Friday 29 September 2017

Potatoes for 2018

I've been thinking about what spuds to grow next year and I've decided upon the following (subject to an over winter review)

Lady Christi - First Early - SoilFixer Experiment in Buckets Year 2 Lady Christl potatoes are an excellent first early variety that bulks up early in the season and can be harvested after just 8 weeks of sowing. Derek on the Spencer Road allotment introduced me to Lady Christi when he had too many seed potatoes in 2016 and donated some to me. This year they will be sourced from local Wyevale or other garden centre only because I can see what I'm buying.

Albert Bartlett Vivaldi - Second Early - 2.4 x 1.2m bed - Can be grown on as main crop - Sweet creamy taste - Great baker - I selected these because my kids were always saying my potatoes are not as good or as large as the shop bought ones for baked potatoes and this is one they believe is better than mine have been historically. Will be sourced from local Wyevale or other garden centre only because I can see what I'm buying.

Albert Bartlett Purple Majesty - Second Early 1kg Pack (12-15 Tubers) I've never grown these before but I'm being provided with some seed potatoes to trial by Marshalls, reading the info about them they are the first purple potato to go on sale commercially in Britain. They are potatoes of the richest purple – purple skin and purple flesh, jam-packed with nutrients and antioxidants it makes a fantastic member of the superfood family along with blueberries, pomegranites and kale. With its genetic origins in the Andes, it’s been specially selected for the food market and has enjoyed great success. It’s an early maincrop variety suitable for salads, and of course as jackets which prove a real hit with children fascinated by its dark purple flesh. Provided by Marshalls Link to Purple Majesty details on Marshalls web site

Charlotte - Second Early - 2.4 x 1.2m bed Are mentioned by name in many recipes. That's always a good sign because in the end the purpose of growing potatoes is to eat them and recommendations from recipes is a sure sign of good taste, and they have never let me down. They are on the waxy side which makes them excellent for boiling, they hold their shape well and are delicious hot or cold. Using them for roasting and to sauté produces excellent results. Will be sourced from local Wyevale or other garden centre only because I can see what I'm buying.

Kestrel - Second Early - 2kg Pack (25-30 Tubers)  so enough for a bed and a half or a three row bed, these are another trial packs courtesy of Marshalls and were not on my radar until offered. Kestrel seed potatoes produce smooth skinned tubers with purple eyes, and winner of many prizes at exhibition. They have an old fashioned flavour, and make good chips and roasts well because the soft flesh does not absorb much fat. Consistently shows good resistance to slugs and blackleg. which I really need after the slug attacks last year. Provided by Marshals Link to Kestrel details on Marshalls web site

Estima - Second Early - 2.4 x 1.2m bed - Good Uniform Shape Ideal for Boiling and Baking last year I bought a 2kg sack bought from Wyevale no chits on them. Another shop bought potato I selected because my kids said they liked the shop bought ones. I looked at the small print on the label and read that they had been grown in Norfolk by Neil Van Poorvilet Variety Estima, up until then I had never heard of the Estima variety, but now I will grow them every year. Will be sourced from local Wyevale or other garden centre only because I can see what I'm buying.

Jelly - Main Crop - 2.4 x 1.2m bed modern variety has smooth skin, is long and oval in shape and has rich, yellowy flesh – reported to be a good roaster that makes superb, golden coloured chips! The tubers have good scab resistance and it is known to have excellent drought tolerance. I've selected these as this was a variety that we bought from the supermarket when the home grown spud ran out, that were particularly good and a nice size for baked potatoes and they roasted very well, plus I did have a bit of a scab and slug attack problems this year with some Sarpos that I grew. I found that Mr Fothergills can supply these if my local garden centre or Wyevale can't.

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