Author Topic: problems with sarpo mira potatoes  (Read 3548 times)

Lady of the Land

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problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« on: January 19, 2018, 15:11:13 »
We have been informed by company we are purchasing sarpo mira potatoes from there have been problems with them and they are offering setanta instead - does anyone know whether this is a problem nationwide or only with this company

Thank you

MervF

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2018, 16:33:04 »
I have been trying to get Sarpo Mira as well but the nurseries that I normally get them from have not had their delivery either despite them being promised.   I went to the nursery on Wednesday and they have now been promised delivery for next week but I decided to get Cara instead so that I can put them out for chitting.   Not sure where you are but Groves at Bridport do have Sarpo Mira in stock loose.   I prefer buying loose seed potatoes as for some reason they have always produced a better crop for me.

IanDH

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2018, 14:14:46 »
I grew sarpo mira for a few years before trying setanta last year.  Liked the potatoes and they have stored well - still using last few lbs.  Slightly paler than sarpo with thinner skin, good flavour.

Found the blight resistance to be good.  There was quite a lot of blight on the site last year.  Only impact on the setanta was some discolouration on leaf edges and no issue with tubers.

Hope this helps.
Ian

BarriedaleNick

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2018, 17:48:57 »
Hi IanDH and welcome to A4A!
I grew setanta a while back but switched to sarpo mira and desiree.  I recall someone saying once that setanta were related to desiree but that may not be true.  The only issue I had with setanta was boiling them as they fell apart if you went slightly over time on the boil - otherwise they were great.
I may try planting my saved sarpo mira this year as I have so many esp if supplies are low.  I had an enormous crop last year from 20 planted spuds and they are nice and clean with not scab or rot of any sort.
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

galina

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2018, 14:39:59 »
Hi IanDH and welcome to A4A!
I recall someone saying once that setanta were related to desiree but that may not be true.

Welcome Ian from me too.  Just checked here: http://varieties.ahdb.org.uk/varieties/view/Setanta

and Setanta is  bred from Brodick x Rooster.  They don't even list Brodick and I have never heard of that variety, but Rooster is well known.

Setanta has done well here also, but it does fall apart on cooking too.  :BangHead:   Fine for mash.  :wave:

Plot 18

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2018, 16:07:50 »
I wonder if last year was a bad one for potato seedsmen, because I've just received my Pentland Javeling and Desiree from Kings and the seed potatoes are all on the small size :(
I'm used to getting a few littlies each year, but not like this lot! :icon_scratch:

Lady of the Land

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2018, 16:25:20 »
Thank you for all the comments.
 Welcome Ian. Its interesting to see how the people who have tried setanta have found them.
They have arrived and I look forward to trying these

squeezyjohn

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2018, 12:59:03 »
It's clearly been a bad year for the seed potato producers.  There's a massive shortage of kestrels too - I couldn't get any at the potato day I went to at the weekend and have gone for Bonnie as a replacement.

I did get some Sarpo Mira, but putting them in their egg-boxes to chit, I found three tubers in the net that were quite rotten and others that looked suspicious.  I don't know if this was blight (it shouldn't be - I thought they were totally resistant), or if they'd got frozen at some point in the transport chain, but it makes me nervous for the rest of them because they looked exactly like blighted tubers.  Anyhow ... there were precious few of those at the potato day too ... they're normally everywhere.

BarriedaleNick

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2018, 13:49:20 »
So if I want to use my saved Sarpo Mira what should I be looking for in a seed potato.
Should I use big ones or does it not matter - the ones I planted out last year were quite small but gave a huge crop so I am thinking it makes no odds.  However someone told me last week that if I wanted big spuds I should plant big seed spuds..
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

Tiny Clanger

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2018, 14:03:08 »
Our AA usually buys through Kings and we have been told they have "failed".
I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

squeezyjohn

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2018, 16:51:33 »
So if I want to use my saved Sarpo Mira what should I be looking for in a seed potato.
Should I use big ones or does it not matter - the ones I planted out last year were quite small but gave a huge crop so I am thinking it makes no odds.  However someone told me last week that if I wanted big spuds I should plant big seed spuds..

I think that big seed potatoes = big spuds is a bit of a red herring ... the bigger ones tend to romp away faster but by the time they are producing potatoes they're getting all their nutrients from the roots anyway. 

However - every single sprout or "chit" on the potato will actually make a separate plant - so if you want big potatoes rub off all but the strongest chit on the seed potato and the lack of competition in that bit of ground will give nice big potatoes.  If you want lots of small to medium sized potatoes - new potatoes for example, then leave all the chits on and you'll get more spuds over all (because you've actually got more plants) but they won't get as big.

squeezyjohn

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2018, 16:54:07 »
It's not quite true that they have failed.  It's just that there are far fewer available.  The guy who runs the potato day at Whitchurch (Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage) said that everyone was getting far less than they ordered when talking about Kestrel.  And I have some Sarpo Mira - so they can't all have failed.

Tiny Clanger

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2018, 17:01:04 »
I have been trying to get Sarpo Mira as well but the nurseries that I normally get them from have not had their delivery either despite them being promised.   I went to the nursery on Wednesday and they have now been promised delivery for next week but I decided to get Cara instead so that I can put them out for chitting.   Not sure where you are but Groves at Bridport do have Sarpo Mira in stock loose.   I prefer buying loose seed potatoes as for some reason they have always produced a better crop for me.
r




Have found that Setanta do better than Cara in the midlands where we are. Cook better too
I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

pumkinlover

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Re: problems with sarpo mira potatoes
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2018, 08:24:14 »
There was a problem with some we had at potato day.

 

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