Why do potatoes wither in the ground. Why do potato leaves turn yellow from below and what to do? Various harmful insects

Almost all vegetable lovers are engaged in growing potatoes. However, not everyone manages to get a quality crop, as potatoes often get sick and are attacked by pests. Many vegetable growers do not know what to do if the tops of potatoes turn yellow. To prevent the plant from turning yellow, it is necessary to understand the causes of this problem and how to eliminate it.

Some do not know what to do if potato leaves dry and whether it is worth paying attention to this problem. Definitely worth it, since the future harvest depends on the health of the grown bushes. If potato leaves begin to turn yellow, the probability of losing almost the entire crop increases by 2-3 times.

When even slight changes in the color of flowers or potato tops appear, it is necessary to immediately determine the causes of such changes and treat the plants.

The reasons

It is difficult for inexperienced vegetable growers to independently determine the causes of the yellowness of the leaves, and therefore it is recommended that you familiarize yourself in advance with the main factors that cause the tops to dry out.

Temperature and Humidity

Most often, the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow due to the lack of temperature control when growing a vegetable. Due to severe drought, the leaves located at the bottom of the bushes turn yellow. Over time, yellowing extends to the upper leaves. Sometimes drying out of the soil provokes the appearance of diseases and some gardeners have to deal with the fight against late blight.

When the air temperature exceeds 30-35 degrees, the potatoes have problems with metabolism. It is because of this that the yield decreases several times.

When growing such a vegetable, it is necessary to ensure that the soil moisture is 60–80%. Therefore, before planting potatoes, an irrigation system is made on the site. Also, to avoid yellowing of the leaves, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil.

Fertilizer shortage

Another reason why the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow is the insufficient amount of nutrients in the soil. Plants often lack the following elements:

• Nitrogen. Determining the lack of this substance is quite simple. To do this, it is enough to examine the leaves of potatoes. With a lack of nitrogen, they turn pale, gradually turn yellow and fall. In order for potato bushes to grow green mass again, it is necessary to restore the flow of nitrogen into the soil. To do this, 50 grams of the substance is added to square meter site.
• Phosphorus. This substance must be present in the soil, as it is responsible for the formation of tubers and the development of plant roots. With a lack of this important microelement, the bushes tolerate high air temperatures worse, which leads to yellowing of the leaves.
• Potassium. Potassium-containing substances found in the soil improve the taste of grown potatoes and increase their immunity. If the plant does not have enough potassium, then because of this, problems with photosynthesis will appear and wilting of the leaves will begin.

Development of the disease

Common plant diseases are among the reasons due to which the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow. Such disease damage not only worsens the yield, but also completely destroys the potato bushes.

Fungal and bacterial diseases of potatoes

Speaking about why the tops of potatoes dry up and turn yellow, it is necessary to mention fungal diseases. Most often, plants suffer from late blight, which can completely destroy plants. Bushes become infected with this fungal disease in two ways:

• through the remains of infected vegetables that have remained in the ground since last season;
• through raw planting material.

To protect potatoes from fungal diseases, all tubers are treated with fungicides before planting.

Sometimes the tops and tubers of potatoes wither due to non-communicable diseases that appear due to unsuitable growing conditions for vegetables.

Viral diseases

Viral diseases are the most common diseases that can cause potato tops to turn yellow. To identify a viral disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the main signs of such diseases. These include wilting, yellowing, and curling of the leaves. However, symptoms may vary depending on the type of disease and potato variety.

pest attack

The main reasons why potato bushes turn yellow include the attack of harmful insects.

Gardeners often encounter nematodes that infect cultivated plants. These pests live in the ground and feed on potato tuber juice. When insects suck out a large amount of juice, the plants turn yellow and gradually die.

Another pest that every vegetable grower has to deal with is the Colorado potato beetle. This insect also lives in the ground and feeds on the tops of the plant. If you do not get rid of the Colorado potato beetle in a timely manner, the bushes will die from wilting.

There is also a stem nematode that infects plants through their stem. After infection, the fruits of the potato darken and cracks appear on them.

Harmful insects

The causes of yellowing of leaves of vegetables are harmful insects that often attack plants.

With insufficient moisture in the ground, wireworms appear that affect the root system with tubers. Root crops affected by wireworms have reduced immunity and because of this, plants are exposed to bacterial diseases, which are accompanied by yellowing of the leaves.

Also, plants are attacked by potato moth, which penetrates the leaves. The main difference between this pest is that it spoils the plant even after harvesting.

plant protection

To protect the first shoots from pests and diseases, you need to take care of their protection in advance. For this you need:

• Plant varieties with immunity to the most common diseases and dangerous insects.
• 15 days after planting the tubers in the soil, treat the area with a garlic solution to preserve the green mass. To prepare it, 350 grams of vegetable is passed through a meat grinder and poured with a liter of heated water. The resulting solution is infused for at least a day, after which it is filtered with gauze. Before using the liquid, another 10 liters of water is added to it so that the solution becomes less concentrated. Spray the bushes with garlic mixture should be three times a month.
• During the flowering of the bushes, fungicides can be used for prevention. For this, Ditamine, copper oxychloride and Kuproksat are suitable.

