what potatoes should i go for

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sammie1207

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what potatoes should i go for
« on: February 02, 2014, 15:32 »
Hi

I have recently just took over an allotment, and am busy when we are not having rain getting the soil ready.
I have grown various vegatables in my garden, and this will be the 1st time at having a go on the allotment growing potatoes, i just wondered what was the best ones that i should maybe start of growing ????
and when should i plant them out??

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mumofstig

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2014, 15:41 »
You can see the results of the potato popularity thread here, as everyone has their favs
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=51.0

Weather allowing mid -March is the earliest, unless you're planting up a few tubs for the greenhouse  ;)

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3 allotments

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2014, 19:28 »
Hiya Sammie have a look on here so many to choose from one of my favourite is blue kestrel second earlies.  http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/
« Last Edit: February 02, 2014, 23:41 by 3 allotments »
diggity dig dig

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diospyros

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2014, 20:48 »
First you need to decide what you want from the potato in terms of harvesting season, taste, colour and shape, culinary use, disease resistance etc, and then you will find the best potato for YOU.  There is no such thing as the "best" potato or there wouldn't be so many varieties in the first place!

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shoozie

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2014, 22:27 »
Hi sammie - there are so many varieties to choose from, just enjoy trying different varieties and finding out what you like over the next few years and don't get too hung up just now on 'mumbo jumbo' .... Except for one thing - they take up a lot of ground space, so don't go mad in the first year (says the pot to the kettle  :lol:)

If I was nailing my colours to the mast, some good starters would be:
Early - Arran Pilot and Lady Christl
Second - Charlotte
Maincrop - Desiree and Ambo (I tried Ambo for the first time last year - great)
I would also recommend Orla and Kestrel grown on as maincrop.

Don't forget that tatties will also grow happily in old compost bags etc, so you can try a small number of a few varieties.

I don't know where you are, but planting out here is during the first two weeks of April.  We get May frosts - a frost won't kill them, but will set them back a bit. 

Whatever you decide, I bet you'll not taste a tastier tattie than ones straight from your plot, even when years later you grow an entirely different variety  - enjoy  :D

(edit: spelling ! )

« Last Edit: February 02, 2014, 23:04 by shoozie »

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DD.

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2014, 06:57 »
My list is not that far from shoozie's. (Nice to see another Ambo convert!).

Having tried both, I'm swapping Arran Pilot for Cassablanca. However, as has been said, it's a matter of your taste and you'll have to try different varieties to see what you like.
Did it really tell you to do THAT on the packet?

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sammie1207

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2014, 11:18 »
Thank you for your replies, you have been most helpful, I think I will try a few of your recommendations and see which I prefer, I do have a large plot so looking forward to all this hard work and determination and tasting the results 😉 thanks again guys x

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Tom Hill

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2014, 11:54 »
You will get good advice here as to timing, but watch where it comes from geographically, I would put my earlies in at the end of Feb. others will have to wait four to six weeks before they can do so.

I would caution you with regard to T & M, I ordered my potatoes in Sept. for late Dec. delivery and am still waiting.

I am still looking for the best Early but for later ones I like Mayan Gold a lot.
Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut and be suspected of knowing nothing than opening it and proving it.

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3759allen

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2014, 14:43 »
look for the results of the polls on here, it gives you a good idea of what generally works best for most people.

if your looking for earlies to be ready as soon as possible it may be worth looking into cobbling together some materials to make a mini poly tunnel (polythene and hoops), i tried them in my full size tunnel last year and they were ready to harvest 3 - 4 weeks before the ones out side. i put layers of carpet and fleece to keep the temperature of the soil up over night, before i planted and put back until they needed mounding up. i will do the same again this year but with the addition of straw and rabbit muck mulch under the carpet to try and increase the temperature further.

also it's a good thing to label the different varieties well so you know what results are for what variety. i used permanent marker on plastic labels last year and they washed off. DOH.


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Totty

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2014, 16:34 »
I grow lady christal for new salad pots and kestrel for doing everything else. Also grow Winston for the show bench too but not great for eating so I'm trying Casablanca this year too.

Totty

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peedee555

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2014, 22:56 »
going to have a lucky dip this year going to grow king edwards ( cos i like them ) and some others that i dont know what they are nor does my friend who gave them to me but there free and i got a lot of space so will see at least they will hrlpbreak up the new bit

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wbmkk

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2014, 18:55 »
Firstly !  good luck with the allotment. I got one late last year, so 2014 will also be my first growing season.

A local allotment association sells seed potatoes at £1 / kg

I have opted for Kestrel (2nd early) and Romano (main)  I actually grew Romano a couple of years ago in my back garden (in about 10 old recycle containers) and they were brilliant, which is why I have picked them again. I now know Desire is one of the 'parents' of Romano

Regards !

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shoozie

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2014, 22:18 »
Nice to see another Ambo convert!
All thanks to you and arugula for pointing me to these  :D. Can't track them down online as I've been late ordering this year so will have to get a move on to see who's got the locally - they've gone down really well on the plates here !  Look forward to what you think of Casablanca

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DD.

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2014, 22:24 »
Casablanca. Clue - having grown them last year, they're taking the place of Pentland Javelin alongside the Lady Christl's.

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shoozie

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Re: what potatoes should i go for
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2014, 22:36 »
Casablanca. Clue - having grown them last year, they're taking the place of Pentland Javelin alongside the Lady Christl's.
Thanks - I'll clock that for next year ...Unless a few happen to fall into the shopping trolley - accidentally, of course !!



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