Potato variety Galaxy with excellent taste and long shelf life

The new Irish potato variety Galaxy has already gained popularity among vegetable growers due to its outstanding characteristics. The crop produces an early harvest and has strong immunity to late blight, which is dangerous for potatoes. The plant adapts to different climatic conditions and forms at least 10-14 tubers on one bush. The vegetable has an excellent taste and is stored for a long time. Even an inexperienced summer resident or farmer can cope with growing the Galaxy variety.

Potato Galaxy: variety description

The erect plant reaches a height of approximately 120 cm. The powerful stems have slight ribbing and a smooth green surface. The bush produces branches up to 30 cm long. The size of the pinnately dissected leaves is large, the color is dark green. The flowers are purple in color with a yellow center.

Origin and development

The Galaxy potato variety is relatively new on the domestic market. The root crop was bred by Irish breeders. Initially, experts planned to obtain an early ripening variety that would be invulnerable to late blight, but additionally paid attention to taste and shelf life. The crop passed all varietal tests and was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2008.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins

Potatoes contain a large amount of starch - approximately 15-18%. The concentration of this substance directly depends on the nutritional value of the soil in which vegetables are grown.On well-fertilized soils, the level of starch will be higher.

The Galaxy potato is a dietary variety. Per 100 g of product calorie content is no more than 80 kcal. Also, the tubers contain a significant amount of organic acids, vitamins, carotenoids, macro- and microelements. The fat concentration per 100 g is only 0.6%.

Ripening period

Potato Galaxy is an early variety. Root crops fully ripen 90 days after landings. Irish potatoes have excellent taste, stable yields and strong immunity to pests and most fungal diseases.

Productivity

The tubers themselves are medium in size. The standard weight of one potato is 90 g. Up to 13-14 root crops ripen in a hole. With good care, vegetable growers harvest up to 300 centners of potatoes from 1 hectare of planting (an average of 250 centners).

Disease resistance

Diseases to which the Galaxy variety is immune:

1. Alternaria blight. A characteristic sign of infection is the appearance of dark brown or brown spots on the leaves, which are clearly visible 2-3 weeks before flowering. With a high degree of damage, the foliage turns yellow and falls off.
2. Late blight. A diseased bush is distinguished from a healthy one by tiny but rapidly increasing brown spots on the leaves, which gradually spread to the stem itself. In dry weather, the infected plant dries out; in rainy weather, it begins to rot.
3. Potato cancer. This is a fungal disease that affects tubers, stems, and leaves. They become covered with warty growths, and the root vegetables become unsuitable for consumption and quickly deteriorate and rot.
4. Rhizoctoniosis. The most common sign of the disease is deepened dark spots, as well as reticular necrosis.The roots of the potato gradually rot, and the leaves of the plant fall off. With high humidity and in loamy soil, parasitic bacteria develop much faster.

Characteristics of tubers, description of appearance

The shape of the potato is round-oval. The smooth tubers are creamy in color with a few pink eyes and small brown dots. The pulp has a yellow tint, with cooking crumbles.

For which regions is it best suited?

Galaxy potatoes are suitable for growing in various climatic conditions. Recommended for cultivation in the North-Western, Central and Volga-Vyatka regions, but it is successfully grown throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages of the Galaxy variety:

• stable yield;
• high product and taste qualities;
• resistance to bacterial and viral diseases;
• adaptation of culture to different climates;
• long shelf life of vegetables.

Flaws:

• average resistance to scab;
• At the time of harvesting, not all the tops dry out, so it is difficult to determine the maturity of the potatoes.

What is the difference from other varieties

The Galaxy potato grows well and produces a bountiful harvest in temperate climates. He is unpretentious and forgives mistakes in care.

Features of planting and growing

To obtain an abundant and high-quality harvest, it is important to properly prepare the seed material, choose the time for planting, moisten and fertilize the crop.

Preparing for landing

Only healthy tubers are chosen for growing potatoes. The larger they are, the more nutrients they retain, so the root system will develop better. The preparation of planting material has several features:

1. Before planting, the seeds are placed in a warm, sunny place. The peel will harden and turn green, which will speed up growth.
2. Ultraviolet rays sterilize seeds well, destroying bacteria and fungal microorganisms.
3. Choose tubers with sprouts up to 1 cm, otherwise the risk of breaking them during planting increases.
4. The tubers are sprinkled with wood ash.

