Best Potato

[andrewo]

I grow my potatoes in tubs/barrels - I did Cara this year and they haven't done as well as they've done in previous years (maybe it's just the weather) but next year I'm thinking of doing potatoes in one of my raised beds to give the tubs a rest. Anyone got any suggestions for heavy yielding potato plants? I need heavy yielding ones as I'm working on a limited space.

Also, do you think I could interplant with nasturtiums and dahlias? If not, could I do this with my courgette bed?

[User Removed]

Potatoes

Hi, Andrewo, growing potatoes in large tubs is a very good idea, to me cara and not really that good but this is only from my expeience. Recently i have started to grow charlotte which are the best salad potato by far and i also grow pentland javelin which are a good all rounder
Potato guides will be avalible on my site within 6 weeks (link below)
http://seeds-for-success.co.uk/index_files/Page3947.htm
Hope this helps you
Adam

[Elmo]

I'm sorry your pots havent done very well. I grew arron victory, catriona royal kidney, red duke and golden wonder in pots this year. All of which are finished except the golden wonder.

I got a good crop off each but the royal kidney were superd for uniform size not too many tiny ones but the arron victory live up to their reputation as being the best mashed potato. Red duke was a fast crop of good size spuds a with a relatively good yield. Catriona were a good size but slightly poorer yeild. Sorry thats not really all that helpfull I suppose but I know pink fir apple are supposed to be particularly good croppers

[clareg]

Hi,

My best yielding potato this year was Kestrel, a second early variety that is white with purple "eyes". I got four sackfuls from a 7ft x 4ft space. They made great mash potato. They didn't seem to flower they just died back all of a sudden and I had loads!

Elmo, I'd be interested to hear how your Golden Wonder have turned out in pots, as I have mine in a normal bed.

Clareg

[Elmo]

I'll keep you posted they are just beginning to turn now, I think harvesting potatos is my favourite because you just don't know what your going to get

[nick the grief]

1st Earlies

Rocket always do well for me Andrew & Accent is another that a friend of mine grew this year that did well.

2nd Earlies

I've grown Nadine this year and they are doing well and if you fancy a red try Maxine

[Berr]

FWIW this is my experience of the spuds I grew outside in bins (standard refuse size) in central Scotland. Marks out of 10! Would I grow again? Yes/No?/etc.

Rocket: quick but tasteless. Flavour: 2mks. Yield good 8mks. No.
Swift: quick,poor taste. Flavour: 3mks. Yield fairly good 7mks. No.
Lady Christl: quickish, flavour better but unexceptional. 5mks Yield: 6mks. No.
Sharpe's Express: quickish, somewhat floury. 6mks. Yield: 6.5 mks.Probably.
Foremost:flavour disappointing 5mks. Yield: pretty good. 6.5 mks.No.
Carlingford:Slower as 2nd. early. Flav. so-so: 6mks. Yield good:6.5mks.Unlikely
Anya:flavour disappointing. 5mks. Yield: poorish: 4mks. Probably not.
Red Duke of York: Flavour: good 7mks. Yield: good 7mks. Definitely.
Maris Bard: Flavour: good 7.5mks. Yield: very good. 8.5mks. Definitely.

Grown in good soil with plenty of well-rotted dung. Watered heavily in dry spells.

Next year I'll probably try Epicure, Karlena, British Queen, and Edzell Blue.

It's subjective, of course, and we tend to favour the flourier types up here.
I'd be especially interested to here The Rat's reactions to British Queen.

By the way, Elmo, I think I read that Pink Fir Apple is a poor cropper- great taste but small crop.

If you haven't got Alan Romans's wee pamphlet- about £1.25 from his website- I'd recommend you get one. As a complete rookie tattie-grower I found it very useful in choosing varieties to try.

[pigletwillie]

Our Anya cropped well but have an undistinguished taste as did Lady Christl, the Red DOY were very good as were the Maris Bard. We have British Queen, Rooster, PFA, King Edward and Sarpo Axona as main crop and especially await the rooster and British Queen. The King Edward always do well on our plot.

[andrewo]

I was thinking of doing kestrel in the beds next year, have heard good things about them - nice to have it backed up with someone who has grown them. Suprised at Anya problems, they tend to grow well and have a nutty flavour, a cousin of Pink Fur - funny old year for tatties.

[sewer rat]

Hi Berr
Been a while since I was here but trying to catch up on posts tionight and over the weekend as wife away to Belfast for a hen night, and Iona's at her pals forthe weekend.
I grew 4 varieties in buckets / tubs this year, and have just harvested my British Queens and had some for supper tonight, so, borrowing your format, here's my list

Foremost; flavour good-7 mks, yield-neither good nor bad, 7 mks, Maybe
Arran Pilot; flavour superb-9mks, yield - poor - 4mks, Undecided
Charlotte - Flavour very good, yield very good, Definitely
British Queen - Flavour superb, yield excellent ( best cropper by far) Deffo !

Rooster still in the ground.
Have not grown Kestrel but it is very popular at the veg shows up here and judging by the perfectly blemish free skins, I think they were probably bucket reared for the showring. Looks like a contender for the bucket next year.

[Alice]

I would definately repeat growing Charlotte in containers. The yield was good and the flavour excellent. The yield from Rooster was superb. BUT not mad for it as a boiled potatoe but is EXCELLENT roasted.

[bramble]

I grew British Queens last ye3ar and got a great harvest. However when boiled they went into mush. I have since been told they're not suitable for boiling. Can anyone verify this.
Grew SharpesExpress this year and while the flavour is good the yield is poor.
Grew Charlotte in containers and was really pleased with their performance.

[sewer rat]

Bramble
British Queens are indeed a lovely potato but do tend to turn to mush when boiled - but they will be fine if you steam them instead- LJ mentioned this in a previous thread but it was a long time ago - I only remember cause I knew it was a variety I was going to try
Kerr's Pink do the same - voice of experience

[bramble]

Thanks for that Rat.

[sewer rat]

Alice
Just want to second your opinion on Rooster - they are quite simply unsurpassed as roast potatoes. There are a lot of tattie growers up here and thay simply say that you won't get a better roaster.