Mid-season hardy potato variety Tuscany

The German potato variety Tuscany is distinguished by its versatility in use - it is suitable both for growing for sale and for personal use. The tubers are attractive due to their even size, smooth skin with a small number of shallow eyes. The taste of potatoes is excellent. Due to its optimal starch content, it is widely used in cooking and the food industry.

In the article you will find complete information about Tuscany potatoes with photos and descriptions.

Description of the variety and its origin

Mid-season Tuscany potatoes are a variety of German selection. Bred by biologists of the famous company Solana. It is not included in the State Register of Russia due to the lack of necessary research. The crop is suitable for cultivation in any region of the country.

The photo shows Tuscany potatoes.

The table summarizes the distinctive features of the variety.

Chemical composition

The table shows the complex of vitamins and minerals contained in 100 g of raw tubers.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• high productivity;
• excellent taste;
• moderate starch content;
• suitable for dietary nutrition;
• tubers are resistant to mechanical damage (wounds heal quickly);
• strong immunity.

Judging by the feedback from farmers, the variety has no disadvantages.

Potato agricultural technology

Tuscany potatoes are undemanding to soil composition and adapt to any cultivation conditions. The agricultural technology of the crop is simple, it provides for timely watering during the dry period, loosening the earthen crust, removing weeds, hilling and fertilizing with organic matter and minerals.

Tuber preparation

Due to the short dormant period, the tubers do not need to be germinated before planting. It is enough to take the seeds outside from storage 3–5 days before landings, rinse with running water, treat with a solution of boric acid, copper sulfate or potassium permanganate and dry. 24 hours before planting, the tubers are soaked in a growth stimulator (Epin, Zircon).

To be on the safe side, seed material is subjected to vernalization.20 days before planting, the tubers are washed, disinfected, placed in boxes with holes and left in a warm room with a temperature of +14...+17°C.

Soil preparation

As practice shows, potatoes prefer light and nutritious soil: sandy loam, sandy, peat. Cultivation on loam is possible provided humus is added.

In the fall, the plot is dug up, harrowed, fertilized, and in the spring it is sown with oats, lupine, rye, flax, and wheat. After a month, the mowing is buried in the soil to enrich it with nitrogen and prevent the development of pathogenic microflora.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

When planting potatoes, they are guided by weather conditions in each individual region. In the south of the country, planting work begins at the end of April. By this time the soil has time to warm up to +5…+7°С. In the central regions, planting is carried out in early May, in the northern regions - in mid-May.

Planting is carried out according to the following scheme:

• depth - 8–10 cm;
• the distance between the holes is 30–35 cm;
• Row spacing is 60–70 cm.

A handful of wood ash and superphosphate is added to each hole. These fertilizers are enough to gain green mass.

Care

Rules of care:

1. It is recommended to install a drip water supply system. Manual watering is carried out at least 2 times per season. During drought, the frequency of watering is increased to 2 times every 10 days.
2. Loosening the earthen crust is a mandatory procedure that provides an additional flow of oxygen to the roots.
3. Weeding is carried out once a week, preventing the plants from taking root.
4. Mulching the soil with straw or hay retains moisture and the growth of weeds, making it easier to care for the plantings.
5. Potatoes are hilled twice: 7–10 days after planting and after flowering. This protects the tubers from possible night frosts and stimulates the growth of stolons.
6. Fertilizers are applied after flowering. Before this, the plant feeds on organic compounds introduced during planting and at the soil preparation stage. Spraying the bushes with a solution of superphosphate (10 g/10 l) and nitrophoska (30 g/10 l) is more effective.

Disease and pest control

The Tuscany variety is moderately resistant to late blight of tops and tubers.

Signs of the disease:

• brown spots on leaves;
• white pubescent coating on the back of the leaf;
• small black dots on greens (spores);
• dark spots on tubers.

Prevention measures:

• pre-planting treatment of tubers with boric acid, copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, “Fitosporin-M”;
• crop rotation;
• weeding;
• timely harvesting of tops and tubers;
• control of soil moisture and nitrogen levels;
• spraying the plantings with whey with iodine (10 drops per 1 liter of fermented milk product);
• feeding plants with potassium and phosphorus.

Treatment:

• chemicals “Oxychom”, “Ridomil Gold”, “Gamair”, “Metaxil”, “Bravo”, “Planriz”, “Alufit”;
• 10 Trichopolum tablets per 10 liters of water (spray once every 14 days);
• 2 kg of horsetail per 10 liters of water, leave for 4 days, treat the bushes once a week;
• 1 liter of ash, 200 g of soap shavings per 10 liters of water.

Along with the Colorado potato beetle, a frequent guest of the garden, plantings are often affected by potato moth. Its larvae first feed on the above-ground parts, then move on to potato tubers. With mass distribution, you can lose up to 80% of the harvest.

Damage caused:

• weakening of plants as a result of partial or complete destruction of leaves;
• crop loss due to damage to tubers;
• reduction in the quality and quantity of the crop.

Signs:

• cobwebs on stems and leaves;
• death of foliage and stems;
• wormholes in tubers;
• passages in potatoes filled with excretory products;
• traces of rot on damaged tissues.

Control measures:

• planting healthy material;
• hilling bushes;
• weed removal;
• sprinkling of plantings (this leads to the death of butterflies);
• quick harvesting and removal outside the field;
• destruction of damaged tubers;
• treatment of the plant with the preparations “Danadim”, “Bi 58”, “Ditox”, “Di 68”, “Rogos-S”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Kinmiks”, “Lepidocid”, “Dendrobacillin”, “Entobacterin”, “Arrivo” , “Tsitkor”, “Zolon”, “Terradim”.

