Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Potato & Tomato Popularity Polls => Topic started by: arugula on October 09, 2010, 19:07

Title: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on October 09, 2010, 19:07
Based on your growing results and combining the factors of flavour, yield and disease resistance, what in your opinion is the best first early potato to grow - choose up to 3 varieties and help everyone choose what to grow next year.

:)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: DD. on October 09, 2010, 20:07
As I've said to Argyllie in a PM, (we've colluded on this), this will be a guide, what works for one is not guaranteed to work in someone else's soil.

Bear in mind that one person may have hit on the best spud in the world. That spud will still only get one vote.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: mumofstig on October 09, 2010, 20:30
I only used one vote cos I've grown one good'un and stuck with it  :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on October 09, 2010, 20:33
Its all useful info. though. :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: solway cropper on October 09, 2010, 22:34
I grew Epicure, Dunluce and Vales Emerald this year but the Epicure is the only one I'll grow again because the flavour was fantastic and yields good. In the past I've grown Rocket and Swift which are certainly early but I found the flavour disappointing, likewise Duke of York.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: TheSpartacat on October 09, 2010, 23:41
My "other" vote is Sharpes Express- grew them last year in patio planters and loved them! Good yield, lovely flavour. Sorry i didn't grow them this year, as my L.Rosebery's- while the yield and flavour was good- they looked a bit scaly skinned for some reason
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on October 10, 2010, 15:11
That's useful Spartacat, I was wondering about Sharpe's Express as a "new". I'm going for the wonderful Lady Christl as an early anyway.

:)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: chriscross1966 on October 12, 2010, 02:11
Gotta be Lady C.... Rockets are quick but aren't a great flavour, Swift and Mimi never got big enough thoughtey taste OK, A friend of mine left some Lady C in and they got proper big adn they're a fabulous baker.....

chrisc
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: rainbow1 on October 12, 2010, 08:24
My Other is also Sharpes Express which were fantastic this year - my best spud ever
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: madcat on October 12, 2010, 18:50
I'll pass on the arran pilot (no flavour in this soil) and the epicure (very low yield).  But sharpes express was very good when I had a had a couple of samples in ... err ... year before last.  (Doesnt time fly when you are having fun!   :blush:)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: MoreWhisky on October 12, 2010, 19:57
With news its got to be flavour flavour flavour so i voted Home Guard.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: tontom on October 14, 2010, 20:10
my first early this year was a very tasty Pentland Javelin ::)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: boosh on October 17, 2010, 19:55
Mine is Foremost as recomened bye another plot holder, Great taste and so versatile.
This is the only First early i've ever grown. so i could be missing out but why change if you have something you like .  :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: kingdhesiii on October 19, 2010, 22:08
Did charlotte and pent jav.
Charlotte fantastic, pent jav very average. Taste wise charlotte is on another planet to pj.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: DD. on October 19, 2010, 22:10
Charlotte is a second early.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: prakash_mib on October 21, 2010, 14:35
PJs were beautiful, good yield and quite big as well in for next year. Vales emerald picture perfect golfball sized,best tasting potatoes, "ridiculas/next to nothing" yield not in for next year.
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: spot1986 on October 22, 2010, 10:43
Dunluce, Epicure and Sharpe's Express are my chosen 3 from a dozen or so varieties that I have grown over the last few years. I am hoping to give Casablanca a go next year, sounds good !
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on October 22, 2010, 10:55
Thanks for your input spot! Its all useful. Perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself in the Welcome section too..

:)
Title: Re: First early potato choice - vote for your favourite!
Post by: TheSpartacat on November 05, 2010, 23:10
Sharpes Express getting a lot of love in here! :-) Now I'm sure I'm gonna grow them again next year, as it wasn't just me who had good results.

