Colombo potatoes: description, characteristics, photos

This article describes in detail the Colombo potatoes: a description of the variety, its main parameters, advantages and disadvantages. We will also give you recommendations for its cultivation - from the preparation of planting material and soil, to planting technology, you will also learn how to properly care for potatoes, how to deal with diseases and pests, and how to properly store potatoes.

Colombo potatoes: description and characteristics of the variety

Colombo potatoes: photo of the variety

It is difficult to imagine at least one vegetable garden without potatoes, no one will deny themselves such pleasure as eating potatoes, especially young root vegetables that are hidden in their mouths. Inveterate and new vegetable growers in this business strive to choose from a wide variety of potato varieties the one that will satisfy their taste needs, the yield will be high, healthy, and the plant will be as unpretentious as possible in care. In this article, we will tell you in detail about such a potato variety as Colombo potatoes, perhaps this is exactly the variety that you want to grow.

• The Colombo potato variety was bred in the Netherlands; it appeared in the state register of Russian varieties in 2013.
• Bushes of early Colombo potatoes of a leaf type of medium height, half erect, green foliage, medium and large in size.
• Seed potatoes of the Colombo variety bloom with white inflorescences.
• Root crops have an oval-round shape, the peel is smooth, light yellow, and the pulp is yellow in color.
• Colombo potatoes ripen early. The length of time between planting until the tubers are fully ripe is 60-65 days, and you can pamper yourself with the first young potatoes already 45 days after planting.
• The yield indicator of Colombo potatoes is 20-45 tons per hectare of land. In one nest, 11-15 pieces of tubers grow, each weighing on average from 85 to 140 grams.
• Colombo potatoes have the highest level of taste, the variety has a table purpose, is perfect for cooking any dishes, does not fall apart and does not darken during heat treatment. The starch level in potatoes is 11-15%.
• Colombo early potatoes also have a high yield storage rate, it is 95% preserved, the marketability of this variety is 80-98%. I would also like to note that this variety is not stored for very long, compared to most varieties - no more than six months.

Colombo potatoes: planting varieties

It is not enough to just scatter seed potatoes into the ground and then wait 60 days and dig up. Growing Colombo potatoes is a painstaking job that begins with preparatory work long before planting. Although this variety is unpretentious, in any case, a number of manipulations will have to be performed.

How to choose the right place

When choosing a location, opt for a sunny area, where Colombo seed potatoes will feel great.
Do not forget to follow the rules of crop rotation, and also know that the best predecessors for Colombo potatoes are legumes, cabbage, and cucumbers. The worst predecessors are tomatoes.

Soil requirements

To grow early Colombo potatoes, the soil should be loose, light; sandy loam soils, loams, or peat bogs are ideal for this.The acidity should be neutral, if it is high, it is necessary to use "deoxidizers" such as ash or limestone flour.
It is recommended to prepare the plot for seed potatoes Colombo in the fall. To do this, it is necessary to remove all weeds, apply mineral or organic fertilizers to the ground, after which the site is dug up and plowed.

Colombo potatoes and planting dates

Colombo potatoes: photo of the variety

Colombo potatoes are afraid of cold soil, so we strongly recommend planting it only after the soil temperature reaches at least +8 degrees, then the possibility of spring frosts is minimized. Experienced gardeners note that it is necessary to plant potatoes no earlier than buds bloom on a birch, but in any case, the natural conditions of a particular region should be taken into account. Approximate landing time is late April - May.

How to prepare potatoes before planting

2-3 weeks before planting, seed potatoes must be prepared as follows:

• for a start, seed potatoes of the Colombo variety are carefully sorted out, sorting out rotten, damaged, deformed tubers, leaving only healthy, strong material;
• after the potatoes have been sorted out, it must be germinated in order to accelerate the germination process, and as a result, to increase the yield of Colombo potatoes. To do this, transfer the potatoes to a bright, warm place for a couple of weeks, periodically moisturizing them. After the sprouts reach 5 cm, you can safely proceed to the next stage or plant in this form;
• in order to avoid contamination of Colombo potatoes with diseases, as well as to avoid pest attacks, it is recommended to disinfect sprouted root crops; this can be done with a solution of potassium permanganate, or with special preparations that protect tubers from sores and pests - insects, and also pay attention to drugs that stimulate the growth of potatoes ...

