Waxy potatoes

[hvrlon]

Hi everyone,

Wishing you a somewhat belated happy new year! I haven't visited the forum for ages and a little note at the top of this page is requesting that I say hello at least... and I do have a question.

The allotment has been quite neglected over the past six weeks, apart from an occasional stroll down there to bung some more kitchen scraps into the compost bin. Squirrels have dug up my bulbs (alliums, crocuses and grape hyacinths) - grrr! Everything else is looking a bit sorry for itself, too.

My question is a spud question: I was hoping to grow a waxy potato rather than the powdery King Edwards we grew in 2007, which looked and tasted great but had a tendency to disintegrate, even when roasted.

So, could anyone recommend a waxy potato that might thrive in heavy London clay soil, and do you have any tips for preparing the bed now?

Thanks in advance.

H

[shirlthegirl43]

If the bed was dug previously (and didn't grow spuds last year) just manure at time of planting. King Edwards make lovely roasties usually - did you maybe boil them a bit long?

[momol]

Hello Hvrlon,

I like nicola, they are very nice boiled or use in soup. But I am not sure if they are good for clay soil, sorry not very helpfull.

Momol

[Peter]

On Hertfordshire clay Charlotte and Nicola both do well and are more waxy than floury.

[veg4681]

Here's a useful site for waxy to floury guide to potatoes on a 1 to 9 scale.
I checked out each potato and noted down all the ones below 5 and presto my shortlisted potatoes. I too prefer waxy. Having said that, the Mayan Gold is unbelievably floury (disintegrates easily from boiling or cooking in microwave with normal cooking time) but is actually quite tasty, so full of flavour.

Potato Varieties - The British Potato Council

[phil the shed]

Here's a useful site for waxy to floury guide to potatoes on a 1 to 9 scale.
I checked out each potato and noted down all the ones below 5 and presto my shortlisted potatoes. I too prefer waxy. Having said that, the Mayan Gold is unbelievably floury (disintegrates easily from boiling or cooking in microwave with normal cooking time) but is actually quite tasty, so full of flavour.

Potato Varieties - The British Potato Council

i've just bought a bag from sainsbugs to try and on the bag it says steam not boil.
also do you think the organic vales emerald (scottish origin) will make a seed potato. at 69p for a kilo what would you do!!!!!!!!!!!

[veg4681]

i've just bought a bag from sainsbugs to try and on the bag it says steam not boil.
also do you think the organic vales emerald (scottish origin) will make a seed potato. at 69p for a kilo what would you do!!!!!!!!!!!

Was that Phureja potatoes (Mayan Gold) for steaming?

You're lucky you were able to buy Vales Emerald , I haven't seen them at Sainsbury before . For me personally, where I'm able to buy fanciful & more exclusive potatoes from supermarket, I will use them as seed potatoes although it's not generally recommended but I can't see much harm so long you grow them in pots and you make sure they're British potatoes but yours is Scottish which has an even better chance of being pest/disease free. Yes some of us are trialling with supermarket bought potatoes but only exclusives ones .

Good luck with yours. And start chitting Vales Emerald coz that's a first earlies, isn't it?

[Nicos]

We have grown Charlotte in heavy clay and peat- and they've done well in both.

[phil the shed]

Was that Phureja potatoes (Mayan Gold) for steaming?

You're lucky you were able to buy Vales Emerald , I haven't seen them at Sainsbury before . For me personally, where I'm able to buy fanciful & more exclusive potatoes from supermarket, I will use them as seed potatoes although it's not generally recommended but I can't see much harm so long you grow them in pots and you make sure they're British potatoes but yours is Scottish which has an even better chance of being pest/disease free. Yes some of us are trialling with supermarket bought potatoes but only exclusives ones .

Good luck with yours. And start chitting Vales Emerald coz that's a first earlies, isn't it?

yes veg those are the ones ie; phureja the plan is to have two tubs of potato's one for eating and one for saving if it works. am also growing red duke of york and swift as early anya and charlotte as salad and a few rows of a main crop as yet still undecided as the lottie shop has this week just had its delivery of seed pots 20 varieties in all and i just need to choose 1 from the main crop offering (see phil wince with pan at having to choose only 1) you just know it won't happen.

[hvrlon]

Fantastic. Will probably go for the Charlotte potatoes - thanks, everyone!

H

[Flummery]

I have Charlotte and Arran Pilot too. Both are waxy but both are earlies - were you looking for a maincrop?

[Nicos]

We leave our Charlotte in the ground (if the blight isn't too bad!) and they grow into big spuds- I've made 5" long chips out of some of them!!! And decent jacket spuds too.
Of course you can pick them tiny too for salads!

[veg4681]

as yet still undecided as the lottie shop has this week just had its delivery of seed pots 20 varieties in all and i just need to choose 1 from the main crop offering (see phil wince with pan at having to choose only 1) you just know it won't happen.

20 potato varieties, that's not bad indeed. Could you check out for me if they do a potato called Ratte. If they do, I'd like to buy one from my most local allotment office for next year. Doubt they do though .

[cazsudz]

I think last year was pretty bad for waxy potatoes as my Aran pilot and pentland javelin both grew into huge spuds that fell apart on boiling. I think it was all the rain we got just as they were swelling.

After lots of recommendations I'm going to try Charlotte this year but sticking to pentland javelin again as the yield was so good.

Caz

[Flummery]

20 potato varieties, that's not bad indeed. Could you check out for me if they do a potato called Ratte. If they do, I'd like to buy one from my most local allotment office for next year. Doubt they do though .

Oh yes! I've grown Ratte it's really lovely - great taste and texture. Hope you can get hold of some. I think mine were from Marshall's - about 6 years ago.