A relatively new variety of potatoes Red Fantasy has already managed to gain popularity among domestic vegetable growers due to its high yield, excellent taste qualities of fruits and low demand for care. What are the main advantages of the described variety and what are the conditions for its cultivation, later in the article.

Characteristic and Description

Potatoes Red Fantasy is the result of breeding work by Dutch geneticists, who through many years of research have managed to develop a new variety in 2011 that is distinguished by high commercial and taste qualities of root crops. Vegetable is recommended for cultivation in the Central and Volga-Vyatka regions of the Russian Federation. Great for growing on small private farms and on an industrial scale.

The balanced composition and low calorie make this vegetable indispensable for baby and diet food

Botanical Description

Variety Red Fantasy belongs to the category of plants with an average growing season, the fruits of which can be harvested 100-120 days after planting material is planted. The bushes are quite high, powerful, upright. The green mass of the culture is presented in the form of large, medium-density leaves of a light green color, with a light wrinkled surface.

During flowering, small violet flowers are formed on the bushes, collected in neat bouquets. Potato roots are powerful, well developed. Each bush, under favorable conditions and quality care, is able to produce 10-15 root crops.

Did you know? There are many varieties of potatoes in the world. Along with traditional white and yellow potatoes, there are black varieties with a high content of manganese, red - with the presence of anthocyanins, as well as blue and even purple flowers.

The fruits of Red Fantasy are large enough potatoes weighing from 100 to 120 g. The peculiarity of this variety, by which it is easy to identify among the rest, is an unusual bright pink color of root crops and a dark yellow dense pulp. The fruits have a regular oval shape and a small number of shallow eyes on the surface. The pulp is quite dense, during cooking does not lose its color, does not boil, does not contain more than 21% starch.

Root crops are characterized by high indicators of quality and shelf life, which allows you to transport vegetables over long distances without losing their marketability and taste.

Ripening time

Red Fantasy - a variety of mid-early growing season. As a rule, the period from planting seeds in open ground to harvest rarely exceeds 120 days. On average, the growing season of a crop varies between 90–110 days, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region.

The plant boasts high yields. Under favorable climate conditions and ensuring proper care for the season, one hectare can be harvested 260-380 centners of fruit.

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Taste qualities

Root crops of the described variety have excellent taste. Their flesh is quite dense, during cooking it does not lose color and structure, practically does not boil, saturated and bright in taste, therefore it is excellent for making mashed potatoes.

Potato in its composition has an increased percentage of amino acids, protein and protein. The starch content in the pulp can range from 13 to 21%. The potato has excellent keeping quality - 95%, can tolerate transportation well and, when optimal conditions are organized, can be stored without loss of taste and aesthetic appearance until spring.

Suitable for both industrial cultivation and self-cultivation.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Vegetable growers engaged in the cultivation of the described promising variety, note a wide range of its advantages, the main of which are:
• high yields;
• excellent marketability and taste of root crops;
• excellent fruit keeping and transportation;
• low percentage of starch;
• universality in the use of fruits;
• strong immunity to many ailments characteristic of solanaceous, in particular scab, cancer, wet rot, black leg, late blight.

The variety has practically no drawbacks. Subject to the basic agricultural practices during the care of potatoes, there are no problems with its cultivation.

Planting and growing

Despite the fact that the farming technique of growing Red Fantasy is standard, if you want to get a high-quality, plentiful harvest, vegetable growers must adhere to some simple rules.

Optimal landing time

Potatoes Red Fantasy is not very whimsical to weather conditions, but it is recommended that the tubers be planted in soil that has been warmed to a depth of at least 10 cm to + 8 ° C and has retained a sufficient amount of moisture.

Depending on the climatic conditions of the region, planting of seed material should be carried out in late April - the first weeks of May.

Important! When planting fruits in cold and dry ground, the plant will lag behind in growth and bear fruit poorly.

Preparing the site for sowing

Proper preparation of the site before sowing has a significant impact on the further development of the crop. For potatoes of the described variety, a nutritious, light, air- and moisture-permeable soil with a neutral acidity level is suitable. Soil without fail should be well moistened.

A loamy soil or chernozem with a groundwater table of at least 2–2.5 m will be an excellent option for the crop. Immediately before planting the tubers, the soil should be loosened up with a bayonet shovel and completely destroy the roots of weed plants.

Preparing planting material

Before planting the seed, you need to make sure its good quality. For further cultivation, it is worth picking potatoes of approximately the same average size and shape, with a flat, neat surface, without signs of damage or rot. To be sure of the quality of the seed material, it is recommended to purchase it in pedigree nurseries, specialty stores or from trusted distributors. Read more about preparing potatoes for planting. Tubers can be sprouted a few weeks before planting in the soil, however, the mid-ripeness of the described variety allows you to omit this item. The only thing that should be done with the seeds is to etch them with special preparations that will provide protection against ailments and pests.

Planting material must be treated with poison to protect it from pests

Landing technology

Potatoes Red Fantasy is tall and bushy, therefore, needs a fairly spacious planting. Tubers should be planted at intervals of 30–40 cm from each other, while the distance between the rows should be at least 50 cm.

We recommend reading about how to plant potatoes under straw.