How to plant the Colombo potato variety

The planting rules for the Colombo potato variety are not particularly different from other varieties. You need to plant potatoes in holes or grooves, the depth of which is on average 10 cm.The distance between the seed potatoes is at least 15 cm, and the distance between the rows is about 50 cm.
It is required to lay out the seed material carefully so as not to damage the sprouts of the potatoes.
After the seed is laid out, the holes or grooves are covered with earth.

Colombo seed potato care

After the Colombo potatoes have been planted, you cannot sit back and wait until 60 days have passed before harvesting. Colombo potatoes, although unpretentious, still need some agricultural work, and this will have a beneficial effect on its yield.

How to water potatoes

The Colombo seed potato variety, as we said, is drought tolerant. But if the summer turned out to be dry and hot, during the budding period it really needs moisture, for this you should water the bushes once a week. If the variety is not watered, then the yield of Colombo potatoes may decrease several times.
After the flowering phase has ended, potatoes should not be watered, as this can lead to the development of diseases, for example, late blight.

Top dressing

Any root crop will be happy to feed, and potatoes are no exception, in return they will generously delight you with their harvest. During the season, it needs to be fed 1-2 times, the ideal fertilizer will be - manure, chicken droppings, wood ash.
The most successful time for feeding is the period of budding and the period of formation of tubers, it is recommended to water the bushes before fertilizing.

Hilling rules

Colombo potatoes: photo of the variety

A very important event for the care of Colombo potatoes is hilling. It must be produced 2 times per season, the first time after the seedlings have grown to 5 cm, and the second time after the flowering stage has ended.
Colombo potatoes need hilling because this procedure protects the seedlings from temperature drops, when loosening, air, nutrients and moisture rises to the root system, and hilling allows you to maintain the tops and to fight weeds.

Colombo potatoes: diseases and pests of the variety

Colombo potatoes are resistant to numerous diseases and insect pests, but if the rules of cultivation and care are not followed, then "attack" will not take long.
Due to the increased humidity, potatoes can become ill with late blight - a dangerous fungal disease that can lead to the death of the root crop. When the first signs are found (dark and red spots on the foliage), the plants should be treated with special preparations, of which there are now a lot on store shelves (for example, Planriz, Bravo).
Can also attack Colorado beetle and wireworm, which have a very detrimental effect on plant growth, and this in turn affects the yield of Colombo potatoes. When you find the Colorado potato beetle, you can act "the old fashioned way" and collect it by hand, but it is more effective to treat it with drugs (for example, Karbofos). It is more difficult to deal with a wireworm, since it infects and destroys the fruits themselves, but you can prevent the appearance of a wireworm, for this, do not plant potatoes in the area after grain crops, and at the time of planting, special preparations (for example, Barguzin) can be added to each hole.
Remember, it is always better to carry out prophylaxis and process the seed material before planting, rather than fight against diseases and pests later.

When to dig Colombo potatoes, harvest storage rules

2 weeks before harvest, the tops must be removed to allow the skin to become denser. After the potatoes have been dug up, they must be carefully peeled from the ground and given time to dry well, this is done either in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated area.
Before the Colombo seed potatoes are put away for storage, they are sorted out and the damaged, low-quality potatoes are deposited. After that, the roots are folded into boxes, bags (in this matter, the main thing is that air can circulate in the container) and transferred to a cool, dark place. The ideal storage space for Colombo potatoes is the basement and cellar.

Following all the recommendations and taking into account your experience, growing Colombo seed potatoes will not bring you unnecessary trouble, and as a result, you will get a fruitful harvest with excellent taste.

Colombo potatoes: video about the variety

Colombo potatoes: reviews who planted

Colombo potatoes: photo of the variety

• Svetlana Viktorovna, Leningrad region: “I grow several varieties of potatoes in my garden. Colombo potatoes are one of them. I like that the variety is early, Colombo potatoes ripen very quickly, they are quite unpretentious in care, and the taste of Colombo potatoes is very pleasing. "

• Anastasia Vladimirovna, Moscow region: “Colombo seed potatoes are growing with me recently. In taste, the Colombo potato variety wins over many other varieties. Also a pleasant bonus was that the Colombo potato variety has an excellent yield. However, it is a pity that the shelf life of Colombo potatoes is a maximum of six months, so the entire rich harvest should be eaten as soon as possible. "