Not everyone knows what to do if the potato turns yellow and dries. To get a quality crop, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic tips for growing this vegetable:

• Plant marigolds, peas, oats, beets and cabbage near potato bushes to scare away pests from potatoes.
• Before planting, fertilizers with urea are added to the soil. No more than 700-800 grams of fertilizers are consumed per hundred square meters of land.
• During planting, the holes should be processed. Bird droppings are added to them with overripe manure mixed with soil.
• After disembarkation, the site must be treated with liquid chicken manure. At least ten liters of solution are consumed per square meter.

Conclusion

Every vegetable grower involved in the cultivation of potatoes, faced with the problem of yellow leaves. To get rid of yellowing, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance and familiarize yourself with the methods of treating bushes.

Experts identify several reasons why potatoes may not grow well and what to do about it offer ways to solve problems. Unfavorable factors may be weather conditions, an incorrectly selected variety, and unsuitable soil composition. Often vegetable growers make mistakes in caring for vegetables. To correct the situation, you need to determine the cause in time and start the fight to eliminate it.

There are several reasons why potatoes do not grow after planting, therefore, knowing in advance about adverse factors, you can prevent the development of problems:

• Varieties of potatoes according to the ripening of root crops are divided into three large groups: early, mid-season and late-ripening. Agronomists recommend planting varieties of different time groups.
• You can not plant early and late varieties of potatoes at the same time.
• Poor quality planting material.
• Non-compliance with crop rotation, lack of timely top dressing, improperly prepared land plot.
• Too deep planting leads to the fact that seedlings may not appear at all. Seeding depth is approximately 8 cm.

Not the last role is played by weather conditions. Heavy rains, return of frost low temperature air or, conversely, hot days, also cause poor plant development. Diseases and pests significantly impair the quality and quantity of the crop.

Varieties

For roots to grow large sizes and with high palatability, you need to choose the right variety. You need to take into account the climate, the composition of the soil, the purpose of the crop.

According to the ripening period of the crop, there are:

• super early varieties that allow you to harvest after 40-45 days, so you can get two crops per season;
• in early potatoes, the limits of fruit ripening are 50–60 days;
• the medium-early group of vegetable crops begins to ripen after 80 days;
• root crops of medium-late varieties after planting ripen in 95–100 days;
• late potatoes can be harvested in 110–120 days.

Depending on the variety of potatoes, the flesh can be white, yellow, purple, red. The shape of the potato is round, oblong, cylindrical. In addition to these indicators, attention is also paid to the main characteristics of the variety: productivity, resistance to cold and drought, resistance to diseases and pests.

No suitable variety

Among a large number varieties, there will be a suitable variety that will adapt to climatic features, soil composition, individual preferences.

For some, yield is extremely important, for others it is necessary that the potatoes boil during cooking. You can find varieties that will feel great in sandy and clay soils, will tolerate drought and cold well.

Poor quality seeds for planting

Planting material is selected and carefully examined. Medium-sized potatoes (weight 80 g) are suitable for planting, without damage, stains and rot. Damaged seeds should not be left for propagation, otherwise there will be poor germination, low yield and a high risk of developing diseases.

The selected planting material is stored in a separate container. The room should be cool, about +2 degrees.

During the entire growing season, it is useful to carry out root and foliar top dressing. The main components of the solutions can be bird droppings, cow dung, urea, herbs.

Deep landing

If the potatoes are planted too deeply, then shoots will appear slowly and later than usual. This happens due to the poor supply of heat and oxygen from the surface of the earth. At the same time, the sprouts will be weak, the yield will decrease.

You can plant potatoes in a hole with a depth of 5 to 11 cm. The lighter the soil, the deeper the seeding depth. The optimal hole depth is 8 cm. At the same time, it is useful to fertilize the soil. During planting, a mixture of humus, wood ash and superphosphate is placed in each well.

Wrong way of landing

There are many ways to plant potatoes. When choosing, first of all, you need to consider the composition of the soil. The most popular landing method is considered a smooth method. In pre-prepared furrows, recesses are made into which planting material is placed and covered with earth.

Others known ways planting vegetable crops are as follows.

• If the soil is light, sandy, a trench option is suitable. Dig trenches 13 cm deep at a distance of 73 cm. Since autumn, rotted manure, sawdust or straw are placed in the prepared trenches. During the winter, they will decompose and warm the soil. In the spring, potatoes are laid in trenches at intervals of 40 cm. With this method, planting can be done two weeks earlier.
• If the soil is heavy and moist, then the ridge method of planting is ideal. The height of the embankment can be more than 15 cm.

For the entire growing season, it is recommended to carry out three waterings: two weeks after planting, during flowering and three weeks before harvesting. important points crop care is hilling and weeding. Hilling is carried out immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, and the second time before flowering.

Growth

It is customary to distinguish five periods of growth in potatoes:

1. Germination of tubers and the appearance of the first shoots.
2. The appearance of a green stem with the first leaves.
3. The formation of buds and the beginning of the flowering period.
4. Active flowering and cessation of leaf growth.
5. Drying of tops and final formation of roots.

