Jewel potatoes are grown on an industrial scale in the southern and southwestern regions with mild climatic conditions, mainly for the sale of early potatoes to the population in the northern regions. It is planted at the end of March or beginning of April, and after 2 months (May-June) the harvest is dug up. The Jewel variety cannot be stored for a long time, but it completely eliminates the shortage of this product in places where potatoes ripen no earlier than September. Vegetable growers in northern latitudes who are interested in growing early potato varieties also do not refuse this variety, because even in cool climates it ripens a month earlier than conventional varieties.
Jewel potatoes are an excellent product for a profitable business. In all its parameters, it deserves to occupy not the last place in trade: it has an excellent presentation, excellent taste, and a high percentage of safety during long-distance transportation. We want to tell our readers in more detail about the Jewel potato, describe its excellent (or not so excellent) qualities, and reviews of vegetable growers who have already planted this potato variety will complement our story.
Originator
The main originator of the Jewel potato variety is , which unites several enterprises for the development of new potato varieties, but is not the legal patent holder. In 2003, the Bavaria-Saat Vertriebs GmbH partnership was founded as part of the company, which is engaged, among other things, in the sale of seed material in Germany and abroad. Thanks to the successful activities of the partnership, Jewel potatoes have become popular in European countries, as well as in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and many others.
Description
The originator of the Jewel potato, Renata Bettini (full name), declares the following characteristics of the variety:
- bushes are of medium height, dense, slightly prone to lodging, tubers form quickly, flowers are dark purple;
- tubers - have an oval or elongated oval shape, the eyes are superficial, not deepened, the skin is smooth, without roughness, the color is light yellow, the flesh inside is a shade lighter;
- resistance to diseases - to scab, late blight and rotting of tubers is good, to nematodes - average;
- productivity - at early harvest dates you can get an average of up to 400 centners of potatoes per hectare, at later dates (usual) - up to 750 centners / g;
- Jewel potatoes are not crumbly, tasty, they contain from 10 to 13% starch, the root crops are even, mostly of the same size, the percentage of substandard tubers is insignificant.
Advice! When purchasing Jewel potato seed material for the first time, pay attention to the presence of a Product Quality Certificate, which clearly indicates all the information about the variety and its manufacturer (originator), otherwise you may end up with a completely different potato than the one you decided to grow on your plot.
Advantages and disadvantages
We have already noted the two main advantages of the Jewel variety above: high yield and early ripening:
- from one potato bush you can get from 10 to 20 root crops; potato growing enterprises get at least 750 centners per hectare when all technological growing conditions are met;
- early periods (growing season 50-65 days) are advantageous in that on fertile lands and in a warm climate, you can grow two potato crops per season on one plot;
- Jewel potatoes have a wonderful presentation: smooth, uniform-sized tubers with small, shallow eyes;
- During transportation, the tubers are well preserved, they are resistant to minor damage, the wounds dry quickly without becoming infected with fungus that causes rotting.
The downside for potato growers is that the Jewel variety is demanding on soil moisture, it requires additional watering during the dry period, only by meeting this requirement can significant yields be achieved; in dry soil, tubers stop growing, which leads to weight loss.
Landing
Before planting potatoes, germination of tubers begins 20-30 days in advance; this will ensure their earlier germination in the soil and increase the yield, since during this procedure other measures are also carried out simultaneously:
- After storage, all seed potatoes are removed from dark and cold cellars to lighter and warmer rooms.
- The tubers are sorted, removing damaged and non-viable ones.
- The tubers are disinfected in a boric acid solution.
Jewel potatoes are planted in furrows 50-70 cm apart from each other; tubers are placed in the furrows every 25-30 cm. The planting depth is no more than 20 centimeters.
Potato agricultural technology
The technology for growing the Jewel variety is standard and involves germination of tubers, timely planting, loosening, weeding and the application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
Jewel potatoes feel great on any type of soil, provided that organic matter and minerals are added. 20-30 days before planting, the tubers are prepared for germination. Seed potatoes are removed from the cellar, sorted and disinfected in copper sulfate (1 matchbox of powder, 1 g of potassium permanganate/10 l of water) or Fitosporin.
