Topic: potato performance this year

[adrianhumph]

 Hi all,  :D
                just thought we could share our details on how the spuds have done this year.  My results :  Pentland Javelin, a very good tasty first early, they shrugged off early frost damage & gave a good yield. They also did not seem to mind being left in the ground all summer.
 Maris Piper, very dissapointed with these, they gave a good yield , 52 lbs from 20 plants, but they are severely covered in scap & also riddled with damage inside, I will not grow these again. (my soil is light & sandy).
 Picasso, very pleased with these, good yield ,50lbs from 20 plants, clean ,no scab & very tasty, these are recommended.
 Romano, good flavour, yield on the low side, only 32lbs from 20 plants, this could be down to lack of water, but a very tasty spud.
 Pink fir apple, great potato this one, good yield , 42lbs from 20 plants (I was told that the yield would be poor)  a really good waxy salad spud ,& hopefully they will keep through the winter. 
How did your`s all do ?

                                      Adrian.

[tim]

PFA, Adrian yes - keep well. But there's no need for yield to be poor. Depends upon what you expect.

[djbrenton]

Swift - early but very ordinary
International Kidney - in common with most salad potatoes, not as waxy this year as I'd like but a heavy crop
Wilja - superb, heavy yield.
Nadine - still in the ground
Salad Blue - heavy crop but lots of scab which is a shame.
Cara - Superb and very large
Desiree -  scabbed as normal and not as large a potato as last year
PFA - excellent crop, great sauteed or as chips, not just for salads
Highland Burgundy - low yield and smallish potatoes. Could have been grown at early spacings as not very bushy plants.
Sante - Clean and heavy crop
Sarpo Mira - still in the ground

Also notable is that my potatoes went into ground that was last gardened 10 years ago. Amazingly, hardly any wireworm or slug damage. I grew so many as I expected lots of damage but now have a dozen or so sacks in good condition. I did find a touch of soft rot on tubers when lifting and others seem to have had some this year too. No blight at all.

[Ern]

  I can recommend Picasso, too: best yield I've had for a while. But, like most of the others I grow, they seem to attract the slugs.  How do I scare them off ?

[Mrs Ava]

Won't be bothering with King Edwards next year, plenty of spuds, but all small!  And I wanted bakers!!

[thomasb]

Ulster Chieftan (first early) - not bad, quite tasty.
Cosmos (second early) - have had better, they grew very large late on and had quite a bit of slug damage.
Anya (salad) - very good, great in numbers and taste. I will certainly do more next year.
Records (main) - good in number and no damage on them whatsoever.
Romano (main) - smaller in size and yield compared to last year, great for chips though.
Golden Wonder (main) - good in numbers and size and only a few had slug damage.
Kerrs Pink (main) - in general nor bad, good in number and taste. However, they did re-sprout a bit after rain, so I was left with quite a number of very small potatoes.

Therefore, in general a good year for potatoes. I had no problems with blight and only  a small bit of slug damage. However, I do spray for blight and did try nematodes this year.
Thomas

[Andy H]

all rubbish on the plot due to lack of rain.

Ones in tubs at home were great.

Save space on plot next yea and buy more pots for pots :D

Cost a bomb in compo though. guess normal soil would do :P

[sandersj89]

This year I have grown both early and maincrops as normal. Earlies in the
ground and also in post started very early in the greenhouse. Generally I
have been very pleased with the results. (All seed spuds came from Tuckers
Seeds by the way).

Earlies

Mimi - I am very impressed with this one. Second year of growing and they
produced a great crop of small waxy red spuds with good flavour. They were
happy to sit in the ground for a month or two as well. Little scab or
damage.



Home Guard - An old variety but one I like the taste of. The spuds do get a
little large and can fall apart when cooked towards the end of the season.
We then tend to roast them in their skins. No scab, nice flavour and again
happy in the soil if not needed.



Main Crops

Arran Victory - this is a purple skinned variety that I tried first time
last year. They are irregular shaped which can make peeling a bit awkward
but the flavour more than makes up for it. They are our favourite roasting
potato producing lovely crispy spuds fluffy on the inside. There is a little
scab and some slug damage but the yield is very good.



Picasso - first time trying this one but impressed with the yield. Some
spuds are so large you only need one for a family of 4 meal. They are
slightly waxy so hold together well when boiled. Best eaten as a baker
though. No scab and little sign of slug damage.



Romamo - A red skinned oval spud that is a delight to peel. Good yield and
no sign of damage at all. Some are very slightly effected by scab. They make
wonderful mash/bakers and roast well too.



