True Potato Seed Challenge/ Experiment/ Thing

[poly]

Fab, hope it grows a smashing crop, look forward to harvest report

[Snadger]

Lol, how did the unpronounceable do?

I sowed the whole packet. Quite a few germinated then damped off. Out of a module tray of twelve I have ONE plant which seems to be thriving. It will be nice to see what it eventually turns out like. I will transplant it soon.

[poly]

Lol, how did the unpronounceable do?

[Snadger]

Shame your first experiment didn't go so well, great you are having another go, they can be awesome. I've some commercial packets of Russian tps too, though I've never grown any. I believe they give good quite uniform results, also I read somewhere a while back that the plants are unlikely to set seed pods themselves. Someone I know from another forum had good results growing Russian potatoes from tps although I don't think they were overwhelmed by their taste.

Can you remember the variety of tps you tried in your experiment originally?

Desiree first time, unpronouncable this year.

[poly]

I was involved in Duronals original experiment and vowed 'never again'................until now
I have been given a packet of Russian true potato seed and will give it a go again early next year. I think the Ruskys know there spuds so hopefully it will work out better for me this time.
Sorry for your loss NG. Blight is such a terrible thing. It might be worth trying to get some TPS from a blight resistant variety. These would have been normal varieties originally, but through persistance with TPS growing, the spuds with blight resitance would have been grown on to give us the Sarpo varieties of today.

Shame your first experiment didn't go so well, great you are having another go, they can be awesome. I've some commercial packets of Russian tps too, though I've never grown any. I believe they give good quite uniform results, also I read somewhere a while back that the plants are unlikely to set seed pods themselves. Someone I know from another forum had good results growing Russian potatoes from tps although I don't think they were overwhelmed by their taste.

Can you remember the variety of tps you tried in your experiment originally?

[poly]

Oh well. Next year it is. My Skagit Magic also got blight and when lifted had nothing on it. Fingers crossed for more consistent weather next year and more than 2 farty punnets worth from my entire potato harvest. It is so bad you have to laugh

Sorry you had disappointing results growing tps this year, it's a shame as they are fun to grow and exciting come harvest time. Skagit Magic although stunning when flowering have variable Late Blight resistance, varying from plant to plant. They can also be a late cropper, with plants growing on well into autumn, also tubers can be more spread out in the ground and be some distance from the mother plant. Taste generally is very good and they store well.

Good on you for not being put off, tps growing really can be very rewarding, I love them

[Snadger]

I was involved in Duronals original experiment and vowed 'never again'................until now
I have been given a packet of Russian true potato seed and will give it a go again early next year. I think the Ruskys know there spuds so hopefully it will work out better for me this time.
Sorry for your loss NG. Blight is such a terrible thing. It might be worth trying to get some TPS from a blight resistant variety. These would have been normal varieties originally, but through persistance with TPS growing, the spuds with blight resitance would have been grown on to give us the Sarpo varieties of today.

[vixylix]

oh no!! I'm glad you can see the funny side at least!

Oh well. Next year it is. My Skagit Magic also got blight and when lifted had nothing on it. Fingers crossed for more consistent weather next year and more than 2 farty punnets worth from my entire potato harvest. It is so bad you have to laugh

[vixylix]

Apologies NG... I should have read back all of two posts

Well this year has not been the best to do this experiment for me, but will def. have another bash next year.

My last survivor of the duck attack, only to succumb to blight



My Skagit Magic is going well and is due to flower.

Leave them as long as possible. They will go soft when then ripen. It is best to ferment them, as Poly says they have growth inhibitors.

[vixylix]

NG / anyone else... my desirees are covered in green berries - when can I harvest them - do they turn ripe? Also do I ferment them once harvested? Thanks

[poly]

I have flowers on my second earlies they are called Carlingford. I'm hoping that they will produce the potato seeds this year. My first earlies haven't produced any flowers at all.

If they do produce and seed pods when's the best time to pick and store them?

Carlingford aren't generally big setters of potato berries (I've never had any luck with them, although not grown them the last few years) but hopefully you will be lucky and get seeds. Some varieties are better than others at setting berries and I think local conditions at flowering time make a difference.

If you do see berries forming, it is roughly a minimum of six weeks until they can be successfully harvested, but even then it really is best to keep the berries stored until they ripen some more before processing seed. Some varieties have stronger germination inhibitors which can prevent fresh seed from starting into growth and do best from very ripe berries. I agree with Norfolkgrey, it is best to leave berries on the plants as long as possible and collect them just before they fall. But if Late Blight threatens.....

[vixylix]

ah NVG - I was going to ask the same question!