Soil requirements

The culture loves light sandy loam soil, rich in organic fertilizers. In heavy soil the tubers will develop slowly. In this case:

1. River sand is added to the soil.
2. When digging, organic matter is added. If there are no such fertilizers, add mown grass, straw, and tops left over from previous crops. The procedure is carried out during autumn plowing, since in the spring the fertilizers do not have time to form.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

It is extremely difficult to determine the exact timing of planting potatoes, taking into account the characteristics of different regions and sometimes climatic conditions:

1. They are planted in heated soil, otherwise the plants will not sprout in the required time frame. Leaving seeds in cold soil will result in the loss of the entire harvest.
2. In the spring, a month before planting, they dig up the soil.
3. Potatoes are planted so that there is 70 cm between the rows and 40 cm between the bushes. This makes it easier to care for the crop and promotes the full growth of the tubers.
4. The holes are dug 15–20 cm deep.
5. As fertilizer, 100 g of chicken manure is placed in them.
6. Next, planting material is laid and sprinkled with earth, forming a small mound on top.

People believe that it is time to start planting potatoes as soon as the birch buds bloom.

Features of cultivation

Potatoes are successfully cultivated in the vast majority of regions of Russia.The crop is grown in summer cottages for personal use and on farms for sale. The cultivation technology is practically no different from the cultivation of other varieties.

Nuances of care

In hot weather, mulch the beds to preserve moisture in the soil. To do this, use straw, grass or peat. Additionally, mulching protects against sudden cold weather.

Watering mode

The variety does not tolerate excessive watering and often gets sick when growing near water bodies:

• after planting, use 1 to 2 liters of water per plant;
• in hot weather, water moderately, spending about 2 liters of water per bush;
• Drip irrigation is also used using the same volume of liquid.

Top dressing

During the growing season, the crop is fertilized. Mineral fertilizers are added carefully, as there is a risk of making a mistake with the dosage:

1. In autumn, when preparing the beds, about 5-7 kg of rotted manure and 15 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m² are used.
2. In the spring, before planting potatoes, half a bucket of peat manure or compost is added to the soil per 1 m². Also add 20 g of ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate and 30 g of nitrophoska per 1 m².
3. During the growing season, before hilling, use a solution of 0.5 buckets of water and chicken manure in a ratio of 1:10 per 1 m². Then water generously.

Weeding and hilling

Hilling is a mound of soil near the stem of a plant in the shape of a hill. This procedure performs several functions:

• keeps the plant from sticking to the ground;
• saturates the soil with oxygen;
• clears the bed of grass.

When hilling, the yield increases. It is carried out 2 times per season: when the bush reaches 20-25 cm, and then after 2-3 weeks.

For your information. The third hilling is necessary if the soil has been washed away by rain or watering, and potato roots have appeared on the surface.

If the soil has warmed up above +25°C and the air temperature is +30°C, the plants should not be hilled up. Under such conditions, they loosen the soil surface and get rid of weeds.

Disease and pest control

Potatoes of the Galaxy variety are affected by the following diseases and pests:

1. Scab. Characteristic signs are shallow ulcers of concave, mesh, convex, flat shape on the surface of the tubers. Deformation affects not only the peel, but also the pulp of the tubers. Scab is destroyed by spraying plants with Fitosporin M. During the entire growing season, the procedure is carried out 3 times. To prepare the solution, the package of substances is diluted in 3 liters of water or act according to the instructions. Also, when the disease appears, use a solution of “Kuproksat”, stirring 25 g of the substance in 10 liters of water. The second spraying is carried out after 10 days, but no later than 20 days before harvesting.
2. Stem nematode. This worm, up to 1 mm in size, infects plant stems and tubers. It is easy to recognize a vegetable in which pests have settled: tiny dark spots will be clearly visible on the peel. In case of severe damage, the shell cracks, and rot (dry rot) forms under it. Stem nematode reproduces intensively in a humid environment. The pest is gotten rid of with the drug “Bazudin”.
3. Wireworm. This is the larva of a click beetle; it is a yellow-brown worm 2-3 cm long with a rather dense cover. Imago (adult) is a black beetle with an oblong body up to 5 cm long. The pest is controlled with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.These drugs include: ammonium sulfate (add 30 g per 1 m²), ammonium nitrate (20 g per 1 m²), ammonium chloride (30 g per 1 m²). The products are introduced into the soil, and the pests smell a pungent odor of ammonia, which is unpleasant to them. They also fight wireworms with the drug "Aktara" - the product is dissolved in water to treat the potatoes before planting (1 g per 10 liters of water), or dry powder is added to the holes.
4. Colorado beetle. The pest feeds not only on green potato shoots, but also on tubers, especially in the spring, when green shoots have not yet emerged from the ground. During this period, the beetle can be easily controlled using traps. Shredded potatoes are used as bait. The Colorado potato beetle is destroyed by spraying potato bushes with a urea solution. To prepare, 100 g of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Treatment is carried out in the morning or evening. Many vegetable growers use the product "Confidor" (according to the instructions).