At any of these stages, potato growth may stop. The reason is improper care, the return of frost, rainy or dry weather, pest invasion, infection with infections.

How many potatoes grow

The first young seedlings, subject to warm weather, begin to appear after 23 days. If the weather long time keeps at around + 20 degrees, then the first shoots appear already on the 16th day. Germination time is delayed due to cold weather.

It is necessary to plant potatoes in warm soil (+10 degrees) and shallow, in the topsoil, it is best to germinate the planting material beforehand.

Shoots may appear unevenly due to different depths of seeding, different sizes of tubers, when choosing potato varieties with different ripening dates.

Climate and planting dates

Potato planting time is determined by some criteria: air temperature, soil moisture level (too wet soil leads to rotting of planting material, and not germination), the selected variety.

Sometimes potato bushes do not develop due to non-compliance with planting dates. Most often, planting work begins in early May, but it is better to focus on weather conditions.

The soil should warm up to 8-10 degrees to a depth of 10 cm. By this time, the risk of frost returning is minimal. In regions with different climatic conditions the soil does not warm up at the same time.

Why did potatoes stop growing?

The growth of tubers and the above ground part of the vegetable crop can stop due to bad weather, poor care, lack of nutrients, and also as a result of pest attacks. Stops growing potatoes hot weather, in the absence of regular watering.

What to do if the potatoes do not sprout?

If potato seedlings have not appeared by the estimated, calculated date, then measures must be taken:

• First of all, make sure that the potatoes are not planted too deep. It is enough to dig a few tubers and see. If so, then germination will be delayed for 7-10 days.
• If the weather is warm and dry, then watering will help speed up the germination of seeds.
• It is worse if the sprouts did not appear due to rotting tubers or damage by pests. In this case, they dig up all the planting material and burn it, the land must be treated with fungicides.

In an infected area, it is better to plant another crop that is immune to potato diseases. On another site, you can plant early varieties of potatoes and have time to harvest a rich harvest.

Harvest

Growing potatoes is not difficult, but some adverse conditions can reduce yields:

• too cold or hot weather;
• dense landing;
• lack of moisture, especially during flowering;
• lack of air in the soil;
• overabundance or lack of nutrients;
• lack of light.

The yield may decrease, and the tubers lose their taste and external qualities or are not fully formed.

A small potato crop can form due to many unfavorable factors:

• A common cause is a fungal disease - late blight. When the bushes are affected, the tubers do not rot, but only stop their growth.
• An excess of nitrogen leads to the active development of green mass. All nutrients go up, root crops develop poorly.
• High air temperature. If the heat comes during the period of active growth of root crops, then their growth stops. Even if the temperature drops soon, the tubers will be small.
• Lack of moisture also causes a small crop.

Regular watering in hot weather, compliance with the dosage when fertilizing, preventive treatments against diseases and pests will help to collect a large and tasty harvest.

rotten fruit

The potato crop may rot. The reason is wet rainy weather, too densely planted bushes, fungal or bacterial infections.

If dry and yellow tops appear among the green potato bushes, some kind of disease most likely develops. Rotting potatoes can cause: late blight, fusarium, black leg, ring rot. Sick bushes are dug up and burned.

Another cause of tubers rotting during growth is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Voids form inside the tubers, and the flesh begins to rot. The following year, you need to reduce the introduction of nitrogen, and increase potassium.

Few ovaries and fruits

Few ovaries and fruits are formed due to hot weather and dry air. In this case, the ovaries fall off. The bushes look lethargic, emaciated, there are few tubers, and they are small. In this case, you need to water the area with water and treat with Zircon.

If the stem is even, the leaves are green, in general the bush looks healthy, but there are no ovaries, then this will not affect the quality and quantity of the crop. You also need to know that not all varieties are able to bloom.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests can significantly worsen the condition of the bushes and reduce yields. The vegetable slows down in growth and stops developing. The disease can be provoked by viruses, bacteria and fungi that penetrate the plant through leaves, roots, damage.

Fungal diseases of potatoes

Fungal spores are spread by wind, insects, and water. Under favorable conditions for them ( cold weather and high humidity), fungi begin to multiply actively, spreading over large areas.

Virus diseases of potatoes

The most common viral disease is mosaic, which has three varieties. The reason is a decrease in plant immunity due to improper watering, lack of nutrients in the soil, damage to bushes by pests.

The leaves of the plant curl, change color, light, brown blotches appear. Over time, the stem is damaged, and the leaves become completely yellow, dry and begin to fall off.

Bacterial diseases of potatoes

A bacterial infection may appear throughout the growing season. The most common source of infection is seed material. Rots that affect tubers are especially dangerous, and they become unfit for food.

Potato late blight

The first sign of late blight is the appearance of brown spots on the top of the leaves. The inner half of the leaf plate is covered with a white bloom. If you do not start treatment, then in a month all potato plantings will be infected with the disease. The leaves turn brown, and the tubers are also affected. Over time, the tops become thinner, rot, wither and dry out. For a month, every week it is recommended to treat the bushes with Bordeaux liquid.

