Allotments 4 All

A much discussed subject I'm sure.

After 30 years of Allotment growing, I suffered a 30% loss to my stored Desiree after the good 2004 crop, (I don't spray).
I understand that Desiree is very susceptible to blight so I changed tac and ordered 'Sapo' Axona' for maincrop this year.

Rather expensive for only 20 tubers(Kitchen Garden Offer) which won't keep me in spuds until next March. Taste reports don't seem to be exciting either.

I have noted a string of varieties that are said to be resistant- Cara/Record/Valor/Balmoral(Reasonable)

Stirling/Brodick/Spunta(Good).

Would appreciate any comments you have about the above (and where I can buy them easily of course).
Best Regards

Think the Sarpo ones taste better after being stored for a bit - that is why I am trying them again, as we used them more or less fresh. They had no slug/hole damage in the lovely red looking tubers, the plants were tall and still green in November with hardly any sign of blight.

Grew Valor, and didn't really notice any blight - they grew and the spuds were tasty (I seem to remember). According to Tuckers catalogue (excellent for info on potatoes suited for this and that), the crisp Golden Wonder (tried with success but not in the form of crisps), Appell, Claret, Kondor (trying this in 2005), Cosmos, Nadine, Lady Balfour, Sante, Shula, Orla (trying this as well) and Ambo (tried this last year but can't remember much about it at mo) are resistant to tuber and foliar blight (though not 9 out of 9 which only Sarpo has achieved, will check Alan Romans' book). Other varieties may have more resistant to foliar blight, but be more susceptible to tuber blight and vice versa.

I would think that Cara and Valor are perhaps available in good garden centres.

Varieties scoring 7 - 9 out of 9 in NIAB trials

Valor   Early Maincrop
Remarka   Early Maincrop
Nicola   Early Maincrop
Symfonia   Early Maincrop
Milva   Second Early
Verity   Maincrop
Orla   First Early
Juliette   Second Early
Princess   First Early
White Lady   Early Maincrop
Lady Balfour   Early Maincrop
Sárpo Mira   Late Maincrop
Sárpo Axona   Late Maincrop

Try Tuckers http://www.edwintucker.com/Seeds/seeds%20index.htm if you can't fiond them in your local GC

Phil

Thankyou both.

I have found Cara & Valor, so I'll try those.