Mid-early table potato variety Gourmet purple
A distinctive feature of potatoes called Gourmet is the dark purple color of the peel and the purple color of the pulp with white splashes. In Russia, such varieties are considered exotic, but in European countries and the USA, the Gourmet variety has been actively used for preparing culinary masterpieces since the beginning of the 19th century.
Boiled fruits have a pleasant nutty aftertaste, contain a large amount of antioxidants that remove radionuclides from the body, and are widely used in dietary nutrition due to their low starch content.
Origin and description of the variety
The exact origin of purple potatoes has not yet been established. Biologists suggest that the variety comes from South America (Bolivia, Peru). The Gourmet potato was recently developed, has not yet been entered into the State Register of Russia, and information about the manufacturer has not been provided.
Seed material is sold by the SeDeK company. The crop is suitable for cultivation in any region of the country, but feels best in the middle zone and in the south.
In the photo - Gourmet potatoes.
Distinctive features, appearance and yield are described in the table.
| Indicators | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Ripening period | 80–90 days |
| Bush | Medium height, compact, up to 70 cm high |
| Number of tubers in a bush | 12–14 |
| Weight | 80–110 g |
| Form | Oval-round |
| Coloring | The peel is dark purple with small eyes, the flesh is purple with white veins |
| Leaves | Medium size, green |
| Corolla color | White with black stamens |
| Starch content | 13 % |
| Taste | Excellent, slightly unusual for potatoes |
| Cooking class/group | V/S (medium or highly crumbly) |
| Productivity | 350–400 c/ha |
| Marketability | 85–90 % |
| Keeping quality | 96 % |
| Purpose | Dietary table product high in antioxidants |
| Sustainability | To scab and cancer, late blight of tops and tubers. The variety is susceptible to viral diseases |
| Transportability | High |
Agricultural technology varieties
The Gourmet variety is undemanding in care and adapts to any climatic conditions. The maximum yield is shown in the regions of the middle zone and in the south of the country when cultivated on peaty, sandy loam and slightly loamy soils.
The rules of agricultural technology provide for moderate watering, loosening, hilling and fertilizing.
Dates, scheme and rules of planting
The culture is characterized by a short growing season and demanding air temperature. Seed material is planted at temperatures not lower than +10°C.
Gourmet potatoes are grown on slightly acidic, loose soils. If necessary, the soil is improved, guided by the following principles:
- Peaty, loamy, sandy loam soil is best suited for this variety. If there is an excess of sand, the soil is fertilized with manure or humus.
- Heavy loam is loosened using peat, river sand, rotted hay or sawdust. To maintain the airiness of the top layer throughout the season, the soil is mulched.
- Sunny open areas are suitable for planting, but in the southern regions the beds are shaded with a special net or formed near bushes.
- Lowlands with high humidity are not suitable for growing potatoes. In such conditions, tubers suffer from fungal diseases.In regions with heavy and frequent rainfall, plantings are located on slopes with unhindered outflow of rainwater.
Large healthy tubers are used for planting. Small seeds are prepared according to the standard procedure (disinfection, soaking in growth stimulants, germination) and sealed with thickening.
Rules for preparing tubers:
- seed sorting;
- disinfection in Fitosporin, Bordeaux mixture - 40–60 minutes;
- germination in a bright room at a temperature not lower than +15 ° C with spraying with clean water once every 3-4 days.
Strong sprouts 1 cm long indicate the tubers are ready for planting. Seedlings that are too long are shortened and thin ones are broken off. Immediately before planting, the seeds are soaked in Zircon or Epin.
In 2-3 days, the tubers are taken outside and laid out in partial shade to warm up. Holes with a depth of 5–10 cm are formed on the site at a distance of 40 cm. The row spacing is 60 cm. Small tubers are planted at intervals of 30 cm.
This is interesting:
Care
Plants react painfully to both deficiency and excess of moisture. The first time the soil is moistened after germination, the second time - during the flowering period. During drought, the frequency of watering is doubled.
Reference. When there is an excess of water, the potatoes become insipid; when there is a deficiency, the tubers grow small.
Loosening and weeding are carried out after each watering. The beds are treated superficially, taking care not to damage the roots and tubers. Mulching will help make planting easier to care for. Hay or straw prevents rapid evaporation of moisture and the growth of weeds.
Hilling is an important agrotechnical technique, without which it is impossible to obtain a rich harvest.The procedure promotes the growth of the root system and prevents drying out of the soil and stems. Early hilling protects bushes from cold in unstable climatic conditions. The first shoots are completely covered with soil.
Repeated manipulation is carried out taking into account the growth rate of the bushes until the budding stage. The stems are sprinkled with moist soil up to ½ of the height. Additional hilling is required during the period of setting tubers, which must be protected from direct sunlight.
It is convenient to combine fertilizing with watering. The soil is moistened with clean water, then watered with mineral compounds. Superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, urea, potassium chloride, and nitrophoska are used as fertilizers.