This season has had it's challenges though, Blight arrived early and the
weather made it much more of a problem than last year. I had to resort to
spraying but the foliage survived OK and no blight in the tubers. The dry
spell in May/June has also reduced yield and I have not watered the spuds at
all.

Next year I will continue to use Mimi and Arran Victory, not decided about
the rest yet. Picasso may stay on my list but will look for another good
maincrop - more research needed.

I also want to try pink fir apple, I hear so much good about this that I
must try it.

I also hear lots about the new Sarpo varieties. Good news on the blight
front but mixed views on the eating front. I am happy to manage blight with
Bordeaux at the moment so will wait to see if they improve.

Jerry

[markyb23]

Hi everyone,
                     I've grown quite a few spuds this year.Of the first earlies,the ones that stood out by a mile were the Red Duke Of York-good crop,beautiful colour,nice flavour and no slug damage.The Concorde were also very good.
  The other first earlies weren't very good.The Swift and Rocket were quite badly slugged.The Arran Pilot and the Duke Of York produced quite a low yeild.
  My best second early,this year was British Queen.The yeild was massive compared to all the other potatoes,some really big ones and no slug damage at all. The kondor were very good too.
  I've only dug  Desiree from my maincrop potatoes and they seem very good,with virtually no slug damage.
 I went to dig some King Edwards about two weeks ago and they were all tiny.
  All in all I'd say that my potato yeilds are lower than last year.The ones I'll probably grow next year are-Red Duke Of York,Concorde and British Queen.
     All The Best-Marky :)

[wardy]

Arran Pilot         Lovely flavour.  Will definitely be growing this one again
Desiree             Some huge spuds and good yield.  Slugs apparently don't like them
                         which is why I went for them.  Good bakers and chippers
Cara                 Lovely, spuds, some good big uns and very clean.  Foliage
                         very tall which was a bit of a bind for me growing under
                         sheet mulch so will grow their successor, PICASSO, next year

All in all very pleased with my no dig spud results.  The Caras I grew in a big tub
in compost performed very well with lovely clean skins

[moonbells]

My tuppence!
I only grew between 5 and 8 tubers per variety thanks to the HDRA, but got to try a lot as a result.  The most common use for spuds in our house is potato salad so I tend to go for varieties which work for that ie waxy.  Then bakers and finally winter mash. General comment: the lack of rain has meant most varieties are more floury than they ought to be, so have fallen in the pot slightly more.

Estima (2nd E) slightly disappointed they weren't larger as I love this variety for baking, but they are waxy enough to be used as salad potatoes and did very well, not falling much at all.
Kestrel (2nd E) were fantastic. Got some absolute whoppers.  This was my first year with them but definitely growing again.
Royal Kidney (1st/2nd) were bought because the HDRA didn't have International kidney, and Alan Romans' book commented that it was perhaps even better than IK. I have to agree - they were rather good, prolific and stayed largely intact despite conditions. Nice taste too, and I still have a carrier bag full!!!
Red Duke of York (1st) have a very nice taste but were much flourier this year than last, and we had to remember to steam them instead of boil for our salads.
Mimi (1st) Grown in a bucket in the back garden, and did reasonably well. Probably would have been better if I hadn't gone furtling for tubers so much and I'd remembered to water them more! Can't grow outside or slugs have them.
Rocket (early 1st). Again in a bucket, and did very well, especially since one plant got harvested, and then replanted as there were still lots of tiddlers. A month later I had more large spuds! Same comments as Mimi as to watering.
Highland Burgundy Red (main) Gorgeous coloured potato, though very scabby. Outer layer could be scrubbed off easily leaving a ruby inner layer, which looks great but doesn't prevent water loss so the tuber then shrivels.  Really nice steamed to keep colour and covered with butter! Tended to sprout while in the ground!
Salad Blue (main) Did really well, large spuds; again steamed for colour and looked fantastic as well as good taste. These last two were successful enough for Him Indoors to request we don't eat any more and keep a bagful for Christmas. I am going to see if they roast well - could be spectacular!
Pink Fir Apple (late main) - got some amazing shaped tubers here - only dug a couple of plants up so far.  This one I particularly liked  ;D ;D

These too were more floury this year - again water levels no doubt. My steamer will get yet more use...
Ratte (Early main). Same nutty waxy taste as pink fir with the advantage of smoother tubers.  These died back very early on for maincrop; I haven't got all of them up yet. Like these. Have grown for a couple of years.
Sárpo Mira (Late Main) - so far only rescued a couple of tubers which were very close to surface.  Last year all the Sárpo were quite slug resistant and so I am not going to dig yet.  Very floury, bit nondescript taste but still in leaf.  Perfect for floury mash which you are going to adulterate with butter, cream, nutmeg... gravy etc. ie we're keeping them for Christmas. 

