Potatoes Karatop: description, characteristics, photos

This article makes it possible to study Karatop potatoes from all sides: a description of the variety, its main parameters and features, botanical characteristics. And also how to plant it correctly: from seed preparation to planting itself, how to care for potatoes, how to deal with diseases and insect pests, how to store them correctly.

Potatoes Karatop: variety description and characteristics

Potatoes Karatop: photo of the variety

Potatoes are a favorite vegetable of all gardeners, without exception, who does not like young potatoes with milk? Everyone loves, without exception. Also, without exception, all gardeners strive to choose the most suitable potato variety for their region, site, so that the root crop ripens as early as possible and pampered with its excellent taste and good yield. In this article, we will introduce you to the Karatop potato variety.

• The potato variety Karatop was bred by German breeders; it was included in the catalog of Russian varieties in 1998.
• The bushes of this variety are of medium height, half erect, medium-sized foliage. "Karatop" does not bloom for long, inflorescences of white color. The tubers are small in size, have a round-oval shape, the skin is yellow, and the flesh is light yellow in color.
• Potatoes Karatop - early ripening variety. The length of time between planting until the tubers are fully ripe is 40 - 55 days.
• The yield indicator is quite high - 43 tons per hectare of land. Up to 25 tubers grow in one nest, which indicates a developed root system of the variety, the average weight of each tuber is from 70 to 120 grams.
• Potatoes Karatop have high taste characteristics, they have a table purpose, they are perfect for preparing any dishes, they do not fall apart and do not darken during heat treatment. The starch level in potatoes is 11-15%.
• The potato Karatop also has a high yield storage rate, it is preserved by 97%.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Karatop potatoes

Potatoes Karatop: photo of the variety

When choosing a potato of the Karatop variety, gardeners first of all pay to the following dignity:

• excellent taste;
• high level of productivity;
• long shelf life;
• not afraid of transportation;
• presentable presentation;
• high resistance to disease.

The main and, probably, the only significant cons potato varieties Karatop is that it is very afraid of drought and does not tolerate it well, which can negatively affect yields.

How to grow Karatop potatoes

It is not difficult to grow Karatop potatoes, it is a rather unpretentious variety. Therefore, even a beginner can cope with this work, observing some general rules.

How to choose the right place

When choosing a place for potatoes of the Karatop variety, one should observe the rules of crop rotation, and it is also worth noting that the best precursors for potatoes are legumes, cabbage, and corn. Like any potato variety, Karatop prefers a sunny area.

Soil requirements

Also, the advantage of the Karatop variety can be attributed to its unpretentiousness to the composition and type of soil, this will absolutely not affect the yield and taste characteristics of root crops in any way.
It is worth noting that some gardeners grow this variety under a film, which allows you to enjoy excellent taste even earlier.
A plot for potatoes of the Karatop variety can be prepared both in autumn and spring. To do this, get rid of the weed, fertilize the soil if desired, and dig up or plow the land.

What are the planting dates for the Karatop potato variety

Planting Karatop potatoes, in fact, like most other varieties, is necessary when the soil warms up to +10 degrees, and the spring frosts have already passed.

How to prepare Karatop potatoes before planting

Potatoes Karatop: photo of the variety

A couple of weeks before the planned planting, it is recommended to prepare Karatop seed potatoes:

• sort out rotten and deformed planting material, choose medium root crops with a large number of eyes;
• then the potatoes must be germinated, this can be done in the following ways:

• The soil is poured into a box or other container and moistened, after which seed potatoes are put there and sprinkled with earth again, then the containers are placed for a couple of weeks in a warm, bright place;
• The most popular and simple way is that the seed potatoes are transferred to a warm, bright place, they are given the opportunity to germinate and plant greenery for a couple of weeks, after the height of the sprouts has become 4 cm - the potatoes are ready for planting;

• Further, it is strongly recommended that sprouted root crops be disinfected either with a solution of potassium permanganate, or with special protective preparations against sores and pests - insects.

How to plant Karatop potatoes correctly

Planting of potatoes of the Karatop variety is carried out either in holes or grooves, the depth of which is on average 10 cm.The distance between the planting material is at least 20 cm, and the distance between the rows is less than 50 cm.
After the potatoes have been scattered, the grooves or holes are covered with earth.

Potatoes Karatop: variety care

In order for the yield, quality and taste characteristics of Karatop potatoes to please you, a number of simple agrotechnical measures are required.

How to water potatoes

As mentioned earlier, the Karatop potato variety is very afraid of drought, and therefore needs regular watering. Therefore, it is recommended to water the potatoes once a week in dry weather and once every two weeks in non-sunny weather.

Top dressing

The potato variety Karatop needs feeding, special attention should be paid to phosphorus and potassium - "Karatop" will be immensely grateful to you, which will affect its yield. It is recommended to feed potatoes three times during the growing season.
For the first time one and a half weeks after planting, it is recommended to choose phosphorus for this.
The second time during the flowering period of the bushes, and the third time 3 weeks before harvest.

How to huddle potatoes

A very important measure for caring for Karatop potatoes is hilling bushes, it must be done at least 2 times per season.

• The first time they spud potatoes when their shoots have grown by 6 cm, this will protect them from possible temperature changes.
• The second hilling is done during the flowering stages of the potato, which helps maintain the tops and also helps nutrients, moisture and air to reach the root system.

Hilling is also a good prevention of weed growth.

Possible diseases and insects - pests, how to deal with them

Potato Karatop has a high immunity to many diseases, but, unfortunately, late blight is not among them. This is a very dangerous disease that can lead to his death.
After the first signs of the disease are found (brown spots on the foliage, which increase in size), it is urgent to treat the plant with copper sulfate or special preparations to combat this ailment. Bushes infected with late blight should be dug up and burned outside your site.
Also, Karatop potatoes are susceptible to attack by the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm.

• Upon detection Colorado potato beetle you can act in the old fashioned way - to collect it by hand, which is ineffective, but it is better to use special preparations, treating the bushes with which you will get rid of this pest.
• Wireworm is a dangerous pest that infects tubers, which is fatal. In this case, it is precisely prevention that is important, for this the soil is treated with a solution of ammonium sulfate, after which it is dug up.

In any case, we strongly recommend that you treat seed potatoes with specialized preparations before planting in order to protect future tubers from diseases and pests - prevention is much more effective than struggle.

Potatoes Karatop: harvesting rules and variety storage

Potatoes Karatop: photo of the variety

In order for Karatop potatoes to be stored as long as possible and retain their taste and market characteristics, after harvesting, they must be well dried, at least a couple of hours. Poorly dried potatoes will rot quickly enough.
Store Karatop potatoes in a dark, cool place in boxes, bags or any other container in which air circulates.
The temperature of the room in which you are going to store the crop should be approximately +2 - +5 degrees, usually it is a burial pit or basement, the main thing is that there is no access to the sun's rays.
Observing all the recommendations, you will get a fruitful, tasty harvest of Karatop potatoes, which will delight you for a very long time.

Potatoes Karatop: video about the variety