Mid-season potato variety “Slavyanka” with large tubers

Slavyanka is rightfully considered one of the best potato varieties. Thanks to consistently high yields, excellent taste and commercial qualities, as well as minimal care requirements, it stands out from other varieties and is in steady demand among gardeners.

Description of the variety

Slavyanka – a variety for table use, the tubers of which are suitable for frying, baking, stuffing, as well as making French fries and chips.

Origin and development

The Slavyanka potato was bred by breeders of the Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences on the basis of virus-free seed material.

Reference! The variety was included in the state register of the Russian Federation in 2009.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins

The pulp contains 11.1-13.4% starch, as well as many useful microelements, in particular potassium, B vitamins, and amino acids.

Ripening period

Slavyanka is a mid-season potato variety - the crop is ready for harvest 100-120 days after planting the tubers.

Productivity

The variety is characterized by a fairly high yield, which does not depend on weather conditions: on average, 12-15 tubers can be collected from a bush, and the maximum yield from 1 hectare is 392 c.

Disease resistance

The Slavyanka potato is immune to leaf curl, blackleg, potato canker, tobacco or wrinkle mosaic and golden cyst nematode, as well as a medium level of resistance to late blight.

Characteristics of tubers, description of appearance

The bushes are moderately spreading, reaching a height of no more than 50 cm. The leaves have slightly wavy edges, are open, dissected, dark green and slightly pubescent. During the flowering period, small bluish-purple flowers form on the bushes.

The tubers are large (90-180 g), smooth, neat oblong-oval in shape, covered with thin and smooth skin, uniformly colored pink-violet.

The pulp is cream-colored, has a pleasant taste, and does not change color or shape during heat treatment.

Which regions are best suited and climate requirements?

The Slavyanka potato prefers a temperate continental climate and is recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region (Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk and Tambov regions), but it is successfully cultivated in almost all regions of Russia; in Ukraine it is one of the most popular varieties.

The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The undoubted advantages of the variety include:

• high yield and commercial quality;
• pleasant taste;
• resistance to a number of characteristic diseases;
• good shelf life and no problems with transportation;
• unpretentiousness to climate and weather conditions;
• amicable maturation.

Flaws:

• low resistance to mechanical damage;
• demanding on the frequency and quantity of fertilizing;
• tendency to be affected by crown, root and gray rot.

What is the difference from other varieties

The table shows the differences between Slavyanka and a number of other popular potato varieties:

Features of planting and growing

The technology for growing Slavyanka is practically no different from cultivating other potato varieties. Of course, there are some nuances that need to be taken into account to obtain a high-quality harvest, but in general, this variety can be grown not only by an experienced, but also by a novice gardener.

Preparing for landing

Smooth, medium-sized tubers are used as seed material, but they should be free of rot, spots, cracks and other visible defects.

Before planting in the ground, they are disinfected by soaking them for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are dried well. Root crops can also be kept in a solution of “Epin” or “Kornevin” for 30 minutes - this will speed up germination, increase the immunity and productivity of the variety.

Soil preparation begins a month before planting potatoes. The soil is dug up and fertilized with humus, wood ash and nitrophoska, and onion peels are placed in each hole to repel wireworms. 7-10 days before planting, the soil must be dug up again using half a shovel.

Soil requirements

The Slavyanka variety adapts well to any soil and does not make any special demands on it. It is only important that the soil is fertile and has good moisture permeability and aeration.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

The time for planting potatoes in open ground depends on the climatic conditions of the region. On average, you can start planting in the middle or end of April, when there is no threat of frost returning and the soil has warmed up to +10-12°C.

Important! To protect against possible frosts, especially in the northern regions, the beds are covered with polyethylene.

To obtain a high-quality and abundant harvest, adhere to the following agricultural planting techniques:

• mark the rows at a distance of at least 70 cm from each other;
• dig holes in them, the distance between which should be at least 35 cm;
• pour compost, humus or wood ash into each hole;
• lay the seed to a depth of 8-10 cm;
• dig in with earth and level with a rake.

If the beds are small, it is better to use the trench planting method:

• dig a trench 25 cm deep and 35 cm wide;
• pour compost and plant residues onto the bottom;
• place the tubers on top;
• Cover the planting with a small (2-3 cm) layer of soil.

Next to the resulting trench, at a distance of 70 cm, dig another one, the soil from which will later be used for hilling.

Features of cultivation

To make the experience of growing Slavyanka positive, follow the basic rules:

• plant potatoes only in well-warmed and prepared soil;
• choose a flat, well-lit place on the site where moisture does not accumulate;
• Make sure there are no drafts or strong gusts of wind.

Important! The place for planting Slavyanka is changed at least once every three years, as potatoes deplete the soil.

Nuances of care

To obtain an abundant and high-quality harvest, follow the deadlines and rules of agricultural technology.

Watering mode

Water the plant regularly, focusing on the degree of drying of the soil. If there is sufficient natural precipitation, it is enough to water the potatoes only three times per season: when the height of the green part is 10-15 cm, during and after flowering.

