Potatoes for Christmas.

[grannyjanny]

I've got some organic Lady Balfour potatoes that I want to plant for Christmas potatoes, not seed by the way. I've used a few of them & the insides of a couple were black. Will they still be OK to plant them or will they just rot.

[grannyjanny]

[Digeroo]

I recently had some desiree which had a hole in the centre surrounded by black.  Never seen this before.  Threw them all away. 

[midnightvelvet]

Which varieties are sold for growing specifically for christmas?

[grannyjanny]

I've got vivaldi from T&M & I've seen Carlingford advertised. They were planting Charlotte on Beechgrove this week that they had saved from the spring planting & there are others. I've got some pink fir apple theat I forgot to plant so will give them a go.

[Barnowl]

These chaps do them...

http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/autumn-and-christmas-potatoes-c11.html

[GodfreyRob]

When I heard about spuds for xmas I thought what a great idea - but then I read the which report on them and was put off a bit.

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/potatoes-for-christmas/which-grows-second-crop-potato-tubers/index.jsp

The price for these 'special' seed potaotes plus lots of compost makes the whole thing daft - unles you can produce your own compost of course.

However, I have some 'normal' king edwards that I have chitted but no space to put them in - they are still in the dark in my shed and look to be alive. Might plant them anyway to see what happens....