Since its a cold wintery day here I've been spending the time wisely, looking through seed suppliers and planning and plotting for next year!! :D (its never too early... i'll have changed my mind six times before i get around to ordering! :D
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: Spana on November 07, 2010, 13:05
I grew Premiere this year so I've ticked 'others'.
 I had almost given up on growing spuds because of slug damage.  As a last resort I tried these and got a good  crop.  I'd never heard of them before but they grew well and had minimal slug damage even tho some were left in the ground quite late.  They didn't have the new potato taste after the first 2-3 weeks of digging them but the ones left in the ground went on swelling and they made lovely mash, roasters and bakers.  They did have a small amount of scab but nothing to worry about.
 I thought they were excellent and will grow double the amount next year :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on November 12, 2010, 15:30
Thanks to all who have taken part. :) We'll close the voting tomorrow as you should all have harvested by now (apart from Christmas tatties).

:)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: JayG on November 12, 2010, 15:54
Well done Argyllie!  :)

Glad to see Lady Chrystl look as if they have been pipped at the post; might make it just that little bit easier for me to buy them in a few months time!  ;)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on November 12, 2010, 15:55
Thanks JayG! And yes I agree with you about the shopping! ;)

:D
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: mumofstig on November 12, 2010, 16:03
Ah PJs came first............a class spud, and mine were 10 in a pack from the poundshop :)

You can't get better value than that ;)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on November 12, 2010, 16:06
Its not quite finished yet........ :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: mumofstig on November 12, 2010, 16:07
I'll wait with bated breath then :D
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - vote for your favourite!
Post by: arugula on November 12, 2010, 16:09
There's plenty of us LC fans out here you know.... :D :D :D

Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on November 13, 2010, 11:05
Pentland Javelin is most popular, followed by Lady Christl. :D
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: Iain@JBA on November 14, 2010, 10:53
Well in every one of the potato polls the old varieties have came up tops. Is that because more people grow the older varieties and haven't tried the newer ones?

I can feel another poll coming on :D
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: Rampant_Weasel on November 14, 2010, 14:54
ill wager the pentland javelin voters have never tasted lady christl....  ;)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on November 14, 2010, 14:56
I couldn't comment RW!  ;) :happy: I'm not biased... :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: mumofstig on November 14, 2010, 14:59
much!..........so try to convert me........what kind of spuds are they..PJs grow quite waxy here at least, which I like :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on November 14, 2010, 15:05
Well, I can't give a comparison against PJ as I haven't grown them, but I just couldn't get over how amazing the LC flavour was. :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: mumofstig on November 14, 2010, 15:13
ok but are they waxy, floury or what :)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: JayG on November 14, 2010, 15:15
I would say that LC are quite (but not very) waxy when young with a new potato flavour reminiscent of how Jersey Royals are supposed to taste (but don't always seem to these days.)

Seem to be less waxy and less tasty as they age but I think that's probably true of most FE's.

(Got a funny feeling there isn't going to be much agreement on this subject, but then again I'm someone who doesn't think that the all-conquering Charlotte are that great!)  :unsure:
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on November 14, 2010, 15:18
Well I think that puts it very well JayG. :) Ours didn't last long enough to get less waxy or less tasty.
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: mumofstig on November 14, 2010, 15:44
If I can get a small bag of LC i will trial them alongside my PJs ......the only thing to do :D

Jay, on my soil Charlottes are wonderful........but I suppose the soil you're growing them in does make a  difference ;)
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: arugula on November 14, 2010, 15:59
This year our Charlotte were harvested two weeks before the LC. The Charlotte were unimpressive in texture*, cooking, flavour and the LC were good in all those aspects.

:)

* There were reports all summer on AVG of different potatoes not cooking well.
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: JayG on November 14, 2010, 16:06
If I can get a small bag of LC i will trial them alongside my PJs ......the only thing to do :D

Jay, on my soil Charlottes are wonderful........but I suppose the soil you're growing them in does make a  difference ;)

Millions of people can't be wrong ( ::)) so the soil must make a difference, although having grown Charlottes the main reason I went for LC was their higher resistance to eelworm (I still seem to be the only person in the UK with this problem!)  :wacko:
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: huwnick on February 03, 2011, 16:41
 :mad:Our best has been the old favourite Sharpes Express it has been good for our plot
Title: Re: First early potato choice 2010 - RESULTS!
Post by: mumofstig on February 04, 2011, 21:29
I'm going to lock last years topic now, if you really feel you need to add something then ask a mod to re-open it   ;)