An early-ripening table potato variety “Colette”, which bears fruit twice a season
The Colette variety of potatoes, which are grown on large farms and small plots, is very popular in our country. The main advantage of the variety is that it produces 2 harvests per season.
Description of the variety
Colette has fast germination, high yield, excellent keeping quality, good marketability and taste. Easy to care for, resistant to pests and diseases, versatile in cooking.
The Colette table potato variety was developed by German breeders in the late 90s. It is mainly grown for the production of chips and French fries.
Other distinctive features of the Colette variety:
- amicable maturation;
- long-term storage;
- transportability;
- low susceptibility to nematodes.
Chemical composition, vitamins and microelements
Colette contains a large amount of vitamins, microelements and amino acids. It is beneficial for bone structure, digestive system and metabolism. This potato variety contains folic acid, which prevents the formation of cancer cells, as well as potassium and vitamins C and B6, which are beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
Attention! Due to their high potassium content, potatoes are contraindicated for people with kidney disease.
The flavonoid quercetin contained in the composition protects cells from free radicals. Colette potatoes improve skin condition and promote the disappearance of wrinkles.
Characteristics of Colette potatoes, yield
The tubers of the Colette variety are approximately the same size and have an oval, elongated shape. The weight of one potato is on average 130 g, the color of the pulp is pale yellow. The starch content is below normal - only 12-18%. The peel is smooth, bright yellow, the eyes are faint.
From 6 to 11 tubers are collected from one bush. The advantage is that they are located in a cluster and close to the surface, which simplifies digging. The average yield is 166-217 c/ha. The maximum yield was noted in the Rostov region - 290 c/ha.
Some sources claim that with proper agricultural technology, you can harvest up to 600 c/ha. At the same time, the high marketability of tubers is maintained - 76-98%.
Growing regions and planting dates
Despite the fact that the Colette variety was included in the State Register of Russia for cultivation in the Central, Volga-Vyatka and North Caucasus regions, it is grown almost everywhere in our country, as well as in Moldova and Ukraine. It grows well in regions with cool, humid summers.
In the south of the country, Colette is planted in late April - early May, in the central and northern regions - from mid to late May. By the time of planting, the soil should be sufficiently moistened and warmed up. The threat of frost should be completely past. Planting too early or late reduces yields.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Potatoes of the Colette variety have a number of advantages:
- the ability to grow two crops per season;
- excellent taste;
- fast germination;
- high productivity;
- disease resistance;
- long-term storage.
Among the disadvantages of the Colette variety is its susceptibility to late blight. However, preventive measures can successfully cope with this disease.
Features of planting and growing
The Colette variety is an early ripening variety and ripens within 60-75 days after planting, which allows for two harvests per season. Many gardeners recommend intercropping. For example, Colette potatoes grow well with beans. They repel pests from each other and produce a more abundant harvest than individually.
Preparation
Before planting, the seed material is treated with drugs to stimulate growth and protect against diseases and pests. These are “Prestige”, “Cruiser”, “Albit”, “Force” and others. Germination and warming accelerate germination and increase the yield of Colette.
Only healthy tubers are taken for germination. They are placed in boxes and covered with humus, and watered with Gumi fertilizer on top. The top layer is covered with compost and covered with film. The boxes are left in a dark, warm place for germination.
Planting scheme and technology
It is better to plant tubers in rows with row spacing of 75 cm and a distance between plants of 30 cm. The depth of planting material may vary on different types of soil. On light soils, holes are made up to 10 cm deep, on heavy soils - no more than 6 cm.
Reference. It is recommended to place the tubers in the holes with the sprouts facing down. Thanks to this simple technique, the bush will grow large and spreading and bring a bountiful harvest.
When planting sprouted potatoes, ash and humus are poured into the holes. In this case, you can leave not 30, but only 25 cm between the bushes.
Features of cultivation
To get a high and healthy harvest, you need the right agricultural technology. Therefore it is important:
- Maintaining crop rotation. A good harvest will come from legumes, cucumber, zucchini, cabbage, garlic, onions, and green manure.
- Correct choice of soil. Loose fertile soils (light loams and sandy loams) are best suited.
- Regular moistening and weeding.
- Timely renewal of seed material.
Nuances of care
Hilling is carried out 2-3 times per season. The first time - after the appearance of 2-4 leaves. They will completely hide underground, which will protect the still weak and tender shoots from exposure to low temperatures at night. The next 1-2 hillings are carried out before the potatoes bloom, with a difference of 2 weeks.
Weed and loosen the soil as weeds appear. The first loosening is before the emergence of shoots, no deeper than 1-1.5 cm, otherwise the potato sprouts will be damaged. The following loosening procedures can be conveniently combined with hilling the bushes.
