Which seed potato

[markyb23]

Hi all,
         I've just bought my first seed poatoes of the year.I bought a bag of Red Duke Of York.These were my favourite spud last year,they did really well for me,no slug problems and I thought the colour was fantastic.
If you could only grow one variety,which would you choose,and why?
  Cheers-Marky :)

[markyb23]

[Jesse]

I was very pleased with my Kestrel spuds last year, they were great for roasing. And the Cara's were very large and perfect for baking. I'll be interested to see what others liked as this year I want to grow more varieties of spuds. :)

[wardy]

I did Cara and still eating em.  I shall do Picasso in place of Cara this year (same thing but smaller foliage)

Arran Pilot for early crop because they taste so fab

Desiree   because slugs like them least as they're hard.  Lovely red skins and make gorgeous chips, bakes, roasties.  They keep well too, are prolific even when grown on the ground on manure like what mine were.  I was so proud to have them for Christmas dinner with all the folks round (roasted with garlic and rosemary, home grown too)   Sounds like I roasted the folks  ;D  You know what I mean  :-\  Have fun whatever you decide to grow  :)

[sandersj89]

I will continue to grow Aran Victory as a late main crop, simply the best roast spud you can grow IMHO.

For earlies in pots i will grow Mimi, great colour and taste and nice compact foliage ideal for pots.

Home Guard is a nice new spud and I also like Picasso as a main crop, huge tubers but the eel worm does like them.

Going to try pink fir apple this year as I have a bit more room.

Jerry

[Mrs Ava]

Pink Fur Apple.  OKay, wibbly wobbly spuddies, but they are delish!  Make great chips and great roasties!  Lovely cold with a salad, or just warm with lemon and olive oil dressing.  YUM!

If it was a regular spudulike....then I think, um, Charlotte I think.  Last year for me it provided sack fulls of lovely sized, clean, slug free spuds, good taste. 

The one I won't be bothering with again is king edward.  Just can't provide enough water for them to bulk up!

[busy_lizzie]

We are still in the experimental stage and after Duke of York and Charlotte last year we are trying International Kidney and Maris Peer this year.  We did plant a few Pink Fur Apple too last year and found them lovely, so might inlcude a few of them too, though I did find them an awkward shape, as you point out EJ.   busy_lizzie

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been growing Duke of York and King Edwards for a couple of years, and I've been fairly happy despite annual comments about our national obsession with royalty. Does anyone know a variety which produces lots of good big spuds for baking? Anyone had any experience with heritage varieties?

[Merry Tiller]

This year I shall be growing about 30 varieties but Red Duke is by far the best spud I've grown and is first on the list, it keeps quite well for a 1st early too (if it has a chance)

[Hot_Potato]

I hope to grow Nadine again - a lovely firm white potato - doesn't grow too huge and I've still got enough left for 2 more meals.....(still several pounds of onions too plus garlic & shallots) - all keeping well in bucket in my kitchen!

would also like to try pink fir apple if I can get some....as I bought some from my local farmers market just before Christmas and think they're brilliant!!...first time I've ever had them.....so far have only tried them boiled as a salad potato or with a salmon steak!!...but will try them roasted (maybe not chipped) hardly ever do chips  :(

[chrispea27]

charlotte were loveley last year v little slug damage etc great taste.
Has anybody found a good late cropping variety? for xmas etc

[Icyberjunkie]

Going to try Anya (am I right in thinking that is a descendant of Pink Fir?) cos love the flavour. 

Still got half a sack of King Edwards to use but most about clementine size so going to try something else as a main crop but haven't decided what yet.  WOuld also be interested to know about good bakers.

Sharpes Express for earlies - excellent fluffy inside crispy outside roasties and also good boiled with really nice flavour.

and that'll just about fill my spud area!

[Jesse]

I grew challotte last year but dug them up as new potatoes and they were lovely, I might let some of them grow on bigger this year. :)

[froglets]

When I had a clay filled allotment Kestrel were the best for me - slug resistant and coped with forcing the heavy stuff aside to give themselves space.  Pink Fir Apple just disappeared.

[grawrc]

I'm having an experimental year (what's new? ;D) : Lady Christl, Kestrel, Pink Fir Apple and Orla + Roseval because they look beautiful and I like the name.  Not sure how it'll turn out on the new plot.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried pink fir apple one year but they didn't have much frost resistance. I leave mine in the ground thanks to a lack of storage space, and where other varieties were OK, the PFA's rotted after a touch of frost.

[jennym]

I find Anya good (it is Pink Fir Apple plus Desiree I think) and more hardy than PFA, and less knobbly but still good taste. The others I like are all rounders, Kestrel and Red Duke of York, like other people I find these appear to be more resistant to slugs

[philcooper]

For flavour, which of course is very personal,

1st Early Arran Pilot but the yeilds are low so Lady Christl and Princess are nearly as good tasting but much higher yeilds.

2nd Early Kestrel or Catriona, around 75 years difference in their ages but very similar good yeild and flavour and very versatile

Maincrop Spey, good yield and good flavour. If you like King Edward, Red KE seems to give a better yield but they both need soil with plenty of body

Phil

[glow777]

I planted potatoes for the first time last year and although we were amazed by the taste didnt have a great return on the spuds. I had only just got the allotment so just bunged them in in a bit of a rush.

On average how many potatoes would you expect from a seed potato?(apologies for the ambiguous question)

and any general tips

Cheers Ian

[philcooper]

glow777,

The flavour is definitely something else, and like all veg, so much better than you get from the shop bought stuff.

On yields have a look at www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,15495.html and for tips:

Remember that potatoes are gross feeders so the more muck/compost that you can give them the better. Fertilisers may give bulk but at the expense of taste - that's how commercial farmers do it and look at the results.

Chitting sets earlies off to an earlier start so that you can (all being well) have them on the table by Late June. I chit all my varieties so that I know they are all "growing" before trusting them to the earth (less worrying if a cold wet spell follows your planting) but the Great Monty Don claims it makes no difference and he's a celebrity gardener so must be right!! ;D

I plant in trenches (the traditional way) with a good layer of muck/compost in the bottom of the tench such that the tuber is ~ 4" below the surface, then more muck on top and top off with soil.

If the foliage is through when there is a danger of frosts, either cover with fleece of a thin layer of soil.

Earth up gradually, each time the tops are ~ 4" clear of the soil so that the leaves are just on the surface.

Having said don't fertilise, try spraying the foliage a couple of times with a seaweed based spray such as Maxicrop original before flowering for a higher yield.

Watch out for blight, if there are blight warnings give a coating of copper based fungicide every 2 weeks

If blight does catch then cut off the tops immediately (remove and burn them) and don't harvest any tubers that you intend to keep for 3 weeks, this allows the spores which will be on the soil to die off

[glow777]

thanks sounds like good advice phil

howold must the muck be - will fresh(ish) horse menure damage the plants?