Author Topic: Growing potatoes from True Potato seed. (Read 84019 times)

1066 · « **Reply #80 on:** July 26, 2011, 08:38:03 »

The flowers on the Howie Mandel have started to open ;D 8)
[attachment=1]

The colour variations on the stems is really noticeable, looking forward to seeing and tasting all the differences :)

A collective fingers crossed is needed

Jayb · « **Reply #81 on:** July 26, 2011, 15:30:17 »

It looks like it is going to be a stunner ;D
Ooowha, I just bet the tubers are going to be so exciting to dig. Like getting lots of fantastic mystery gifts.
Fingers crossed

green lily · « **Reply #82 on:** July 26, 2011, 21:04:33 »

I'd be thrilled [and honoured] to receive some tps if anyone as some to spare. All I have to offer perhaps is some seed from pink fir apple. I have one or two fruits but not many but I'll try to process it properly.. Nicola had hardly any flowers- I think I saw 2 between 20 plants... I'm completely new to tps but am fascinated to try so If I could be included pleez? :) :)

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #83 on:** July 27, 2011, 09:32:25 »

One of my TPS Russian Blue is flowering, generally the Russian Blue are doing better than the TPS Ratte, one of which has died.... always been a runt, keeled over when I was away at a festival for the weekend..... Not going to firkle as have only just started teh second earlies from the plopt.... my word the slugs like Salad Blue.... grr,,,,

Jayb · « **Reply #84 on:** July 27, 2011, 10:03:57 »

Hi Green lily, yes please join in, it will be great to hear your progress, I'm quite envious of your PFA ;D
I think Pink Fir Apple tps would be fantastic to grow and a great variety to share. Lets hope they ripen well. I'm hoping mine might produce a berry or two, but we will have to see. Don't worry I'm pretty much a newbie to TPS. I grew my first variety last year and it has snowballed from there. I love them ;D

I looked up Nicola at British potato Database http://varieties.potato.org.uk/display_description.php?variety_name=Nicola they list it as a berry absent variety. With only two flowers it does seem to be a tad shy in that department.

Chrisc, I had one of my Rattes get wiped out quite soon after being planted out. A mixture of me keeping them too long in small pots and slugs. Out of interest I dug where it was and found a small handfull of mini tubers. These must have been produced very early on.

I've not grown Salad Blue but I understand they set berries well, lets hope the slugs don't damage too much.

green lily · « **Reply #85 on:** July 27, 2011, 21:24:34 »

You've made my day folks. Had 3 cortisone jabs in my back today :o :o and I'm still a bit legless. But I'm told it'll be worth it and I'll be fit for potato work etc. Mind you had a good bash outside yesterday even if I did have to take the hit afterwards...... ;D ;D

1066 · « **Reply #86 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:09:53 »

Ouch, cortisone is horrid! Hope you are feeling better today :)

I remember seeing berries on the Blue Salads last year, and being dim didn't really think much about it :-X so lets hope we see some berrie sthis year :)

Jayb · « **Reply #87 on:** July 30, 2011, 13:57:17 »

Hope you are feeling a little better green lily :o

10, I love this looking back too ;D

Jayb · « **Reply #88 on:** July 30, 2011, 14:08:17 »

More flower piccy's

Ratte, this is the only one of mine to flower. A couple of berries look to be set, one is a cross to Blue Belle which might be fun. [attachment=1]

Pink Fir Apple looks lovely in white although I aways thought pink flowers would be good here.
[attachment=2]

Red Cara grown from TPS, open flower are similar to mom, but buds look white, whilst other siblings show pinky white.
[attachment=3]

1066 · « **Reply #89 on:** July 30, 2011, 16:07:43 »

I haven't managed any crosses yet, that's a job for next week.....
In the meantime I noticed today a couple of berres on teh Desiree :D

Jayb · « **Reply #90 on:** July 30, 2011, 22:00:18 »

Yayyyy for Desiree ;D

I think I should say beware, like everyting else to do with tps, potato breeding/crosses is an addictive activity. It starts of harmlessly enough with one or two crosses and before you know it is a full time obsession! I can't walk past a potato plant without looking for buds, flowers or berries. I even woke up the other morning dreaming of what crosses to make :o

I did take some photos last week while I was making some crosses although I've hesitated to post them as I'm not really sure if I'm doing things right. I hope I'm not too far off the mark. I'll try and post them tomorrow.

Love to know some of the crosses you have in mind? ;D

Jeannine · « **Reply #91 on:** July 31, 2011, 04:11:24 »

Just touching base here, thought i would share with you that everyone around me at my lottie is now very carefully watching their spuds for for fruit and as long as I tell them what to do with them they are going to share LOL so we could end up with all sorts of things..next door has got Russetts and an unknown spud that has been in the family for decades apparently, chap accross the path has one he describes as
"Butter Something" it could be a lark growing thos lot on don't you think!!

