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What's wrong with my King Teds?

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  • #1

    What's wrong with my King Teds?

    I put a post in about these spuds in another section, but things are getting worse so we'll try in this section.

    The main problem is boiling in the water. They turn nearly to soup. I shan't be boiling any more of them. Chips made with them are very dry and floury. Microwaved they aren't bad, but still very dry ..... need lots of butter. When I need mash in the future I shall do the spuds as jacket spuds in the oven, then skin them and mash them.

    Anybody throw any light on as to why they are like this? Not enough/too much water? Fertiliser? I usually prepare ground with growmore then occasionally feed with tomato feed. When I harvested, it was done on a nice bright and sunny days with spuds left on top to harden off for several hours. Stored in a paper sack in a dark shed.

    BTW: quite a few had a bit of scab, nothing serious though.
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  • #2
    Hi Brown fingers, we had the same probs with the king eds and maris piper, I personally believe its down to the weather. They went over very early at 15/16 weeks.
    Very wet spring, so delayed in planting them out till 4/5/14, conditions then ideal for a while, then the very, very dry spell, just as they are swelling and regardless of flooding the trenches with water several times a week, we had very bad scab, slug damage and as you said boiling in the water.
    Making the inside of the potatoes even drier than usual, so again in my opinion, very dry potaoes + boiling water = sludge if not careful

    The earlies charlottes and maris peer went over very quickly at 12/13weeks, (planted out as above) so they were lifted, a lot of slug damage and a little scab, a reduced crop compared to last year.
    When boiled they burst their skins, the flavour seemed quite bland also. Again I think its down to the weather.
    Never mind there is always next year, don't get downhearted, mother nature is very fickle and we will never be able to control the weather. Just go with the flow and hope for a better growing season next year.

    Our leeks and onions have been decimated by alium leaf miner and leek moth again this year, will re-think how to combat this over winter.
    Last edited by vron; 15-09-2014, 11:31 AM. Reason: mistakes
    Vron, Tara & Harley. (The black beastie)

    "The more people I meet, the more I like my Dogs"

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    • #3
      King Edwards is a floury variety. Floury varieties are not suitable for boiling - they will always break up.

      A potato will always be more floury if it is grown without enough fertiliser and water. Add compost, manure and fertiliser to poor soils well in advance of planting potatoes and water, water, water during the growing season.
      The proof of the growing is in the eating.
      Leave Rotten Fruit.
      Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potasium - potash.
      Autant de têtes, autant d'avis!!!!!
      Il n'est si méchant pot qui ne trouve son couvercle.

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      • #4
        Thanks for the input. Back to desiree for me next year.

        I was expecting some really good spuds this year as the foliage was prolific and really healthy.

        My Kestrel in tubs and bags were magnificent!

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        • #5
          I had the same problem with Sharpe's Express and Shetland Blues, leaving me with a gooey sludge in the bottom of the pot, a disgusting blue gooey sludge in the case of the Shetland Blues. I tried them in a pressure cooker with much better results. I reckon it is down to the dry summer. Last year I had the same problem with Kerr's Pinks and King Edwards but they improved with storage and were not as troublesome as the winter progressed.
          Last edited by meteor; 15-09-2014, 09:02 PM. Reason: spelling mistake

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          • #6
            I think I'll just use the Teds for chipping and jackets. Having to buy spuds in at this time of year!!!

            I've just had a look on the potato variety database, and it says that Teds don't produce berries. Mine did! Lots of them! Whats all that about then? And yes, they are definitely Teds.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by brownfingers View Post
              I've just had a look on the potato variety database, and it says that Teds don't produce berries. Mine did! Lots of them! Whats all that about then? And yes, they are definitely Teds.

              The potato database is basically saying if grown in ideal conditions they won't throw berries but if the plant is stressed it will try everything in its armoury to reproduce and will throw berries containing seeds to supplement the tubers. That way it is more likely to pass on its genes to future generations.

              More signs of the plant not being treated as well as it could!



              Edit: last line reads a bit like a scolding from SuperNanny... sorry, not intended!
              Last edited by teakdesk; 15-09-2014, 08:00 PM.
              The proof of the growing is in the eating.
              Leave Rotten Fruit.
              Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potasium - potash.
              Autant de têtes, autant d'avis!!!!!
              Il n'est si méchant pot qui ne trouve son couvercle.

              Comment

              • #8
                What's wrong with my King Teds?

                I had the same problem with Maris pipers and some pentland javelin I had forgotten about, they cook ok in the steamer though with only minor break up , although the texture is very dry and floury


                Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum
                Last edited by snakeshack; 15-09-2014, 09:40 PM.
                don't be afraid to innovate and try new things
                remember.........only the dead fish go with the flow

                Another certified member of the Nutters club

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                • #9
                  I had some Maris Piper for supper. They boiled just fine, no breaking up at all.
                  They had been grown in rich clay soil and never dried out all season, though.

                  (Maybe that's why the slugs liked them so much: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1279953)
                  My gardening blog: In Spades, last update 30th April 2018.
                  Chrysanthemum notes page here.

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                  • #10
                    This is what I don't understand. I grow mine in large raised beds in a really good quality mix up of compost (cheapest I can find), soil, well rotted manure, and a bit of sand. Prior to setting the spuds, I dig in a helping of growmore a couple of weeks before hand. I feel I give them plenty of water (they produced masses of foliage, but not many flowers). Feed occasionally with tommy feed and sometimes some disolved FB&B. They also got a bit of potash early on. All the tubers were of a good size.

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                    • #11
                      Perhaps you need to buy your seed potatoes elsewhere.

                      And when your back stops aching,
                      And your hands begin to harden.
                      You will find yourself a partner,
                      In the glory of the garden.

                      Rudyard Kipling.sigpic

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by brownfingers View Post
                        This is what I don't understand. I grow mine in large raised beds in a really good quality mix up of compost (cheapest I can find), soil, well rotted manure, and a bit of sand. Prior to setting the spuds, I dig in a helping of growmore a couple of weeks before hand. I feel I give them plenty of water (they produced masses of foliage, but not many flowers). Feed occasionally with tommy feed and sometimes some disolved FB&B. They also got a bit of potash early on. All the tubers were of a good size.


                        I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. I guess you are comparing your efforts with spuds you've got from the supermarket or maybe the greengrocer.

                        They have been harvested, washed in sterilizers, dried, heavily chilled and stored in nitrogen until needed in the shops. The spuds you buy do not have the same water content or solids that they have when harvested like yours.

                        As I said, King Teds are floury and not for boiling. If you want to try and make them better for boiling you could try making a clamp and trying again after the frosts.
                        The proof of the growing is in the eating.
                        Leave Rotten Fruit.
                        Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potasium - potash.
                        Autant de têtes, autant d'avis!!!!!
                        Il n'est si méchant pot qui ne trouve son couvercle.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          When I say boiling, I really mean for mash. They even boil into the water too much for mashing.

                          I've been growing my own spuds for a few yaers now, and I'm not comparing them with supermarket spuds. And yes, I don't grow spuds in the same beds year upon year, I do rotate.

                          I reckon for an all rounder that does everything, I'm down to Desiree or Maris Piper for next year.

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