Recommended Main Crop Potatoes

[Penellype]

I grew Sarpo Mira and Desiree as maincrop this year and Charlotte and Pentland Javelin as earlies. The Pentland Javelin got the boot as they were pretty tasteless and disintegrated when cooked. The Charlotte lwere excellent and lasted well into the autumn after harvesting - I stored them in one of the bags I grow them in with the top folded over to keep out the light. The Desiree, in my opinion, were better than the Sarpo Mira, although both are decent potatoes. I'm still eating the Desiree, stored undisturbed in the bags they grew in, having been moved into my garage when the foliage died down.

[Spunky]

Are they still in compost penellype?

[Penellype]

Are they still in compost penellype?

Yes, I simply carried the bags indoors after removing the dead foliage, and left them as they were. I dig out a few tubers when I want to eat them.

[Martin H]

I like Cara. I rub off all but two chits and get lovely large, clean tubers that bake, chip and mash beautifully. As long as the blight doesn't get them...

In general you may be better off planting Charlotte, billed as a second early, and leaving them until fully mature. You'll avoid three or four weeks of blight attack.

Or if you've space, try both and see which works better for you!

[Bohobumble]

Hello watso & welcome to the Jungle. Yes, they will have been harvested in July & stored.

Hi there,

Apologies for jumping on the thread, but I've never stored potatoes - I don't really have room to store at home so I wondered would it be possible to store potatoes in an allotment shed, what about temperature fluctuations?

Would storing in the shed attract mice... how do you avoid this?

Thanks for all advice!

[Martin H]

Storing ... you want to keep them as cool as you can but not frosted. A shed will be okay from late Autumn onwards as long as you can keep the frost off the tubers.

[HungryJim]

I recommend Pink Fir Apple, the best tasting variety I have ever come across and the only maincrop i will grow this year

Allegedly vulnerable to blight but I have grown them for each of the last 3 years in pots, tyres and in the ground and not had a problem

They are small and oddly shaped so no good for mash really but I have cooked them using every other method I can think of and the flavour is always top drawer

Can't comment on their storage properties as I've only ever dug them within 48 hours of eating!

[Kristen]

I recommend Pink Fir Apple ... Can't comment on their storage properties as I've only ever dug them within 48 hours of eating!

They store really well.

[pigletwillie]

Marfona for me, a great all rounder with a good yield.

[sparrow100]

Thanks, could you tell me what it is you like about Charlotte ? Do you mean you dug them up in July and stored them, just need to clarify as that would seem to avoid slug damage etc

I love the flavour of them, perhaps it's also linked to my soil, but the flavour beats the other varieties I've grown (pentland javelin, swift, lady christl, king edward).

I plant from early March (bags for those) so I can pick from about June and keep picking till late July. The really big ones make great jackets.

[Kristen]

We really like Charlotte spuds too, for the same reasons that Sparrow100 said

[Martin H]

I recommend Pink Fir Apple, the best tasting variety I have ever come across and the only maincrop i will grow this year

Have you tried Ratte (also known as Asparges)? Similar idea, great taste but not as knobbly as Pink Fir Apple. It also matures a bit earlier so should do better in bad blight years.

[Stan79]

Charlotte for me all the way too. Last year i was away alot so couldn't water them as much as the previous year so was rewarded with more, smaller spuds. They've stored really well in the potting shed in hessian bags bought cheap off a well known auction site.

I grew pink fir apple as well last year and despite knowing that they were oddly shaped before planting, got a bit of a shock when i started digging them up. Ugly looking things! They seemed to be much more attractive to the local small slug population too and cleaning then prior to cooking is a pain in the posterior. I would need a really good reason to grow them again...

[stevejohnson53]

Has anyone tried? "Anya" blurb says "It is a cross between Desiree and Pink fir apple. Excellent for salad, can be served hot or cold." Whats it taste like and does it store well.

thanks
Steve

[Kristen]

Have you tried Ratte (also known as Asparges)? Similar idea, great taste but not as knobbly as Pink Fir Apple. It also matures a bit earlier so should do better in bad blight years.

Not tried that, but we grew both Pink Fir Apple and Anya (touted as an alternative) last year as a comparison trial. Family said they preferred Pink Fir Apple. Didn't have enough for a storage test.