The secret to a good potato harvest is to choose the right variety for planting. Most summer residents rely on yield indicators and only then will they consider other characteristics. It is also important that the harvested crop be stored for a long time without loss of commercial quality. A description of 8 productive potato varieties will help you make your choice.
"Giant"
A table variety of domestic selection with medium ripening periods. Potatoes were included in the State Register in 2013. The vegetable can be grown in the central part of European Russia. The variety produces an excellent harvest regardless of the vagaries of weather and other conditions, and is undemanding to soil quality. The growing season of potatoes lasts 115-120 days.
Already from the name it is clear that the tubers are impressive in size. From one bush you get from 8 to 13 potatoes weighing up to 150 g of oval-round shape. The color of the peel and pulp is cream, the eyes are red and small in size. Productivity – 613 kg of vegetables per hundred square meters. The shelf life indicator corresponds to 97%. The pulp contains an average of 17% starch. Potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways.
"Pennant"
The variety is recommended for cultivation in the central part and North-West of Russia. It has an average ripening period, mass harvesting is carried out 80-90 days from the moment of planting. From one hundred square meters they get 560 kg of oval-shaped tubers with yellow skin and creamy pulp. The average weight of potatoes is 120 g. Starch content is 13-16.5%, taste is high.Keeping quality – 93%.
The pulp is characterized by increased density. The vegetable has a universal purpose. It can be boiled, baked, fried, or used for soups. Potatoes do not react to sudden changes in weather and are suitable for all types of soil. The variety is resistant to typical crop diseases, rot, and nematode. The crop can easily be transported over long distances. Among the disadvantages of the variety is its vulnerability to the mole cricket and the Colorado potato beetle.
"Timo"
An excellent productive potato variety intended for cultivation in Siberia and other Russian regions. "Timo" is popular among summer residents due to its excellent long-term storage ability and high yield, which amounts to up to 610 kg of potatoes per hundred square meters. "Timo" is suitable for early harvesting; the growing season lasts 60-70 days. The average weight of the fruit is 100 g, the shape is oval, the skin is light.
The color of the pulp is white. From 5 to 9 tubers are formed in one nest. Keeping quality indicator – from 91%. Potatoes are delicious, everyone likes them. It can be fried, boiled, baked, stuffed, used for salads and purees. The pulp is moderately crumbly and does not darken during cooking. The variety is easy to care for and is suitable for beginners. Its resistance to diseases is weak; preventive treatments are required.
"Christel"
A relatively new variety, registered in 2017. Popular among summer residents of the Moscow region, it can also be grown in cooler regions. Harvest dates are early. You can dig up the bushes as early as June. The tubers have an oval-round shape, covered with a yellow peel.Productivity – 617 kg per hundred square meters.
The eyes are small and of medium depth. The pulp is rich yellow. The average weight of tubers is 110-120 g. The starch content reaches 14%. Potatoes have an excellent taste and are used in cooking to prepare a wide variety of dishes. The variety is resistant to potato canker and golden nematode, but is vulnerable to late blight.
"Luck"
The yield of this variety is high even in comparison with recognized record holders, and from one bush you can get up to 15 tubers weighing 100 g or more. The Russian variety is popular among summer residents of the middle zone and northern regions. Harvest ripening lasts 65-80 days. The starch content in tubers is from 11 to 15%. Keeping quality reaches 97%, but can be lower (depending on growing conditions and region).
The tubers are characterized by an oval shape. The color of the peel is yellowish or cream. The potatoes are white when cut. The eyes are small and dark in color. Tubers are not afraid of cold and germinate in the ground already at a temperature of +10°. The variety is resistant to scab, late blight, wrinkled mosaic and potato cancer. This variety is not afraid of viral diseases either. The vegetable is tasty and retains its shape well during cooking.
"Sineglazka"
A popular potato variety with lilac eyes. The blue-eye was bred about 70 years ago. Since then, this variety has not lost interest. The growing season lasts 80-90 days. The yield per acre is up to 500 kg of potatoes. The average weight of tubers is 90-100 g. Up to 12 potatoes are formed in one nest. Starch content is about 15%.
When cooked, potatoes disintegrate as they have tender flesh.For the same reason, the crop is poorly stored. The variety is resistant to potato cancer, late blight, scab, and is not seriously damaged by golden nematode and Colorado potato beetle, but is vulnerable to wireworm. The taste of potatoes is at the highest level. The variety is unpretentious in care.
"Slav"
Potatoes with medium-late ripening periods. 120 days pass before the mass harvest. Slavyanka is a table variety. In one nest, 13-15 tubers are formed with an average weight of 180 g. The shelf life indicator is up to 95%. Tubers contain 11-13% starch.
When cut, the potatoes are cream-colored, the skin is pink, with a purple tint. From one hundred square meters you can get more than 500 kg of potatoes. The variety successfully resists viral infections, cancer, late blight, scab, Alternaria, and wrinkled mosaic, but can be damaged by the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm. Since the variety is late, it is well stored without loss of taste and commercial qualities.
"Red Scarlett"
A high-yielding variety for red potato lovers. From one bush you can get up to 15 oval-shaped tubers weighing from 80 to 150 g. The yellow flesh is visible on the cut. "Red Scarlett" is a hybrid of Dutch selection. Potatoes tolerate lack of moisture and hot weather well, so they can be successfully grown in the south.
The growing period lasts about 70 days. From one hundred square meters they get up to 660 kg of harvest. During the cooking process, potatoes do not lose their color. The starch content is low (11-15%), which allows the tubers to maintain their shape during cooking. The harvest is perfectly stored for a long time, keeping quality is 98%. Gastronomic characteristics at a high level. The variety is demanding to care for and requires adherence to agricultural technology.
Potato yield largely depends on the care of the plantings. The quality of planting material also plays an important role. It is better to purchase it at specialized retail outlets that have a certificate for the product. The best results are shown by tubers belonging to the elite category.
It all depends on the soil and growing conditions. Nowadays varieties with a low starch content are in fashion; they are better stored in industrial conditions and are adapted to mechanical processing, but their taste leaves much to be desired. I wouldn’t grow these varieties at home, but that’s my opinion
Let me note right away that there are no “most productive varieties” at all. Each variety will be good only in those areas whose climate is suitable for it in terms of soil and climatic conditions.It so happens that I am familiar with many of the varieties mentioned above. My comments apply to the north of the Moscow region (clayey, acidic soil):
Giant. I'm a recent grower, so it's hard to make generalizations. I completely agree with this - yes, it produces very large tubers.
Timo. High and early yield, does not become small. A critical drawback is catastrophic instability to late blight. For this reason, I stopped growing it.
Luck. It has no significant disadvantages. It is stable, does not become small, and is moderately affected by late blight.
Sineglazka. This variety is suitable for gambling people, because... it is quite unstable - good one year, not good the next (it especially doesn’t like dryness). The incidence of late blight is above average. Pros: The tubers are large and crumbly.