So many seed potatoes to choose from

[Greenleaves]

Been looking through the seed catalogues this morning and amazed at how many seed potatoes there are to choose from.

Wether its first or second earlies or maincrop, what are you favourites and why?

[Guest]

Pink fir - Were the only ones I grew for several years as I didn't see much point in growing spuds but it is nice to have a few salad spuds.

Charlotte - I think is another easy reliable spud.

Kerr's Pink- grew it this year and I was disappointed but I can't remember why

International Kidney - another poor performer for me, most were so scabby they were inedible.

Shetland Black - lots of spuds, cooked well but mine were on the small side.

Salad Blue - cropped well, fairly clean spuds, lovely blue mash

Highland Burgundy Red - I think this was my king of the spuds this year and they were gorgeous roasted.

Venezia (I can see why they are a commercial grown crop) - perfect clean good crop of salad spuds. Not the best flavour.

I am still to eat Red Emmalie and I can't remember what Venessa was like.

[Thelma Sanders]

I garden on sandy soil, so my list is.......

Lady Christl for earlies, fantastic taste and good yield, oval yellow potatoes, nice boiled and for salads.

Ambo for 2nds(or early maincrop) drought resistant and good yield here, bit more floury than Lady C pretty pink and white skins.

Desiree Main crop my favourite storage potato - also a good producer in dry years.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

First earies for me were Swift, excellent new potato taste, with short haulms, ideal for growing in a bag/bucket

Seconds were Charlotte, an old time favourate for me, grow them every year producing a really good salad spud, then Kestral which are great for chips and roasting.

The main crop I grew this year were rubbish, in fact that rubbish I can't even remember what they were, so next year gunna give King Eddie's a bash, after watching "allotment diaries" results using a fertaliser called "Spuds Galore" Gunna track some of this stuff down and see how we go!

[Lumpy]

We grow in containers so stick to salad types as our annual treat of fertle the spuds out - steam for a few minutes - add enough butter to give a heart specialist a hissy fit and then eat is a treat beyond all others.

This year I tried Rocket and they will not be tried again. Very small spuds (yes I did water correctly) and a bland taste means back to Charlotte next year.

[WendyC]

Is this thread any help to you?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...sts_85804.html

[Penellype]

My favourites are Charlotte for earlies and Desiree for maincrop. Charlotte is reliable and this year produced huge yields with some quite large potatoes. Desiree can't be beaten for mash in my opinion. I also grow Sarpo Mira as an insurance against blight, and Rocket for very early potatoes, but neither has the flavour of my 2 favourite varieties.

[GreaterMarrow]

I grew 3 varieties this year, Duke of York (nice but earthy flavour, grew really well), Maris Peer (very nice spuds, grew really well) and Blue Danube (difficult to harvest due to dark colour, not very tasty, wouldn't grow again).

We have heavy soil.

[Bonsai Si]

My vote for Main is Sarpo Mira.

Only spuds I grew this year but the first plant I pulled up was hefty and they were lovely.

[Ryleh]

Out of interest when do people tend to order their seed potatoes for next years crop?

I've been perusing catalogues, both on line and ye olde paper catalogues, and I'm fairly certain I've decided my selection for next year. I was going to order with the expectation of them turning up at the right time for me to be able to chit them before planting but I noticed the website I was looking at quoted delivery time from Early January to Late April.

Being delivered in January would probably be fine for Earlies but seems way too early for maincrop potatoes to get delivered.

[sparrow100]

I don't usually plant maincrop because of the blight issues on our site, but I second Thelma's recommendation of Lady Christl, they are lovely. And Charlotte are always good - I leave them in as long as I dare to get some really big ones for baking. I'd quite like to grow some Ambo but I can't seem to find them anywhere.

This year I was thinking of adding in Dunluce, after seeing rave reviews elsewhere.

[sparrow100]

Out of interest when do people tend to order their seed potatoes for next years crop?

I've been perusing catalogues, both on line and ye olde paper catalogues, and I'm fairly certain I've decided my selection for next year. I was going to order with the expectation of them turning up at the right time for me to be able to chit them before planting but I noticed the website I was looking at quoted delivery time from Early January to Late April.

Being delivered in January would probably be fine for Earlies but seems way too early for maincrop potatoes to get delivered.

I usually get mine delivered in January. I chit all mine and they all go in at the same time, late March/early April, even maincrop spuds when I grow them. They can happily stay chitted for ages.

[Ryleh]

Do you not find the tubers get worryingly long? Maybe I just get paranoid about damaging them during planting

[Guest]

^^^As long as they are somewhere cool and light they will be fine. I have some charlottes from March time I never planted and the chits are still only an inch or so long.

[Elfeda]

I have ordered LadyC. thinking to get some early and second early from them...do not want to go for main..but never tried blight resistance... If I get any such in small quantities from swaps or any..will try for them.