Potato variety Empress, description, characteristics and reviews, as well as features of cultivation

The empress spreads throughout Russia in the form of botanical seeds. Not everyone succeeds in growing full-fledged potatoes. Most often, patience ends in the second year with the fact that the harvest from mini-tubers disappoints, not justifying efforts.

History of the Empress Potato

The variety appeared at the same time as a trend that arose among gardeners to renew seed potatoes with mini-tubers obtained from botanical seeds. The empress is distributed wholesale and retail by the Moscow agricultural company Zedek. The same company produces potato seeds in bags: Lada, Ilona, ​​Virgo, Assol, Triumph, Farmer, etc.

The Empress is not listed in the State Register of Plants, is not zoned for any region, is intended for amateur cultivation

. The forums have already written a lot of reviews about these varieties. Almost all posts are devoted to a time-consuming experiment and disappointment with the results. Only a few managed to taste large and crumbly tubers to taste.

I myself carry out the same experiment - I grow Lada, Ilona and Empress from botanical seeds. The experience continues for the third year. During this time, I managed to grow and eat only two large potatoes from a package of seeds of the Empress. And yes! They were delicious.

Grade description

The Empress is an early ripening potato; 55-60 days pass from emergence to harvest. After ripening, the bushes do not lie down and do not turn yellow, so the manufacturer recommends carefully digging out the grown tubers and leaving the bushes until autumn, they will grow another crop.

The shoots of the Empress are low, they grow compactly, take up little space on the site, but a poor crop is also laid on them - 10–15 tubers, with a total weight of 1.1–1.2 kg. The potatoes themselves are very attractive: elongated-oval in shape, with a yellow peel, eyes are superficial. The flesh on the cut is yellowish.

When cooking, only the surface of the tubers crumbles. If you cook the Empress “in a uniform”, then the skin will crack. The purpose of the variety is universal, suitable for salads, soups, mashed potatoes, frying, stewing.

Growing Potato Empress

Alas, the Empress’s seed tubers are not on sale. Even in the Zedek catalog they are not. You will have to buy botanical seeds in bags and follow the instructions published on the manufacturer's website.

Start sowing in early April. All methods for growing are exactly the same as when caring for tomato seedlings. Only need to be sown superficially, only slightly sprinkled with earth. The elongated sprouts can be deepened, sprinkled, podokumi.

Video: potatoes from seeds (second year of experimentation)

Getting good seedlings is even easier than with peppers or tomatoes, which require a longer period of growing and diving. Potato seedlings do not have to be transplanted into a separate container.

I do not agree with this statement, to grow potatoes from seeds is a very difficult task. Among the three varieties of my choice, the Empress paid special attention because of the prospect of collecting two crops per season. The problems started from the very beginning. Half the seeds did not sprout at all. Sprouts that appeared in April on the sunniest window, and even with the backlight of a phytolamp, stretched out, lay on the ground and rotted. As a result, only 5 bushes reached the garden.

Immediately make a reservation that in the year the Empress sowed, I collected bulbs from Nevsky, which I have been growing for many years. Its seeds all sprouted like moss or mushrooms on a stump, were strong on thick stems with juicy leaves. They did not stretch out at all without any illumination, did not lie down on the ground and did not hurt, despite the strong thickening. I think it’s not only the difference between their own and purchased seeds. Perhaps the Empress, despite her early maturity, is not intended for cultivation in our region (South-Western Siberia), the local climate and soil are not suitable for her. I console myself with the hope that after 2-3 years of cultivation, it will adapt, become zoned, and then all my work will pay off.

In the process of growing seedlings you will have to:

• to water the seedlings of the Empress;
• every 10-14 days to feed with mixtures such as Fertica and Agricola;
• as they grow and, if necessary, transplant into larger and more spacious containers.

Plant in the open ground only when the threat of frost passes, and in the greenhouse and greenhouse - earlier for 1-2 weeks.

Fill the earth with humus and wood ash. Plant plants according to a pattern of 60x20 cm. Care as usual for potatoes, only this stalk will be thin, the bushes will be weak. To loosen and spud will have to be very careful. The first days after planting, it is recommended to cover the bed with lutrasil in order to protect from heat, coolness and pests. In addition, seed sprouts are very demanding on soil moisture, without watering and rains, they will dry out, and from overflows they will rot.

Do not forget to remove the tops on time in order to avoid the defeat of viruses and diseases.

This is the most interesting! Apparently, this refers to mowing tops on the eve of harvesting. The fact that potatoes grown from seeds do not get sick is a myth, and the producer himself confirms this with the above phrase. The leaves on all five bushes of my Empress were covered with spots during the summer, then - with small and frequent holes, bent and dried up, starting from the edges. There were bare stems. It seemed to me that the Empress was attacked by all existing diseases and pests. As a result, not a single bush survived until the fall. A crop in the land was still found: several "peas" and 2-3 tubers the size of a plum. For comparison: my Nevsky from seeds grew and differed little from ordinary potatoes from tubers, did not upset anything and did not require a careful attitude. The harvest also pleased: there are a lot of large tubers suitable for food, even larger than the size of an egg and just the darkness of “peas”, even sell elite seeds.

Mini tubers from seeds are ready for harvesting on the 110-120th day after germination. Most potatoes will be very small, your main task will be to keep them until spring. Can be kept in the refrigerator, but better in the cellar. Fold in a cloth bag and suspend so that it does not come into contact with any surfaces. In subsequent years, treat tubers like ordinary potatoes. Be sure to prevent disease. Wash the seed in a solution of potassium permanganate or vitriol, dry and green.

Video: potato harvest from botanical seeds

My mini-tubers only partially survived until spring, the smaller ones almost dried up, and those that were larger rotted. Planted the remains. The bushes again in the summer were covered with obscure spots and holes. They looked like traces of the presence of cruciferous fleas, but on the Empress bushes I could not find these pests, no matter how much I looked. Interestingly, the rest of my potatoes did not suffer from anything like that, although they grew in the same row with the Empress. This time the crop was already larger, almost all went to seeds again. Only two potatoes grew real large size - palm-long, there were no voids inside. We cooked them whole and arranged a tasting. It doesn’t taste “soap”, it crumbled from above, but inside it is too dry and dense, without oil or sauce you cannot swallow.

Reviews of vegetable growers

The Empress variety also sowed potato seeds, and it turned out to be large and small. but the look of the tubers was of different shapes, then I read. that potato seeds can produce different tubers and from them you must choose the tubers that fit your variety! The first attempt with potato seeds was the last ...

Planted Sedekovsky seeds for two years in a row. In the first year, the Empress and the Farmer received about 70 nodules ranging in size from 5–7 cm to peas. Greened, preserved until spring. In 2010 planted 2 beds, of course, with such a small planting material, the bushes were not as large as on a regular garden, but it turned out generally not bad, but noticed that on some bushes the leaves were wavy, read these bushes on the Internet deleted. Under each bush there were 10-15 potatoes from 7 to 4 cm. In 2011, she planted Ilona seeds from seeds and one more-forgot the name (information in the country), also grew. But I think that I will not repeat this experience, because the result is faster if you take potatoes for seeds from a nearby region

I generally like potatoes with yellow pulp. Still eat from the seeds. In my opinion, the empress grows up very large, smooth, oval, but voids form, though not much, to the scab is more stable than the address.

The Empress will have to grow from seeds, if you want to get potatoes from the author. If successful, you will collect large and beautiful yellow tubers. However, not in all regions this variety is easier to grow than tomatoes and peppers, as the manufacturer assures.