Rocco potato is a popular variety resistant to various diseases. Farmers appreciate it for its high productivity, unpretentiousness in leaving. The article describes the intricacies of growing and caring for potatoes. What needs to be done to increase productivity, to obtain large, even root crops.
Rocco Variety Description
The Rocco potato variety was created by Dutch breeders. Due to its unique properties, it quickly gained popularity. Today, potatoes are in demand among gardeners in many countries.
The Russians first planted Rocco potatoes in 2002. Currently, the variety is grown not only in personal plots, but also on a large scale. The reason for this is high productivity. Quickly sold on the market: about 95% of all potatoes grown by farmers.
Characteristics of potatoes in detail
Rocco is considered a mid-season variety. Some consider it a late variety. Potatoes ripen 5 months after planting in the ground. Gardeners from one bush collect up to 12 root crops. Rocco has excellent taste. It can be used for both cooking and frying. During the heat treatment, the vegetable does not lose color - it remains creamy white.
Also, the product is resistant to diseases, including viral ones. Resistant to drought, unpretentious in cultivation. Saplings perfectly take root. Potatoes are well stored.
The weight of one potato reaches 125 g. The fruits themselves have a good taste and smell. The flesh is creamy white, the peel is pale pink, smooth, thin. The potato bushes reach a height of up to 50 cm. The stems grow vertically up. The flowers are lilac with a burgundy tint. Sometimes potatoes of this variety do not bloom, but this does not cancel the active growth of tubers.
The table shows the detailed characteristics of Rocco potatoes:
Grade name | Rocco |
general characteristics | mid-season table variety (tubers are large, flat, red) |
Ripening period | 100-150 days |
The mass of commodity tubers | 100-125 g |
The number of tubers in the bush | 8-12 |
Productivity | 350-400 kg / ha |
Keeping | 89% |
Consumer qualities | excellent taste, color preservation during cooking, used for chips and french fries |
Starch content | 13-16% |
Skin color | red |
Pulp color | cream |
Disease resistance | possesses strong immunity against many diseases |
Preferred growing regions | any soil and climate |
The variety contains 13-16% of starch, which is why French fries and crispy chips are made from it.
Positive qualities and disadvantages of the variety
The variety has a large list of advantages and a minimum number of disadvantages.
pros | Minuses |
| Average tuber blight resistance and relatively average acclimatization in the northern regions. |
How to prepare the land and tubers for planting?
Rocco potato is a variety that can adapt to any climatic conditions, which greatly facilitates planting. The soil for planting must be fertile.
For preservation of the original form, and so that the tubers do not deform, it is required to plant them in loose soil. In hard soil, potatoes can lose potential varietal properties, which will result in crooked fruits.
Choose a flat and well-cleaned place where snow and moisture as a result of precipitation will not linger. Potatoes like moderate moisture. The plot should be prepared in the fall:
- Under deep digging, add wood ash and humus. It is imperative to add peat or any other material for structuring the soil - it should be podzolic-soddy, light loamy or sandy loam.
- It is better to purchase seed material in specialized stores or leave your own. With proper storage of tubers, you will be able to get a good and rich harvest. For planting, use healthy potatoes that have not undergone mechanical damage.
- Before planting, treat root crops, preferably with copper sulfate, boric acid and potassium permanganate. Of the special preparations, the use of Epin is recommended.
Landing stages
Planting dates are selected based on the weather conditions in the region. In the central and southern regions, the second half of March or the beginning of April is considered the ideal time. With the northern regions, everything is a little more complicated, because you need to seize the moment - it may be early to plant potatoes in March, but if you are late for at least a few weeks, it can affect the yield reduction.
They dig holes in which they put a handful of ash - it contributes to the enrichment of the root with starch or potassium. In order for Rocco to show all his best qualities, observe crop rotation rules or plant green manure (lupine, clover, mustard) immediately after harvest, but do not leave it for the winter, because dried grass will interfere with normal snowmelt.
The planting depth should be up to 15 cm, the distance between the holes - about 30 cm. If the potatoes are medium in size, 1 piece is put in one hole, a few pieces are added. 500 ml of water are poured into the pit with the tuber and sprinkled with earth. The distance between the rows is about 70 cm.
