Early potatoes are like the first watermelon: wait long, but you can’t dig early, and late – not that. In order not to miss the moment and not to stay either with unripe crumbs, or with “supported” watery tubers, it is worth focusing on simple, but accurate signals. The channel “Garden-Ogorod with Veronika Polivkaina” on Dzen.ru (16+) shares the hints how to guess the very day.
The first thing you need to look at is the tops. If the bush has already faded, and the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and go to bed, then the timer is included in the potatoes: there are 2-3 weeks left before cleaning. This is a natural process that indicates the completion of the growing season.
The second important point is the skin. Try to rub the tuber with your fingers. If the peel is alcohol, the potato is still raw, let it ripen. But if it remains in place and is felt dense – a signal: it's time.
The third sign is like tubers hold on a bush. Drink with a fork and if the potatoes easily come off the roots, then they are ripe. If they hang tight – a couple of days and repeat the check.
The fourth is the size of the tubers. Early varieties, such as Zhukovsky or Ariel, form a normal tuber of 80-120 g after about 40-50 days from seedlings. A trifle is not ready yet. We gained weight – it's time.
And finally, a trial dig. Pull out one bush and look carefully at the cut: the peel is dense, does not crack, the pulp is elastic, not watery? Great, you can follow the bucket. So you definitely will not lose and collect a delicious, juicy crop.
