Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: aquilegia on June 30, 2005, 09:43:57
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Harvest my first ever decent crop of spuds yesterday, after two years of growing them.
It was exactly three months since I planted my first earlies, so I had a rummage in a container of Red Duke of Yorks to see if there was anything worth eating. First few I found were pathetic - pea sized, some of which I annoyingly knocked off. Then found one - possibly the only I thought - good-sized one. Then another and another and another... and a huge one (double new potato size!) so four good ones and a double one. Add those to the little charlottes I got from a plant that had whithered away, some purple mange tout and the first of my spring broadies and we've got dinner all home grown tonight (if only I had a tofu sausage tree!)
hmm - not sure of the point of this post - just rather pleased (especially after the disaster of last year).
Maybe one little question - there were several tiny spuds still on the plant. I re-covered them with soil, watered the plant and left it to grow - will they get to eating-sized or should I just cut my losses and eat baby spuds?
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Well done you!
I have a feeling that the weenies won't be worth tlc.
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BRILLIANT!! I've just had my first two meals of my own potatoes, Charlotte and Ratte. There is nothing quite like the taste of potatoes just out of the ground. I steamed the Rattes and let them cool down in a drenching of mint butter. They are the best salad potatoes I've ever tasted. This is my first year and there is such a lovely feeling, walking back from the lottie with a trug of fresh produce. By the way, my potato plants yielded nearly 3lbs of potatoes EACH !!! ;D
What about freshly picked Broad Beans :) I don't think dinner will ever be the same again!!
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I dug up my first new potatoes yesterday, have never been sure about new potatoes from the shops, but I'm definitely loving these, fresh from the lottie.
I was also wondering whether smaller ones left attached would continue to grow.
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well done. i've just dug up 4 aaron pilot plants and got a carrier bag full. beeeeeeeeeautifull they were
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Woohoo! Good for you Aqui. We are eating home grown veggies every night now, and relish every single meal! Even the kids eat things once I tell them they came from mummies allotment!
p.s. when I dig up the weeny little spuds, no matter how weeny, I still wash them and eat them! Little bursts of potato yumminess! ;D
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Red Duke of York was an excellent choice, definitely in my top 5
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When I tried them, they were eaten alive by wireworms, I've never seen anything like it.
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Well done Aqui, my dustbin of Rocket didn't produce many at all..........so well pleased for you! ;D
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Aquilegia, provided that you didn`t damage the roots too much, or the rhyzomes the small potatoes are on, and provided that you cherish the plant, there is no reason whatever why you shouldn`t get more potatoes.
I have done this for several years with the first few potato plants I have dug up every year - lift the plant carefully, remove all the edible sized ones, then replant and water in - and get another crop later on. There is a documented report of a Scottish clergyman who did this several times over a season with the same plant and finally obtained nearly a hundredweight of spuds from it.
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Right well - I shall keep taking care of the plant (although my idea of care'll probably mean I'll kill it!)
Dinner was absolutely yummy-tastic! Mr Aqui was well impressed too. I steamed the spuds with homegrown apple mint. Steamed the mange tout and broadies. and we ate them with lashings of butter, the sausages and homemade bread. Followed by homegrown strawberries. Dinner just doesn't get better than that.
One day we'll be self-sufficient. But in order to do that we need to inherit from a long-lost wealthy relative so we can buy a house with more land and not need jobs!
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we need to inherit from a long-lost wealthy relative so we can buy a house with more land and not need jobs!
I too am waiting for that relative! ;D
Well done Aqui, bet you grow more next year! There is something about eating your own tatties, and all the other lovely stuff.
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Okay okay, I'm going to try growing potatoes next year too.
I just can't stand all the talk about how good it is.
I never grew them due to lack of space and Mr. C. will not give up a piece of the flower patch. So, I talked to my accross the path lottie neighbor and he'll let me have enough space on his allotment for a long row of taters. (His lottie is too big for him and it's getting a bit messy so I think he was pleased when I asked for a bit).
Wish me luck.
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Oh Ina - you won't regret it. As with all homegrown veg - you just won't believe the taste you've been missing all these years!
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Well done Aqui
Phil
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When I tried them, they were eaten alive by wireworms, I've never seen anything like it.
Robert, that's a balanced meal isn't it? Carbohydrate AND protein? ;) :D
Aquie - well done on the spuds. I've never tried growing potatoes. Not sure I will either, there are other things I'd like to master first. Maybe one day.
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Actually it was more a case of potato sponge with soil-filled holes. There were some worms in them, mind. Trouble is, this fussy family of mine turn their noses up if they see a few holes.
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I have just dug up my first new potatoes today. So I made an English meals with our new potatoes and our own grow peas,carrots,lettuces & mangetouts. And our own freerange eggs.Very lovely ;) But with a Chinese soup go with them ;D ;DVery nice & tasty. Even dogs love them new potato too ;D ;D All the hard works are worth it :)
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Well done
I have had first spuds (yesterday) probably a bit early some were very small. Also first lettuce and kohl rahbi and strawberries for dessert.
