The German potato variety Rodrigo has been recently bred, cultivated in Russia since 2009. Young from the point of view of breeders, the variety quickly gained popularity among summer residents. What is remarkable for this variety, you will learn further.
Description of Rodrigo variety and photos of potatoes
A feature of the variety is its excellent taste, good preservation of tubers, and high resistance of the culture to characteristic diseases. But first things first.
Variety Rodrigo is considered mid-early. Less than 80 days elapse from planting seed to harvesting. Young potatoes can be digged 2.5 months after planting. This is usually mid July.
Bushes of this variety are powerful, tall, form 3-4 shoots. An adult plant decays, its stems droop. The leaves of the bush are green, large, slightly wavy. Potato blooms with small pink or reddish flowers.
Rodrigo tubers are large, the skin is dense, red in color, there are few eyes. In the context of the potato is creamy yellow. The pulp contains little starch, keeps its shape well, does not boil.
The yield of Rodrigo is excellent. From one plant, you can collect up to 10 large tubers. The average weight of potatoes is from 100 to 250 grams. With good care and proper agricultural technology, summer residents manage to grow tubers weighing 500 grams. All tubers are aligned, smooth, non-marketable products do not exist.
Known advantages of potatoes and the disadvantages of the variety Rodrigo
The potato of German selection has practically no drawbacks. The plant grows equally well on any soil, tolerates drought, heat. Tubers are tied in any weather conditions.
In addition, varietal potatoes do not degenerate; they retain productivity for 5-7 years. At the genetic level, this variety is immune to viral and fungal diseases. Tubers well tolerate transportation and storage. You can even store tubers damaged during harvesting for storage. They do not deteriorate, do not rot.
The gardeners did not notice any shortcomings during the cultivation. The only drawback is a too sprawling bush, which makes it difficult to swell the plant.
Rodrigo potatoes are suitable for whole cooking, frying, baking and mashed potatoes. The yellow variety is considered the most delicious. Its delicate texture and rich taste will not leave indifferent any housewife.
Agricultural technology varieties Rodrigo: where and how to plant potatoes
The variety is suitable for cultivation in any region of Russia. Commercial tubers and a good harvest are guaranteed not only in the southern regions, but also in the north. However, breeders recommend planting this variety in the Middle Volga region.
To get a good harvest of marketable tubers, you must follow the cultivation agricultural technique. Potatoes should not be planted after tomatoes or near trees. The best predecessors for planting are legumes, onions, all kinds of cabbage, cereals, beets, radishes.
Important! Experienced gardeners argue that planting potatoes after siderata gives a good result. Productivity increases by 30%.
Planting is best started in early April, while the soil is still wet, and the temperature is kept at +22 ° C. At higher or lower temperatures, tubers do not germinate well. The landing place is chosen bright, well-lit. In the shade, yield decreases, shoots become thinner, the bush is poorly developed.
The soil is prepared in advance, best in autumn. Under digging, nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are applied in a ratio of 2: 1. Summer residents recommend making mature compost, rotted manure or mineral fertilizers. If the soil is acidified and marshy, then eggshell, dolomite flour, crushed chalk, slaked lime are surely introduced.
Ridges for potatoes form on a hill, since the variety does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Landing holes are made at a distance of 20 cm from each other. The depth of the hole is about 10 cm.
Preparation of varietal tubers for planting
A month before planting, the tubers need to be sprouted. This will help to get an earlier potato crop. For germination, aligned, smooth tubers with a large number of eyes are selected.
Germination is carried out in a room where the temperature does not fall below +15 ° C. Potatoes are stacked in a single layer in boxes, regularly moistened and sure to fill up. The room is aired every day.
Before planting, the tubers are disinfected in a solution of copper sulfate and fed with a solution of superphosphate. For top dressing, 1 tbsp. l substances in 12 liters of water and spray the seed material.
Small tubers are used for planting. Large potatoes are cut so that each part has several sprouts. The slice is dried and treated with potassium permanganate.
How to care for potatoes to get an unprecedented crop of Rodrigo
In the description of the Rodrigo variety, it is stated that the potatoes are unpretentious, do not require special care. However, some subtleties to increase productivity exist.
Potatoes love hilling and weeding. A clean garden is the key to a good harvest. However, you can not use chemicals to control weeds, it is better to weed the beds manually. Hilling is done several times per season:
• first hilling immediately after germination;
• second hilling, when the stems grow 10cm;
• The third time the procedure is carried out after rain or watering.
At the first hilling, the potatoes are completely covered with earth, which will help it to withstand during return frosts. With repeated hilling, the stems fall asleep to half.
As noted, Rodrigo is resistant to drought and heat. However, during the flowering season, the beds need to be watered abundantly. To do this, it is better to use a drip system or sprinkling, you do not need to moisten the soil with hoses, otherwise you risk washing the ground. Ideally, the soil should be wetted by 25 cm.
Potatoes rarely get sick, so they do not require additional treatments. Only the Colorado potato beetle bothers planting. You can deal with a pest with chemicals, but it is better to try alternative methods first. Not everyone knows that the bug repels the smell of garlic and calendula. These crops are placed in joint plantings with potatoes. Of the chemicals, it is worth trying Inta-Vir or Prestige.
Important! One month before harvesting, all treatments are stopped.
How to feed potatoes Rodrigo
The most valuable fertilizer among summer residents is considered ashes. It is introduced before planting and hilling potatoes. It is enough to put in a hole a spoonful of wood ash so that the tubers receive all the necessary trace elements.
In addition, bird droppings are used for feeding, but they are bred very carefully so as not to burn the plant. It is best to apply manure in the fall or early spring, 1.5 months before the tubers are planted.
Important! Always observe the dosage of the litter, otherwise the yield will be noticeably lower. The bush will increase the sheet apparatus to the detriment of club formation.