Dry rot of potatoes

Dry rot or Fusarium refers to a fungal disease that affects the ground part of the plant during growth. It develops on tubers most often during storage. Spread begins in dry, hot weather.

With Fusarium, the leaves change color. Their edges become a brown-violet hue, and the top begins to lighten. Gradually, the leaves wither, the stem darkens, brown spots appear on the fruits, covered with a white-gray bloom.

Black potato leg

The black leg can destroy the entire potato crop. The stem and root crops begin to rot, the leaves curl and become stiff. The tubers become soft and have an unpleasant odor. Rot can develop both from the inside of the fruit and from the outside. A preventive measure is the treatment of seed material with special preparations.

Potato ring rot

A common bacterial infection is ring rot. It is problematic to notice the disease at an early stage. When the leaves and tops begin to wither, the plant is already infected from the inside.

In the veins of the leaves, the juice becomes yellow-brown, which indicates the process of decay. Putrefactive rings and spots are visible not only on the surface of the tubers, but also inside, when cut. The damaged part of the potato fills with an oily liquid that turns brown over time.

Medvedka

Adult insects (up to 6 cm in length) and larvae of the bear cause significant damage in vegetable beds. They damage the roots and stem of potato bushes, gnaw through root crops. In the fight against the bear they use folk methods and chemicals(Prestige, Aktara, Masterpiece).

Colorado beetle

The Colorado potato beetle feeds on the leaves of nightshade crops, but most of all prefers potatoes. Eats leaf petioles, but does not touch the flowers, stem and root crops. If you do not take action, the plant will stop developing, and the tubers will be small.

From the Colorado potato beetle, such means as Confidor, Regent, Commander are used. You should not allow the appearance of weeds, it is imperative to observe crop rotation, it is important to plant planting material on time and remove all plant residues from the site after harvesting.

When harvesting potatoes, about 10% of the tubers are not suitable for storage in the winter: they are affected by the so-called dry rot.
How to deal with dry rot on potatoes?
What measures can be taken when planting potatoes to prevent it?

Dry fusarium rot of potatoes

Develops during storage. Depressed brown spots with a wrinkled skin are visible on the tuber, and then the potato turns into a hard, dry lump.

It is believed that tubers affected by bruises during harvesting and transportation to the storage site are damaged to a large extent. Now they even sell special shovels with which it is preferable to dig potatoes so as not to injure them. In the center they have, as in the pitchfork, membranes, which are bordered by a continuous cloth. Such a shovel can be made and on your own from standard.

However, it happens that bruises have nothing to do with it, and even when harvesting, the gardener bitterly selects tubers with hard, depressed brown or brown spots. They spread inward, as evidenced by the rusty areas of the pulp going to the center when cutting the potato.

For sure, we can say that late blight is rampant on the plantation, from which not only the tops of the potato, but also the vegetable itself, suffered. Having destroyed the aerial part of the plant, late blight disease, firstly, reduced the yield, and secondly, it penetrated the tubers during rains and irrigation.

For early warning and detection phytophthora diseases, it is recommended to select healthy potato tubers for planting, their light germination before planting in the soil, early hilling of potato bushes, spraying the tops with Bordeaux liquid in the budding phase.

There are other diseases that harm potatoes, for example, a description with a photo: dry fomosa rot. At first, dark depressed spots with a distinct border are visible on the surface. In the future, potato tubers shrivel, dry out, become light and hard.

All this infectious diseases affecting the biological structure of potatoes. And it is no coincidence that you have to follow the recommendations when planting potatoes crop rotation. Unfortunately, on a small suburban area where potatoes are the main crop, this is not always possible. But sowing rye, after harvesting potatoes, heals the soil as green manure, is quite real.

And now it would be nice to process (do preventive treatment) potato planting material - 0.01-0.05% solution of trace elements: copper sulfate, boric acid and manganese. Copper not only accelerates potato tuberization, but also increases disease resistance; boron improves the taste properties and qualities of potatoes, and manganese helps to increase the accumulation of starch and vitamins of group C.

Potato diseases - Dry rot on potatoes.

What to do, what measures to take?

Dry rot affects potatoes, which before that could not be saved from late blight and other diseases. So, it is best to take care of the prevention of dry rot now, doing everything so that late blight bypasses your plantings. If, nevertheless, for some reason it is not possible to protect potatoes from late blight, then three weeks after harvesting, carefully sort it out and remove all diseased tubers. You will recognize them by bluish-gray, and then brown spots.

Dry rot on potatoes also occurs in places of mechanical damage to tubers. Therefore, when cleaning, do not throw them away, but carefully place them in a bucket or bag. Probably the most your potatoes get when transported from the garden, which, as you write, is 25 kilometers away. Try as much as possible so that he gets as few bruises as possible on the road. This is all the more important as dry rot develops when tubers are stored at high temperatures. And you have it in the room in the cold. And further. I think you know that when harvesting, tubers damaged by the disease should be placed in a separate container to prevent its spread. Do the same with chopped potatoes.

Potato diseases - Wet rot on potatoes.

