Seed Potatoes for 2024

[Penellype]

Stormy weather! OH just turned back on the way to the GC to buy some seed spuds - well and then to work.

We normally grow Nicola, as a salad and as a baker when we don't get to dig them early, they grew huge. Plus a.n.other or two waxy or salad. Have done all the Ratte, Anya, BF etc, but fancied something new (to us) to try. I like the idea of red-skinned spuds - we never peel our spuds, is it Ruby Gem or similar name that Waitrose sell?

So has anyone a 'red' favourite please? Plus has anyone grown Bambino?

Desiree are red skinned and definitely a favourite, although I do peel mine.

[Andraste]

Another vote for Desiree - they were the only meal we had from our disastrous (too cold, too wet, too early) planting last year when all others failed pretty completely.

[smallblueplanet]

Don't think we've tried Desiree, I'll put them on the list and see what our (by weight ) GC has in stock. I think we tried Red Duke of York a couple of times, but they weren't memorable, well we did them twice so second time was because we forgot the first?!.

[smallblueplanet]

Seed potatoes bought, cost £7.59 for 32 spuds. They are bigger than the usual 'hens egg' size but it still seems they've gone up in price quite a lot. Although there was no price for kg on them so who knows!

So we got
x8 Lady Christl
x8 Caledonian Pearl
x8 Acoustic
x8 Nicola

Liked the sound of the Acoustic:

"Acoustic is a tasty potato which growers will love as well. This potato has a high yield on both light sandy soil and on heavier clay soil. Acoustic is stress-resistant and resistant to extreme weather conditions. This variety produces round oval uniform tubers with a good skin and is great all-rounder in the kitchen.
t can be harvested as a second-early when the texture is waxy and perfect for salads and boiling. However, it can be harvested later in the season when the texture changes to become more floury, perfect for chips, baking, mashing and wedges."

Our soil used to be sandy until we had the garden redone last year when they filled up with loads of clayey 'top' soil (or builders waste as the OH calls it!).

Also thought we'd try Caledonian Pearl:

"Caledonian Pearl is a new, high yielding variety that are hardy and easy to grow. Yellow-skinned tubers that set quickly so that they can be harvested early and a waxy flesh that makes them perfect salad potatoes.

With a delicious flavour, Caledonian Pearl can also be used for steaming and boiling and is very versatile; it can be grown in smaller outdoor spaces."

The bit about 'smaller outdoor spaces' might be good for 'container' spud growers?

[Andraste]

I like the sound of Caledonian Pearl and especially Acoustic - I'd never heard of either before but from the descriptions they seem right up our street. It would be great to hear how you got on with these later in the year

[MelanieSW]

I've got a small bag of Caledonian Pearl to try too, smallblueplanet , though they'll go into the ground on the allotment. They sound good. It wasn't one I'd heard of before, and one of the more interesting varieties at our Homebase

[smallblueplanet]

I've got a small bag of Caledonian Pearl to try too, smallblueplanet , though they'll go into the ground on the allotment. They sound good. It wasn't one I'd heard of before, and one of the more interesting varieties at our Homebase

It suggests (on googling) that they are both new varieties:

https://caledoniapotatoes.com/potato-varieties/

https://www.meijerpotato.com/en/vari...ties/acoustic/

Had to make a quick decision over the phone this morning and after turning down Casablanca - I was chosing to research on name choices! - I went with CP and Acoustic.

[ameno]

Bought my seed potatoes a couple days ago.
16 Picasso for maoncrop roasters.
12 Jazzy for second early salad potatoes.
4 earlies of a variety I have already forgotten...

[Jungle Jane]

Bought my seed potatoes today,Sharpes Express,Charlottes & Desiree

[Andraste]

Our plans have 'evolved' slightly in response to OH being left to shop alone & nick the grief filling my head with dreams of Pembs earlies lol. Fortunately we've re-jigged the bed extension plans again so have a little more room

We've stuck with mostly Sharpe's Express & half a dozen Pentland Javelin as our 1st early (tried & tested on our plot), with the exact amount needed chitting away.

Then I decided to chit 8 of the bought-for-eating Isabelia (more 1st early - the Pembs variety - ntg's fault ) - not in the plan.

Now OH's come home with 7 Kestrel (2nd early) which we 'must' grow as they were recommended by a fellow plotter as growing well on our site - not in the plan, I wanted Charlottes again.

The jury's now out on whether the PJs (which are small & don't look great quality to me - I'd have left them in the shop) get thrown out so that we have room for some Charlotte's (not yet bought) or if we admit we have enough

We've not bought any maincrops (I'm holding out for Desiree & they weren't on the shelf when last we looked) so it's also controversially being debated that maybe we just grow 1st & 2nd earlies this year

[ameno]

Now OH's come home with 7 Kestrel (2nd early) which we 'must' grow as they were recommended by a fellow plotter as growing well on our site - not in the plan, I wanted Charlottes again.

You may end up disappointed.
Kestrel taste nice, but they are floury rather than waxy, so are no good as a salad potato for boiling like Charlotte are.
Kestrel are best for mashing, baking and chipping. They also make an incredibly durable roast potato - they go past simply being crispy on the outside and form a hard shell which hurts your mouth when you eat them.

[Andraste]

Hmmm - that's what I'd feared ameno. I do much prefer a waxy spud - but I also love a nice crispy roastie........

With your review to back me up I shall inform OH we're essentially growing Kestrel as an extra-early maincrop (instead of Desiree) & digging my heals in for Charlottes. x

[ameno]

Hmmm - that's what I'd feared ameno. I do much prefer a waxy spud - but I also love a nice crispy roastie........

You may have a different experience, it probably depends on quite how you cook them, but for me they were definitely too crispy. Like I say, they formed a hard, thick shell during roasting, which was difficult to stick a table knife through and hurts your gums when you eat them.

[Snoop Puss]

The jury's now out on whether the PJs (which are small & don't look great quality to me - I'd have left them in the shop) get thrown out so that we have room for some Charlotte's (not yet bought) or if we admit we have enough

If you have room for the PJs, don't abandon them just because they're small. I buy seed pots from France (small range available in Spain) and all of them from there are really tiny. Smaller than a quail egg, I reckon. And they grow fine.

[Nicos]

Not bought my Charlottes yet!…I need to shake a leg!