. Place them at a distance of about 25 cm, make the beds not wide so that you can easily process potatoes on both sides.

Practical advice. Many summer residents do wrong with small tubers, put them in several pieces and think that one powerful plant will grow from them. This is not so, several weak plants will grow from several small tubers, they cannot “grow together” and strengthen, but will only additionally oppress each other. We have already said above that large tubers should be taken for planting. If grown new variety into seeds, then large tubers can be cut, in all other cases it is strongly not recommended to do this.

When all the potatoes are laid on the ground, they need to be covered from frost and drying out. For such purposes, it is better to use straw or old hay. Hay should be handled with care as it may have a large number of viable weed seeds. Straw is better to take wheat, it does not attract rodents. There is neither the first nor the second - collect the fallen leaves and use them for shelter. To protect the straw from the wind, you need to cover it with old bags, film, etc. materials.

Let the potatoes grow like this for a while. As the haulm grows, you need to put fresh cut grass, additional straw, etc. on the beds. Don't worry that the height of the pile is high. Firstly, after the first rain, it will decrease significantly. Secondly, the tops grow very quickly upwards.

Potato has interesting feature: the more the stem closes, the more it takes root in these places, the higher the yield of tubers. During traditional technology cultivation for these purposes make two or three hillings with earth. Everything is much simpler and easier with us. In addition, all covering material for the next year will turn into organic fertilizers the soil will not lose fertility.

Another plus of this technology is that the number of weeds is significantly reduced, and moisture evaporation is minimized. This means that you need to water much less often, and weeding generally disappears as an agricultural technique. And the last. Already after the beginning of the flowering of the tops, it is possible to harvest the first crop of young potatoes. You need to open the covering layer a little, select the most developed tubers and return everything to its original place. The bush itself is not damaged at all and continues to develop normally. The tops of the autumn harvest do not need to be removed anywhere, leave it on the same bed, it will be fertilizer for the following plants.

Harvest potatoes grown under straw

Second season in the garden

For potatoes, you need to choose a new virgin area and grow it by the already known method with minimal cost labor. And in the old place, you can start planting new crops: zucchini, pumpkins, squash, etc.

There is no need to prepare the land, under the compost it is moist, soft and almost free of weeds. Those who manage to grow up will die under big leaves new plants. Plant seeds in 2-3 pcs. in one hole, recesses can be made with an ordinary stick.

Important. Pay attention to how seeds are sown in nature - they lie on the surface of the earth. And in our case, they do not need to be closed, only last year's humus.

If there is a possibility of night frosts or the earth has not warmed up enough, then after sowing the soil can be covered with a film. It will not only raise the temperature and retain unripe compost, but also significantly reduce the evaporation of moisture. By the way, there is enough moisture from plants in the compost, additional watering is not required.

Note. If evaporation occurs very quickly on a hot day, then the plants defend themselves: the leaves close their stomata (wither a little), due to this, moisture loss decreases. Summer residents think that plants are dying and begin to look for themselves extra work- emergency watering. You should not do this, the plants will recover on their own overnight, in the morning the leaves will again be elastic.

In the third year, virgin soil is again selected for potatoes, and for vegetables there are already two fertile and well-prepared beds. You can expand the list of grown plants using the same technology. Of course, in this case, elementary compatibility rules should be observed. The number of beds is brought to the desired, and then the crop rotation is performed in a circle. That's all, with minimal effort, you will have a high yield of organic products.

Large potatoes - the result of compliance with the rules of planting and caring for the plant

Video - Garden without the hassle

Video - Garden without the hassle - work in the garden

The method of growing potatoes under the "blanket" has its own characteristics, but the initial stages are no different from the usual cultivation.

dry germination

Before planting potatoes, it is necessary to carry out dry germination. As a rule, the germination of potato planting material begins with the fact that the potatoes are taken out of the cellars. This must be done 30 - 40 days before planting. Potatoes are placed in boxes in a thin layer and exposed in a cool, but bright room. How more light, the stockier, thicker and denser buds grow on the tuber. Ideally, the shoots should be short with visible rudiments of the root system.

If a convenient location not for sprouting, some vegetable growers bring potatoes into the house and put the boxes on top of each other, cover polyethylene film and thus the potato sprouts. This method has one peculiarity. The top box gets more light than the bottom box, so to achieve uniform germination, the boxes are swapped from time to time.

Soil preparation

Since a small amount of land will be used for growing potatoes, the requirements for it are special.