Might swap the Estima for another baker next season as these were too small - seems Picasso is winning the vote on here so if they have it at the spud day I shall try it.

moonbells

[Derekthefox]

My best year ever for spuds ...

International kidney - I am impressed, have found a first early that does well and I like them. Will repeat next year.
Desiree- yield mediocre, will consider alternatives next year.
Cara- I am very impressed, good size and yield. The taste test is still awaited.
PFA - It has all been said already !

Derekthefox :D

[aquilegia]

Only my second year growing spuds.

Red Duke of York (1st early) - low yield (just about enough for the two of us off one plant - maybe they don't like being grown in pots). Like the taste (and colour). Definitely need to be steamed, not boiled!

Lady Christl (extra early) - lovely flavour, but low yield. will do them again.

Charlottes (2nd early) - fabulous yield. Fantastic taste. My favourite. Got over 10lb off one plant in the ground. A tiny bit of slug damage.

Edzell Blue/Arran Victory - I've muddled up the two. Lowish yield of fairly small spuds (maybe not enough water). Some scab. Fantastic when roasted.

Picasso - amazing yield - got over 10lb off two plants. One tuber weighed in at 18oz. Really tasted when baked. Must try roasting some. I cannot remember any being slug damaged.

[Svea]

i grew charlottes - early, a nice enough taste but didnt bowl me over at all. some potatoes grew to quite some size
nicola - fantastic potato-ey flavour - waxy so dont fall apart in the pot. i should have grown more of them - they are listed as a second early/early maincrop but i had them early when they were new potatoes, and later when they were bigger potatoes. no slug damage.
desiree - nice boiling/mashing/roasting potato - took a little longer but then they were my 'main crop'. kept well enough in the ground - i lifted them and the last of the nicola at the beginning of september because i need the space. very happy with yields on all of them.

will definately grow nicola and desiree again. will give charlottes a miss though. looking for a good very early variety, as well as a good baking potaoto - though will probably only grow two plants of each or thereabouts :)

mustnt miss the potato day in dulwich this coming jan/feb!

[MikeB]

Hi Just what is a potato day?

[aquilegia]

Forgot I also grew Anyas - not impressed. Yield very low. very bland taste (the ones in the ground were worse than those in bags). foliage completely munched by slugs.

Next year I will be growing:
Charlottes and lots of them.
Lady Christl and another couple of 1st earlies - research needed there. Maybe Mimi from what's said above.
Another experimental 2nd early.
Picassos definitely.
Pink Fir Apples (I'm curious!)
Another main crop for roasting. I'll have to read what you all recommend.

[moonbells]

Hi Just what is a potato day?

Literally a day for potato selling at a garden centre or nursery or organisation. The HDRA and its local groups tend to organise them; it's a good day out in January, and often they sell tubers individually without you having to buy 3kg of one when it's not what you need...

Also it gives you the chance to try out loads of varieties to see what suits your growing conditions and taste buds! They usually have over a hundred, both organic and non-organic. Waitrose usually sponsors it too and they also had stuff for kids to do as well as go to the Vegetable Kingdom exhibits and round the gardens...

See http://www.hdra.org.uk/events/pd2005.php for this last season's day. There's a Members only day on the Saturday, and a potato themed menu in the restaurant http://www.hdra.org.uk/events/pd2005_menu.php and a schedule of talks and displays in the lecture theatre which always has growing potatoes and pests/diseases as well as topical discussions, Q&A session and cookery demos!

Only thing I would say is that if you plan to go to Coventry to one, go EARLY as there's usually a queue by 8.30am and when they open at 9am there's a mad scramble...  varieties start running out by 10am.

moonbells

[MikeB]

Thanks Moonbells

MikeB

[tim]

SO professional, Jerry. I sometimes wonder why I bother.

But aren't we a bit premature on all this?? We haven't even lifted our 2nd earlies yet, let alone maincrop!

And what's all this about yield? What's the norm? The dear Dr says 20lb from a 10 foot row - maincrop. Yet we were averaging 9lb/plant with Picasso.

I mean - (repeat!) ..........

[aquilegia]

Tim - yield - I was very proud of beating Dr H's yield. Don't burst my bubble!

I had to dig my main crops as the tops had died back and I'm impatient. Still have one plant that's growing, but the way the blight's attacked it I reckon that'll come out next week.