To control pests, add onion peels, wood ash or mustard powder to the holes when planting.

Harvest and storage

Potatoes are fully mature 90 days after planting. This is the main guideline for harvesting, since the tops of the Galaxy variety do not dry out before harvesting.

How and when to collect

To make sure the potatoes are ripe, first dig up one bush. If the peel is thick, it’s time to start harvesting vegetables:

1. Potatoes are dug up with a shovel or a mechanical device (motoblock, combine harvester).
2. Before placing the tubers in bags, they are dried in the open air under sunlight for no more than 2 hours. Do not keep it longer, otherwise toxic substances will begin to be produced in the peel.
3. Damaged tubers are discarded and seed material is sorted.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

After harvesting, the crop is kept in boxes in a dry and cool room, such as a basement. After 4 weeks, the potatoes are sorted again and unusable tubers are thrown away.

Vegetables are stored in the cellar for up to 7 months at air humidity of no more than 80%. They are little susceptible to damage, so they are easily transported over long distances and do not deteriorate on the road.

What difficulties may there be when growing

Many rural residents grow potatoes in the same place for 10-15 years in a row. It is not easy for private owners to comply with crop rotation rules. The reason is small plots of land. However, there is a simple and effective way out.

At the first opportunity, purchase new seeds or exchange planting material with neighbors. Each seed potato develops much more intensively in a new place.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Recommendations before planting in spring:

1. It is best to plant medium-sized tubers or cut large root vegetables so that each part has several eyes.
2. Deeply planted tubers will produce fines and an abundance of tops.
3. It is better to feed the crop with chemical fertilizers. Organic matter, especially manure, negatively affects the taste of vegetables.
4. To get large, tasty tubers, slightly break the tops. After this, the nutrients are used exclusively for potato development. This procedure must be carried out 1-2 weeks after flowering.
5. If the leaves begin to turn black from late blight, the affected areas are immediately cut off and burned.
6. Horseradish, calendula, and aromatic herbs are planted along the edges of the potato field - they all have a beneficial effect on its health.
7. Coriander, catnip, nasturtium, tansy, and marigold repel the Colorado potato beetle.They are planted along the edge of potato beds.
8. Sunflower has a depressing effect on potatoes.

Reviews about the Galaxy variety

Experienced vegetable growers generally speak positively about the Galaxy variety. The culture grows well in the vast majority of regions of Russia.

Vladimir, Orel: “I’ve been growing potatoes for a long time. Overall I really like this product. I have tried many varieties in my life. When new ones appear, I experiment with them. Several years ago I grew Galaxy. I liked the variety. Potatoes are very tasty and can be stored for a long time. I advise everyone!".

Tatiana, Chita: “I acquired Galaxy mini-tubers for my dacha because of their productivity and unpretentiousness. Potatoes grow large, weighing on average 80-90 g. I have not observed any bacterial diseases yet. I traditionally fight the Colorado potato beetle with pesticides. Potatoes keep well until spring. The root vegetables taste wonderful. I even took photos of vegetables to show and recommend this variety to neighbors. I will continue to grow it.”

Read also:

How dangerous are potatoes and can you get poisoned by them?

How to use potatoes to treat various diseases.

Conclusion

Even a novice gardener can cope with growing Galaxy potatoes. However, you should not rely on the undemanding nature of the variety - without proper care there will be no serious result. If agrotechnical rules are observed, the Galaxy variety will thank its owners with an abundant and tasty harvest.