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Great result Aquilegia. I have Sharpes Express in as earlies but haven't had the courage to go rummaging yet in case I trash the roots so might have a go and try replanting.
How do you know when to start looking though. Is it the same as maincrop (I have King Edwards in) where you just wait for them to start yellowing and dying back -although thats daft or you couldn't replant them...ermmmmm?
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I have been digging my Rockets for a couple of weeks now - I digging the sickest of a rather sick bunch of plants. These are the first potatoes I have ever grown and every time I eat them I waltz around for hours afterwards with a big "I grew them and they were fantastic" grin on my face. Might try a few different varieties of firsts next year. Are there any decent oldish varieties that are worth a go?
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My darling Ava dug the last of my row of rockets today, a carrier bag full. We don't get masses thanks to the total lack of water - the ground was dry deeper than the deepest spud root! Not good for the budding allotmenteer, but we do okay. Also had a test dig on charlottes, very nice clean yellow spuds, and I think sante, also nice, small, but clean and no slug or 'other' damage..yet! Had a little poke around the pink fur apple, even though it is way to early, but still a good amound of useable sized spuds!
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Redclanger, if you want the very best of early potatoes try Epicure and Sharpes Express. Although they are `first earlies` they take a bit longer than Rocket, so put a few Rocket in to dig first. Both Epicure and Sharpes Express are a bit more floury and much more flavoursome than Rocket, Epicure is a heavy cropper, while Sharpes can also be used for very tasty chips.
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So what is everyone's favourite potato?
Next year am gonna be the more scientific and not muddle up the seed pots I bought at the potato fair. What a muppet! But they all taste good when I dig them up.
The only ones I didn't muddle up were the Sarpo ones. Monster Monster plants, but not ready yet. Hope the growth's not all above ground.
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King Edwards for maincrop and Sharpes Express - as well as uses Ej states they are also great for roasting with a really crispy skin and fluffy inside ... yum
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...... Are there any decent oldish varieties that are worth a go?
Elsewhere someone has had great success with Arran Pilot; Home Guard is another "old fashioned flavoured" one.
But ...... the older varieties do tend to be less productive than the newer ones (but are better than most for flavour).
Tasty (and taste is very personnal!) modern varieties include Lady Christl and Princess.
Of the second earlies, a well grown Charlotte takes some beating
Phil
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I dug up some of my first earlies yesterday and boiled them last night. They were lovely but I noticed the water left in the pan was really green!
It is the first time I have grown potatoes, is this normal?
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I've got Pentaland Javlin and Foremost as earlies, Desiree and Cara as main crops.
I normally have King edwards instead of Cara, but the yeild in'snt great from King edwards, lot of small spuds even thought the tops get really big and healthy. Thought i'd try somthing different this year.
Pentaland Javlin are good, they keep for quite a while and are very very nice roasted. I always try and keep some of these back for xmas..
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I have been digging my Rockets for a couple of weeks now - I digging the sickest of a rather sick bunch of plants.
My rocket plants looked pretty sick too :( Still got a reasonable crop from them, but quite slug-attacked.
The concorde on the other hand seem to be doing well.
Might give rocket a miss next year, and try a couple of the others suggested above next year.
Oh, and hurrah to Aqui for her successful spuds ;D
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Lady Christl all the way for me! I tried international kidney as well this year, thought they were not worth the effort :-\ Will try something different next year to go with the Lady! Still have Kestrel to go, Anya's and Sarpo's, oh and a row of something that I can't remember!
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I dug up a root of Edzell Blue (second earlies) to see how they were doing. You should have seen the look on the kids faces when I showed them the small, purple skinned spuds we were having for tea! :)
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My favourite potatoes are: Kestrel and Red Duke of York (these don't seem to be so badly attacked by slugs etc also Lady Christl.
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We've got mostly Lady Christls so dinner tonight, with a few charlottes, as there weren't quite enough. But they are all decent new spud size! I'm so excited about that. Never had the Lady Cs before.
We're having them with the beetroot leaves (had the roots roasted last night - yum!) and whatever mange tout/beans I can find.
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.....I normally have King edwards instead of Cara, but the yeild in'snt great ....
Keef,
Although KE is a very good tasting and versatile potato it does require good conditions to do well - your soil need to have plenty of humus and not be too light - other varieties, such as Cara, are more forgiving and just as versatile but (IMO) don't have the flavour - one that is working well for me currently is Spey
Phil
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I'm salivating just reading these posts about homegrown taters in lashings of butter and mint. Can't wait to get stuck into mine. Are they ready when the flowers have finished and the plants start to wilt?
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Just to repeat - NOT always mint??