Another way to process potatoes before sprouting:
- 40 g urea;
- 60 superphosphate;
- 10 g boric acid;
- 5 g copper sulfate;
- 1 g potassium permanganate;
- 10 liters of hot water (80°C).
The components are mixed in an enamel bowl and, after cooling, the tubers are soaked in the solution for 15-20 minutes. Then the material is laid out in one layer on a flat surface to dry.
Holes with a depth of 20 cm are formed on the site with an interval of 25-30 cm. The distance between the rows is 50-70 cm. 150-20 g of wood ash are poured into each hole. Small tubers are buried whole in the ground, large ones are cut in half and the cut is sprinkled with ash.
Rules for caring for plantings:
- Watering is carried out as the soil dries once a week. In hot weather, the frequency of watering is increased to 2-3 times.
- After moistening, the soil is loosened to prevent the formation of a dense crust and saturate the root system with air.
- The bushes are earthed up as soon as the height reaches 15 cm. Then the manipulation is repeated after flowering. This promotes the formation of more tubers. At the same time, weeds are being weeded.
- For feeding, manure and mineral fertilizers with potassium, phosphorus and magnesium are used. The first root portion is applied 30 days before planting (manure or chicken droppings), the second foliar portion is applied after flowering. To accelerate the formation of tubers, growth stimulants are used - “Epin”, “Gibbersib”.
Potato producer Jewel recommends applying nitrogen fertilizers in minimal quantities (up to 140 kg/ha). Excess nitrogen inhibits the development of tubers, impairs taste, and accelerates the growth of tops.
Potassium complexes are applied in the amount of 150-300 kg/ha, phosphorus fertilizers - 100 kg/ha. Magnesium fertilization is carried out in an amount of 60-80 kg/ha. The dosage is adjusted depending on the growing region and soil composition.
Organic fertilizer options:
- 500 g mullein, 20 urea/10 l warm water;
- 1 tbsp. l. dry chicken manure/10 liters of water.
Options for mineral supplements:
- Dissolve 15 g of potassium sulfate with the same amount of double superphosphate in 10 liters of water;
- 100 g superphosphate/10 l water (use for spraying);
- 50 g of fresh yeast, 50 g of sugar/10 l of water, leave for 2 hours and add water 1:5 (the solution contains magnesium, zinc, boron, iron);
- 200 g urea, 10 g boric acid/10 l (solution for spraying bushes).
The content of surfactants (surfactants) in ready-made fertilizers promotes the rapid penetration of minerals into the plant.
Another method is used for planting potatoes - without digging the soil. The tubers are planted directly onto the turf and covered with a thick layer of mulch (hay, straw, sawdust, peat). This method is also called natural due to the fact that the tubers grow not on the root, but on stolons (a quickly dying side shoot with underdeveloped leaves, elongated internodes and axillary buds). No land is required for this. The main task is to provide the plant with nutritional components by introducing complex compounds.
Even beginners do not have any difficulties with growing the Jewel variety. Potatoes are planted even in insufficiently warmed soil. The culture withstands light frosts.
The crop grows on any soil, but to increase fertility, experienced farmers recommend using Agromax fertilizer. It contains humic acids, bioactive water and blood meal. All this contributes to the strengthening of plants, the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and the saturation of cells with nutrients.
Diseases and pests
Thanks to ultra-early ripening, potatoes have time to bloom and form tubers before the massive spread of late blight spores and Colorado potato beetle larvae that infect the crop in mid-summer.
To prevent diseases, tubers are treated with potassium permanganate, boric acid or Fitosporin before planting. The bushes are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate (20 g/10 l), with Silk and Krezacin preparations.
The culture has strong immunity to scab, cancer, tuber rot, and golden nematode.
The voracious wireworm larvae pose a danger to the future harvest.
Signs of damage:
- through holes in the fruit and dark depressions on the peel;
- wilting of bushes;
- detection of larvae when working in the garden.
Preventive measures:
- competent crop rotation;
- timely harvesting;
- reducing soil acidity;
- attracting click beetles, ground beetles, starlings, crows, blackbirds, doves, rooks, wagtails, and tits to the site;
- weeding.
Fighting methods:
- sprinkle the beds with ground eggshells;
- prepare a solution of 500 g of nettle tincture/10 liters of water and fill the holes before planting, then treat the beds 2-3 times for 7 days;
- add 30 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m²;
- water the bushes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate at the root;
- treat the plantings with Decis, Actellik, and Barguzin.