In the basement, among the potatoes, there is a rotten one with an unpleasant odor. Is it dangerous for the rest of the potato tubers?

It seems that these tubers are affected by one of the diseases that plague potatoes during storage - wet rot on potatoes. Its causative agents are several types of bacteria that develop together. It is difficult to resist such an onslaught for tubers that have lost their protective properties: mechanically damaged or frost, heat, as well as those already affected by late blight, ring rot, other diseases and pests.

The development of wet rot on potatoes is promoted by incorrect storage conditions, including elevated temperature, self-warming, sweating of tubers. To combat rot, you must first take care of temperature regime in the basement, lowering the temperature to one to three degrees Celsius. And, of course, the potatoes should be sorted out, removing all the diseased and its neighbors, especially from the upper sweaty layer.

Potato diseases in the photo - Sluggish potatoes.

Last year I bought a bucket of potatoes - the tubers are heavy and large. Before planting, he cut them into two halves and immediately dipped them in ashes. And when I dug it out, there were many sluggish tubers, but there were also those that could not be cut with a knife: very hard and black in the middle. Maybe you shouldn't have cut the potatoes?

Experts believe that it is possible to cut large tubers. It is better to do this a few days before planting, so that the cut corks. This, to a certain extent, protects potatoes from decay, and in the soil - from infection with various diseases.

In addition, when cutting, it is possible to detect and reject tubers with the slightest signs of disease: internal spots, rot. Dipping sections in ash prevents infection. I think it's appropriate to say here: don't blame the horse, blame the road. Remember last summer: hot, hot. Ripe tubers in hot soil do not become soft, lethargic for a long time. And some of them for a long drought and high temperature reacted by darkening the pulp.

The disbalance of nutrients in the soil could also affect the darkening of the inside of the potato. This usually happens with an excess of nitrogen or a deficiency of potassium. With a sufficient amount of potassium, the potato becomes more resistant to the darkening of the flesh of the tubers, as well as to fungal and bacterial diseases.

Potato diseases with a description - Potato cracking.

Why do potatoes grow with deep cracks that seem to divide it into slices?

Cracking of potato tubers, as a rule, occurs on dry days if it is not watered abundantly. The tubers are covered with deep cracks, which make the potatoes difficult to peel. Affected tubers are poorly stored, they must be used as soon as possible in writing.

Faced with such a disaster, some gardeners object: we supposedly water potatoes in a drought. But watering watering is different. After all, it's no secret that some people sprinkle the ground from above and are satisfied that they coped with the matter. And inside - dryness, which can cause great harm to potatoes. Experienced gardeners usually fill the aisles with I so that moisture gets directly to the roots of plants. Water this way not often, but plentifully.

Potato diseases - Nematode on potatoes.

Tortured nematode on potatoes. Tell me what to do?

The potato nematode is a quarantine pest and, having appeared in the garden, damages from 20 to 90 percent of the plants, which drastically reduces the yield. It is impossible to sell products affected by this disease and export them to other areas.

The stem nematode on potatoes persists for a long time in planting material, soil, and plant debris. It's not easy to fight her. Having dug up the potatoes, it was first of all necessary to dry the tubers well - under a canopy for two to three weeks (the so-called treatment period). Then carefully sort them, removing the affected ones. For winter storage in the bins, lay only healthy tubers. If you haven't done so, it's not too late to make things right.

From the site where potatoes were grown, it is necessary to carefully remove now and burn all the tops (it is infected with a nematode), and the equipment used (baskets, shovels, boxes) should be cleaned and disinfected. In case of severe contamination of the soil, experts advise adding thiazon and thiourea preparations or the microbiological preparation nematofagin BL to it when digging.

An effective, harmless way to disinfect the soil is to sow winter rye after harvesting potatoes. Another radical means of getting rid of this malicious pest is the cultivation of nematode-resistant varieties, since there are many of them.

Potato diseases - Potatoes do not germinate.

Description of the problem.
I don't get many potatoes. I keep it on the balcony, and when the frost hits, I bring it into the room. When planting in the holes, I put humus, and I throw mineral fertilizers on top.

The energy of germination and yield in potatoes, which germinate several times during storage, like yours, is no longer the same. It is all the more important to help him during the pre-planting period. You can keep it in the light for about a month or a little more, for example, in small ventilated boxes, but so that direct sunlight does not fall on it. During the winter, he will lose a lot of moisture, so it would be nice to hold him for several hours in water at room temperature.

Some gardeners, in order to protect against late blight, practice weekly spraying of tubers with a solution of potassium permanganate (10 grams per 10 liters of water) or boric acid (five grams per the same amount of water) during germination during germination. Every week, the tubers will need to be inspected and removed with weak, thread-like sprouts.

Discard at the same time and with spots on the peel, other slightest signs of the disease. Apparently, you meet such people, since potatoes are affected by dry rot. Tubers with short, thick, dark green shoots are suitable for planting.

If during the winter you have to remove the sprouts several times, at the beginning of spring they reappear, then you should not cut them off and make the germination period so long. But it will be necessary to select tubers with the strongest sprouts for planting.

