Among gardeners, there is an opinion that the fruiting of potatoes is beneficially affected by the clipping of flowers. However, before carrying out the procedure in his garden, the grower should figure out why this is necessary.
Features of flowering potatoes
Flowering is a natural stage in the development of potatoes. In addition to the common propagation of tubers, there is a seed method. Potato buds are pollinated and form the ovaries, from which inedible fruits-berries grow. Agronomists extract seeds from them and use them to grow new bushes. The method is often used by professional vegetable growers and rarely used by summer residents. However, flowering speaks not only about the further formation of fruits. During budding, root crops are formed, so caring for the plant during this period directly affects the quality of the crop.
Did you know? The name of the potato comes from the Italian "tartufo", which means "truffle". The word fell into Russian from German, in which the borrowed Italian name was changed to "kartoffel".
Do I need to pick flowers from potatoes
To understand whether it is necessary to pick flowers from potatoes, you should understand the relationship of vegetation processes. According to agronomists, the plant spends 25% of nutrients on the formation of flowers and ovaries. By removing the buds, the gardener forces the bush to direct his forces to a greater extent on the development of root crops.
Other vegetable growers claim that such manipulation can harm potatoes. The bush perceives a flower cut off as a wound, because of which its development is impaired. Opponents of this method also argue that tubers are already formed at the time of bud opening, so the procedure will not bring significant results.
According to the research of agronomists, in bushes with buds removed, more fruits appear, but they are small in size. General experience suggests that this manipulation is optional, and each gardener must decide for himself whether to resort to it or not.
Video: Do I need to pick flowers from potatoes
When to break off
Blossom should already bloom flowers. If you remove the buds during the formation period, the plant will spend energy on the growth of new ones, because of which the meaning of the procedure is lost.
Important! To exclude the likelihood of infection spreading from the hands of the agronomist, the flowers are torn off with sterile gloves.
How to do it right
The flowers are removed from the stems with a sterile tool for garden work. This measure, however, is optional - blooming buds can simply be plucked from the stems.
Useful Tips
Experienced gardeners offer a list of tips for those who plan for the first time to resort to such manipulation:
- It is better to pick flowers from potatoes of those varieties that bear fruit abundantly and for a long time. The result will be better than sparse flowering potatoes.
- It is better to postpone the time of digging potatoes for 2–4 weeks, since after such manipulation the growth becomes longer.
- Even with the proper procedure, the bushes may not respond as the grower wants. Often a plant directs its forces to the development of tops, not fruits. This is evidenced by the active growth of stems and leaves.
- When flowering, potatoes need abundant watering. Starting from the moment of budding, it is necessary to irrigate the soil with plenty of water. The quality of the crop from irrigation depends to a greater extent than from picking flowers.
Did you know? A resident of the Lebanese city of Sur named Khalil Sekhzat managed to grow potatoes weighing 11.2 kg, which became a world record.
Removing buds from potato bushes during flowering is a procedure not every grower is willing to resort to. However, with proper manipulation, taking into account all important factors, the gardener can achieve the expected success.