Care
Rocco potato is a moisture-loving variety, therefore, an important process is to ensure regular and plentiful watering, at least 3-4 times a week. It is best to maintain the desired moisture content using the products intended for the mulching layer.
It is important to carefully care for the soil, weed beds, removing weeds, regularly loosen the ground, which will provide excellent air exchange. Be sure to fertilize the soil and fertilize the plant itself. In this case, it is recommended to use alternative methods - specially designed drugs. Traditionally, plants are fed organic and mineral fertilizers. Tubers will be more resistant to external factors with a sufficient amount of nitrogen and potassium phosphorus in the soil.
Potato Diseases and Pests
Rocco potatoes have a weak immunity to fungal disease - late blight. The disease spreads in the second half of summer, which is why mid-ripening and late-ripening potato varieties are most susceptible to infection. Potatoes are also attacked by the Colorado potato beetle.
Disease / pest | Disease development | Prevention and control methods |
Late blight | Blight is manifested by the appearance of dark spots on the leaves, after which they begin to rot, the infection gradually passes to the stem and tubers. If no action is taken, the crop will be completely destroyed. |
When planting is thickened, moisture stagnates, due to which the plants are poorly ventilated, thereby creating favorable conditions for late blight. This should be avoided. |
Leaf curl | The variety has an average susceptibility to viral disease, in which the lower leaves curl, become stiff. This leads to a slowdown in plant growth, its weakening and pallor. | Preventive measures include the following:
|
Colorado beetle | A common pest that can seriously damage the crop. It eats young potato leaves, leaving bare stems. Thus, the supply of roots with nutrients is disrupted, because of which the development of tubers stops. | To combat the parasite, beetles are collected by hand, checking the lower part of the leaves for the laying of pest eggs - they have an orange-yellow color. Leaves with eggs are torn off, put in a separate container, then burned. They also arrange traps for beetles in the spring: they dig holes, put chopped potatoes there. The beetle will awaken after winter and crawl out to the bait. Sprayed with special chemicals strictly for 1 month. before harvesting. |
How to collect and store Rocco?
In autumn, it's time to start harvesting. It should be carried out in a timely manner so that the fruits do not begin to deteriorate and rot. The determination of potato ripeness is carried out by monitoring the condition of the tops. When it begins to dry, tubers grow actively and the time has come to collect
They dig a crop in late August and until the second half of September. Before harvest, dry tops are mowed and cleaned to avoid possible infection of tubers.
After the potatoes are dug up, they are laid out on the platform in one layer for drying. Then spread in wooden boxes or special nets. Leave some potatoes as seed for next year.
Reviews of farmers and gardeners
Today on the Internet there are many reviews of Rocco potatoes - most of them are positive. Some farmers note the unpretentiousness of the variety in the care, while other gardeners grow it due to high productivity.
Innocent, 54 years old, Kostroma, a farmer. Not so long ago I asked a neighbor for potatoes of this variety in order to try how he will manifest himself in development and what kind of crop can be obtained. At first, there were only five bushes in my garden, today their number has increased several dozen times. I liked the extraordinary taste, its high productivity and unpretentiousness in care. Sometimes I forgot to water the plants, and this did not affect the appearance of the tubers.
Angelina, 35 years old, Samara, owner of a large garden. I have not had to plant Rocco myself. Once my friend treated me to mashed potatoes. I was surprised at how tender and pleasant it tastes. Clarified what kind of potato? She answered and, in addition, planted the tubers. I’m sure that I won’t regret my venture, because you shouldn’t stand empty in the garden.
Dmitry, 65 years old, Novosibirsk, gardener. Rocco caught my eye when his neighbors in the country put him. The bushes are erect, the leaves are dark green, wavy, branches are spreading. A neighbor said that every year she collects 10 large potatoes from one bush. I decided to try planting several seed tubers in the spring. My wife approves my decision, because she herself has repeatedly heard from colleagues about the taste and attractive appearance of Rocco.
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If you seriously approach the cultivation of Rocco potatoes, it will annually please a stable crop in large quantities. This variety has gained popularity in many countries of the world, and confirmation of this is high yield, good presentation, the ability to sell vegetables and make good profits.
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