[rowlandwells]

i ordered my seed potatoes to include international kidney my supplier telephoned to say they could not supply international kidney and offered Nicola as an alternative so i am going to try Nicola has anyone been growing this variety and what results did you get 

[peapod]

Result of the potato poll here and Im sure others will let you know.  Personally, I think you've got better spuds.  IK have never been great for me

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=66437.0

[Yorkie]

I think you've done well with that swap.

IK is generally thought very poorly of over here; Nicola is a decent salad potato.

[Iain@JBA]

Kidney are hard to come by but there are still some available if you know where to find them. Nicola are a great potato and if you were buying kidney to get a fresh salad type potato then you are probably better with Nicola.

[rowlandwells]

thanks for all your replies would you believe i came home from work yesterday and all my seed spuds where on the doorstep in a good frost proof sack i hope it will be interesting to see how Nicola perform on the lottie next year

[DD.]

That's darn early delivery, how do you intend storing them until spring?

[mumofstig]

My Ambo from Garden Organic have arrived as well. They are in the dark in the old brick lean-to WC, which is my shed at home. The temp is cold but above freezing ( water in tank unfrozen ) so I'm hoping they will be ok till it's chitting time...fingers crossed

[Iain@JBA]

I have only dared to send out spuds that were asked for as Christmas presents. It is far too cold to send seed potatoes out unless you know that someone will be at home to receive them.

I am very interested to find out what the frost proof packaging is rowlandwells as I might need some of it 

[peapod]

Iain
I will be picking your expert brains this Spring...keep an eye out for a PM please?

[andy135]

These potato's seem to be arriving very early, esp. considering the recent weather conditions.
I didn't even order mine from Iain until Feb 3rd last year and they were still here in plenty of time.

[Iain@JBA]

I would think that February is the best time to have your spuds sent but March is still the time that most people buy them.

Garden centres and other such places have pushed things so far forward now that people have to buy their potatoes early or miss out on things.

A few more winters like this and they might move things back but they actually think that the clever thing to do is to get them at the start of December and keep them until January time.

You would not believe how many people have called me to ask when their potatoes will arrive.

I will only send things when I think it is safe to do so as I do not want anyone getting frozen spuds.

I intend to enjoy the Christmas period and then prepare for the chaos of next year

Peapod my brain may be wasted by the time you send me a pm but feel free to do so.

[rowlandwells]

well Iain they where sent in a hessian sack inside  another thick poly type sacking i put them in the house in the broom cupboard its not heated but frost proof i made some wooden chit-ting trays a couple of years ago and always set them up in the greenhouse they chit very well this way but its far to cold to even think about doing that yet

i haven't evan bothered to open the sack but they feel firm enough and yes DD they are darn early to early they usually send them February but they are on account so i will be checking them thoroughly before paying

her indoors is not very please about me storing them in the broom cupboard  i will need to keep an eye on them as they may start chit-ting 

[Iain@JBA]

Ah I see. I was thinking about using paper sacks this year but at the temperatures we are having there is nothing that will really protect them.

Keep checking the potatoes every week just incase they start to go wrong.

Best of luck any way with them.

[NASH]

I ordered mine today, Lady Crystl, Vivaldi and Pentland Dell. Not tried Pentland Dell as a maincrop before.