Topic: Potatoes - help?

[campanula]

All you chip and mash munchers out there - I am really a bit baffled by the huge choice of spuds - and the differences between 1st earlies, 2nd earlies, maincrop, salad and so on. I am hoping to persuade my neighbour to let me have a bit of his plot as he is 88 and keen to avoid some of the heavy work - we could share produce while I dig. Right now though, Il only have 1 raised bed - 3m x 1.5m (maybe 2) so I want to get the most out of the available space. Even more frazzed about diseases so would prefer spuds which have some resistance if poss. Any/all suggestions are really welcome.

Cheers, Suzy

[Hugh_Jones]

The differences in classification are simple enough really. If you want new potatoes in June you need First Earlies.  If you`re happy to wait until Sept/Oct then you grow Late Main.  The rest simply stagger the lifting season between the two.  The First and Second Earlies are not dependent on a light `trigger` to start tuber formation, so they produce potatoes as soon as they have grown enough, and mine usually crop before blight strikes, while the Early and Late Main don`t start tuber formation until after midsummer`s day - the size of crop depending on top growth up to that date. Most of the 2nd Earlies keep just as well as the Main varieties, although smaller cropping. Salad potatoes are just the ones that are nicest eaten cold with salads.

Different varieties are resistant to different diseases (or pests)  For general disease resistance:- First Earlies - Rocket, Accord, Lady Christi; Early Main -Sante & Cara.
However, there are lists of other varieties specifically bred for resistance to individual diseases & pests such as scab, blight, blackleg, and eelworm.

Well, you did ask!

[gavin]

Go for it, Campanula!

I love growing potatoes - and have learned a whole lot about different ways of using them, too; we'd been on the slippery road to pastas and rice for years, and it's great exploring different potatoes again.  

I grow 3 or 4 beds a bit more than double yours - a 3kg bag of seed from the HDRA catalogue is enough to fill a 6-7 metre bed, so I've been able to try a fair few over four years - but it's a slow process!

How about trying one of the collections?  Gives you a chance to try a few all at once, and find out which you like, and which ones like you (just as important!!!).  

I'd add Kestrel (Second Early - harvest in August) to Hugh's list - as well as resistance to drought, eelworm (both), the slugs don't touch it on my plot!  It crops well, and keeps well.

All best - and good luck, Gavin

[campanula]

Thanks Gavin and Hugh, Kestrel is definately in as it is my daughter's name. Now that seed catalogues have arrived, it is really difficult making decisions - specially since the catalogues all go on about the juicy luscious fruit, the healthy, glossy this and tasty show-winning that- I mean, all the pics are perfect....what to do. I know we all have different soil and conditions but are there any vegetable varieties which you would recommend? Should I start a new thread as I would really value tips from fellow allotmenteers. On my site, I have only actually seen two other people - in fact I will be looking at the legal aspects of our leases as we are bang in the centre of very expensive Cambridge and frankly, the site is a neglected mess. I suspect the council are almost letting it get run down - I only managed to get a plot through another holder as the council claimed lists were full. I feel some solidarity with fellow plotholders is the best way to go. So, after rambling endlessly, I am really interested in good doers, especially spuds, toms, all beans, strawbs and salads...oh, and sweetcorn - can hardly wait.

[gavin]

Hi campanula - I got my calculations all wrong in my last post, so I've changed it a bit.  3kg of seed fill a LOT more than a 3 metre bed!   :) :)

Have you come across this website - http://www.allotments.net/ for the Cambridge Allotments Network?

All best - Gavin

[campanula]

fantastico! am on it - however, it seems to have stopped round about 2001 but have sent loads of e.mails.
Thanks, Gavin

[rewsal]

Hi alot of the beds i have rough dug are about 3.8m by 1.2m, do you think i could fit in two rows of first earlies and second earlies in these, I've heard they require less space between them.Have made a note of the  varieties hugh and gavin have suggested ,can you tell me is Duke of York any good or is there better ?

[gavin]

Hi there

My beds are about that width - and I've had no problem fitting in two rows of earlies/second earlies.  For main crop potatoes, I take a bit of care to stagger the rows "z"-fashion (hmmm, does that make sense?).

And Red Duke of Yorks are one of our very favourite potatoes!  They get a bit of scab, but putting mown grass in the bottom of the planting trench seems to have cured that.

All best - Gavin