Perhaps the cause of non-germination is a large dose of mineral fertilizers. When dry, they are very concentrated and can easily burn sprouts, especially if sprinkled on top of tubers, or protected by a thin layer of soil.

There may be other reasons for your failure. For example, experts have found that some varieties of potatoes significantly reduce germination if not stored at the optimum temperature. So, the Nevskaya variety at a storage temperature of six to nine degrees Celsius loses its germination capacity by more than 1 to 40 percent.

Last year, some potato tubers did not germinate, although the care was normal. I had to dig them out. What a surprise it was when I saw that the children were formed directly on potatoes. We don't understand what's wrong?

Unfortunately, sometimes this happens. In particular, new tubers are formed from planting material without the appearance of roots and on above-ground organs, if this same material for a long time was in cold soil. And it seems that this happened to you, because there was a desire to get marketable potatoes as early as possible.

Particularly affected varieties with large tubers, which could reproduce offspring, bypassing the phase of formation of green shoots. Sometimes this is observed for a different reason - when the tubers are planted in too dry soil at an air temperature of over 30 degrees. Therefore, when preparing for planting potatoes this year, it will be necessary to take the choice of dates very seriously, taking into account the weather conditions.

Potato diseases - Kivsyak on potatoes.

Pests have appeared in the garden that crawl into potato tubers and sharpen them. These are dark gray worms 4-5 cm long. We do not know how to get rid of them.

It looks like your potato is damaged by kivsyak. There is a simple and effective way to deal with it. In several places of the potato field, dig holes 40 cm deep and 30x30 cm in size. Put straw manure in them and sprinkle the earth with a layer of 8-10 cm on top. Be sure to mark the holes with sticks so that they can be quickly found. When real frost hits, throw the contents of the holes up. The pests gathered there for the winter will die.

Potato diseases - Fungal diseases on potatoes.

Part of the garden is infected with a fungus (I don’t know what), the potatoes planted here turn out to be all affected by the fungus and are not suitable for consumption. Can the fungus be removed?

About the nature of the defeat of the potato, so there is no way to determine the "diagnosis", and therefore give any specific recommendations. The main garden crop can be affected by various diseases, including fungal ones. This is, for example, potato cancer, which has a very strong effect on tubers and stolons. Large growths of different sizes appear on them, first white color and then they turn brown and decompose. When affected by this disease, part of the crop dies while still in the ground, the rest - during storage.

Common scab appears on tubers in the form of ulcers of various sizes and shapes. With a strong defeat, almost the entire surface of the tubers is covered with a continuous crust, and wet and dry rot quickly develop on them in storage. Most often, scab manifests itself in alkaline soil, with strong liming, the introduction of fresh manure and the permanent cultivation of potatoes in the same place. The soil in this case can be treated by sowing perennial (alkaloidal) lupine on green manure and embedding it in the soil in the phase of gray beans.

Tubers can also be affected by glandular spotting, in which brown patches form inside. They are clearly visible when cutting tubers. This disease is caused by elevated soil temperatures and malnutrition plants when they lack nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, but iron is in excess. The introduction of organic fertilizer with the addition of nitrophoska will help here. If you are convinced that everything is in order with the food and the fungus is to blame, then you can resort to the help of rye, sowing it as a green fertilizer. It is a recognized phytosanitary, heals the soil, inhibits pathogens of fungal diseases. If you pickle its seeds before sowing, then it will not only disinfect the soil, but also destroy a number of pests, including the bear, wireworms.

Potato diseases - How to save and save potatoes in winter.

Even if you sprinkled him with dry chalk, you will have to constantly check how he lives in the basement. And immediately respond to deterioration.

One of the most common diseases that makes itself felt during this period is Fusarium dry rot. Rounded spots appear on the fruits, as if pressed along the edges. And inside - dark brown with voids, mold. If the cellar is dry, then the rotted areas are dry. If it is wet, softening is noticeable.

The spots begin at the sites of bruises and cover the entire tuber. It dries out, becomes completely unfit for food. If you lower the temperature to 2-4 degrees, the spread of rot will slow down. Only the top layer of potatoes should be sorted out, the whole - if the outbreak is severe, and the room should be ventilated. And experts advise covering the top layer with straw: it absorbs excess moisture.

How to pour potatoes from diseases?

It is necessary to take plants whose phytoncides can protect him from various troubles. Most often, dry leaves of mountain ash, branches of wormwood, goutweed or cloves of garlic are used for this purpose. And so that the potatoes do not germinate ahead of time, experienced gardeners sprinkle it with dry mint leaves. The aromatic compounds released by it have a depressing effect on the seedlings.

When the tops of potatoes wither, the tubers, devoid of photosynthesis products, stop growing. This is normal if the stems dry out on time, but if the shoots wither prematurely, you can not count on a rich harvest.

In hot weather, potato tops often wilt due to lack of moisture. It is easy to make sure that the plants suffer due to drought: just try the soil in the garden at a depth of 8–10 cm from the surface with your hand. If the soil is dry, then the potato plantation needs to be watered.