The root feeding scheme is presented in the table
| Application time | Fertilizer (per 1 m²) | |
|---|---|---|
| I feeding | During the period of growing green mass | 20 g ammonium nitrate, 20 g potassium sulfate |
| II feeding | During the budding period | 1 tbsp. l. urea, 20 g potassium sulfate/10 l water |
| III feeding | During the flowering period | 40 g superphosphate/10 l water |
Scheme of foliar feeding:
| Application time | Fertilizer (per 1 m²) | |
|---|---|---|
| I feeding | During the period of growing green mass | 100 g urea, 150 g potassium monophosphate, 5 g boric acid/5 l water |
| II feeding | During the flowering period | 1 kg of nettle/3 l of water (leave for 24 hours) + 30 g of laundry soap shavings |
| III feeding | After flowering | 10 g superphosphate/1 l water |
Important! Foliar feeding is carried out in the evening to avoid sunburn on the foliage.
Nuances of cultivation and possible difficulties
There are no difficulties with growing purple potatoes. If you observe the temperature conditions during planting and the rules for further caring for the bushes, you can get a rich harvest.
Experienced farmers recommend paying attention to the method of cultivating potatoes in homemade open boxes made of boards or bricks. The height of the sides is 20 cm, the width is 1 m. Straw, hay, and mown grass are laid on the bottom, and compost and soil from the passages are placed on top.
When planting tubers, do not dig up the soil, since there is organic matter at the bottom, which it is advisable not to touch. Only superficial loosening of the soil is carried out. Two rows are formed in the box, and the holes are placed at a distance of 30 cm. Planted in a checkerboard pattern. Ash and chicken egg shell powder are placed on top of the seeds and sprinkled with soil. As soon as the bushes appear, the beds are weeded and mulched with straw or hay.
Diseases and pests
Purple Gourmet potatoes are resistant to scab and potato cancer, late blight of tops and tubers, but are susceptible to viruses that cause leaf curl and columnar wilting, mottling, and deformation of tubers.
The table contains signs of infection and control methods.
| Name of the disease | Signs | Struggle |
|---|---|---|
| Curling leaves | The lower leaves dry out and curl along the central vein, acquire a red-violet hue, and net necrosis appears on the tubers. |
|
| Speckled mosaic | The bushes do not lag behind in development, but light spots appear on the leaves. | |
| Pillar wilt | Yellowing of leaves at the edges, slowing of growth, small foliage curls into a groove and acquires a purple tint. | |
| Gothic | The edges of the leaves acquire an anthocyanin color, and the tubers take on an ugly shape. |
Important! There is no specific treatment against viral diseases, so quality prevention is important.
Potato plantings often become the target of attack by spider mites, aphids, cicadas, and the Colorado potato beetle. The table shows ways to get rid of pests on the site.
| Pest | Fighting methods |
|---|---|
| Aphid | Spraying with insecticides Aktara, Konfidor, Aktellik, Danadim, infusion of onion peels (200 g of dry raw materials, 50 g of soap shavings/5 l of water). |
| Spider mite | Treatment with infusion of tobacco shag (400 g of raw material, 25 ml of liquid soap/10 l), preparations Vertimek, Bicol. |
| Cicada | Irrigation of bushes using Movento Energy, Tabu, Akarin, Calypso, Proteus. |
| Colorado beetle | Spraying with infusion of sunflower flowers (500 g of raw materials/10 l of water, leave for 3 days), fungicides “NO Colorado Beetle!”, “Aktara”, “Killer”, “Korado”, “Ultor”, dusting with birch ash (10 kg/100 m²). |
Collection, storage and use of crops
The first digging of young tubers is carried out 1.5 months after full germination. In the southern regions, the harvest reaches full technical ripeness after 100–110 days.
Harvested potatoes are suitable for winter storage in a cool place (cellar, basement, glazed balcony). The material is immediately selected for further planting in the spring and the landscaping procedure is carried out. The tubers are laid out in one layer on a flat surface and kept in a bright place for 10–15 days, but not in direct sunlight. This prevents the germination of tubers in winter, accelerates germination, and increases protective forces.
Purple potatoes have an unusual taste; when boiled, they acquire a nutty flavor and become almost black. The product is suitable for preparing raw food salads, boiling and baking.Rich purple mashed potatoes will not leave your guests indifferent.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of Gourmet potatoes include:
- attractive appearance of tubers;
- unusual color of the pulp;
- excellent taste;
- high shelf life and marketability;
- versatility of use in cooking;
- resistance to fungal diseases;
- high productivity;
- ease of care.
Among the disadvantages:
- demands on air temperature during landing;
- predisposition to viral diseases.
Farmer reviews
Gourmet potatoes have not yet become widespread in our country, but those who have already tried to plant the variety on their plots were satisfied with the result.
Evgenia, Chekhov: «This was the first time I saw unusual purple potatoes at the market. Having become interested in growing, I purchased seeds and planted several bushes in the country. I tried adding raw potatoes to salads, I really liked the taste, slightly sweet, non-starchy.”
Inna, Nizhny Novgorod: “My nutritionist advised me to eat purple potatoes, citing their low starch content. I bought several seeds at the market and planted them in the garden. The culture loves warmth and ripens early. Care is simple, like for ordinary potato varieties.”
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Conclusion
Considering the recent appearance of the Gourmet variety on the domestic market, only a few farmers and consumers have had time to appreciate its qualities. But those who have tried to grow potatoes on their plot speak positively about it.The culture does not require special care, but shows maximum results when cultivated in soil generously flavored with mineral compounds.
The main disadvantage of Gurman is its susceptibility to viral infections, against which no effective drugs have yet been invented. Agricultural techniques will help prevent diseases: crop rotation, seed treatment before planting, weed removal, insect control.