Almst every Milva is slugridden
Just started to lift Sarpo Mira - totally clean!
lovely Tim.
I'm already looking forward to next years potato days ;D
I planted 5 varieties this year and only one was bad - ratte - I feel lucky 8)
My Sarpo are still in the soil... having survived the blight in six rows either side, grown to test... what are they like for eating???
Excellent - very hard, & waxyish. We did them with skins on.
Bur very poor yeild - this is 2 plants. No small ones, so it's not through cutting them down 3 weeks ago after blight. Much due to lack of proper earthing up?
And this is the sad patch that's left. With winter Brassica moving in on the left.
Saddad,
Sarpo spuds do not have a good flavour.
That is what I thought the first time that I grew them. However, having grown them till the haulms die down naturally, for 4 or 5 years now, usually Axona, I find that the flavour is acceptable.
The fact that they resist blight and slugs so well and produce huge crops that will store well into next year without sprouting, makes them an essential variety for me now.
I cannot claim that they are gourmet, but all 8 people I asked yesterday thought they were fine.
And if they do what they claim, well worth a modest sacrifice?
Where do you get them from, Tim?
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/
Does the flavour improve if you store them for a while before cooking?
Pass!!
I find them fine as they are - a late, salady potato.
Yes, I find that the flavour does seem to improve on storage.
Anybody grown Axona?
Thoughts on flavour?
I'll give one of the sarpos a go next year, i think. I have a lottie full of marbles this year with the blight... :(
I forgot to mention - we took up our Milva in mid to late July when the haulms started dying back. No slug damage and they are still storing ok. Perhaps you are just leaving them in a bit too long Tim?
We are quite warm down here and have light sandy soil which means we have to water a bit if there are too many dry days in a row, so I expect our spuds mature a bit faster than elsewhere. Our Pink Firs started dying back 3 weeks ago.
On the other hand the persistent rain we've all had was pretty abnormal for the time of year and our missing that withe Milva was just luck.
Sarpo spuds,
O.K., I'll agree that they are resistant to Blight.
However, as the tops stand until late, who want's to dig spuds in p*ssing rain in November in clay soil?
They are not resistant to slugs/earlworm either.
1. I would have thought July a bit early to lift a Maincrop, Barnie? But, as you say, you're early.
I had to leave mine in, anyway, after cutting down the blighted haulms.
2. My Sarpo were badly blighted - so I've only just lifted them.
Quote from: tim on September 06, 2007, 06:43:42
1. I would have thought July a bit early to lift a Maincrop, Barnie? But, as you say, you're early.
I thought Milva were a first early Tim?
I've just done a google: there seems to be a bit of confusion about Milva....
Alan Romans has Milva as first early,
Gardenorganic as second early,
Reg Moule (a BBC gardener) has them as Early Main,
Hampshire Potato day as second early
This organic farmer - http://www.jonchristopher.biz/op.php - lifts Milva in July - so that would be second early/ early main (also suggests they'll store to October).
Bioselect UK has them under second early and they are supplied by the original producer Agrico UK
On balance Second Early then?
Beat me to it!!
"An attractive maincrop from Holland which has given the highest yield on three separate trial sites. The long oval tubers have waxy yellow flesh and good flavour, and are delicious both hot and cold.
Resistant to blight."
Organin Catalogue
!!
Who should we believe? ??? We don't grow many spuds and I like to plan my harvesting quite carefully.