Topic: potato varieties

[meg_gordon]

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

Do you live near the coast Sawfish?  It's just that on another forum (not a gardening one) we have been reminiscing fondly on the taste of Ayrshires - and how that flavour has deteriorated over the last couple of decades.  We concluded that the taste changed when the Ayrshire farmers stopped spreading seaweed for fertiliser. 

I grew epicures last year and the year before, but was disappointed with the taste.  Decided to try again next year, but put seaweed on the soil over the winter before I plant again.  Any thoughts?

Meg

[calendula]

yesterday decided to harvest some our 2nd variety of second earlies as the haulms were looking very sad - this variety was Linzer Delikatess - stood the test of the drought exceptionally well, yield about average and some were quite small, lovely waxy texture, taste average but because they are surviving the drought I give them a quite high score - 8/10

[Squashman]

Growing potatoes depends on the area and soil condition. My Rocket where superb, Flavour, Size and bulk better than I normally expect, these where grown on new ground. Arraon pilot good, kestrel so so but marfona so far have been the best of all.

[lottie lou]

Just started to dig up my Kestrels. They are huge - not many per plant but reeally big

[sawfish]

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

Do you live near the coast Sawfish?  It's just that on another forum (not a gardening one) we have been reminiscing fondly on the taste of Ayrshires - and how that flavour has deteriorated over the last couple of decades.  We concluded that the taste changed when the Ayrshire farmers stopped spreading seaweed for fertiliser.  

I grew epicures last year and the year before, but was disappointed with the taste.  Decided to try again next year, but put seaweed on the soil over the winter before I plant again.  Any thoughts?

Meg

I think maybe you're right, the flavour seemed better a long time ago. Good trial for next year, I'll grow a row with seaweed!

[mickstani]

Vales Emerald (maris peer/charlotte cross)- superb clean yield, excellent cooking quality and taste. Now my future No.1 choice for first earlies.

[calendula]

are vales emerald a waxy/salad type or ???

[mickstani]

Firm & moderately waxy, boil or steam.  Nice hot or cold.

[meg_gordon]

I think maybe you're right, the flavour seemed better a long time ago. Good trial for next year, I'll grow a row with seaweed!

I dont know if it was any specific kind of seaweed (wish I had taken more notice now) - but I am just going to wait for a low tide at the back end, then lift a few handfulls per large tub and leave over the winter - please keep us updated on how you get on.

Meg

[calendula]

now tasting our final potato variety for this year - Merlin which is an early main crop

I selected it because it is multi-purpose and if we were fed up with salad spuds by now then mashing might be nice

Lovely to look at, white with pink eyes, great yield, fantastic flavour and texture, it does exactly what it said on the tin, so 8/10  ;D

[Tattieman]

Just realised my spuds were on the Beechgrove garden when I was on holiday.
Fast forward to 26min and 30secs http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tlcv3
They were all grown in the polypot system and the NVS Sherine produced over 5kgs from one potato. The potato was a minituber aswell. The Pentland Lustre produced over 3kg and the Swift was very poor at 1.7kg.
I thought I had better add that as the video runs out in 4 days.

[Digeroo]

Calendula has Limzer Delikatesse as taste average, but mine are particularly good flavour for me jointsecond for only to desiree.  Sharing the spot with Mayan Twilight.

[jennym]

Dug up some spuds the other day, and had them fried. They were gorgeous, fluffy on the inside and beautifully crispy on the outside, and I didnt mess about par-boiling them either. Trouble is, can't remember what variety they are.  :-[

Don't grow many potatoes nowadays, and picked up a few bags very cheap at B&Q, they were maybe 50p each, and not sprouting too badly so I thought I'd give them a go.

I know they would have been first or second earlies, not maincrop, and they have no red markings on them, and obviously they're not a salad type. Can't see anything on the internet. Wonder if anyone bought from B&Q and remembers what sorts they had?

[earlypea]

Calendula has Limzer Delikatesse as taste average, but mine are particularly good flavour for me jointsecond for only to desiree.  Sharing the spot with Mayan Twilight.

I think you must be my earth double Digeroo  :) - so many of your potato choices, and the earlies match mine.  I'm going to have to try the Limzer next year.

[calendula]

that's the problem with comparing I guess - as my other varieties were overall better taste than Linzer this makes an 'average' seem less than average  ;D which is probably unfair - a good spud are LD

[1066]

I know I've started watching what Digeroo and EarlyPea are growing as it seems to be on a par with my soil and my tastes. Hmmmmm, clay soil yum  ::)

So I now have another to add to the list  :)

The Mayan Gold, also gets a monster rave from me - very yellow inside, fluffy and ooooo right tasty! The yield wasn't as good as the Twighlight, but will still try them again next year

Great thread Calendula  :)

[earlypea]

I know I've started watching what Digeroo and EarlyPea are growing as it seems to be on a par with my soil and my tastes. Hmmmmm, clay soil yum  ::)

That's weird though 1066, because my soil isn't heavy clay, rather a lot of sand in it, very free draining (really must scoop some up and analyse it).  Maybe its our taste buds that are in sync or your lack of watering makes your earth taste like mine - I did water copiously at the flowering stage.

Digeroo's top pick, Desiree are also immensely good in my soil, probably the best for flavour, but I can't help thinking of Delia Smith when I eat them so I didn't grow any this year  :D

[1066]

Digeroo's top pick, Desiree are also immensely good in my soil, probably the best for flavour, but I can't help thinking of Delia Smith when I eat them so I didn't grow any this year  :D

LOL - that would be enough to put anyone off  :D  :D  :D

[cornykev]

My rockets are tasty this year although there was a lot more slug damage than last year, I still have some in the ground and will have to get them up sharpish.
I have started to dig up my Kestrels and although they are plentiful, they are not very big, lack of rain effected both the size of the Kestrels and the slug damage on the rockets, I still have about half the Kestrels to dig up.
The Cara are still in Flower and have full foilage and are getting a good watering this week as we are having a mini heatwave here in London. 8)
 ;D ;D ;D

[calendula]

it will be interesting if, this time next year, we can do the same comparisons and if the weather is substantially different assess how this makes the flavour, yield etc different