Topic: How early is "first early" with potatoes

[SueM]

I have "Rocket" and "Duke of York", both bought as "first earlies". Rocket had useable spuds at 10 weeks and Duke of York seem to need a couple of weeks longer. What is the earliest "first early" that anyone else has grown?

I'm rather jubilant because for the first time I seem to have found two varieties which don't fall apart when cooked.

Sue

[Hot_Potato]

Well I'm feeling chuffed....today I dug my first early - 'Foremost' - been in just 10 weeks....from one root got more than enough of varying sizes for 2 days (there is only me)...also picked 20 cherries (more ripening & at top of tree that I can't reach  :( ) and took home 28 shallots that had either broken away from clusters or lifted from soil, some really big!....also given by one of my lovely lottie neighbours - baby beet, carrots & told to help myself to rhubarb & spinach (which I did and enjoyed for lunch)....

Still having to water this way....not had any rain - so far.....but just right to work today...lovely breeze but still got very hot!

[tim]

Earlies? 2/6 for both Rocket & RDY - but, more typically, 20/6. We no longer go for really early because of frost problems.

I have a feeling that, if your earlies break up, it's more to do with the conditions in which they were grown, rather than the variety? = Tim

[philcooper]

I don't know which is definitavly the first but Rocket is up there in the first 2 0r 3.

DoY, a much older variety (introduced ~1891) and shouldn't be as early

[SueM]

Thanks everyone. It seems that Rocket is the one, although Foremost sounds as good. Wish I had cherries, Hot Potato, I love them.

As for breaking up, I wondered about conditions too, Tim. I've always grown in soil before, but this time covered the seed potatoes with a thick layer of rough compost instead, so that may have made a difference. Next year will try some of the same variety in soil and some in compost and see if there's a difference.

 Of course, if it's the weather conditions that affect growth then I'm done for - not a lot I can do about that. However, a few of last year's "escapees" have grown plants, and some of those dug up and cooked fell apart in the familiar fashion. Can't remember the variety, but it wasn't Rocket or Duke of York.

Interesting to discover that D of Y is an old variety and not early. It was definitely labelled "first early" on the pack.

Sue

[tim]

I think Phil meant not as early. Both DoY & RDoY are 'first earlies'. Our RDoY have been collapsing in cooking  because of the drought. = Tim

[philcooper]

Foremost is 50 years old and is not as early as the recent entries such as Rocket, but I believe (and taste is very personal) that the old ones have much more taste - my own favourites are Arran Pilot and Home Guard.

There are some tasty new ones around - Princess is very good and Anastasia is said to be in the same league.

For dates of the introduction of varieties, see http://www.hhdra.org.uk/catalog.htm

Phil

[Hot_Potato]

Thought I'd add that having now eaten some of the Foremost, the flavour was really good and they stayed completely whole....not the slightest sign of a break! (I did cut one or two of the bigger ones for cooking)....having more tonight with a cold meat salad including some of the baby beetroot which I've cooked & diced, added chopped spring onions & parsley and dressed with a rosemary e.v.o.oil plus balsamic vinegar....not eaten yet!!  :P