Watering mode
Watering is carried out if there is no precipitation. The soil should be moist, but not waterlogged. Colette's yield increases in well-moistened soils, so installing an automatic irrigation system is an ideal solution.
Attention! When grown on a subsidiary farm, difficulties with irrigation may arise. Without germination, there may be a long wait for germination.
Top dressing
Colette potatoes are fed 3 times per season with the preparations “Nitrophoska”, “Sortvorin” or “Effekton”. The first feeding is when the tops are still thin and the leaves are light. The second and third times the potatoes are fed before flowering begins, with an interval of 10-14 days.
Important! Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil in standard quantities, and nitrogen fertilizers are applied in limited quantities. This is due to the fact that an excess of nitrogen leads to active growth of tops, not tubers.
As for organic fertilizers, it is recommended to apply bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15 to water. The resulting solution is infused for 2 days in a warm place, then applied to moist soil. This should be done only in the evening, without touching the foliage, so as not to burn the plants. For 1 bush there is 1 liter of fertilizer.
Wood ash can be used in the following ways:
- In the form of feeding. 2 tbsp. l. ash is added under each bush during the first hilling and 50 g during the second hilling.
- For the prevention of late blight. Plants are pollinated with ash in wet weather 2-3 times during the flowering period, 15 g per bush.
Disease and pest control
The Colette variety is resistant to the golden cyst nematode, the causative agent of cancer, viruses A and Y, common scab, and blackleg. Has average resistance to leaf curl.
Susceptible to late blight on tops and tubers - this is the main drawback of the variety. To solve the problem, it is important to carry out preventive treatments with Ditan M-45, Kuproksat and adherence to crop rotation.
Harvest and storage
With proper care, the first potato harvest is harvested at the end of June - mid-July, depending on the region. The signal to start harvesting is the drying tops. They dig up bushes by hand or using special equipment.
Attention! When harvesting, it is important not to damage the thin skin of the tubers. Tubers with mechanical damage are poorly stored, lose their presentation, and sometimes even their taste.
After harvesting, the soil is weeded, cultivated and watered. Then they start again landing. Care measures are the same as when growing the first crop. The potatoes are dug up for the second time around September.
The tubers are harvested in clear, dry weather and left on a flat surface to dry for several days. The harvest is sorted, removing damaged and diseased tubers. Healthy potatoes weighing 50-80 g are selected for planting. After this, all the remaining potatoes are lowered into the basement for storage.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
Potatoes of the Colette variety are stored well for a year after harvesting and are not damaged during transportation. Keeping quality is 92%. The tendency to germinate is low. The storage room should be well ventilated and have a temperature of about +3°C.
Advice from experienced gardeners and reviews about the Colette variety
It is not surprising that the Colette potato variety receives mostly positive reviews. Let's list just a few of them.
Tatyana, Izhevsk: «Colleta potatoes came to us by accident. It’s just that one farmer owed money for herbicides, but instead he brought potatoes. We planted it in early May. I advise everyone to plant it in moist soil so that it is easier for the potato to come to life and take root. The harvest was dug at the end of August. The tubers are oval, very good in appearance, the yield is not very high, but within normal limits. The potato is yellow in color outside and in the cut. The taste is one of the best I've ever tasted! It is great for purees, frying and making soups. Very soft, but not overcooked. Colette can be stored until next summer without any problems at all. I recommend".
Olga, Tomsk: “We bought Colette potato seeds from one of the large chain stores. A package weighing 2 kg cost approximately 139 rubles. All planting material was very good, as in the photo and in the description of the Colette potato variety on the package. They planted it shallowly on April 30, hilled it up, and dug it up in early August. The land on the site is fertile, so we did not specially fertilize it with anything. The harvest was approximately one 10 liter bucket from 8 bushes. There were large and very small tubers on the bushes, but there were no giant ones. A total of 4.5 ten-liter buckets were collected; the yield was not exactly impressive. I really liked the appearance. For cooking and the puree has a very mediocre taste, like a “soapy” one, but it doesn’t get soft even after very long cooking. But these potatoes turned out to be very tasty when fried. It’s not for nothing that it’s grown for chips and fries.”
Read also:
Mid-early high-yielding potato variety "Belmondo".
The ideal potato variety to purchase for the winter: “Jellie”.
Young but promising German potato variety “Krona”: description and reviews.
Conclusion
The Colette variety gives a high potato yield if you follow just a few simple rules. This is the correct choice of predecessor and soil type, germination before planting, traditional care. Then Colette pleases not only with the excellent taste of the tubers, but also with a consistently high yield.