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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Nigel B on September 08, 2012, 23:29:19

Title: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Nigel B on September 08, 2012, 23:29:19
Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apples

By gum.! I knew they were special to taste, you all said so! :-*
I planted a Pound's worth, ten, in two square yards of compost. Ten . Now look! :o

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/39243143@N03/7958246964/)


(http://www.flickr.com/photos/39243143@N03/7958248656/)

Oooh look!

Pink Fir Apple of the North!  ;D

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/39243143@N03/7958249498/)
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Duke Ellington on September 09, 2012, 00:02:58
I can't see the pictures? :'(
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: gavinjconway on September 09, 2012, 00:14:33
No pics are visible...
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Aden Roller on September 09, 2012, 00:39:41
I hope yours were bigger than mine. We ate the lot in two meals but Mrs Roller thinks the effort was worth it.

I'm not 100% convinced.  ???

Now, where's those piccies gone? I want to see how yours did Nigel.
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Chrispy on September 09, 2012, 12:21:30
These are Nigels Pics.....
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7958246964_c4f25fff8b_z.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7958248656_8a743c0ba0_z.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7958249498_8a82bb7e6a_z.jpg)

Not always straight forward getting the pics to show.


My PFAs are quite good considering the blight, got about the same size crop as last year, but that was from twice as many plants.
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Jayb on September 09, 2012, 12:30:00
I lost mine to blight, so it's good seeing others did well this season. They look yummy  ;D
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: chriscross1966 on September 09, 2012, 12:51:58
I'm off to dig mine up now... fingers crossed, so far the only really good crop I've had is from some I grew from a seedling last year.... everythign has either been blighted or slugged or both.....
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: pumkinlover on September 09, 2012, 13:11:23
They look very nice, not too knobbly.
Mr PKL does not like the skin, so he steams then and then peels the skin off--bit of a faff!!
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: pigeonseed on September 09, 2012, 15:06:04
Quote from: pumpkinlover on September 09, 2012, 13:11:23
Mr PKL does not like the skin, so he steams then and then peels the skin off--bit of a faff!!
Quite! I think I'd learn to like the skin rather than go through burnt fingers every time   ;)

They look great Nigel B. The fir apple of the north looks very stately! ;D

I've left mine for a while - they're still very small. Foliage started signs of blight but hoping the tubers will be okay.
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Nigel B on September 09, 2012, 15:20:36
Thank you for sorting out the pictures Chrispy. I have endless trouble getting the blimmin' things to show...

The first two show the crop and the small area they grew from.  All fertilisers are home-made. Compost-teas mostly.

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7958246964_c4f25fff8b_z.jpg)

I suppose I should have put something there just for scale really, but I'm not always the brightest tool in the box. :)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7958248656_8a743c0ba0_z.jpg)

So what do you think folks? Is this a good crop from a couple of square yards ? They just weighed in at a touch over 27lbs.

I would appreciate knowing how best to store some of these for next year though, if anyone would be good enough to fill me in.


Oh yes. This was the Potato Of The North. :)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7958249498_8a82bb7e6a_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Aden Roller on September 09, 2012, 16:15:30
Lovely crop.

I had about a quarter of that from 5 plants. They may have done better if the blight hadn't hit mid July and it was off with their tops way too early.
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: cornykev on September 09, 2012, 19:42:26
Deffo a great crop, although quite early as I dug mine out in November a few years ago, let them dry in the Sun and store in hessian or brown paper sacks, I think you can work out the size of the PFA's by the bricks.   ;D
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: chriscross1966 on September 09, 2012, 19:46:35
That's a good crop... I had about a dozen plants in this year adn didn't get what you have.... significant blight damage and more slug issues than usual...
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Nigel B on September 09, 2012, 19:57:30
Cheers folks. :)
This blight is a proper bad business eh? Right where we are is, luckily, mostly blight-free (Just a mile inland, with the prevailing winds onshore.)

I have read post after post this year made by people losing, not only their potato crops, but their tomatoes too.
It must be devastating to lose so much of the annual total crop in one go, and due to nothing self-inflicted.
 You're made of some stern stuff, you blighted survivors.
My hat's off to you.  8)
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: davee52uk on September 09, 2012, 20:19:02
I dug mine up yesterday and had about the same amount from two rows. Didn't expect much as they were growing in the shadow of an apple tree and the land flooded in July.
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: debbilove on September 09, 2012, 20:50:13
I've not grown that type before but looking at your crop will defo give them a ago next year! 

www.digginwivdebb.wordpress.com (http://www.digginwivdebb.wordpress.com)
Title: Re: Two Square Yards of Pink Fir Apple Potatoes
Post by: Aden Roller on September 09, 2012, 22:34:06
Quote from: Nigel B on September 09, 2012, 19:57:30
Cheers folks. :)
This blight is a proper bad business eh? Right where we are is, luckily, mostly blight-free (Just a mile inland, with the prevailing winds onshore.)

I have read post after post this year made by people losing, not only their potato crops, but their tomatoes too.
It must be devastating to lose so much of the annual total crop in one go, and due to nothing self-inflicted.
 You're made of some stern stuff, you blighted survivors.
My hat's off to you.  8)


Thanks Nigel... it has been a bit of a down year. Normally I have around 7 or more sacks of potatoes to last us through to the New Year. This year's crop will not last us much beyond September. There we go... here's hoping for better next year.