Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => The Show Bench => Topic started by: gardenpassion on February 13, 2013, 22:44
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Hi all,
I have been bitten by the show bug, its totally addictive and great fun. Last year 's local show offered a class of coloured kidney potatoes. Please can someone tell me what on earth these are? If I can find out the possible varieties then I can get some chiitting and have a go at the 'potato trophy!!' :D
Thanks
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Classes usually ask for either round or oval. I presume kidney is oval but I am not sure.
They also ask for white or coloured. Coloured can be completely coloured e.g. red(desiree, red duke of york), or partly coloured, often just round the eyes(kestrel, king edward).
A good place to look is The Potato Council website which has a directory of potato varieties with descriptions and photographs.
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Salmo is correct, kidney refers to the shape so oval is the best description. It’s a bit of bad wording really as I know of many potato varieties capable of growing oval and round shaped potatoes.
‘Coloured’ can also be a confusing concept to the new shower. Basically if it’s got any speckle of colour such as Kestrel, Cara, Amour, Blue Belle and Purple Eyed Seedling then it’s classed as a ‘coloured’ potato, the same as fully coloured varieties such as Maxine. If the spud has no dark colouring whatsoever, then they are classed as ‘white’ or non-coloured, even if they appear slightly creamy, almost yellow under certain lights! Winston, Casablanca, Nadine are good ‘white’ show spuds.
If you really want to impress try growing them in bags filled with peat/compost and some added potato fertiliser. You will find that the spuds come out clean as a whistle and will gleam in comparison to those of your fellow exhibitors!