Time-tested oldest potato variety "Lorch"

From the time of Peter I, who brought a bag of potatoes from Holland to Russia for growing, to our time, this vegetable has undergone a kind of “evolution.” At first it was not accepted, considering it poisonous and exotic, but gradually they began to grow it, increasing the volume.

In the article we will talk about one of the potato varieties - Lorch, which appeared a long time ago, but over all this time has not lost popularity among summer residents and connoisseurs of delicious dishes.

Description of the variety

Lorch has an attractive appearance and excellent taste., for which it gained its popularity among gardeners of several generations.

Origin and development

This potato variety was developed in the Kursk region in 1922 at the breeding station in Korenevo by the Soviet specialist breeder Alexander Georgievich Lorkh.

Reference. All-Russian Research Institute of Potato Farming named after. A.G. Lorja bears his name.

Since 1931 this variety has been included in the State Register and for almost 90 years - one of the most sought after.

Distinctive features

Main features of potatoes:

• the color of the tuber is light beige, with natural dark inclusions;
• starch content - 15-20%;
• the pulp is creamy white, with excellent taste;
• eyes small, in small numbers;
• the weight of a mature tuber ranges from 90 to 120 g;
• high keeping quality of the variety - up to 92%;
• high yield - from 10 to 12 kg/m².

Description and characteristics of the plant and crop

Lorch bushes are tall, with erect or semi-erect stems. Stems and leaves are pale green. Leaves are produced in large numbers. The flowers are purple-pink in color.

Tubers are light beige in color, with thin, strong skin, smooth, oblong in shape, with slight peeling near the top of the tuber. Each bush produces up to 16 potatoes, approximately 120 g each. The eyes are practically absent and are located shallowly and evenly. The pulp is not watery, soft.

Productivity

Many vegetable growers speak of this variety as high-yielding. Since their appearance, potatoes have not lost their leading positions in taste and yield. The crop is unpretentious and can be grown on any soil; it tolerates frost and drought well. From one bush of the Lorch variety you can collect up to 2 kg of tubers.

How to grow this variety

For planting and growing Lorkha must follow agricultural practices, prepare equipment and nutrients.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Favorable soil temperature for planting +9-10˚С, air - + 13-15˚С, so the right time for planting in different regions:

• for the middle zone - the first half of May;
• in the Urals and Western Siberia - the last week of May - the first week of June;
• in the North Caucasus region - early April.

The planting scheme is maintained based on the growth characteristics of the tubers. Since Lorch is a spreading plant, it is necessary to maintain 35 cm between future bushes and 50-70 cm between rows. This scheme leaves the crop space for greenery to grow, allows it to be well ventilated, and the bushes do not shade each other.

With this planting, the plants are easy to hill up and weed: there is still room to get to the plantings without injuring the stems.

Interesting. Our ancestors determined the favorable time for planting potatoes according to the birch tree. If the young leaves have already begun to open, then it’s time to plant potatoes.

Depending on the depth of groundwater Lorch potatoes can be planted in three ways:

1. Lunochny - with deep underground waters. The depth of the holes is laid depending on the type of soil - from 8 cm on heavy loamy soils to 10 cm on loose soils.
2. Trench - in soils that quickly lose moisture.
3. Grebnevy - in heavy soils when groundwater occurs close to the surface of the earth.

Two tubers are placed in one nest with their sprouts facing down. at a distance of 8 cm from each other. The top is covered with fertilizer 5 cm thick and covered with a layer of soil. After planting, the potatoes are watered.

Important! It is not recommended to plant Lorch in separate pieces with eyes, as the yield is significantly reduced.

Care

To get a good harvest, it is necessary to properly care for the plantings. How exactly? We'll tell you further.

Hilling

This is one of the most important agrotechnical procedures, since it allows the potatoes to gain access to oxygen and moisture, it increases yield by 20-30%.

The procedure is carried out in three stages. The first time - when the height of the tops reached 15 cm, the second - after 15-20 days. The third time the potatoes are earthed up after 10 days, only the mound is trimmed and the top layer of soil is loosened.

Watering

The first mandatory irrigation occurs at the moment the first shoots appear. The second - before setting the buds, the third - during the flowering period, the fourth - immediately after flowering. The water requirement for each bush is approximately 3-4 liters.

Watering is done in the evening or in the morning in the absence of extreme heat.During abnormal drought, it is recommended to water potatoes at least once a week, and this should be done between the rows and under the bush.

Loosening

It is recommended to perform this after the boundaries of the rows have been visually determined. Typically, the first loosening occurs when weeds form, and then is carried out regularly as they appear.

It is advisable to loosen after each watering or rain - this breaks up the earthen crust, which inhibits the flow of oxygen to the tubers.

Weeding

It is carried out constantly, as weeds appear. It is recommended to remove the grass during the loosening process, this makes the procedure easier. The last weeding should be done when the potatoes have finished flowering.