Plants especially need moisture during the period of budding and flowering. To make it easier for potatoes to endure drought, organic or mineral fertilizers, a growth stimulator, are added to the water for irrigation. If the bushes are healthy, then during the day after watering the stems straighten, and the leaves again become fresh and elastic.

Diseases that lead to premature wilting of the tops

If the soil is moderately moist, and potato bushes wither on the site, the cause is most likely some kind of disease. It is very important to take preventive measures in time and prevent an epidemic.

There are 3 universal rules, the observance of which can significantly reduce the likelihood of an epidemic;

• crop rotation is necessary;
• you can not plant tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, physalis and other nightshade next to a potato plantation;
• the affected bushes should be dug up, the tops should be burned, and the place where they grew should be disinfected (depending on the causative agent of the disease, with a fungicide or antibiotic).

Stolburn wilting

It is considered the scourge of the southern regions, but it is found throughout the European part of Russia. In diseased stems, the internodes are much shorter than in healthy ones, there are many axillary shoots. Young leaves grow small, twist around the central vein or fold in half, covered with red spots. The flowers sometimes turn green, the petals are deformed.

During a drought, when epidemics are most frequent, the tops begin to wither 7-10 days after the defeat. In cool weather, the disease progresses more slowly, withering occurs after 2-3 weeks.

Carriers of stolbur are cicadas, so plants are most often infected in late June - early July, when the mass flight of these insects begins. Symptoms of stolbur appear in a month, in late July - early August.

The most important thing is to prevent the planting of tubers infected with stolbur: they give frail tops. During germination, any potatoes with stringy shoots should be discarded.

To prevent an epidemic, it is necessary to destroy the leafhoppers. To do this, potatoes of mid-ripening and late varieties are treated with the Prestige disinfectant during planting or sprayed with any insecticide against the Colorado potato beetle during the growing season. For early varieties, insecticides are used with short period expectations (Fitoverm, Bankol).

An antibiotic is used to disinfect the place where the diseased bush grew. Phytoplasmas can be destroyed with a Tetracycline solution.

Fusarium wilt

Causes the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Infection occurs through the soil, during transportation or in storage. The probability of infection is especially high in the heat with high humidity (80-90%).

The disease usually appears during flowering. The fungus destroys the vessels of the tops. Young leaves of an infected plant become lighter, folded in half or twisted into a tube (around the midrib). After a few days, all the leaves wither, and the stems droop, they can be pulled out of the ground without effort, as the root zone rots. Orange-brown vessels are clearly visible on the cut of the shoot: this color is given to them by the fungus. At high humidity, the shoots are covered with an orange coating on the outside - fungal spores.

To prevent plant disease with fusarium, tubers are seeded with Maxim, Fitosporin-M or another fungicide when planting. When an epidemic threatens, the plantation is sprayed with a fungicide (for example, Fitosporin-M or Alirin-B).

verticella wilt

The causative agent of verticillosis is the fungus Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke et Berthold. Unlike fusarium, verticillosis first appears on the lower leaves (mainly during flowering), and then reaches the upper ones.

The leaves turn yellow at the edges, covered with brown spots, depressed brown dots and strokes form on the stems. The fungus clogs the vessels of the plant, which stops the flow of water to the leaves and tops of the shoots.

Even if the tubers dug out from under the diseased bush look healthy, they do not persist until spring: the eyes rot. To prevent verticillosis, the plantation is sprayed with fungicides.

Bacterial wilt (brown bacteriosis)

The disease is caused by the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. (syn. Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith). Carriers of pathogens are insects, but bacteria are also spread with rainwater, with dirty garden tools, work clothes.

Infection occurs when the pathogen enters the wound of the tops or tuber. In the vessels of the plant, bacteria multiply very quickly and, sticking together with each other, form blood clots. Because of this, the tops do not receive moisture and wither. Infected tubers rot in storage.

Pathogens are especially active at high humidity and temperatures from +20 to +30 °C. Potato plantations in the Far East suffer most from brown bacteriosis.

To protect the potatoes, before planting, the tubers are pickled with "Maxim", "Gryphon" or a weak solution of salts of copper, boron and manganese.

stem nematode

It is impossible to completely get rid of the stem nematode. In order to control its numbers, potatoes should be planted in the same place no more than once every 3-4 years. It is recommended to use rye as green manure.

For what reasons do potato leaves turn yellow and why is it important to start their "treatment" on time? By ignoring the change in leaf color, you can lose your tuber crop. Therefore, find out right now which methods of dealing with yellowness are the most effective.

Potato tops can be used to draw a conclusion about the future harvest. If it has begun to turn yellow, there is a good chance that you could lose more than half of your potato crop. Most often, plants change color due to viral and fungal diseases or adverse weather conditions. Consider the most popular causes of yellowing potato leaves.

First of all, the plant suffers from heat and excess moisture.

Why do potato leaves turn yellow in June

Most often in June, the leaves of the potato turn yellow from below, but gradually the unhealthy autumn color covers the entire plant. This is primarily due to lack of moisture and air in the surface layer of soil. Drought and a sharp increase in temperature in June leads to the fact that the young foliage literally "burns out". However, abundant watering and frequent rains also do not always have a favorable effect on the state of plantings - due to excess fluid on the soil, a crust is formed that prevents air from penetrating to the roots.

