Seed Potatoes for 2024

[Bren In Pots]

What potatoes will you be growing for 2024 ?

A link to last years thread :-

Seed Potatoes for 2023 - The Grapevine (growfruitandveg.co.uk)

[Vince G]

Went and bought my seed potatoes today. Bit boring this year. 5 charlotte, 5 pink fir apples, 5 Cara and 60 Maris piper.

Unfortunately the little nursery I used to buy seed potatoes from closed last year, the owner was in his 70s and just decided to call it a day. Couldn't find a buyer. He used to have sacks of 30+ varieties and didn't mind if you wanted one tuber of all of them as he charged you by weight.

The new place I've gone to has nowhere near the same variety, but they do at least allow you to open nets and take a few tubers out and charge you per 5 tubers.

All now chitting in the utility room

[nick the grief]

Went and bought my seed potatoes today. Bit boring this year. 5 charlotte, 5 pink fir apples, 5 Cara and 60 Maris piper.

Unfortunately the little nursery I used to buy seed potatoes from closed last year, the owner was in his 70s and just decided to call it a day. Couldn't find a buyer. He used to have sacks of 30+ varieties and didn't mind if you wanted one tuber of all of them as he charged you by weight.

The new place I've gone to has nowhere near the same variety, but they do at least allow you to open nets and take a few tubers out and charge you per 5 tubers.

All now chitting in the utility room

We have a shop in town like that. I used to buy 2 or 3 tubers of different varieties to try something new every year. He died but luckily his son took over.

I'm just trying to decide what to grow this year. the list looks like this at the minute

Arran Pilot or Cassablanca 1st Early
Charlotte or Kestrel 2nd Early
Blue Danube and possibly another variety Maincrop

But it might change before I buy them

[Vince G]

You're very lucky to have a shop like that. The only option for me is the East Anglian Potato Day, but it's about 20 miles from me, not on any public transport links and last time I went you had to pay to park. If you didn't get there fairly early, all the interesting varieties were gone, and if you got there early it was a proper scrum!

I'd like to try a couple of those noverty blue/purple fleshed ones, but can't seem to find anything less than half a dozen. Next year I'll have to plan better and warm up a couple of lottie neighbours for sharing a bag.

I usually stay away from novelties as I'm continually disappointed, white carrots, purple pak choi etc.. but just curious about the spuds.

[Bren In Pots]

Went and bought my seed potatoes today. Bit boring this year. 5 charlotte, 5 pink fir apples, 5 Cara and 60 Maris piper.

Unfortunately the little nursery I used to buy seed potatoes from closed last year, the owner was in his 70s and just decided to call it a day. Couldn't find a buyer. He used to have sacks of 30+ varieties and didn't mind if you wanted one tuber of all of them as he charged you by weight.

My local corn merchant sells their potatoes the same way its handy for a back garden grower who only needs a few.

[burnie]

I only have a small area to grow tatties, so a few Pink Fir Apples are likely

[Andraste]

Not boring Vince G - tried & tested tasty varieties

Jealous of your corn merchant Bren In Pots - we have nothing in a reasonable distance of us here like that that I've discovered yet.

As soon as the stocks are in we'll make our selections from Poundland's finest unless anyone can recommend a price comparable source online for small quantities. Likely to be Sharpe's Express/Pentland Javelin, Charlotte & Desiree.

I'd love Pink Fir Apples (very tasty) but they're banned in our house due to OH's total refusal to "ar*e around cleaning them beggars" - as he does most of the cooking I can't argue

Have you grown Kestrel before nick the grief ? We're umming and arring about giving them a try as a fellow plotter said they do well on our site but I do like a Charlotte & read somewhere (can't remember where) that the Kestrel aren't very firm which has put me off a bit. I'd be interested to hear what you guys think of them.

We only grow small quantities too burnie - we only have a 1/2 plot to grow in but it's only me & OH that need feeding. I reckon we can manage to fit around 12 1st early, 12 2nd early & 9 maincrop this year as we're extending the beds so a few more than normal.

[Penellype]

As usual I will be growing Lady Christl and Desiree. I'm very boring, but I have tried loads of varieties in the past and always come back to these two.

[Peanut]

If I've got enough left I'll use some of my Nicola and Anya and grow them again.

[MelanieSW]

As usual I will grow vitelotte noire in containers as maincrop, and will check what homebase has to offer in small bags as first or second earlies to go into the ground.

[nick the grief]

Vince G I'll make a note of what he has when I go in and if he has any I'm happy to pick 3 up for you and post them. Thats the beauty of the shop he sells by weight loose so in the past I remember saying I fancied something different and his Dad bagged 3 up and wrote on the bags 1 spud in each and I popped them in a 10ltr pot and some we liked some we didn't ... thats how I came across Winston and grew it for years. then I went back to Arran Pilot as I got all nostalgic and I think it was the one my dad grew ( either that or Pentland Javelin) and we liked the flavour.

Andraste ... No I've never grown them but a friend does ( he shows veg) and says they're nice so I was going to grow 1 or 2 pots of them and/or Charlotte. I grew PFA last year - I wanted Anya but they weren't available so they send me PFA instead (A huge bag full rather than the 10 I ordered ! and I agree with your OH ... taste nice make interesting as a chip but a PITA to clean so I'll not bother again. Good news on the bed extensions ... I grow mine in 30ltr pots and as I'm DIabetic and not supposed to eat loads of spuds I tend not to grow too any and Mrs G doesn't eat many these days but I do enjoy new potatoes and roasties so tend to go for varieties that cover those.

[ameno]

I was quite impressed with the Blue Annelise I grew last year (good yield, the small tubers make good salad potatoes, but the large ones also make good roasters. It's unusual for one variety to be able to do both), so I've saved 16 tubers to grow again this year. I know it's better to get certified seed tubers each time, but they're rather costly...

I haven't bought my other seed potatoes yet, but will go to the garden centre to get them in the next week or two.

[Bren In Pots]

Bought my Charlottes from the Corn stores this afternoon they’re chitting in their egg trays.

[Vince G]

Vince G I'll make a note of what he has when I go in and if he has any I'm happy to pick 3 up for you and post them. Thats the beauty of the shop he sells by weight loose so in the past I remember saying I fancied something different and his Dad bagged 3 up and wrote on the bags 1 spud in each and I popped them in a 10ltr pot and some we liked some we didn't …. thats how I came across Winston and grew it for years. then I went back to Arran Pilot as I got all nostalgic and I think it was the one my dad grew ( either that or Pentland Javelin) and we liked the flavour.

That's very kind of you Nick, PM me if you have any luck and I'll sort you out for the costs.

[smallblueplanet]

Stormy weather! OH just turned back on the way to the GC to buy some seed spuds - well and then to work.

We normally grow Nicola, as a salad and as a baker when we don't get to dig them early, they grew huge. Plus a.n.other or two waxy or salad. Have done all the Ratte, Anya, BF etc, but fancied something new (to us) to try. I like the idea of red-skinned spuds - we never peel our spuds, is it Ruby Gem or similar name that Waitrose sell?

So has anyone a 'red' favourite please? Plus has anyone grown Bambino?