Spuds Glorius Spuds

[Norfolk n Proud]

The eagle eyed amongst you will noticed i enquired about Sarpo Mira potatoes earlier in the week, and after going to Alan Romans website, i've now rounded my choices down to only 7 varieties which i would like you input on and they are:- British Queen, King Edwards, Arran Victory, Pomeroy, Valor,Romano and finally Picasso, i've mainly chosen these for disease, eelworm resistance,and taste. i only have 3  8ft by 6ft beds to plant in, so only really have room for 3 varieties? or do i? I used to be indecisive but now i'm not sure. ;D

[Norfolk n Proud]

[cornykev]

Hi Andy, I had King Edwards this year and didn't think much of them,they were not very big and had quite a bit of slug and eelworm damage, tasted OK though but it was a funny old year so wait for others to throw in their three pennith.  ??? :-\    ;D ;D ;D

[Norfolk n Proud]

Cheers Kev, when there's so much choice it's hard to know what to do for the best, so i figure, get advice.  ;D

[markyb23]

Hi there, my entire potato crop was a disaster this year, including British queen, Arran Victory,a a few picasso's and a couple of King Edward's.
In the past i've had a really heavy crop from British Queen, but the slugs always seem to get to my King Edwards. The only ones that were worth digging up were my kestrel, and even they were pretty puny compared to previous years. Ah well, wont be too long before i can try again! :)

[Lauren S]

I know *earlies* you can be planted closer together (12")
main crops (18" - 24")

[Norfolk n Proud]

Hi there, my entire potato crop was a disaster this year, including British queen, Arran Victory,a a few picasso's and a couple of King Edward's.
In the past i've had a really heavy crop from British Queen, but the slugs always seem to get to my King Edwards. The only ones that were worth digging up were my kestrel, and even they were pretty puny compared to previous years. Ah well, wont be too long before i can try again! :)

Blimey Mark, and there was me thinking i might have chosen a few good un's, you either had really bad luck or it's pot luck on what i choose. Good luck for this year though. :)

[allaboutliverpool]

I have extolled the virtues of planting several varieties on my website, but admit to not trying any of the ones you mention.

Your beds amount to 144 square feet. Two of mine (8x4), that is 64 square feet produced over 80lb of 2nd early potatoes (Bonnie) from 20 tubers, so you have the potential to produce nearly 2 hundredweight, and more with maincrop varieties.

By keeping a careful diary of produce related to the standard bed size of 8x4, I can decide which varieties grow best in my soil.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_potatoes.html

[saddad]

We grow KIng Edwards and Picasso well, but both got Blight this summer which cut down the yield. Arran Victory are a great spud but had to give them and PFA up because they are late mains. Late Mains don't start tuber formation until the nights start to draw in, this means they often get caught by Blight and slugs which become more active in the Autumn, after the summer eggs have hatched. Early mains can usually be lifted before either problem becomes serious!
This is why Anya has become popular, a finger potato like Pink Fir Apple, a cross with Desiree..., it is not quite as tasty!
;D

[KittyKatt]

I grew Piccasso this year and had a great crop even though one of my beds was still quite rough. They were a little prone to slug damage but I used nematodes to control  the slugs that live in the soil and this seemed to work. They did eventually get blight on the leaves so I harvested a bit earlier than I would otherwise have done but it hadn't spread to the tubers. They stored well in hessian sacks and were a good multipurpose potato, especially for mash and roast. I am growing them again in 2008. I am also growing King Edwards, but I haven't tried these before so don't know how they will turn out. I think some of the flavour may be due to local conditions - soil, weather etc, so it might be worth asking your neighbours what they grew. I also grew Swift as a first early and was very pleased again - good crop tasted beautiful and very early!
Hope this helps
KK

[euronerd]

King Eds, my all time favourite, but the slugs' favourite too. Shan't grow them again, after 10 years persevering. Pentland Squire, an impulse buy, fared slightly better. Majestic, first time for me, did brilliantly. PFAs were puny and pre-eaten. For first earlies I'm sticking with Lady Chrystl. But the whole crop was generally rubbish - I'd eaten them all before November was out. As KK suggested, ask your neighbours too.

Geoff.

[Amazin]

Not that I had any success with my spuds this year gone, but the least worst was Golden Wonder. I go to Buckingham Nurseries' potato day for my supplies - usually around mid-late Feb.

[Dadnlad]

From what we've grown from your list, Arran Victory is by far the tastiest but its very late cropping leaves it susceptible to blight/early frost
Queens are good  - but the slugs think so too, King Edwards need loads of manure, but still seem to produce small spuds on our light ground, Picasso make huge great spuds but not so tasty
I would recommend Kestrel to beat the slugs, Desiree for a tasty early main, and Cara as a similiar but tougher maincrop than Picasso
- or plant Arran Victory in a polytunnel !

[Fran]

We've grown Romano for main crop for the last few years and cant fault them, tasty all rounders, they keep well, blight did hit us this year but we cut down the hulms and most of the potaoes were fine, although a bit smaller than usual.  Not too many problems with slugs either although this year we used nematodes whcih definately helped.
We also grew Charlotte  for earlies and Pink Fir Apple for something different.

[Norfolk n Proud]

Hi folks, I've just had a freezing day trawling the shops for a bit of Xmas shopping, I'm glad it's only once  year!! I was in a garden centre briefly, and nearly impulse bought all of the spuds there and then, but  common sense took over, because slug damage was one of the main problems last year, so i need to make the right choice first time, many thanks for all of the advice given.  ;D

[cornykev]

I forgot to say that Kestrel were my best crop after recommendations on here and on my lottie, but the good advise given from others was to ask your fellow lottie neighbours what they grow well.  ;D ;D ;D

[louise stella]

I grew Picasso and Charlotte and they were yummy and untouched - as were my Markies.  Pink Fir Apple were my lates and i'm still eating them!  My Bonnies were desimated by slugs and eelworms - yuk!  - I won't grow them again!

It's all trial and error - see what works for you!

Louise

[saddad]

We've just finished the Epicure, have half a sack of Anya, Picasso and Desiree to go at, a full sack of Eddies... should last to May...
;D

[debster]

whnyou will be planting your first potatoes please?

[saddad]

I tend to wait until Easter as we often get late frosts inthe Midlands..
:-\

[Norfolk n Proud]

I'll probably plant my potatoes out in Feb / Mar, i have raised beds and intend to warm them up first to give them a helping hand.