Top dressing

Carried out in several stages:

1. Top dressing applied directly into the ground during planting along with the potatoes being planted. For these purposes, use a handful of ash or 700 g of humus. Instead, you can use a mixture of “Nitrophoska” and bone meal - 1 tbsp. l. for 0.5 cups.
2. The second feeding is carried out before the first hilling. After watering, it is necessary to add a solution of chicken manure in a ratio of 1:15.
3. The last feeding is carried out during the flowering period of the plant with a solution of potassium sulfate - 30 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.

Nuances of cultivation and possible difficulties

Potatoes need constant sunlight, therefore it is not recommended to plant it in a shady area - the stems will trail along the ground and die as a result. The variety loves moist soils, but you should not overdo it either - the roots may rot.

Lorch grows well in soil where legumes and cucumbers previously grew - they saturate the soil with essential nutrients.

Interesting. The soil after planting oats is also perfect for Lorch, since the oats disinfect the soil and destroy fungus.

Although the Lorch potato has increased immunity to diseases, it is susceptible to some diseases and pests that can cause the crop to die - let’s look at them in more detail.

Rhizoctoniosis

A fungal disease that can occur at any stage of plant development. It appears as black spots on tubers and dry areas on the tops. Can be destroyed with Agat-25K or Baktofit. Infected plants are removed from the site and burned. If rhizoctonia blight is detected for three years, nightshades cannot be grown in such an area.

Common scab

Manifests itself on tubers as dark tubercles. The vegetable becomes spotted and rough. Productivity decreases several times. The appearance of the disease can be avoided only by taking preventive measures: spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate and copper-containing substances.

Wireworm

Click beetle larvae, creating “wire” passages in tubers, are in the soil, so it is almost impossible to find them. The pest feeds on tubers, eating holes in them. If the damage is severe, the plant dies. Diseased tubers are not recommended to be eaten even after the passages have been completely removed.

Helps in pest control digging up the soil and removing weeds in which the larvae live. A decrease in soil acidity will also have a positive effect, since the pest loves an acidic environment.

Potato cancer

Fungal disease, which enters the soil from planting material. Quickly destroys large volumes of seedlings.It appears on tubers as large uneven growths from light yellow to dark brown in color, leading to putrefactive processes. The disease has no cure.

The infected bush is destroyed or buried 1 m deep away from the plantings. Lime is poured on top or burned. For prevention, it is recommended to monitor the seed and treat it with boric acid before planting.

The soil in which cancer-infected potatoes grew can only be reused after several years.

Collection, storage and use of crops

The most favorable time for digging Lorch is late August-early September. Drying and falling tops are a sign that the tubers have already matured in the soil. About 10 days before the planned digging of potatoes, the tops are cut off, leaving 10 cm of the length of the stems above the surface.

Digging is done using a pitchfork - a tool that is least traumatic for potatoes. After digging, leave the potatoes for some time to dry. After this, they clear the soil and sort out diseased and damaged tubers and put them in boxes.

Attention! It is necessary to dry potatoes in a shaded place, since exposure to direct sunlight provokes the production of poisonous solanine, which appears on the surface of the potato as a green color change.

Optimal storage conditions varieties Lorch - temperature 2-4˚С, good room ventilation, humidity up to 85%. It is advisable to periodically sort through the potatoes, removing rotten tubers - this way the harvest will last until spring.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

It’s not for nothing that Lorch potatoes have maintained leadership for more than 80 years - all thanks to a number of advantages:

• high yield - fruiting does not depend on weather conditions;
• frost resistance - if one sprout freezes, the plant replaces it with another;
• tubers are approximately the same size, which facilitates mechanized harvesting;
• excellent taste with optimal starch content;
• good adaptability to soil;
• keeping quality and transportability.

Minuses:

• poor tolerance to too wet soil;
• average resistance to infections.

Which regions is best suited for?

For now Lorch is officially approved for cultivation in such regions:

• Northwestern;
• Central;
• Central Black Earth;
• North Caucasian;
• Middle Volga;
• Ural;
• Nizhnevolzhsky.

Reviews from gardeners

The Lorch variety is grown in different regions of Russia, and everywhere there are only positive reviews from gardeners.

Alexey, Pskov: “This is not the first year I have been planting Lorch potatoes on the plot. I am glad that the tubers are formed uniform and large, as in the photo on the Internet. It’s upsetting that you have to constantly treat plants against late blight. And so I always tell my acquaintances and friends that Lorch is the best of everything I have tried. Delicious, aromatic. The harvest is always successful".

Milavitsa Petrova, Torzhok: “I have been growing this particular variety for several years now. I've tried others, but they don't compare. The tubers are always large, there are few small potatoes. When cooked they give a wonderful aroma. I’ve been harvesting a large harvest for five years now and I’m very pleased.”.

Conclusion

Lorch potatoes are an excellent choice for a large family that needs a high-quality and abundant harvest. It can become not only the basis for dishes, but also material support, as it is suitable for farming for sale.