Hot, dry weather that lasts for a long time adversely affects all garden crops. Potatoes are no exception. Summer residents will have to mobilize as much as possible to work to save him. Watering plantings in the heat is required much more often than usual, which will take a lot of time and effort.
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However, not only frequent and abundant watering can prevent depletion and even drying out of potato bushes in the heat. It will be possible to save the harvest by carrying out a number of simple planting care measures, which will help them wait for the normalization of weather conditions and the long-awaited rains.
1. Hilling bushes
After it is carried out, the nascent roots will receive a significant influx of air and will be better ventilated, and the soil during watering will become more quickly saturated with moisture and saturate the root plant system. As a rule, during the season, potato bushes are spud twice: after raising the shoots above the garden by 5-8 cm, and 2-3 weeks after that, before flowering. But one more, third hilling will not harm the potatoes.
It is especially relevant for planting on clay soil and loam, but it simply does not make sense to carry it out on sandstones.
2. Mulching plantings between rows
Mulch will help keep moisture in the soil by minimizing evaporation. As a mulching material, you can use hay, straw, cut grass, sawdust, compost substance, peat. The layer thickness must be at least 20 cm. Only in this case, the mulch will not allow weeds to germinate, will prevent the soil from drying out and, moreover, will serve as a good organic fertilizer for it.
3. Weeding limitation
Of course, every summer resident, keen on gardening, will look with disapproval at the plots overgrown with weeds. In his own garden, he will not allow such an outrage! Still, you don't always need to rush to weed potatoes. Heat and a prolonged absence of precipitation are just such a case: a tall weed will protect potato bushes from the scorching sun, shading them, and also contribute to the preservation of moisture in the soil. Let these weeds take some of the water out of it, nevertheless, in their shade, the earth will remain moist longer, which means that the plantings can be watered less often.
However, you should not completely forget about weeding during such periods. Low, ground-spreading or curly weeds can and should be ruthlessly removed from the beds and between the rows. There will be no benefit from them.
4. Sowing siderates
Siderate plants sown in the aisles, as well as weeds, will be able to shade the beds with potato bushes, thanks to which they will be protected from direct sunlight, and in the soil will remain longer moisture. In addition, siderates will also fertilize the soil, make it looser, suppress the same weed, and even be able to scare off some pests.
The only thing, relying on green manure, should be borne in mind that they need from 5 to 7 weeks to reach a height sufficient to shade potato plantings. Therefore, sowing of green manure plants should be carried out in advance, focusing on the long-term forecast of weather forecasters.
5. Insect pest control
Stable dry weather creates favorable conditions for active reproduction for them. In the heat, such sworn enemies of potato plantings as the Colorado potato beetle, nematode and wireworm feel quite comfortable. For culture, these insects are even more dangerous than scalding sunlight and lack of moisture in the soil.
You can fight pests by spraying potato bushes with special chemicals that are sold in garden stores, or folk remedies. For example, you can reduce the wireworm population with the help of bait made from sliced potatoes - they are placed on the beds with plantings and lightly sprinkled with earth. Such a treat will attract pests, so the bait must be changed every day, destroying them.
And you can restrain the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle in the traditional way - just examine the potato tops more often and, having found a striped pest or its larvae on it, collect them.
And, of course, you shouldn't forget about watering your plants. Even an unpretentious crop like potatoes always needs to get enough water. He especially needs it in the heat, with a prolonged absence of precipitation.
Do you know how to save potato plantings during the dry season?
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