Slavyanka tolerates short-term drought well, but prolonged lack of moisture leads to a decrease in the size of tubers, and excessive watering provokes the development of fungal diseases.

Reference! The most suitable solution is to install a drip irrigation system.

Top dressing

The Slavyanka variety is demanding when it comes to fertilizing. To increase yield and improve the protective functions of potatoes, they are fertilized in stages:

• Before hilling, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 300 g of humus are added under each bush, or mullein is used in a ratio of 1:10;
• during budding, the plant needs potassium, contained, for example, in ash (100 g per bush);
• after wilting, but before the active development of tubers, the soil must be shed with a solution of superphosphate (30 g per 10 liters of water).

During the growing season, every 14 days to increase the crop's resistance to diseases, magnesium is added to the soil: in an area where the soil is neutral or weakly acidic, magnesium sulfate is used, dolomite flour is added to acidic soil (50 g per 1 sq. m.).

Weeding and hilling

Weeding of bushes is carried out immediately after the first shoots appear and then as necessary - this depends on the growth rate and spread of weeds.

Hilling is carried out twice: when the bushes reach 15-20 cm in height and before flowering begins. This procedure helps saturate the soil with oxygen and nutrients, as well as stimulate the growth of side shoots.

The soil must be moist, so it is better to carry out hilling after rain or watering.

Disease and pest control

Slavyanka is least resistant to late blight, a disease characterized by the appearance of dark spots on the leaves and their subsequent rotting. Over time, the disease affects the stem and tubers, so the bushes are treated with preparations that contain copper, otherwise there is a risk of crop loss.

You can avoid the development of late blight if:

• observe crop rotation;
• store only whole, healthy tubers;
• do not spray in the evening;
• Harvest in a timely manner and dry the collected tubers in the sun;
• hill up the bushes.

If we talk about pests, the Slavyanka is most often attacked by Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets, aphids, wireworms, butterflies, spider mites, potato moths, and leafhoppers. You can get rid of them with the help of insecticides “Prestige”, “Anti-Colorada”, “Aktarofit”.

Important! Plants should not be treated with chemicals two weeks before harvest.

Harvest and storage

The readiness of the crop for harvesting is indicated by wilting and falling of the stems. As soon as this becomes noticeable, dig up one bush and check the degree of potato ripening: if the skin on the root crops has become strong, you can begin mass harvesting.

How and when to collect

Harvest in early or mid-September. Since the variety is not resistant to mechanical damage, it is better to select tubers by hand, but if the area is large, you can use a harvester with a side grip.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

The collected tubers are left in the sun for 2-3 hours so that they dry, and then sorted, getting rid of the rotten ones, setting aside those that will later be used for planting and further storage.

The best potatoes are placed in wooden boxes covered with burlap or oilcloth, bags or nets and lowered into the basement, cellar or cellar, where the air temperature should be + 2-4 ° C and the humidity should be 80-95%. Keeping quality of the variety is 95%.

What difficulties may there be when growing

In the process of growing Slavyanka, summer residents face such problems as:

• crushing of tubers due to lack of watering;
• rotting of potatoes due to excessive moisture;
• low germination due to improper preparation of seed.

These and a number of other problems can be avoided by following rules for planting potatoes and subsequent care.

Advice from experienced gardeners and reviews about the Slavyanka variety

Gardeners are satisfied with the yield, taste and commercial qualities of the variety. This is confirmed by numerous reviews.

Marina, Samara: «My husband and I have been growing Slavyanka for many years and do not plan to change anything. We are completely satisfied with these potatoes - the harvest is large and stores well, the potatoes are large and tasty, I like that they are not very are boiling over when cooking."

Lyudmila, Saransk: “Last year, the neighbors treated us to potatoes - very tasty, large ones. I asked them for the variety and it turned out that it was Slavyanka. I heard a lot about this variety, and after I had a chance to try it, I decided to plant a couple of beds to try. The result exceeded expectations - I collected 25 kg of potatoes and 1 sq. m. of land. I didn’t check it for keeping quality because they ate it all quickly. Next year I’ll plant more.”

Pavel, Dimitrovgrad: "Slavyanka has just a lot of advantages: the harvest is large, the potatoes are tasty, all large ones, small ones, of course, but very few. There is practically no need to care - a very unpretentious variety. But there is still one drawback - you need to harvest the crop very carefully, because the tubers are easily damaged, and this has a very bad effect on their storage.”

Read also:

Early ripening, frost-resistant potato variety "Rosalind".

Early ripening table potato variety "Colette".

Mid-early high-yielding potato variety "Belmondo".

Conclusion

The Slavyanka potato variety has gained popularity among gardeners in Russia and Ukraine.This is not surprising, since it can guarantee an abundant and high-quality harvest, demonstrates resistance to many diseases and has a pleasant taste, without requiring labor-intensive care.