Characteristics and description of potato varieties Karatop
Potato varieties Karatop

Karatop is an early potato variety bred in Germany several years ago. Many gardeners consider it truly unique. This variety gives a rich harvest, the taste of which is top notch.

Characteristics and description of the variety

  1. Tubers are round-oval with a smooth peel of yellowish tone. Average weight - 80 g, maximum - 130 g.The eyes are small.
  2. Pulp granular, light yellow. Starch content - 12%.
  3. Bush varieties Karatop medium height with leaves of small size. The corollas are white in color. From one bush can collect 23 tubers.
  4. Sort unsustainable to drought. With a lack of moisture, the quantity and quality of the crop is greatly reduced.
  5. Karatop tolerates long-term storage. Its accuracy according to the description is not less than 97%.
Pulp of karatop is granular, light yellow color
Pulp of karatop is granular, light yellow color

Special features

The grade is considered early ripe. The potato growing season is no more than 65 days. You can start harvesting on the 50th day.

This variety is not demanding on soils. However, if the ground is heavy, then additional feeding and more thorough care are required.

Cultivation and care

How to choose potatoes for planting

Gardener enough to adhere to the following criteria for the selection of planting material:

  1. Choose tubers that have many little eyes. This planting material is able to give more shoots.
  2. It is important to ensure that the tubers are not affected by infectious and fungal diseases.
  3. Tubers should be of medium size (weight from 60 to 80 g).
Tubers for planting should be 60-80 grams
Tubers for planting should be 60-80 grams

How to germinate seed

  1. At the bottom of a shallow box piled wet soil layer of 2-3 cm. Its temperature should be at least 15 degrees.
  2. Selected potatoes are required for germination. spread his eyes up, and from above to fall asleep with a layer of earth to the same height. This process is repeated until the box is completely full. However, it is important that there are no more than three layers of potatoes.
  3. The box is necessary put into the light. The optimum temperature with this germination is 16 degrees. The average term of germination is 12-14 days.
  4. Sprouted potatoes are sorted into a separate container, and the rest is brought to the desired condition.
Such germination of tubers will be even more effective when they are wetted with a solution of copper sulfate (1 g of substance is enough for 5 liters of water).

Step-by-step process of planting varieties Karatop

Potatoes are planted in two stages:

  • Special digging trenchThe depth of which depends on the type of soil (10 cm on light soils; 5 cm on clay soils; 8 cm on loams and heavy soils). The distance between the trenches should be at least 60 cm.
  • Tubers in these trenches laid out every 35 cm. Top filled with a layer of earth.
Tubers are stacked in trenches every 35cm
Tubers are stacked in trenches every 35cm

Care Requirements

Loosening

Between beds it is necessary regular shedding of the earth. This process will protect the roots from weeds, will save moisture and will maintain the soil in a “light” state. The first loosening is carried out 5 days after planting. The time of subsequent loosening depends on the state of the soil and the weather.

Hilling

This is an excellent way to protect young shoots from the influence of negative factors, including sudden frosts in the spring. Shoots need to sprinkle with peat powder 4 cm.

If the potatoes still suffered from frost, then you need to feed them with nitrogen fertilizers.

Watering

Karatop needed thoroughly moisturize once a week. In total, you get about 5 waterings before the first flowers. Simultaneously with watering potatoes fertilized.

Karatop is very picky about watering - at least 2 times a week
Karatop is very picky about watering - at least 2 times a week

Feedings

At the beginning of the growing season and before the onset of flowering, early potatoes need a lot phosphorus.

As soon as the plant acquires flowers, the need for phosphorus decreases. During this period, the potatoes need potassium, as it will improve the performance of the crop.

Potato storage

An ideal place to store potatoes will be dark, dry and cool space. Under these characteristics fit:

  • basement;
  • cellar;
  • special pit;
  • tara on the balcony.

Selected location should not freeze in winter and maintain high humidity. The normal temperature for storing Karatop potatoes is between 2 and 4 degrees.

Diseases and pests

Karatop poorly resistant to fungal disease called phytophrosis. On the lower part of the plant, a mycelium scurf is formed, and the leaves are covered with maroon spots. Infected quickly begins to die.

The defeat of late blight
The defeat of late blight
To prevent phytophrosis, it is necessary to soak the tubers of planting potatoes in onion broth for 7-9 hours.

When identifying signs of phytophrosis, the plant must be sprayed with copper sulphate (5 liters of water with 5 g of vitriol).

Dangerous pests:

  • Wireworm. This pest gnaws the tubers and roots of potatoes. As a result, the tubers begin to rot, and the potato bush fades. To prevent the appearance of the pest, every autumn they dig up the earth, adding to it ammonium sulfate (300 g of substance per 10 square meters).
  • Colorado beetle. This pest is a disaster of any potato field. Methods of dealing with it are the most diverse. Chemicals Karate and Fastak are considered highly effective. They are sprayed with potatoes and soon the beetles die.

Taste and use

The taste of Karatop varieties is estimated by professionals in 9.4 points on a ten-point scale. It is easily cut and in the process of heat treatment well boiled soft. Often used for making mashed potatoes and chips.

The variety is considered dining and is intended for home cooking, but it is often used by enterprises - on an industrial scale.

Karatop potatoes can be used for a variety of purposes. With all the advantages, it has only one drawback: demanding watering. Therefore, if you are thinking about which sort of potatoes to plant, then Karatop will be one of the best options.