Potato Meteor

This article describes in detail the Meteor potato: a description of the variety, its history, advantages. You will be given recommendations for growing this variety of potatoes, as well as further care. You will also learn about possible diseases, how to deal with them, and how to properly store the crop.

Potatoes Meteor: variety description and characteristics

Potatoes Meteor: photo of the variety

The most popular root vegetable in the garden is by far the potato. Often, gardeners are looking for good varieties that will delight you with a fruitful harvest, and will also stand out with excellent taste characteristics, store for a long time and are unpretentious to care for. In this article, we will introduce you to the Russian potato variety Meteor.

• The potato variety Meteor was bred quite recently - in 2013 by Russian breeders.
• Bushes of the seed potato variety Meteor are tall, erect, abundant foliage of dark green color. The Meteor variety blooms with small white inflorescences.
• Root crops have an oval-round shape, the skin is smooth, thin yellow in color, and the pulp is inherent in a light yellow color.
• The Meteor potato is an early ripening variety. The length of time between the emergence of seedlings until the full maturation of the tubers is 60 days, and you can pamper yourself with the first young potatoes already 45 days after planting.
• The yield indicator of early potatoes Meteor is high, amounting to 20-40 tons per hectare of land. In one nest, 10 - 12 large pieces of tubers grow, each weighing on average from 100 to 150 grams.
• Seed potatoes Meteor have excellent taste characteristics, they have a table purpose, they are great for preparing any dishes, they do not lose their shape and do not darken during heat treatment. The starch level in potatoes is 12-15%.
• Potatoes Meteor also have a high yield keeping rate - 95%, marketability of this variety is 89-98%.

How to grow potatoes Meteor

There are absolutely no difficulties in growing the Meteor seed potato variety, it is unpretentious and calmly adapts to any conditions, it follows that even the most inexperienced gardener can cope with its cultivation. But to get the most fruitful harvest, you still have to "drown" a little.

How to choose the right place

When choosing a place for Meteor potatoes, opt for the most sunny area, where the early Meteor potatoes will feel comfortable.
Be sure to follow the rules of crop rotation, and also remember that the best predecessors for Meteor potatoes are legumes, cabbage, cucumbers, and onions. The worst predecessors are tomatoes.

Soil requirements

Seed potatoes Meteor are absolutely not picky about the soil, they will adapt to anyone. But of course, for the best result, sandy loam soils, loams, or peat bogs are ideal for it. The acidity should be neutral, if it is high, it is necessary to use "deoxidizers" such as ash or limestone flour.
It is recommended to prepare a plot for potatoes in the fall. To do this, it is necessary to remove all weeds, apply mineral or organic fertilizers to the ground, after which the site is dug up and plowed.Also, the land can be prepared 2 weeks before planting - we get rid of weeds, apply fertilizers (it is better to use organic matter - manure, compost, ash), after which the land is plowed or dug up manually.

What are the landing dates

It is believed that Meteor potatoes can be planted in cool soil, but we do not recommend taking risks, but it is better to wait until the ground warms up to at least + 8 degrees. This falls around the beginning of May, then spring frosts are no longer scary. In any case, be guided by your region and weather conditions.

How to prepare Meteor potatoes for planting: a description of actions

A couple of weeks before planting, Meteor seed potatoes must be prepared as follows:

• to begin with, it is carefully sorted out, rejecting rotten, damaged, deformed tubers, leaving only healthy, strong material;
• after the potatoes have been sorted, it must be germinated to speed up the germination process. To do this, transfer the potatoes to a bright, warm place for 2 weeks. During this period, the potato will sprout - it will turn green and sprout;
• in order to avoid diseases in the future, as well as to avoid the attack of pests, sprouted root crops are disinfected - for this they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or special chemicals that protect tubers from sores and pests - insects, and you can also treat seed potatoes with growth stimulants.

How to plant the Meteor potato variety correctly

Planting rules for this variety are almost identical with other varieties. Potatoes are planted in holes or grooves, the depth of which is on average 10 cm (for light soil), and 6 cm (for heavy soil). The distance between the seed potatoes is at least 35 cm, and the distance between the rows is about 65 cm, it is not worth planting the potatoes closer, since the bushes will darken neighboring plants, which will negatively affect the yield
We lay out the Meteor seed potatoes in the holes, do it carefully - without damaging the sprouts, after which the holes are covered with earth.

How to care for potato seedlings

After planting, Meteor potatoes need minimal agrotechnical manipulations, which should not be neglected if you want to get a good harvest.

How to water Meteor potatoes

The Meteor potato variety, although unpretentious and adapts to any weather conditions, nevertheless needs moisture. It is recommended to water it thoroughly every week, especially during the period of flowering and growth of tubers. If the tops turn yellow and wither, this is the first sign that the root crop does not have enough water.

Top dressing

Any potato needs top dressing, in return it will generously delight you with its harvest. During the season, Meteor potatoes need to be fed 3 times.

• first time, a month after planting, when the tops are actively growing and root crops begin to form, urea is ideal for this;
• second time they are fed immediately after the flowering period, when the tubers begin to grow actively, in this case, superphosphate or potassium sulfate will be ideal fertilizers;
• third feeding carried out when the tops begin to wilt, at this moment there is an active growth of tubers that need superphosphate or organic matter. It is recommended to give preference to manure.

How to spud potatoes Meteor

The most important agronomic measure for caring for potatoes is hilling. It must be produced a couple of times per season.

• first time hilling is carried out after the seedlings have grown to 10 cm, at this moment the tops are actively strengthened, hilling, we protect it from temperature drops, and also help oxygen to flow to the root system;
• second time - three weeks before harvesting, during this period, the tubers are actively growing.During hilling, air, nutrients and moisture rises to the root system, and hilling helps to maintain the tops and to fight weeds.

Read our article: When to spud potatoes for the first time

Possible diseases and pests, how to deal with them

Meteor potatoes, as mentioned earlier, are resistant to many diseases, but poorly protected from nematodes, ring rot and dry rot.

• Golden potato nematode lives in the soil, which is why you should follow the rules of crop rotation and do not grow potatoes in the same place for more than 4 years. For the prevention and prevention of disease when preparing the soil, add urea or chicken droppings to the ground.
• To prevent the appearance ring rot, it is also recommended to follow the rules of crop rotation, and after harvesting, thoroughly dry the tubers.
• Dry rot formed only after mechanical damage to root crops. Therefore, watch out for potatoes during transport, and sort out damaged potatoes and do not put them in storage.

Harvesting and storage of potatoes Meteor

Kiwi potatoes: photo of the variety

• After the harvest is harvested, it is cleaned of the earth and allowed to dry thoroughly.
• Before the Meteor seed potatoes are put away for storage, they are carefully sorted and damaged, poor-quality potatoes are put aside in order to avoid the development of diseases.
• Next, the roots are folded into boxes, bags (the container must be breathable) and transferred to a cool, dark place. The ideal storage space for Meteor potatoes are the basement and cellar.

By following our recommendations for growing Meteor potatoes, you will definitely get a good, healthy, tasty harvest that will delight you for a very long time.