[NorthEastJoy]

Hello all...

I've had great success with my early potatoes and would now like to grow maincrop potatoes next year.

I live near the coast in Northumberland and we can have some very wet or very cold/frozen weather in autumn/winter.

My questions are...

1. Which main crop variety would you recommend for me to try that produces the largest crop and would also suit our conditions and is also resistant to disease or going rotten?

2. Which main crop variety would you recommend for its keeping qualities so that I'd be able to store them over the winter or leave them in the ground?

Thank you very much and I look forward to your suggestions.

[mumofstig]

I suggest you read the Potato polls, to help you make up your mind 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=51.0

[NorthEastJoy]

I suggest you read the Potato polls, to help you make up your mind 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=51.0

I thank you, but I can't find the specific info I need to help me in the poll and I need someone to recommend the right variety for my needs based on their experience, because I've never grown a maincrop before and want to get it right.

[DD.]

That is a very sweeping "ask" and I don't think anyone can really answer it.

It's taken me years to find the varieties suit to my particular spot on my site. The conditions vary from plot to plot.

It think it would be a very brave person that can give you a one variety, easy fix answer.

I'm afraid you'll have to be prepared to put in some time and effort yourself in researching the properties of different varieties and then trying them.

[peapod]

DD is right.  I was saying a couple of years that King Edwards are the best...then I saw the slug damage which is my main potato problem.  Im now saying Desiree as there isnt a lot of slug damage.  It may change next year depending on storage problems.  But what about blight next year? I may change to a resistant variety?  See? Theres a lot to think about!  

A lot of the fun is trying new varieties, but for now I would suggest you research into the 'tried and tested' (where that poll comes in handy), for one main a year and also try a couple of rows of others. Chop and change every year until you find one that suits your plot.  Ask about on your plot site too, others may recommend varieties to you.

[sunshineband]

Like Peapod, I have my 'tried and tested' favourites and then find one year they suffer quite unexpected damage.

Cara have been good so far, but who knows what is happening under the ground as we 'speak'  :blink:

[fatbelly]

As an example and to illustrate what DD says, King Edward are a very well known and popular variety of Spud. Grown by many people throughout the years.

But on my plot they just don't do well at all, I have grown them next to other varieties of Main Crop which do great and give a good yield but King Eddies just don't do well.
Next season why don't you try 5 or 6 different variates of Main Crop spuds and see  which do well and which don't.

Learn from my mistake and make sure you mark which spuds are which because come harvest time 5 months after planting you will probably have forgotten which went where.

[DD.]

2. Which main crop variety would you recommend for its keeping qualities so that I'd be able to store them over the winter or leave them in the ground?

The only definite answer I can give to your questions is - unless you want to grow slug food - don't leave them in the ground any longer than necessary.

[dugless]

2. Which main crop variety would you recommend for its keeping qualities so that I'd be able to store them over the winter or leave them in the ground?

The only definite answer I can give to your questions is - unless you want to grow slug food - don't leave them in the ground any longer than necessary.

I have found it is waste of time growing main crop I just grow earlies and second earlies,
second earlies will keep fairly well up to and beyond the main crop being ready.

By the time main crop are ready depending on conditions the slugs or blight have already had them , and they are usually cheep enough if the shops

[brokenglass]

I agree with the above comments, the trouble with main crop on an allotment is probably blight.     If you plant early and 2nd early you will probably avoid blight and you will have the taste of new spuds when you want them.

[sunshineband]

and I can recommend a second early --- Kestrel 

Haven't found anywhere it won't grow (in the ground of course I mean  ), gets huge and keep well, tastes magnificent.

OK someone will come along and say otherwise, but that just goes to show what we have been talking about.

[rachelsco]

i am a newbie too, first year on allotment, and i planted half of it in spuds.
i didnt know what to grow so i thought what do i want to do with them, ie chips, wedges, mash, baked,  roast,  boiled etc. so i put in 3 rows of arran pilots, which were and still are lovely, two rows of duke of york earlies, which have had poor small potatoes, one row each of  rooster and golden wonder, for chips and wedges, desiree, because i always loved them and they are hard to find in worksop,and king edward.  ive yet to try much of the main crops but at the mo they look healthy enough, but i dont know whats happening underneath

so i would say from one newbie to another, think how you want to cook them and grow lots of different sorts as an experiment.  my total outlay was less than £20 and that included postage. that was from simply seeds, and they were very healthy seed potatoes.
 

[fatbelly]

If you only grow 2nd Earlies then grow Wilja.
A fantastic all round spud that mashes, roasts , chips boils and jackets.
Last season they kept in storage for me until March 

[DD.]

If you only grow second earlies, grow Kestrel. 

I can see a problem developing here!

[mumofstig]

Kestrel wasn't good here last year...I grew Ambo this year and that was better