Allotments 4 All

We've been scoffing our first batch of 'Rocket' which again were about hens egg sized on average - the yield hasn't been very heavy but frankly I put them in very late and they're doing the job of breaking in new ground on the allotment as well so they haven't been spoiled!

Whatever you think ... there in nothing, nothing as amazing as the taste and texture of early season new potatoes.  They're sweet, glassy, earthy and crumbly all at the same time.  No supermarket ones will ever come close.

So while the thrifty bloke in me still has a smile at a nice heavy maincrop of potatoes that will last well in to the new year depriving the supermarkets of a little bit of money ... it's "small potatoes" (pun intended) compared to this time of year and proper new earlies.

mmmmmmm

Well done all 

I've just ate my second load of new potatoes.   

Another lot dug up yesterday, fed us tonight and enough for tommorrow.   

Is it too late to be called 'early' yet?
I gave in yesterday and had a ffertle (I thought that, being in Wales I'd give it the extra 'f'.) of some earlies Mrs Nig picked (I've forgotten what they are called. (Rooster?)) and there they were. All red and shiny. Hen's-egg sized. 
So,  I ffertled, well, dug up, another plant and we have enough for all of us....

Now the gas has run out. :Banghead:

we've eaten the whole first row of earlies (Rocket)!  They were a bit small when we started but by today they were approaching jacket potato sized!

Resolution for next year ... definitiely grow a lot more first and second earlies ... they are probably my favourite crop of the whole year.

I had some left over chitted Sarpo Mira which looked OK so I've thrown those back in the row to see what happens - they're quite nice eaten as late new potatoes so they might be nice late on in the season as they're brilliantly blight resistant.

My challenge ones were great as were the next 4/5 digs and lottie holders on my site wondered how I got them so early, but as said the ones I'm digging now are getting a lot bigger and haven't quite still got that perfect early taste, first row finished yesterday.   

I went away in early May and my challenge ones looked very sad when I got back.  Some of my direct sown ones were only a few days later.  I have a new system now of picking one potato at a time from each plant as required.  (Growing in Leaf mould  and mulched with straw so easy to shift)   I got tired of digging up plants to find myself throwing away large numbers of immature little spuds just waiting to grow bigger.   

Thats what I did Digeroo, just picking 3 or 4  from each plant, or watering a whole plant back in if I dug the whole thing up.