Just dug up the first of this year's potatoes and onions. Pots were kestrel which, owing to previous problems with wireworms, I've used for the first time. My say that I'm extremely pleased with the crop: very large and no damage. At least all this rain has had some goos effect. Last year, I hardly watered my spuds and got marbles!
Onions too have done well. The only batch I've brought in are my un-named variety which I got free from T&M. I'm very pleased with those too. I know some people here have complained that they didn't get their freebies but I did and I also got an apology from T&M for not being able to provide the promised free onions and a £3 voucher!
Main problem for me is not being able to 'cure' the spuds and onions cos of all the rain. I'm doing a few at a time in my coldframe which isn't ideal.
These are the first of my autumn onions to dry. Not very good photos I'm afraid.
Lucky you with the onions!! Our allotments has been terrible this year: wet rot, dry rot, rising damp - you name it. My onions are only just bigger than the sets I planted. Garlics were OK, but small, shallots were'nt bad.
I'm still digging my first earlies, I grow Belle de Fontenay - a beauty that pests seen to hate as they never touch it. Plenty of them and a good range of sizes on the tubers as well.
I've got Pink Fir Apple and King Edwards still to investigate at some stage.
My first year of growing Kestrel too Sprout, good crop and they make delicious roast tatties.
I dug some potatoes today and they weren't too bad.
A couple had holes in where ants had eaten through and laid some eggs.
I dug up the rest of my onions which had been killed off by the rain.
All the leaves had died and turned black, they were ok inside though.
I will add kesteral to my list for next year :D
I've grown Kestrel for a bit and they have always been successful.
My onions are awful too! The autumn-sown ones had white rot and the spring-sown are not much bigger than when I planted them as sets!
But the potatoes!! I'm half way through the Desiree and already have a sackful in store; then I dug up one root of Picasso and got a week's supply! They're all huge!
Kestrel are good; I've grown them a couple of times, but they lost out to Picasso when I ordered for this year. Silverbirch, don't lift your PFA too early; leave them until at least October and if the soil conditions are right you can even leave some until after Christmas - you'll be amazed how much they bulk up.
Hope my Picasso are as good haven't dug them up yet!
;D
Lost most of my onions and them that I'm trying dry seem to be rotting from the inside out. spuds not much better.
Kestrel are my next in line to be dug up, my onions weren't very big at all and the shallots were worse. ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Trevor_D on August 01, 2007, 08:36:36
Silverbirch, don't lift your PFA too early; leave them until at least October and if the soil conditions are right you can even leave some until after Christmas - you'll be amazed how much they bulk up.
My Pink fir apple all died back over the last week, planted in exhibitor bags on the patio before the allotment was erm alloted, I have got around 1.5/2kg per bag. Quite a range in sizes from broad bean size to around six inches, very good boiled and thrown in the chip pan whole. Not having tried them before I was impressed with the texture and flavour. Very pleasing. Also amused the daughter with the various rude shapes and amazing shapes.
Regards,
Francis.
the onions i planted in April are not doing well and not helped by the animal thats puking over them >:(
Sorry to disappoint troops. Done well this year on both counts. Will get some piccies later today.
As promised. Piccies took today of the red salad and maincrop onions I pulled yesterday. The Desiree and Kestrel are in storage sacks. The Verity, Cara & Pentland Crown are one tubers worth of each variety I dug this evening.