Topic: Potato minitubers?

[caroline7758]

Just looking on T&M site as they have 15% discount on spuds, onions and garlic and seen these minitubers.

Anyone know whether they are another expensive gimmick (5 tubers for £4.99!) or a good idea?

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/dispatcher?search=minituber

[grawrc]

Don't know Caroline. It seems expensive to me. I suppose they are all heritage varieties and these test-tube babies are guaranteed free of pathogens. Still for £1 a plant plus postage it would need to be something verty special for me. Why not email T & M and ask them?
Oh just thought! You could ask Tattieman! He'll know.

[Trevor_D]

T&M are always among the most expensive suppliers.

But - if you really fancy growing a particular variety and are willing to make it a long-term project - why not? Five plants should produce enough for you to have a couple of tastings and enough to save as seed for the following season.

[realfood]

I originally started with some mini-plants of heritage potatoes and built up a small number for replanting. The crop from the heritage varieties tends to be much smaller than from the modern varieties, and some seem to be more prone to blight.

[chriscross1966]

I've grown some COngo from minitubers this year (from Alan ROman)....  Will try to get round to tippign the pots out this week to find out what I've got.... The plants dis seem very healthy when growing, and were only knocked down by the frost.... A word of warnign regarding Congo though is that it needs a very long growth cycle... mine were growign in pots in the GH in March, and still going at the end  of October.....

chrisc

[saddad]

I used them to grow Lord Roseberry and Aura when HSL offered them in the catalogue. They lasted about 10 seasons before the yeilds declined too much to be worth continuing with. I have since acquired some more "Aura" and they are into their third season. The cost can be "shared" over several years...  :)

[grawrc]

Alan Romans have them at £6.73 for 5, £9.62 for 10 including postage. T &M £4.99 postage. I suppose it depends how much stuff you're buying and of course there's the discount too. You'd need to do the sums.

[Tattieman]

If you look on the net you will find these potatoes grown from minitubers and they are less than half the price of the minitubers.
The mintubers have produced us some fantastic crops this year but now that people have grown them as seed then really there is no point paying anymore for them.

[grawrc]

Knew you'd know! ;)
Btw will you be at any Edinburgh potato days?

[Tattieman]

Knew you'd know! ;)
Btw will you be at any Edinburgh potato days?

I have never gone to the Edinburgh potato days. I have been at the Kelso one a few times and now we have one at Dumfries.
The people I supply sell their potatoes at the Edinburgh events so I just leave them to it.
I am trying to put a list of up and coming potato days so if anyone knows about any please let me know.
I will add them to my growing potatoes website.