[mumofstig]

I have Lady Christl for earlies and Desiree for mains, sorted!

But which variety would you lift and eat first of the 2 varieties of 2nd earlies, Wilja or Kestrel? 

[DD.]

I'd leave the Kestrel to mature.

They're good storers and make cracking baked spuds.

[New shoot]

Not grown Wilja, but I quite often end up leaving my Kestrels to have as an early main crop and they are very good for this.  They bulk up quickly so you end up with decent sized potatoes that make great jacket spuds 

Oh - DD agrees with me about the jackets 

[mumofstig]

Thank you 

[Ivor Backache]

Not grown wilja, but have grown kestrel every year. They do not suffer much slug damage, and they do store well.

[gypsy]

Wilja are my fave, good chippers, bakers and mashers. I have grown them for 3 yrs now since a plot neighbour gave me some in exchange for some plastic baskets, we tried em and love em

[shoozie]

Agree with the comments on kestrel - cracking tattie to grow on as a main crop and makes a lovely baker, a good all rounder. I would leave it to grow on. 

Wilja is a great tasting second early and will keep well - I still have some left. 

Two great varieties in my opinion 

[3 allotments]

I planted 25kg of blue kestrel last year and had a fantastic crop very nice tasting spud

[Aunt Sally]

We've grown Wilja a couple of times.  They were OK but not are as good as I had hoped for.  We preferred Charlotte.

[madcat]

Wilja I can get grown commercially locally, so I go for Kestral.  On our clay-y sluggy soil, it is one of the best for standing up to the challenge.  I also leave it to bulk up ...  (Mains tend to go down with blight so I focus on second earlies).

This years seconds are one quarter Maris Peer, one quarter Charlotte and half Kestral.

[marcofez]

After reading this thread the other day, I decided to buy some Kestrel. Here's hoping for a good crop!

[3 allotments]

Iv'e just ordered online another 25kg £25 free delivery from scotland of blue kestrel from http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/ had great sucess last year so doing them again 

[Ice]

I've still got some Kestrel in the ground and they are amazing spuds, most are huge, very few have slug damage and as above, they are great baked.  I grow Kestrel every year.

[JohnB47]

Just curious, are Kestrel and Blue Kestrel the same variety? Never heard them called Blue before now.

I've grown Kestrel for five years and they're my favourite. They suffer very little damage when left in the ground.

[3 allotments]

Just curious, are Kestrel and Blue Kestrel the same variety? Never heard them called Blue before now.

I've grown Kestrel for five years and they're my favourite. They suffer very little damage when left in the ground.

have a look here john http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/buy-seed-potatoes/second-early-seed-potatoes  http://www.seedpotatomerchants.co.uk/browse.php     look under wholesale second earlies