[MrsLev]

I've never really grown potatoes other than sticking the odd sprouting tattie in the garden like my mum always did (yes I now know that's a bad idea-we live and learn!), however now I'm an actual allotmenteer, albeit of one month, I'm looking to next year.

Our allotment shop have given out the potato order forms, but I really don't know what I'm doing!

We don't eat LOADS of potatoes (sweet potatoes yes but that's another year!), but i do like a new potato and don't have anywhere to store main crops for any length of time in our tiny house, so should we concentrate on 1st and 2nd earliest and maybe some salad crops?

I have to order in full kilos, so how many kilos of seed potatoes would we need for a family of 2.5?

Sorry for wanging on!

[Yorkie]

I find that most first and second earlies do well as salad spuds.  You can look the specific varieties up on the potato database if you want.
http://www.varieties.potato.org.uk/menu.php

We've done potato popularity polls in the past on here; take a look but bear in mind that climate and soil type will influence outcomes:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=51.0

1kg of seed tubers does about 3 x 3m length trenches, I find - the planting distance varies according to first / second / maincrop.

Others will hopefully be able to advise better on quantities, but I am intrigued - who is the 0.5 person?! 

[mumofstig]

this old post gives an idea of yield per spud, to help you work out how many you need to plant

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=28657.msg341926#msg341926

[MrsLev]

I've looked at the popularity polls and have pretty much decided on varieties based on that, but will look at the database as well since I'm pretty much just staring at a list of names with mo way to decide which trumps others! Unassuming 80p a kg is a good price since everything else in the shop is a steal!?

The .5 in the Levy Family is our 3 year old, he's a work in progress!

[Yorkie]

Ah 

Yes, 80p / kg is very good.  We have charged £1.10 / kg for the last couple of years.

[MrsLev]

Thanks MOS! From reading that I think I'll start small, maybe 2 kg of my chosen firsts and maybe some PFA's because I know I like them. I'm going to have to do more homework on the firsts and seconds business because It's like another language, forms need to be in on Saturday though. Mr Lev has no idea, just goes with whatever I say but in this (rare ) instance I'm not sure!

[mumofstig]

John's advice may help with the 1sts and 2nds thing 
http://www.allotment-garden.org/grow-your-own/potatoes.php

[MrsLev]

Ooh...ok so maybe some 1st's and 2nd's then!

[Goosegirl]

Some garden centres sell them loose so you can buy a few of several varieties to try them out. My late D-I-L used to say go for tubers the size of a hen's egg.

[Kristen]

maybe 2 kg of my chosen firsts and maybe some PFA's because I know I like them.

We aren't big potato eaters either (but consume quite a lot when we have the odd hoard, or two, around for BBQ in the Summer).

We grow 2kg of 1st, 2kg of 2nd, and 2kg of PFA.  We start harvesting the PFA quite early (technically its a main crop, so would not normally be harvested early if you want the full weight of the crop).  We particularly like the taste, but also we find it stores better than most others that we have grown, such that we no longer grow main crop at all - they are cheap as chips (sorry!) to buy at the farm gate, and the farmers have decent cold storage, whereas our self-stored ones would all be sprouting by Christmas.

We grow 4 bags (in greenhouse / conservatory) of 1st early to get some "really early" .  For these we buy 3 tubers (loose from garden centre, or a bag of 5 if not available at garden centre) of Rocket which is the fastest I know of, for the earliest bag.  They get us to the point where the outdoor crop is ready for harvesting. Then the other 3 bags we use whatever 1st early variety we are growign (usually Aran Pilot).

We favour Charlotte for the 2nd early.  If you have no preference, and have not tried named varieties from the supermarket, then I would suggest that you grow a little of each of whatever your allotment association will let you have (assuming they will sell you just 5 of a variety?).  In terms of flavour etc. a lot depends on your soil, and how your grow them, so growing several varieties and having a family taste-test will give you a love/hate list for future years

I'm going to have to do more homework on the firsts and seconds business because It's like another language

They can all be planted on the same day, 1st, 2nd early and Maincrop just refer to the length of time from plant-to-harvest.

The speed of 1st Early means that they are normally done & dusted before any Blight arrives - another possible reason not to grow main crop.

[gobs]

1 kg bag is a lot at any rate, especially if you do not eat a LOAD of potatoes. So I'd personally would advise to try and share if you can(buy several bags between yourselves) or alternatively go for multipurpose potatoes.

I'd recommend two bags for the size and what's known about the  eating habit of your family. Also do consider your space for them, main crops commonly need more.

You might think at such amounts on offer of pots that are good for new and salad use, as well as store brill, like Charlotte, Nicola, Orla.

[MrsLev]

I don't really have anyone to share with yet, but to be honest I've got a half plot with only some radish, onion and Leeds growing so far and lots of weeds! So I don't think space will be an issue until I get a grip of what I'm doing.

Here are my options:

[HHH]

I don't really have anyone to share with yet, but to be honest I've got a half plot with only some radish, onion and Leeds growing so far and lots of weeds! So I don't think space will be an issue until I get a grip of what I'm doing.

Here are my options:

You have some excellent choices there Mrs Lev. It does depend on what you and family like eating. This year I followed the advice of many on this forum and grew Lady Christl as a first early and would agree with the consensus: they are excellent, firm, a good flavour and seemed to be disease-free. I also grew Maris Peer as a 2nd early and am very impressed with those too. A good versatile potato, which will roast well is Kestrel.

[Kristen]

Perhaps buy 1kg of any variety that you know of and that you like, but this year visit the garden centre to just buy 5 (say) of the varieties that have come recommended and which you would like to try?

Then next year you can make better use of the allotment's special offer.

Might be that the allotment will sell you any left-overs after they have weighed out everyone's requests?

[Willow_Warren]

Just wanted to say good luck with your choices!

I think I'm going to try to find a garden centre that sells them loose - as my growing will be on a smaller scale next year - but still want variety .  I will choose just a few of what I like

Hannah