what potatoes for 2010 and how

[kittykat8]

What potatoes are people going to grow and how.

Lady Crystal - In Tunnel in the ground and outside on allotment.

Swift Potatoes - In Tunnel - Planted

Accent - In Tunnel - Planted

Mimi - In Tunnel in 50 ltr Polypots and outside on allotment

Mayan Twilight - Outside on allotment, don't know if these can be grown in polypots.

King Edwards - on allotment

Nadine - allotment

Anya - In raised bed on allotment and some polypots


Marion

[solway cropper]

I'm still trying to find a first early that tastes like the old fashioned new potatoes so I'll be starting off some Epicure and Dunluce in polypots in the greenhouse then putting them outside.

Second earlies I'm going for Kestrel and Charlotte - two old favourites and they'll go straight into the ground.

Don't have enough room for maincrop and anyway I can buy them by the sackfull from the farm down the road.

[Alison]

Not sure of varieties as yet but am thinking of growing Ulster Classic again as earlies as they were delicious and almost certainly some PFA as they've been really good even though I only shoved 5 tubers in this year. Not doing Charlotte again, the return was good but not impressed with taste or texture, not nearly as waxy as I was expecting. Main crop will probably be a couple of varieties of good all round spuds which can be roasted, mashed, boiled etc. All will go straight into beds as I find it a lot less hassle although if I get the poly tunnel up in time I'll probably put half the earlies in there to spread the harvest.

[weekendwellies]

Can anyone recommend a good all round chipping, boiling, baking, mashing type that will go from early spring to late autumn.

[Alison]

Sorry WW, don't understand your question, what do you mean by "go from early spring to late autumn"? Sorry to be a bit thick.

[Pompeylottie]

I thought Cara was supposed to be a good all rounder and the seed potatoes sold out immediately in our allotment shop last year- however we found, and so did several other allotmenteers, that the Cara spuds fall to pieces in the pan when boiled- okay for mashing but not for plain boiled. Doesn't look as if we will sell so many this year - some people have change their spud order and cancelled their Cara - alot more King Edwards have been pre-ordered this year.

[weekendwellies]

Well, Alison, the ones I put in March (when I got my allotment), I was digging up from May through to last week.
I would like to get some in the ground earlier this year so as to get an earlier crop but would like to have ones that I can continue to dig up right through to the end of the year.
I dont know which type I had last year, as they were donated by a lottie neighbour who is never around at the same times as me any more, so I cant ask and he probably wouldnt remember anyway.

[Pompeylottie]

My personal favourite all rounder main crop has been Romano over the last 5 or 6 years.

[coreopsis]

Desiree and Kestrel for sure(in the ground).Still thinking about Ulster Classic in the buckets.

[Alison]

Well, Alison, the ones I put in March (when I got my allotment), I was digging up from May through to last week.
I would like to get some in the ground earlier this year so as to get an earlier crop but would like to have ones that I can continue to dig up right through to the end of the year.

I think that you'd be pushed to get any earlier than May unless you were growing undercover with a bit of added warmth but somebody may have managed it. I dug all mine up back in September and have been eating out of store since then and they've been great (still loads left too ) but suppose it depends on what you want. I prefer to get mine out the ground so that there is no danger of slug or frost damage but I know there are some that keep them in well insulated ground for most of winter.

My personal favourite all rounder main crop has been Romano over the last 5 or 6 years.

I grew some Romano this year, good crop and nice spuds but not that good mashed which is a shame.

[Bigmallly]

My wife being Scottish asked if I could find some Ayrshire potatoes to grow as they are the best she has tasted........could I heckers find them, until I descovered that Epicure are in fact Ayrshire so they are on order awaiting delivery in Jan/Feb.

[ladylottie]

Well I've been growing Pentland Javelin as First Earlies and they've been very tasty. Last year I grew Nadine as a 2nd Early but I was a bit disappointed in the taste.

Any ideas for this year please? I prefer a potato that won't go to mush in the pan and that will produce lovely big tasty jacket spuds. Also I would like to try something different like Mayan Twilight, but can't seem to find any locally and the postage is so expensive from T&M etc. Thanks.

[Bex]

I'm only growing two types for a salad I'm trying Nicola and then for general use I'm giving Rooster a go as I like these from the shops so they've got to be better if I grow my own haven't they??

[Snadger]

Desiree and Kestrel for sure(in the ground).Still thinking about Ulster Classic in the buckets.

Same here Desiree and Kestrel as bankers with Winston a strong posibility as well!

[SlugLobber]

Desiree and Kestrel did very well this year, both in tubs and in the ground, so those, for sure. Unsure about first earlies, yet. Did Arran Pilot last year, but not a fair trial, as frost got em in the shed!