Paralised by the Plethora of Possible Potatoes to Plant!

[Stew_L]

Sorry.

This year I plan to plant some potatoes but for once not just use some extras from the supermarket.

I have realised that I'm looping round and round, overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of choice!

It reminds me of this talk by Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choice:

Worth a watch if you have time, but essentially it's that the more options we have, the more likely it is that we won't make any choice at all.

With potatoes, I'm in that place. There seems to be so many possible options to go for.

Help!

I almost want sometime to just tell me to plant these, these and these.

What's your plan for the year?

[alldigging]

What do you like to eat? chips, mash, salad, roasties?

[Stew_L]

Mash & Roast potatoes are top picks!

Salad, occasionally.

Home made chip, not really.

[redser]

Have you a favourite type that you buy at the supermarket ?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Spuds with high yield, good for mash and roastie's.

First earlies Accent, Lady Christl, Red Duke of York, Sharpes Express ans Swift.

Second earlies Kestral, Lady Balfour, Mozart.

Main Crop Desiree, King Edward, Maris Piper and Picasso.

I have grown all the above at sometime or other wiht success. This year I have settled on Red Duke of York, Lady Christl and Picasso. The majority of the Lady C will be left to grow on as second earlies.

Potty

[Nicos]

If they are going in the ground you might like to think about....
What type of soil do you have?...sandy/clay/chalk ????
Is it a dry or boggy area?
What area are you putting over to spuds? ( thinking of how many you'll buy in a small bag)

Personally I'd go for ones you can't find easily in the supermarket- but as redser suggests- if you let us know what you usually buy , we may be able to suggest a tastier spud which will fulfill your needs!
If you are buying from a garden centre/B&Q type place then you'll be limited of course to their choice.

Do you have somewhere dark and cool to store through the winter -or are you going to dig 'n eat?
How many are you feeding..and do you eat spuds daily or have pasta and rice quite regularly?

..questions...questions!!!!

( be warned- I doubt you'll get the same choice of spud from us...so keep an open mind! )

My personal favourite for salads are Charlotte as they can also be left to grow to a decent size if you don't need them immediately- and they store well in situ during the summer months!

[SarzWix]

If you really like roasties, I'd say go for one of the Sarpo varieties; you won't have to worry about blight, and although they can be a pain to mash, they make the best roast potatoes ever

[redser]

Spuds with high yield, good for mash and roastie's.

First earlies Accent, Lady Christl, Red Duke of York, Sharpes Express ans Swift.

Second earlies Kestral, Lady Balfour, Mozart.

Main Crop Desiree, King Edward, Maris Piper and Picasso.

I have grown all the above at sometime or other wiht success. This year I have settled on Red Duke of York, Lady Christl and Picasso. The majority of the Lady C will be left to grow on as second earlies.

Potty

Out of interest, why would you leave the Lady Crystal to grow on? For bigger size?
Thanks

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Red,

Yes they are a very versatile potato, lovely boiled as new spuds at ten to twelve weeks and then they make great bakers and chippers at about eighteen to twenty weeks.

To be honest if I could only grow one spud then it would be LadyC.

Colin

[redser]

Thanks Pots, I didn't know. I read they are about the earliest of the earlies to bulk up. So got one bag Will be sure to leave a few in the ground now.

[Stew_L]

Have you a favourite type that you buy at the supermarket ?

Er, hate to say it but usually end up with 'white' potatoes.

Habit but I occasional remember to get something different. Often the wife orders and it's what goes through or i just forget and auto-pilot.

[Potstubsdustbins]

These are late Lady C, the milk bottle will give you some idea of size. The main thing I love about them is they lose none of they taste when you leave them to grow on.

Colin

[Stew_L]

If they are going in the ground you might like to think about....
What type of soil do you have?...sandy/clay/chalk ????
Is it a dry or boggy area?
What area are you putting over to spuds? ( thinking of how many you'll buy in a small bag)

More towards clay but not too much. Quite a nice texture to it.
Slightly wet. Lower ground away from the area that soaks to.
Undecided on area but I'm not short of space.

Do you have somewhere dark and cool to store through the winter -or are you going to dig 'n eat?

Either.

How many are you feeding..and do you eat spuds daily or have pasta and rice quite regularly?

4 adults and 2 kids. Pretty even between all three at the moment.

( be warned- I doubt you'll get the same choice of spud from us...so keep an open mind! )

I assumed I wouldn't. That's half the fun, right?

[redser]

Ay caramba! Have you tried storing them for long? Like a main crop?

[Potstubsdustbins]

No thats not something I have tried. They keep well enough for a few weeks in the veg rack. But to be very honest they are not around long enough in our house to think about long term storage.

Colin