The technology of planting seed consists of the following actions:

• with a shovel or by means of a cultivator in the soil make recesses;
• rotted manure and wood ash are added to each well;
• in the recess, the tuber is sprouted side up to a depth of 10-12 cm;
• the holes are covered with soil, do not ram.

After planting, experienced vegetable growers recommend mulching the bed with a layer of straw, mowed grass, sawdust or hay. Such a procedure allows you to save moisture in the soil and prevent its rapid evaporation, slow down the growth of weeds, and also create favorable conditions for the development of the root system of the crop.

Did you know? The most expensive potatoes in the world are recognized as La Bonnotte potatoes. The cost of 1 kg of fruit is from 500 to 650 euros. Such a high price of the vegetable is explained by its unique qualities: the fruits have a sweet, slightly nutty taste and a pronounced lemon aroma.

Potato care after planting

Further measures for the care of the vegetable are quite universal and are based on the implementation of timely irrigation, fertilizing, the destruction of weeds and pests.

Watering and fertilizer

When providing watering, it is not necessary to adhere to any rules. Potatoes need to be moistened as the topsoil dries. The frequency of watering will largely depend on weather conditions: from once every 7-10 days in normal weather and 2-3 times in a dry summer.

But top dressing is important for the full development of culture. During the season, it is necessary to feed the plant 2-3 times. In this case, the first portion of fertilizers is recommended to be applied 2 weeks after planting the seed material. In this case, nitrogen-containing preparations are used, the action of which is aimed at enhancing the growth of green mass.

Important! Nitrogen preparations should be used in small quantities and only in the first weeks of the potato growing season.

The second time the potatoes are fed 2-3 weeks after the first, using phosphorus-potassium minerals that allow you to increase the mass of tubers. And the last, third portion of fertilizers is advised to be applied 3-4 weeks before the expected harvest. To saturate the culture with the necessary micro and macro elements, organics are used, in particular, manure.

Hilling and weeding weeds

A mandatory event when caring for Red Fantasy is hilling, which during the season must be carried out in several stages:

• the first hilling is carried out immediately after the appearance of the first seedlings. Such a procedure allows you to protect the plant from possible return frosts and attacks of Colorado potato beetles;
• the second time the bushes spud 3-4 weeks after the first, during the formation of the first buds. The event provides an opportunity to create favorable conditions for the correct and complete formation of root crops.

Find out in more detail what is the purpose of hilling potatoes, and how to carry it out correctly.

It is equally important to regularly weed weeds, which take away nutrients and moisture from the culture, thereby inhibiting its growth. It is recommended to destroy weed plants as they appear, while not allowing them to overgrow strongly. Mandatory weeding must be done before the weeds enter the flowering phase.

Pest and Disease Control

The described potato variety has a strong immunity to many ailments. It can perfectly resist potato cancer, scab, black leg, late blight, tobacco mosaic. To prevent the development of other diseases, it is recommended that before planting the seed material, it should be decontaminated with special preparations.

In addition, during the "height" of late blight, vegetable growers are advised to spray the bushes with copper-based products.

We advise you to read how to deal with potato diseases.

Excellent preventative measures are:

• timely destruction of weeds on the site;
• regular loosening of the soil and hilling of bushes;
• maintaining a moisture balance in the soil, preventing excessive waterlogging;
• destruction of the remains of vegetation in the garden after a full harvest.

Among the pests, the Colorado potato beetle and wireworm are the most dangerous for potatoes.

To cope with the massive invasion of the first, modern insecticidal preparations of a wide spectrum of action will help, in particular, Aktara, Inta-Vir. To combat wireworms, vegetable growers use folk remedies, for example, watering the beds with highly concentrated celandine infusion or special preparations - the Zashchita composition, designed to destroy nematodes, wireworms and its larvae.

Did you know? There are varieties of potatoes that grow on trees: in hollows, crevices, on the bark. In this case, the fruits of the plant just hang from the branches down, like bunches of grapes.

Harvesting and proper storage

The main potato harvest starts in the last days of August, although root crops can be dug up since the end of July. Experts advise to dig a vegetable in dry, warm weather. Tubers need to be dug with a shovel or cultivator in the morning and left on the bed until the evening until they dry out.

Harvested roots should be removed in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place, reliably protected from direct sunlight, for two weeks

At the same time, the bed where the potatoes grew needs to be thoroughly cleaned of the remains of tops and vegetation, since they can be an excellent source for the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms and parasites. Within two weeks, when the potato will "stand", it should be sorted, discarded all damaged, rotten or with signs of tuber disease.

After the specified time, the potatoes need to be transferred to separate, ventilated containers - plastic or wooden boxes and placed in a dry, dark, cool place, such as a cellar or cellar. To protect the tubers from mold damage, they can be sprinkled with wood ash.

Important! Even a single rotten fruit can lead to the loss of the entire crop during storage.

Potatoes Red Fantasy will be an excellent option for beginner growers and for those who have absolutely no experience in growing vegetable crops. He is not capricious in leaving, does not make high demands on weather conditions, and at the same time has a lot of advantages, among which one can note the high taste and marketability of the fruit, as well as their ability to be stored until spring.