Rocket Potato Seeds - your opinions please?

[duggie]

Hi,

Spent a very pleasureable hour in Wilkos on Monday looking at all the g.y.o stuff. Found it really difficult to make a decision on which seed potatoes to buy but finally settled on Rocket for the 1st earlies and Desiree for main crop.

As this my first season with the allotment, I'm rather clueless so would like your opinions on Rocket potatoes. I chose them as they were the earliest cropping but have since read some rather disappointing reports. I have some International Kidney for salad potatoes and Kestrel for 2nd earlies. Have I made a bad decision?

Your opinions would be greatfully appreciated!! I'm very puzzled by all the different choices.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi Duggie! My first year last year and I grew rocket for the same reason as you - they are super early! I planted mine 24 Feb, and was eating them by 10 May. Of course the only downside was that they didn't have very much taste, in my view.

A kind soul at the Hill gave me a couple of Kestrel - they had a huge crop, and I have to say they tasted divine!

Haven't decided on my choice of spuds yet - I'm going to the potato day at Ryton to choose there....

[duggie]

Thanks Hazel. I guess I will just have to wait and see. At 3kg for £3.00 it has to be worth a try!

[jacob marley]

If you can get over to Nuneaton there is a nursery shop in stratford street that sells loose seed Potatoes halwyns i think it is called .
I went in there yesterday and bought 60 king edward seed enough for 3 rows £2.60p. 6 Vannessa 62p 6 Pentland javelyn 41p 6 lady Christi 42p and 6 rocket for 50p .
40 Centuriun onion sets 38p and 40 Strutgarter Onion sets 25p for the grand total of £5.13 just the job and pick your self as many or as few as you want jacob

[Hole Digger]

Hi,

Spent a very pleasureable hour in Wilkos on Monday looking at all the g.y.o stuff. Found it really difficult to make a decision on which seed potatoes to buy but finally settled on Rocket for the 1st earlies and Desiree for main crop.

As this my first season with the allotment, I'm rather clueless so would like your opinions on Rocket potatoes. I chose them as they were the earliest cropping but have since read some rather disappointing reports. I have some International Kidney for salad potatoes and Kestrel for 2nd earlies. Have I made a bad decision?

Your opinions would be greatfully appreciated!! I'm very puzzled by all the different choices.

Sorry duggie tried rocket twice and been dissapointed,Kestrel though are an excellent potato,Still eating now from an august harvest,IK never tried.

[Cutecumber]

You should have asked before you went shopping, Duggie

Rocket - tasteless. Very quick, nice looking, but tasteless.

[Flummery]

I grew it once. The above tells you why I grew it ONCE!

[Snadger]

Nearly every plot holder on our allotment site grew Rocket potatoes 2 years ago!
No-one grew them last year!

Read into that what you will!

[duggie]

Thanks everyone. Guess I was just a little too eager! At least I'll have an early crop and can then clear the ground to put other crops in. Chalk this one up to experience and have to be inventive with recipes!

[Hazel at the Hill]

You could always eat them and get something else instead....

[Flummery]

However, if they're an 'actual' seed potato they might have a fungicide on.

[bluemoon]

The one advantage with Rocket is that they're so early and, as such, I think a lot of people use them to fill the gap before the tasty potatoes are ready. Personally I grow spuds purely for their superior flavour so I don't bother with Rocket. A lot of the smaller garden centres though seem to stock them to the exclusion of all other first earlies and so, faced with little choice, people buy them. I'm sure the seed companies will claim that they're 'popular' based on the numbers sold, but I'd hazard a guess that this is due to their availability rather than anyone actually having a preference for them. Give them a go though, it can't hurt to have a practice, and with a sprig or two of home-grown mint you can probably make them into an acceptable dish.

[dockerdooley]

Rocket very good choice tasty, not many problems,I grow them every year,only thing is they don't keep long, best eaten as picked.

[esrikandan]

I bought some Rocket seeds not knowing any better. However, after reading on here, decided not to bother. There are so many much better varieties it seems not worth it, esp for the sake of only a few quid.

[snake the squadie]

i always buy two types of first earlis and rocket is always one of them as they are the first of the first earlis. a lot of people say they are not that tastey but just compare them to the cheap ones from the supermarket and they suddenly become very tasty