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/rosepots2.jpg or
790g (1lb 12oz) Small New Potatoes
110g (4oz) Streaky Bacon, chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, sliced
4 Sprigs Thyme
4 Sprigs Rosemary
3 tbsp Olive oil
Coarse Salt
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.....or even easier just scrub 'em off, sprinkle with good olive oil, a quick scrunch of sea salt and black pepper then microwave trning occasionally to esnure even cooking.
Simple, quick and just fresh potato taste.....MMmmmmmmmm
...or if really daring add a little Chinese 5 spice for some extra zing.
Iain
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Phil, or any spuddy name experts...a chappy on our site has grown a row of something he called Ice crystal spuds this year, very little top growth, very early, and bucket fulls of spuds from each plant! Worth giving them a go???
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I've also not been impressed so by International kidney which I have grown for the first time this year - small yield, break up too easily when cooking, though do have a good flavour when cold.
The crop I am really looking forward to is my second earlies, Belle de Fontenay. Grew these last year, delicious flavour, waxy round potato, and loads of them. Described as an 'old French variety'. Have any of you tried them? Definitely a candidate for favourite potato.
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Clara
Belle de Fontenay are on my list for next year.
My main crop this time round is Sarpo. Never seen such big plants.
Just hope the production line is as impressive..
Muddled up all the others - but whatever they are they are brill.
Watered and watered with bucketfuls of the stuff, avoiding the topgrowth, but when digging them up the ground is bone dry.
Who sells the Ice Crystal pots?
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I don't think "Ice Crystal" exists, I can't find it in any reference books/databases.
One of the problems with names of varieties is that they get corrupted. The most likely is Lady Christl which is an early and very productive variety which I siad, as have others, has good flavour for a modern early
Phil
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Yep - Lady C tastes lovely! I could even taste them through my cold!
And beetroot leaves masquerading as spinach are also really nice. Lovely and earthy and irony. Is that what chard tastes like?
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Dug up my first ever spuds yeserday: 7 smallish Anyas. Foliage was looking a bit sorry for itself so thought I'd have a look and see what was below. Shall have them for my tea tonight.
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Hello Sprout :) Foliage on some of my spuds looks awful. I think it was the frost on 4th and 5th June that did it. Hope it was only frost and not anything worse. The foliage on most of my spuds looks marvellous but is that any indicator that there are loads of spuds under it ;D Mine are under black plastic and planted on top of cardboard and manure. I shall find out shortly if this has been a success. Not sure when they're supposed to be ready. The flowers have come and gone but the foliage is still upright and perky. Am I supposed to wait til it starts looking scruffy or what ? Anyone?
Tim I agree "not always mint". I have some lovely rosemary and thyme growing - all I need now is some spuds .. I've grown Arran Pilot and Cara. Not sure when to pick
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Wardy,
Because of the way you have planted, it's easy. Just peel back the plastic and have a look, if they are not big enough, put it back and try again in a week.
If some are big enough just pick those that you want - leave the rest to grow bigger - it's one of the advantages of no dig!
Phil
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Dug up a couple of sante's today, along with some 'volunteers' that I could finally clear, and came away with a mixed bag of spuddies, all different shapes and sizes. But my biggest pleasure is that, at the moment, almost zero slug damage! Last year all of my spuds had damage, from earlies to lates, but I think there were just 2 little ones today! Of course, now all the slugs in Essex will head to my plot and start feasting!
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Dug 3kg mostly concorde and some red duke of york on wednesday night. Not very sluggy, unlike the rocket had been. Not a very high yield, at 250gm per plant, but still not too bad. Tonight I also dug up an International Kidney plant - 12 spuds, and they were small, but if I give them another week or so, better yield I hope.
Did a bit of a taste comparison tonight, found the RDoY fell apart a bit, but otherwise all tasted nice, although preferred the waxy concorde and IK.
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...RDoY fell apart a bit....
Moggle,
Try steaming them, instead of boiling - it also preserves more of the flavour
Phil
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Phil Will peel back some black plastic tomorrow and have a look. Can't wait :)
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Second Phil's steaming suggestion. Mine still split a little (I must remember they don't take nearly as long to cook as shop-bought spuds) but last year some completely vanished when boiled.
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We have had a very high yield from anya potatoes, and also from yukon gold (much more floury type) - but disappointing yield from international kidney, and poor flavoured (but beautiful looking) amandines.
We still have verity and pink fir apples growing.
Had a yummy potato salad yesterday using our own potatoes, red onions, coriander.
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Given that there are over a hundred varieties available to amateur growers, the solution is to find the variety(ies) that:
a. grow well for you
AND
b. you like the taste/texture of
Even then seasonal differences can radically effect yield and, to a lesser extent, flavour
Meanwhile recomendations on A4A are very helpful - but can you give your soil type and whether and with what you manure/fertilise?
Where do you get over a hundred varieties? POTATO DAYS (or have I said that before) I'll be putting together a list towards the end of the year.
Phil
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have dug up all my charlottes (clay) and they were lovely so will grow them again. now on to my desiree and nicola. :)