Sarpo Mira tatties

[moggssue]

Okay, I've sorted my early tatties, now looking for a good, lateish maincrop. I was tempted by the blight resistance claims of Sarpo Mira on the T&M website but they only sell in bags of 20 - if I'm going to get that many of the same variety, I could do with some reassurance that they'll taste good as well as be blight resistant??? Anyone???

(I did search the forums, mixed reaction last year, any updates?) .

Failing that, any other good recommendations for a (hopefully) resistant but tasty late maincrop?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Just looking at the most useful piece of paper in the WORLD which is a sheet detailing all the Ryton seed potatoes with their charactaristics that I purcased for 20 pee, I have the following info for you...

High Blight Resistant:

Kestral - second early - white (taste FAB - chap at the Hill grew them and got a bumper crop and I had a few to taste - yum)
Lady Balfour - Early maincrop - white, waxy - dunno about taste
Robinta - early maincrop - red, floury - dunno about taste
Winston - first early - white, waxy (oh - you only want maincrop?)

Sarpo Axona - late maincrop - red, floury
sarpo mira - late maincrop - red, floury (think that they sold out of these at Ryton)

There are also some of the organic potatoes which are down as 'high' blight resistance - do you want a list of those too?

Actually - if you want a copy of the sheet, I can scan it and email to you?

[pigletwillie]

Try the Sarpo Axona moggssue, they are pretty much the same as the mira but are more evenly shaped. I have had good results with them over the last 3 years and they are indeed very blight resistant. They will carry on growing till the first frosts by which time the tubers are very starchy, I find it best to lift one in August to check on the size and take it from there.

[moggssue]

I bought Pentland Javelin and Cara from my GC in their sale a coupla weeks ago so am okay for earlies, thats why I'm looking for mains Hazel. Also cos I'm looking for some winter roasters and get the impression that earlies are better boiled?

Are there any different ones in the organic list? Don't see why we should sacrifice taste for blight resistance?

And I will listen to the experienced and give Axona a go, cheers PW!

[Cutecumber]

Cara is a maincrop, Sue.

[starwatcher]

Cara is a maincrop, Sue.

that saved me consulting the books, had me thinking there for a mo

[moggssue]

Oh hum - think I have the wrong name then! The label said PJ was a first early and the other (I thought Cara) a second early. back to the drawing board!

[smallblueplanet]

# Earlies: Colleen, Karlena, Orla.
# Second earlies: Cosmos, Milva, Spunta
# Early maincrop: Remarka, Robinta, Stirling
# Late main crop: Cara, Valor, Verity, Arran Victory, Sarpo Mira

From a list here:

Blight resistant potatoes - Frequently Asked Questions - topical advice


Has anyone grown Spunta - they're one of the Cypriot grown ones I think?

[bridget mc laughlin]

Hi there, I definatly would never grow sarpo potatoes of any kind as I think that they are a rubbish eating spud.Cook them whatever way you want but they are still rubbish I think

[Two_Sheds]

I've bumped this thread to find out if anyone has grown Sarpo this year? Any good?

There are loads of new Grapes experiencing potato blight in Wales & the South West, and I bet they would like some blight-resistant varieties to try next year.

(or they could move to East Anglia, where we suffer less, if at all. I've never had blight on my spuds, but some of my tomatoes get it)

[Snadger]

Just looking at the most useful piece of paper in the WORLD which is a sheet detailing all the Ryton seed potatoes with their charactaristics that I purcased for 20 pee, I have the following info for you...

High Blight Resistant:

Kestral - second early - white (taste FAB - chap at the Hill grew them and got a bumper crop and I had a few to taste - yum)
Lady Balfour - Early maincrop - white, waxy - dunno about taste
Robinta - early maincrop - red, floury - dunno about taste
Winston - first early - white, waxy (oh - you only want maincrop?)

Sarpo Axona - late maincrop - red, floury
sarpo mira - late maincrop - red, floury (think that they sold out of these at Ryton)

There are also some of the organic potatoes which are down as 'high' blight resistance - do you want a list of those too?

Actually - if you want a copy of the sheet, I can scan it and email to you?

Appologies for hijacking the thread but....................

I've grown Kestrel this year for there slug resistance (brilliant) not knowing about there blight resistance!

Had/have an excellent crop of large slug free tatties which as hazel says taste yum!
A deffo for next year!

[Two_Sheds]

I grew Kestrel too, but my labels all disappeared so I don't know which spuds were what.
No blight on anything though (we're very dry here on East Coast)

[Snadger]

I grew Kestrel too, but my labels all disappeared so I don't know which spuds were what.
No blight on anything though (we're very dry here on East Coast)

Kestrel ......a bit like a large 'King Edward' with a few purple eyes, if that helps?

[daylily]

I've bumped this thread to find out if anyone has grown Sarpo this year? Any good?

There are loads of new Grapes experiencing potato blight in Wales & the South West, and I bet they would like some blight-resistant varieties to try next year.

(or they could move to East Anglia, where we suffer less, if at all. I've never had blight on my spuds, but some of my tomatoes get it)

I have grown them, trying to be as objective as possible, but please appriciate, that growing conditions will always differ a lot...

I planted them sometime in April, into well manured ground, as all my potatoes, rows: 2 and 1/2 feet, tubers: 1 foot apart. Harvested them about a week or so ago. Were not watered or fed further on.


Growth: strong, vigorous, fast. I suppose, it must be what they call an indeterminate potato, though I'm unsure about this term, they just keep growing and growing, the main stems are already full of fruit when plants still produce side branches of some proportion and keep blossoming. Stating the obvious, huge plants.

Tuber quantity: 20-50 per plant of varying sizes, one of those varieties in which tuber initiation does not stop at flowering, so for large crops, should be left well into the autumn to allow for more of the younger tubers to swell.

Tuber quality: some common scab here and there, apart from that, near zero spoilt tubers, plenty of baker sized ones. Some of which had tiny cracks inside.

Cooking and flavour: good multipurpose, flavour not the best in my opinion, but good enough.

[Two_Sheds]

That's a recommendation then, DayLily?