[Ropster]

I have several varietys
Kesteral, rocket, Charlote,Arron Pilot and Vales emerald

all earlies or seconds and all flowery when cooked

What am I doing wrong

[muddywellies]

The only first early out of these that I've grown is Arran Pilot. When we first started digging them a few weeks ago they were quite waxy - and extremely delicious! I found that they needed very little boiling/steaming compared to shop bought spuds, so that could be it? Also, they seem to have got more floury now as they've got a lot bigger than the ones were that we were digging initially. Sorry I can't help with the other varieties.

[Aunt Sally]

As the tubers mature in the ground they change from waxy to floury.  Dig salad varieties young (as soon as they start to flower) for small waxy potatoes.

[Ropster]

I guess I have left them too long
the majority of my Earlies are still in the ground and the plants are dead so I guess they will all be flowery now

A lesson for next year  

[crowndale]

you just asked the question I was going to ask!!  Better get those international kidney out of the ground pronto then!!  I had disintergrating anya spuds for tea.  they taste fine, not my favourite though I think, but very floury.  even the international kidney I dug the other day were floury so there's little hope for the rest I guess!

[agapanthus]

I'm confused......my Arrans are fine and very big....no sign of dryness. Last year (and hopefully this) they stored really well too and still had the waxiness of new ones :?  :?  :?

[gobs]

I'm confused......my Arrans are fine and very big....no sign of dryness. Last year (and hopefully this) they stored really well too and still had the waxiness of new ones :?  :?  :?

So am I. As dry matter content increases with maturity, and there are some factors, like soil and feed and weather having some effect, it's mostly in the variety. And this is a varied selection. :?

Can say the same about Charlotte, still waxy when stored.

Have you some nice loam there by any chance? What else is the history of them, Roopster?

[Yorkie]

I have Charlotte spuds, and find that they are less floury when steamed (rather than boiled)

[Aunt Sally]

All the varieties do differ but Charlotte are noted for becoming floury if left in the ground to mature.

[vegmandan]

I agree.

 My Nicola were very waxy when small but now they are bigger are floury enough to make decent roast potatoes.  

[Ropster]

My soil is a heavy ish loam
it has had no animal manure on it for ages, just the green stuff (according to nearby plot mates, its my first year)
We already had plenty of Spuds in the fridge when they started flowering so I left them in the ground. they have been fed a bit with Blood Fish and Bone when they were put in and superphosphate later on

Any advice for a better result next year would be great

[gobs]

My soil is a heavy ish loam
it has had no animal manure on it for ages, just the green stuff (according to nearby plot mates, its my first year)
We already had plenty of Spuds in the fridge when they started flowering so I left them in the ground. they have been fed a bit with Blood Fish and Bone when they were put in and superphosphate later on

Any advice for a better result next year would be great

Well, apart from weather conditions, as we can't do much about them, should blame some of those - as need blame something these are very diff potatoes - I'd pick loam and phosphate.

Prepare their place next time with well rotted manure and do not feed them anything further on. But most importantly grow low or medium dry matter potatoes, like Charlotte and Rocket. Kestrel will have high DM whatever you do to it. A good rule of thumb: anything recommended as a good chipper will likely be high DM content by nature.