albert bartlet roosters.

[simmo116]

hi guys. got some of these spuds today. can anyone tell me if there earlies or seconds? and what succeses of failures peeps have had?
thanx

[simmo116]

[Lottiman]

simmo116   Roosters are main crop happy growing

[simmo116]

doh looks like i got two lots of main crop then....lol

[chriscross1966]

Roosters can be a pest to grow in this country, they've got little or no blight resistance, they can't take any drought and the slugs love them..... The Irish are skaing on thin ice with this variety as it makes up a massive majority of their crop these days (understandable given the taste), but they're one warm summer away fro ma blight-struck disaster.....

For future reference try and track down Setanta, it's a Rooster onto which has been bolted a load of blight resistance (not quite Sarpo levels but not far short), drought tolerance and a bunch of other pest-proofing.... slugs still love them but they taste the same so unsurprising there.... they swap a little bit of Rooster's productivity in a good year for it, but not that much..... instantly becamme one of my favourite spuds last year for baking, you get a thick properly baked skin (hour in the oven with a skewer through it) but the inside is almost self-mashing......the flavour is one of mmy top three, slightly behind PFA and probably equal lwith Lady Christl...

[simmo116]

may try and take them back to wilkos the weekend. get some earlies.

[shirlton]

Now you tell me. We are trying rooster for the first time this year. Lets hope that the weather is just right for the tatties this year

[Ellen K]

Interesting thread - grew Roosters last year - disappointing (though I did have high expectations) and won't be growing them again.

I also tried Golden Wonder.  Not hugh potatoes, lovely russet colour but every single one had been well eaten by ground dwelling creatures and the whole crop was useless.

Will give Setanta a try if I can get them, thank you for that. 

[Ellen K]

OK, been out to Anstey Garden Center the Mecca of seed potatoes and they haven't got them.

So where does one buy one's Setanta may I ask?

[chriscross1966]

Charlton Park GC in Wantage has them.... I'm surprised they're not more widely available but I think they're pretty new and no-one knows them yet.... I only tried them on a whim last year, now a definite must-grow....

[lottiedolly]

I have bought roosters 2 years in a row from Wilkinson's, they are a great potato and worth growing, they only had them in small packs for a quid but definitely worth a go.

To be honest i am not growing them this year, only as i do not have the room as i am giving some others a try (prob be back to them next year though). They are good allrounders and great keepers over the winter

K  :)

[Ellen K]

I bought 10 Setanta tubers from a seller on ebay.  Unwins/Marshalls sell them but I just wanted half a row in case they don't do well.

All my main crops were a bit disappointing last year (my fault, I didn't water enough) so maybe I didn't give the Roosters a fair shot.  But the Roosters you buy in the supermarkets are quite nice so there is less incentive to perfect the home growing of them.