Some publications say that the cultivation of potatoes under straw, hay, is carried out simply by spreading the tubers on the ground and covering them with straw. However, this way you can grow something, but not a good crop.

The removal of nutrients with potato tubers is very large. A tuber cannot grow from straw. There are no nutrients in the straw, it plays the role of mulch in this technology. Nutrients are needed to grow a rich crop, and their potatoes can only be drawn from soil rich in organic matter and mineral water. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a place for landing.

The bed is being prepared since autumn. Organic fertilizers are scattered, in a bucket per m 2, ash, if necessary, liming is carried out. Next is autumn plowing, and cultivation in spring. You can also plow the land in the spring and immediately carry out cultivation. If the area is small, then dig with a shovel. Sometimes gardeners claim that for planting under straw there is no need to loosen and dig the soil, this is not true. In order for the potato to "take" nutrients, the soil must be loose and breathable.

Landing time

Choosing the cultivation of potatoes under the "fur coat", it is necessary to plant it in the timing of cherry blossoms. Return frosts absolutely not afraid of landings. According to many growers, early landings, slightly "lined" with frost, yield a larger yield than potatoes planted late.

Early planting must also be chosen because the potatoes must be placed on moist ground. If the soil is dry, then it must first be watered, only then all other manipulations should be carried out.

planting potatoes

If you decide to grow potatoes under straw or hay, the video will demonstrate one of the cultivation options. However, no matter how well the method is shown, you should consider all the nuances, adapting this method to your growing conditions and soil type.

After plowing or digging, make furrows. They can be made with a sapa, a special marker, or even a plow. The depth of the furrows should not exceed 5 - 6 cm. Having spread the potato tubers into the furrows, with a distance of 25 - 30 cm between them, the tubers must be sprinkled with a soil mixture. To do this, you can use the earth from the garden or bulk, fresh. This soil is subject to increased requirements, since it is he who will feed our crop. If the soil is poor, then the tuber will not be able to grow large. Potatoes will give a lot of "ovaries", but they will all be small.

Experienced vegetable growers prepare loose soil separately. To do this, they use fresh compost or humus. Add 2 tbsp to a bucket of such soil. spoons ammonium nitrate and superphosphate, mix thoroughly, and allow to stand for 2 - 3 weeks. Having laid the tubers into furrows, they are sprinkled on top with a soil-mineral mixture to a height of 5 - 7 cm. Since such a bed requires a lot of nutrient space, its width must be formed at least 40 cm, but the distance between the beds is at least 60 cm.

The method of growing potatoes under straw requires additional costs, namely the presence of straw or hay. After planting, all furrows are lined with straw. The height of the straw blanket should not be less than 20 cm. The covering material should be clean, without charms and mold fungi. In addition, the straw must be cut, that is, not straw, but straw chopping.
Straw covers not only the furrow with plantings, but also the aisle.

After the potato tops grow back, they re-shelter with straw. Straw is covered not only outside the bush, but also in the middle, carefully turning the bush in different directions. During the season, 2 - 3 straw shelters are carried out.

Caring for planting under the covers

Such landings really do not require weeding and loosening. However, in dry years, the straw blanket is not able to water the tubers with moisture, and without watering the potatoes will not be able to grow a good crop. Therefore water necessary condition productivity.

If there is an opportunity to drip irrigation, then the task is even easier if it is watered with a hose, then this must be done regularly.

When the area of \u200b\u200bpotatoes under the straw is small, then it is quite possible to irrigate with a watering can, however large plot pouring in this way is unrealistic.

Harvesting involves the initial breaking up of straw swaths, and then harvesting potatoes in baskets or buckets. The straw left after hilling can be used for the next year only if it is clean and dry. If the summer was humid, and decomposition processes began in the straw, then it is necessary to compost it.

Growing potatoes under straw in boxes

Boxes are not only popular, but also efficient facilities for growing potatoes.

If crops have already been grown in the box and the level of organic matter is high, then it is enough to simply shovel the ground and aerate the soil. In the recesses made by the glanders, the tubers are settled and covered with soil by 5 - 6 cm. Next, we settle the entire box with straw or hay.

It is very convenient to grow potatoes in boxes. Watering such a device, moisture is well retained, and a straw pillow does not allow it to evaporate excessively. High agrotechnical background allows you to get from the boxes big harvests quality potatoes.

The secrets of growing potatoes under straw come down to skillfully manipulating the pros and cons of this method.

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