Topic: potato varieties

[chriscross1966]

They didn't flower at all Flighty, and still were looking green and healthy, so maybe I should have just left them a bit longer in the ground!  I have some Charlottes, Nicola and Nadine, also Pink Fir Apple and Rooster, and they're all in flower- can't wait to have a firkle!

Leave the PFS's till last..... they're an old fashioned main crop an dneed a long time in the ground.... Not as bad as as some of the  Victorian varieties by all accounts.... which is the reason my Congo are in pots.....

chrisc

[delboy]

Calendula

Bonnie Dundee isn't waxy - almost a creamy texture.

Got them from the potato day in Hampshire.

Not cheap as heritage seed, but luvverly..

[calendula]

picked the 4th variety of spuds, a second early Altesse

fantastic yield; large potatoes (virtually no tiddlers); waxy and gorgeous 9/10  ;D

[Dadnlad]

We've had Swift planted really early under cloches - OK taste :-\

Just finished eating Ballydoon tonight - new to us, firm waxy and quite buttery tasting ;D

Starting on old favourites Arran Pilot and Red Dukes soon ;D

Then salads  Charlotte, Moulin Rouge, Adams Blue  -  2nds Kestrel and Sunrise  -  mains Ambo, Verity, Rooster, Setanta and Sarpo Axona 8)

[Digeroo]

I have finally found a potato apart from Desiree that I like.  Linzer Delikatess great flavour and good crop as well.  Will have more next year.

[lottie lou]

Okay so our favourite.recommended first earlies are:

Annabelle
Homeguard
Lady Christl
Rocket
Exquisa
Bonnie Dundee
Arron Pilate
?Agala
?Linzer Delikatesse

Second earlies

Kestrel
its a bit previsiou for the second earlies and later varieties.

[sawfish]

these are my Shetland Blacks. If you like roasted potatoes, you must grow these, they're better than anything else I've tasted. The skin is great! Look like weird old pebbles.

Also got:
Lady Chrystl
Wilja
British Queen
Fortyfold
Mr Smiths Yetholm Gypsy

[powerspade]

I always grew a early spud called "Concorde" the all of a sudden the seed available stopped, I don't know the reason why as Concorde produced a heavy crop of early spuds and the flavour was out of the world. In the past I`ve tried Pentland dell, Rocket, Arron pilot, and Foremost none of which came even close to Concorde. This year I`v done Lady Christl, the flavour isn't all that I would wish but that could be due to the weather, the harvest is terrible take 3 plants to get enough for dinner for two. Anyone know why Concorde was withdrawn? I`ve google but up to now haven't been able to find out.

[mpdjulie]

I went spud mad and Ryton's Potato Day and bought about 30 different verities, only 4 of each though.  I already had 75 each of charlotte, kestrel and cara from Marshalls and also 10 anya on special offer from Kitchen Garden Magazine.  So far we have dug up the charlottes which yield wise were good, we got around 30kg.  The kestrel yield was large as well, although we didn't weigh it but we did have to throw away quite a few as they had scab but then that scab had gone mouldy as well.  I know scab ordinarily doesn't matter which is why we've kept the others but I didn't fancy chowing down on mould as well!!!  We dug up 2 anya plants and got I think it was 1.64kg so not too bad at all.
Julie
 :)

[Kepouros]

My 6 Rocket plants have fed me from the end of May until last weekend.  Today I dug up the first of my Sharpes Express - quality and flavour superb as usual, and I can look forward to some decent chips again (Sharpes are better chippers than even Maris Piper).  My Nadine and Kestrel are looking very well and should provide enough to see me through until my next season`s Rocket are ready.

[macmac]

lady chrystle  the best last year and this .lovely flavour and good yield thet's the one we'll grow next year  :)

[queenbee]

kepouros, How do you store your potatoes, I managed to store mine until end January, but they shrivelled up and were not really fit to eat. On the other hand I store my onions in the same conditions and they last until May or June when they start to shoot again but still edible. I never have to buy onions. 

[Kepouros]

I keep them in sacks (proper  sacking sacks - no plastic or paper) in a corner of the shed that I`ve in sulated with several layers of old carpet.  Normally they keep perfectly well until May, but I`m afraid that last winter the insulation wasn`t quite sufficient and over half of my supply got badly frosted before I noticed what was happening.  From now on I shall keep them in the greenhouse, which has a frost protection heater, during the worst winter months.  Are you quite sure that yours weren`t frosted too?

[queenbee]

kepouros, they were stored in the garage in brown paper bags. I will try sacking this year and see if I can keep them a bit longer. At least we had them for Xmas dinner.

[froglets]

Just lifted the first of my Red Duke of York and Anyas. Good harvest from both, possibly because we left them longer due to the dry weather and they've now had two weeks of heavy rain to swell the crop.  Both healthy tubers too so really pleased. Both made great chips for tea last night.  :)   Lifted a Sharpe's Express a coupel of weeks ago, bit of a disapointment in the flavour stakes, normally they're my favourite.  will be interesting to see if the recent rain has made any difference when the next lot come up.

Golden Wonder, Picasso and Maris Piper still to come

[Ellen K]

Hi.  Another vote here for Lady Crystl, a lovely lovely spud.  One of the few things from my plot I have given to friends and they have asked if I've got any more spare.

[1066]

reckon I'm ging to have to try lady christl next year though going by comments so far

Well I tried them this year, based on the reviews on here, and I was a bit disappointed with them. Not as tasty somehow / as expected. Not sure if I will bother again. The yields were poor but that was because we really didn't get enough rain.

Also based on recommendations on here I grew Red Duke of York, and they were fabulous, a lovely 1st early, and will definitely be trying them again next year

Waiting to start in on the Mayans  ;D

1066  :)

[meg_gordon]

Just emptied first big pot of La Ratte - good harvest - lovely potatoes but a bit small, so am leaving the other 3 pots for another couple of weeks.  Got 4 barrels of Vivaldi - although they haven't flowered yet - maybe they aren't going to.  Will have a firkle middle of next month to see how they are doing.

Meg

[gwynnethmary]

Only got 5 potatoes from the first of the Nadines, but they were of a decent size, and were delicious!  The skins rubbed off very easily too.

[sawfish]

Think I'll go for Ayrshire Epicure next year. They're my favourite first early and I've missed them this year.