In moderately humid and warm weather young foliage turns yellow already in early June

Against the background of adverse weather conditions, the plant develops verticillium wilt. Affected leaves turn yellow, dry out, curl and die. Even young seedlings can become ill with verticillium. This means that the tuber sprouts have been infected and such a bush will not grow. normal height. The disease develops especially actively at a temperature of 17-22°C. If you cut the stem obliquely near the ground, you can see small brown spots on the cut - this is the soil fungus - the causative agent of the disease.

Measures for the prevention and control of potato verticillium:

• observe crop rotation and plant potatoes on former place not earlier than 4 years after the previous harvest;
• use healthy planting material from trusted manufacturers and destroy weeds on the site in a timely manner;
• remove affected plants along with tubers and burn them;
• spray plantings immediately after germination with a solution of copper sulfate (10 g per 10 liters of water);
• treat affected plants with copper chloride (2 g per 1 sq.m).

The next common cause of June leaf wilt is fusarium wilt. It starts from the top of the potato bush, gradually affecting the entire plant. Fusarium actively develops during periods of high humidity and cool weather. At the same time, interestingly, the stem is restored overnight and looks healthy outwardly. But with a strong development of the disease, both the stem itself and the leaves turn brown (later they curl and die).

Measures for the prevention and control of potato fusarium:

• grow relatively fusarium-resistant varieties Berlichengen,Detskoselsky, Priekulsky early;
• before planting, sort the planting material, rejecting the affected and diseased tubers;
• dress seed tubers before planting with one of the antibacterial drugs: Fitosporin, Integral, Baktofit in accordance with the instructions;
• after the first signs of the disease appear, it is forbidden to plant potatoes in the same place for 3-4 years. Regular plowing of the soil should be carried out to a depth of up to 30 cm and all weeds of the nightshade family should be destroyed.

Why do potato leaves turn yellow in July

In early July, potato leaves also turn yellow and black dots appear on them? Perhaps the landing was chosen potato nematode. This microscopic pest feeds on the juice of the roots, as a result of which the stem and leaves weaken, turn yellow and die. When affected by a nematode, 60-80% of the crop can be missed.

Remember that the effectiveness of fungicides reaches its maximum only in sunny weather.

Measures for the prevention and control of potato nematodes:

• plant lupins, meadow fescue, marigolds, table and sugar beets, oats, rye, cabbage and peas after potatoes;
• before planting potatoes, carry out a preventive application of urea (1 kg per hundred square meters). Then pass 1 kg of potato sprouts through a meat grinder and pour 10 liters of water. This solution is enough for watering 1 weave;
• during planting, add 2-3 handfuls of rotted manure or compost, one handful of ash and 1 tbsp. dry bird droppings. Sprinkle all this with earth and plant potatoes with sprouts up;
• after planting, spill the soil with a solution of liquid chicken manure (1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water). For 1 sq.m, add 10 liters of the composition.

Toward the middle of summer, potatoes begin to experience iron deficiency and manganese. It leads to chlorosis and the withering of the "green robe" of the bushes. How to avoid it?

Measures for the prevention and control of potato chlorosis:

• do not allow the soil to dry out and use substances that contribute to its acidification: ammonium sulfate, urea, etc.;
• feed the bushes with manganese sulfate (5-7 g per 10 liters of water) and add 1-1.5 liters of the mixture under each bush;
• spray the leaves with iron sulfate (50 g per 10 liters of water), spraying every 4-5 days.

Why do potato leaves turn yellow?

The most important misfortune of the potato grower is the yellowing of the lower leaves of young tops. Most often, this is a sign late blight – dangerous disease, which affects potatoes wherever they grow. Dark spots form along the edges of the leaves, which gradually spread to the entire plant. On the inside, the spots become discolored, which is sometimes accompanied by yellowing of the leaves.

It is very difficult to save bushes from late blight, as a rule, they are uprooted and burned

Measures for the prevention and control of late blight:

• the future harvest should be taken care of even during the harvesting of tubers. They should be examined and diseased and damaged specimens should be discarded, and healthy potatoes should be dried. It is better to burn diseased tubers immediately outside the site - phytophthora spores are very volatile and easily travel long distances;
• choose varieties that ripen earlier than late blight has time to develop: Arina, Willow, Nevsky, spark, September;
• 1.5 weeks after planting the tubers in open ground use the following composition: scroll 200 g of garlic in a meat grinder and pour 1 liter warm water. Leave in a dark place for two days, and then strain. Dilute the mixture with water so that the total volume of the resulting solution is 10 liters, and spray the plantings 3-4 times a month during the season;
• during the budding period, contact fungicides can be used: copper chloride (40 g per 10 l of water), Ditamine M-45 (20 g per 10 l of water), Kuproksat (25 g per 10 l of water).

And finally, the most important thing - sometimes the leaves turn yellow due to the fact that you planted early variety potatoes or old leaves just fall off. This is a natural process, and you should not worry about it. For all other cases, use our recommendations.