There has been some blight seen on the plots so I am getting a wee bit scared but all my fingers are crossed

XX Jeannine

green lily · « **Reply #92 on:** July 31, 2011, 21:22:17 »

Thanks for your good wishes folks. I am about but hardly racing yet. I was warned it would get worse before better and may take fortnight ::
Very muggy here tonight and I fear the dreaded blight will get the spuds and tomatoes. I sprayed last weekend but haven't anymore stuff or quite the stamina to do it yet.
BTW caught grandson removing potato berries- 'you can't eat them' :o....[ he won't do it again.. ::)] but my mini stock is even less now :(
Hope other people are having more luck!

John85 · « **Reply #93 on:** August 01, 2011, 09:49:19 »

Where can I find out if a variety is diploid or tetraploid?What about Sharpo?

Jayb · « **Reply #94 on:** August 01, 2011, 21:12:12 »

Glad you saw what your grandson was up to Green lily :o

Quote from: John85 on August 01, 2011, 09:49:19

Where can I find out if a variety is diploid or tetraploid?What about Sharpo?

Sarpo Mira etc are tetraploid.

I don't think there is a list as such, pretty much all uk potato varieties are tetraploid. Diploids varieties are Mayan gold and the other mayan series, also I think a couple of the Inca ones eg Inca Bella.

This site lists many available european varieties, look out for varieties listed as Solanum phureja rather than the regular Solanum tuberosum L.
http://www.europotato.org/menu.php

Jayb · « **Reply #95 on:** August 01, 2011, 21:14:49 »

Oops, mind my manners, Hello and Welcome to the site John, hope you enjoy ;D

green lily · « **Reply #96 on:** August 01, 2011, 21:59:11 »

Well Jayb what stunning photos of your tps flowers! You must be really thrilled. I do hope you get a good set. With this sudden muggy weather it looks as if leaf trimming my PFAs isn't going to be enough. I reckon I'll have to cut them right down by the end of the week, Night temperatures of 17-18c will give us 3 Smith periods on top of one another.... :( [- However it has cheered my little pumpkin up ;D]

Jayb · « **Reply #97 on:** August 23, 2011, 14:46:57 »

Arrrrgh blight. I noticed a couple of small patches starting on a few potato leaves a couple of weeks ago in the middle of my potato bed. I’ve cleared those immediately, then the leaves and stems of most of my potatoes, leaving a few (hopefully) resistant varieties (Sarpo Mira, Sarpo Kifli and Toluca). I’ve picked all the potato berries I could find, I’m not sure if some are a bit young and or if they will develop blight in storage. At the moment my plan is to leave them ripening indoors for as long as possible before processing for seed. I’m keeping an eye on the still growing Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Kifli berries I crossed pollinated, I hope they have a chance to mature.

Most of my potatoes grown from Tom’s tps are in another patch about 15-20 foot away, a couple have harvestable berries but many are flowering and only have small pods forming which sadly will be too young to save. I’m fingers crossed I will be able to harvest some tubers or mini tubers to grow on next year.

I think in a morbid sort of way I’m interested to see if any of these varieties are resistant to our UK blight strains. I’m hopeful some of the Skagit Magic plants may be resilient. I’ve collected some berries which seem to be ripening nicely. I’ve no idea if any have produced tubers yet.

In another spot in the garden I have plants grown from tps Red Cara, Ratte, Russian Banana and Russian blue. Red Cara have grown particularly well and also have berries though these need a few more weeks yet before they are ready. I have also used them for several crosses.

Some of the berries I’ve picked
[attachment=1]

Skagit Magic
[attachment=2]

Green lily, sorry to here about your PFA, know the feeling.

1066 · « **Reply #98 on:** August 23, 2011, 17:22:31 »

sorry to hear about the blight Jayb :'(

I'm still hanging on in there, the berries are way too small still to collect, so I'm hoping I get something.......

tried a few tubers the other day from the Howie Mandel - a little floury, but nice

[attachment=1]

Jayb · « **Reply #99 on:** August 24, 2011, 21:49:37 »

Seems I'm on blight highway, never fails :'( Though it is much later than last year, which I guess is a bonus.
Still regardless of harvest I've had a great deal of fun and delight growing tps and making crosses etc. The flowers are a joy and are worthy of a place in the flower bed ;D

Howie Mandel look super spuds and a good haul too ;D
Fingers crossed for the berries.

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Author Topic: Growing potatoes from True Potato seed. (Read 84019 times)