Care
Potatoes of the Jewel variety, except for additional watering (if necessary), do not require special growing conditions; they are the same as for ordinary potato varieties.
Hilling and feeding
The main fertilizers that potatoes need for normal growing season are applied in the fall or a month before planting: manure (preferably rotted), complex mineral fertilizers (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium) and a small amount of stimulants for tuber growth. After flowering, potato bushes are sprayed once with liquid fertilizers; these are the same fertilizers, only less concentrated.
The soil between the rows and near the bushes must be loosened and hilled up at least 2 times per season: once, as soon as the first few stems and leaves appear, and again after flowering has ended.
Final part
When planting, the soil is fertilized with organic compounds, and fertilizing is applied twice during the entire growth period. To control soil moisture, many farmers prefer a drip irrigation system. In southern regions, it is recommended to mulch the soil to retain moisture.
The crop grows well, provided that the soil is regularly loosened. It is carried out after each watering and precipitation. This avoids the formation of a hard crust on the surface of the earth, and also ensures access of oxygen to the root system.
Among early potato varieties, many farmers most often prefer the Jewel variety. What makes it attractive is its relatively high resistance to various potato diseases, as well as its good shelf life.
Diseases and pests
Preventive treatment of tubers before planting in the ground helps to successfully combat diseases and pests of Jewel potatoes. Stores offer a wide variety of special chemicals used for these purposes.
Attention! Potatoes of the Jewel variety are very early, they manage to bloom and form fairly large tubers even before the massive spread of potato diseases and pests begins, so they are not afraid of threats such as the voracious larvae of the Colorado potato beetle or late blight, which affects tubers and bushes in July. August.
Storage
The Jewel variety is not suitable for long-term winter storage. It is mainly grown commercially in early summer. The demand for it is huge, which is due to the excellent taste and beneficial substances that are present in it.
For whatever purpose you plan to grow this variety (for sale or for yourself), you need to take into account all the intricacies of this matter. If you follow all the recommendations, you can reap a rich harvest.
Harvesting
Jewel potato harvesting begins at the end of June if planting was done early (in April), but when planted at a later time, the tubers ripen and gain the required weight and size a month or two later. Harvesting potatoes in June is beneficial for generating income from its sale during the off-season shortage of potatoes in the markets. Harvesting later has advantages in obtaining a fuller harvest. In general, it turns out that harvesting is profitable both earlier and later.
One important fact should be taken into account: potato tubers of the Jewel variety lose their quality during long-term storage; the longer it is stored, the higher the percentage of losses becomes. The originator claims only 94% out of 100 possible, and we think this figure is a little overestimated; the manufacturer will not underestimate the quality of its product.
Immediately before digging up potatoes, the tops of the plant are mowed, burned or removed by hand if they are already sufficiently dry and well separated from the roots. In small dacha and garden plots, potatoes are dug up with shovels or pitchforks, but craftsmen are able to make simple devices with their own hands from available materials that make this tedious work easier. An example of such a device is shown by a vegetable grower in the attached video.
Farmer reviews
Reviews about the Juwel variety are mostly positive. The crop attracts the attention of farmers due to its early ripening, high productivity and resistance to most diseases.
Lyudmila, Cheremisinovo: “I’ve been growing potatoes for three years in a row. The bushes bloom in a beautiful purple color. I plant early and harvest twice - in June and September. This is an excellent early variety that is not afraid of drought, the Colorado potato beetle and late blight. Young potatoes with dill and butter are especially tasty.”
Larisa, Kantemirovka: “I grow Jewel for my own needs in order to obtain early potatoes. I start planting in April, by which time the soil in our region has time to warm up a little. I do the digging in mid-June. Not suitable for long-term storage. I water the bushes moderately so that the tubers are not too watery. I feed with manure before planting, and then once with superphosphate.”
Andrey, Salsk: “I first tried to plant this variety the year before last. I liked the result, so I decided to start growing potatoes for sale. The taste is not bad, it is important not to overwater the bushes, otherwise the tubers will be watery and insipid. The early ripeness of the crop allows harvesting in June.
