How often and how to water my potatoes?

The potato is perhaps one of the most consumed agricultural products in the world and to obtain a high quality harvest, irrigation is a fundamental issue.

Potato irrigation must be carried out following a well-planned structure based on the specific conditions of where it is planted.

To contribute to this issue, it is important that the land used has exceptional drainage conditions, since waterlogging is not an option. There is a lot to say on this subject, so it is better that we start at once. You think?

Important points when watering a potato:

Irrigation frequency: depending on the stage in which the crop is.
Irrigation method: drip or flood.
Optimum time of day for irrigation: at night to favor the absorption of water from the soil and prevent evaporation.
Identify excess water: watery tubers, little flavor, poor level of conservation.
Identify lack of water: development of diseases, closure of leaves, small potatoes, death by drought.

What irrigation needs do potatoes have?

The water needs for potato cultivation is one of the highest we could achieve.To develop properly it requires that the soil is moist, but at the same time there is good drainage so that the flow is not delayed.

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This results in higher demands, especially at certain growth stages such as bud formation.Being grown underground, irrigation control is much more important as it will have a major influence on the quality of the harvest.

How can we detect the lack of irrigation in potatoes?

The lack of humidity in potato cultivation is one of the issues that can generate the most complications in its sowing.

When subjected to water stress, the potato becomes an easy target for the appearance of certain diseases that are difficult to eradicate.

At aerial level it will be possible to notice that something is not going very well in the leaves, which will close preventing photosynthesis from taking place.All this will result in the crop not receiving the amount of energy it requires and the results will be small potatoes.

If the drought continues, the potato plant will die from drought.

How often should we water the potato?

The frequency of irrigation of the potato must be measured very carefully since at each stage it will have specific water needs. Thus we have:

Planting: it is not necessary to apply irrigation until the first shoots appear. It is necessary to include in this stage even the formation of the leaves that will be visible.
Formation of sprouts: when the sprouts begin to form, the water needs of the potato will be at their maximum point, so it will be necessary to apply daily or inter-daily irrigation, depending on the conditions of the crop.
Maturation: the need for irrigation decreases a little but should not be completely suppressed. A couple a week is probably more than enough.

All these irrigation proposals must be adjusted according to the conditions where the crop is installed. This is because there are many factors involved in this issue.

What is the best way to water the potato?

Getting the soil to be favorably moist throughout the planting process will be possible with the drip or flood method.The drip irrigation system favors the application of water in small quantities and in a localized way, which is very beneficial in this case.

Thanks to the fact that it is easy to install and that it greatly reduces water consumption, it could be considered a low-budget system.

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Flood irrigation consists of designing furrows around the crops and allowing a certain amount of water to pass through them, thus allowing the soil to absorb it. The amount of liquid to be provided must be carefully measured and, of course, ensure that the soil is capable of absorbing it to avoid puddles.

How do we detect excess water in the potato?

The excess of water will also have its negative impact on the formation of the potato, since it will reduce the consistency level of the potato.

This means that instead of harvesting firm potatoes like the ones we like, they will be limp and watery.

The flavor will also be diminished and although the potato is a very long-lasting tuber, if they have grown with excess water they will last much less. A potato crop generates a lot of illusion because from it we will obtain these tubers that are so delicious and noble in the kitchen.

Irrigation is, among all care, a transcendental issue to achieve a harvest of which to feel proud. So take into account all the comments we made here and get ready to enjoy potatoes with the best characteristics at harvest time.