Another enemy of potatoes is the mole cricket, which has an insatiable appetite and undermines the root system of the plant.

To get rid of the pest:

• a solution of ammonia is poured into the nests with larvae (4 tablespoons of ammonia/10 l);
• pour granules of the drug “Terradox” (25 g/10 m²);
• 1 kg of any boiled cereal is mixed with a Wofatox solution (20 ml/100 ml of water), formed into balls and laid out on the site, sprinkled with soil so as not to attract birds.

Herbal infusions with a pungent odor help fight the Colorado potato beetle:

• 300 g celandine, 200 g ash/10 l water;
• 2 kg yellow mustard, 30 g soap shavings/10 l water;
• 200 g of garlic cloves or green arrows, 40 g of soap shavings/10 l of water;
• 200 g of tobacco shag, 2 kg of green bugs/10 liters of water.

Spray with the product in the evening when it is completely calm, on dry foliage. Ready-made infusions are used only fresh for greater effectiveness. To prevent addiction, products are alternated with chemicals.

To repel beetles, marigolds, borage (borage), calendula, coriander, nasturtium, matthiola, hemp, beans, peas, horseradish, onions, and tansy are planted.

For mass distribution, insecticides are used: “Prestige”, “Aktara”, “Corado”, “Molniya”, “Commander”, “Iskra”, “Inspector”, “Sonnet +”, “Antizhuk”, “Death to Beetles”, “Prestige” ", "Dilor".

Collection, storage and use of crops

Harvesting rules:

• two weeks before digging, the tops are cut off and completely removed from the field;
• potatoes are dug in dry, warm weather;
• tubers are cleared of soil, sorted, rotten and damaged ones are thrown away;
• The potatoes are left in a dry, dark place for 3-4 days to dry.

Rules for storing potatoes:

• storage and containers (boxes, bags, nets) are washed, disinfected, dried and tubers are placed in them;
• storage temperature should not be higher than +4°C, humidity at 70–80%;
• potatoes can be stored with apples or beets to prevent rotting;
• the tubers are periodically pulled out of the container and sorted (rotten and green ones are discarded).

To store potatoes on the balcony, use thermal containers that operate on electricity and can withstand air temperatures down to –40°C.

Tuscany potatoes are suitable for cooking, frying, baking, stewing, preparing snacks, alcohol and starch.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

There are no difficulties when growing the Tuscany variety. The culture quickly adapts to any weather conditions and soil type.

To reduce labor costs when cultivating potatoes, it is recommended to use Dutch technology.

Landing rules:

• selection of high-quality seed material;
• germination at a temperature of +18°C;
• treatment of tubers with growth stimulants;
• planting after shoots reach 5 mm;
• soil preparation in the fall - plowing to a depth of 25 cm, harrowing, leveling the surface, adding humus and potassium sulfate, superphosphate, 25 g of each per 1 m²;
• sowing alfalfa, rapeseed, mustard with further mowing;
• spring plowing of the site and application of urea or ammonium sulfate (50 g per 1 m²);
• planting tubers in soil heated to +10°C, to a depth of 6–8 cm with sprouts facing upward;
• distance between holes - 30 cm, rows - 70 cm;
• molding of a high ridge with a cross-sectional area of ​​15 m²;
• weeding and hilling bushes (shaft height - 12 cm, width - 35 cm);
• repeated hilling - after a month (embankment height - 30 cm);
• further removal of weeds using herbicides;
• installation of a drip irrigation system;
• treatment of plantings against the Colorado potato beetle with chemicals “Korado”, “Bankol” strictly before flowering;
• Irrigation of bushes (5-6 times per season) with the preparations “Skor”, “Topaz”, “HOM” for the prevention of late blight;
• harvesting of tops 1.5 weeks before digging.

Advantages:

• increasing productivity;
• reduction of ripening period;
• increasing the number of tubers on each bush;
• attractive presentation of potatoes;
• preservation of taste during storage.

Reviews from gardeners

Reviews about the Tuscany variety are mostly positive. Gardeners value potatoes for their low demands on soil and care, excellent taste and high productivity.

Mikhail, Kirov: “I like Tuscany potatoes for the excellent taste of the tubers. They are not dry or watery, and do not darken after cooking and cutting. Bush care is minimal. I water only during drought, and before that the plant only needs rainwater. I fertilize once with nitrophoska, and this is enough for the normal development of tubers.”

Julia, Novovoronezh: “Last year I bought Tuscany seeds at the farmers’ fair. The nodules are as even as a selection, medium in size with an even and smooth skin. I planted a couple of bushes to try because I was skeptical about overseas varieties. The taste of the potatoes was pleasantly surprising. It is not soapy, does not soften, does not break when frying, and is stored in the cellar for a long time. The bushes were not sick with anything; there were few Colorado potato beetles. To prevent late blight, I treated them with Oxychom, and sprinkled wood ash under the bushes to repel beetles.”

Read also:

Potatoes in the fight against hemorrhoids: how to make suppositories and compresses for treatment.

The ideal potato variety to purchase for the winter: “Jellie”.

Is it possible to eat potatoes if you have high cholesterol?

Conclusion

The Tuscany potato is a variety of German selection, which, despite a number of positive qualities, is not yet included in the list of selective achievements of Russia. The culture is unpretentious in care, requires minimal watering and twice the application of fertilizers.

The variety is resistant to most nightshade diseases, with proper care it does not suffer from late blight and produces a large harvest. Preventive work includes pre-planting treatment of tubers, compliance with crop rotation, removal of weeds and tops, and spraying with copper-containing preparations.