[matron]

Owing to our wonderful British summer  I have only just been able to dig our early potatoes - Rocket.
They were planted at the end of April (again due to our wonderful weather) and should really have been lifted a month ago but they have now grown into large potatoes and have given me a huge yield and they taste good. Some hole damage from both wireworm and slug.
I have also started to lift our Desirees. Fantastic yield and again large potatoes but not tasted them yet but I have done them for the last four years so they should be good and they are a good all rounder. Little evidence of damage and another 5 rows to lift so I am hoping for a good amount to store. They lasted me until February last year.
This is an excellent thread and one to be referred to when planning next year but can I say that the soil you grow in does alter the taste. We use 2 different beds for potatoes rotating around and the taste from this year's bed is different to last year's bed for the same variety.

[wighty]

Two brown paper sacks full of maincrop dug today.  The label blew away so no idea of what type they are.  No slug damage but did lose half a dozen to 'woodlice'. We usually for maincrop go for a 'big' name (if you know what I mean) and they are half pink and half cream coloured.  The 'littlies' tasted very nice tonight as potato salad.

[SalB]

First earlies- 1 row 12 foot log = 20lb of very yummy charlotte potatoes

Main crop- 2 rows 12 foot long = 2 and half stone of maris pipers

No idea how everyone stores them as mine just get eaten straight away by hungry friends and family!

[titch]

10 plants pink firs - v nice, no damage - bucket full
10 plants charlottes - very nice little damage, few holes - bucket full
10 plants king edwards - great, one slug - 1/4 paper sack full
9 plants roosters - bit small, some slug damage, amount as edwards
9 plants desiree - some whoppers bu mostly mediums and smalls - same amount as edwards, some holes

we got blight on them all so had to pull the mains a tad early - guess they would have bulked up more if not for that
going to go for disease resist next year or spray, cant make up my mind yet

not too shabby for the first year, i am happy enough with it

[diggerjoe]

Bluebelle- good crop only planted 5 return weighed in at 9lbs
Rudolph - mixed result some plants plenty others only one or two good sized potatoes
Swift - very good yield but a bit scabby
Anya - grown in a bag resonable amount - flavour slightly bitter
International Kidney - grown at home, planted late poor yield but good flavour.
Vivaldi - so far good with some big ones, a few holes, no scab, will dig these and store as plot is very wet

have picasso, druid, sante,markies,  valor, yukon gold, moulin rouge  yet to harvest - blight now on some so may dig up early -  foliage of  druid still very green and healthy with flowers.

Not as good a year as last.

[Pompey Spud]

Just started to dig up my main crop Cara's.

One lines worth. Great jackets I feel.

PUP!!

[galen]

First attempt at growing potatoes, light soil.

Charlottes - Good yield, when sorted how to cook tasted lovely, a must for next year

Kondor (2nd early / main crop depending where you read) - Very good yield, some huge spuds, slightly scabby

[PAH48]

Arran Pilot (F/E)....reasonable yeild...no slugs or other damage..

Charlotte (S/E)..excellent yeild as always...no sug or other damage...

International Kidney (S/E)....First ones out brilliant...those left in a wee bit too long#
showed heavy slug damage and a few scabs...over all good yeild..

Kestrel (S/E)...Brilliant crop...no damage at all...excellent yeild..

King Edwards (Main)....cannot fault them...great yeild...no damage...

Next year...deffinates...Kestrel...Charlotte...King Edwards...
the jury is our on International Kidney....and would like to choose
maybe a red and another white (F/earlies) next year....

Hope this helps you's all.....

[mumofstig]

I have already said that i grew Vivaldi (the low carb potato) loved the taste and a good yield
Just thought that i would add that i've just microwaved and eaten a Moussaka that i made with some of these potatoes, and the texture of them was very strange and grainy..........don't know what would have caused that
Note to self.........do not freeze Vivaldi potatoes next year!!

[thistle]

Grew Charlotte potatoes in bags.  First time I've grown something apart from tomatoes.  Really pleased with the result - loads of beautiful spuds, clean, blemish free skins.  No slug damage.  What can I grow in the bags in winter? Sheltered garden in Sheffield. Not much sun in winter.

[lovemyveg]

I reported earlier about my findings of Anya and Internationl Kidney.  Since writing I would add that BOTH should be lifted as First Earlies rather than Second Earlies. My findings were that the International Kidney, planted at the end of April, was much better at 11/12 weeks after planting than now 14/16 weeks old.  The IT are now showing signs of browning in the middle of the potato creating lots of wastage.  They are far too large and have to be treated as roast, chipped or mashed. There has been a lot of waste on the lastest harvesting.  I would certainly treat the International Kidney as an early potato, prone to scarring and pest invasion if left in the ground too long.  The Anya variety are still very edible, but much, much better as an early potato.  They are now  far too big for a new small potatoes and need to be cut to size in order to be steamed successfully.  I would plant Anya again, but would replace the International Kidney with a better early potato.

[Lady Lottie]

I harvested all my Desiree spuds last weekend - finally got around to weighing them this week - 62 pounds total!  This is my first year having a go at growing anything -  so I was amazed and delighted equally I think! :happy: :happy:

I suppose I should add that maybe 5lb worth had slug/critter damage and a fair few potatoes were enormous - bigger than my (quite large) hands.  This weight doesn't include the few I dug up a couple of weeks ago when I was furtling.  I roasted them and there were absolutely delicious - really good flavour and lovely and floury and fluffy inside.

They suffered much less critter damage than the Rocket earlies I planted.

[fekq]

first year, and we rather overdid it. spent sunday digging up as they were starting to look a bit blighty... (we've been furtling and eating for past couple of months as well). about 80kg of Colleen and Orla: no slug damage (thanks to the Nematodes! Yay - go nematodes!) from 4.5kg of seed pots.
ridiculously easy for such lovely results.
unfortunately garden centre has run out of sacks so they're currently in shopping bags and buckets in the downstairs loo til Marshalls deliver the sacks i've just ordered.

[PAH48]

If your stuck for tattie sacks nip round to your local chippy, sure they will oblige..
my local has certainly helped out...

[brewerboy]

Again a late lifter due to the weather but worth the wait. I am not 100% sure what they are because my allotment shop said they were Jersey royals( in all but name) first and second earlies. Both are heavy croppers and appear to be storing well. My wife suggested we 'grade' them by size for storage, sensible really otherwise the smaller ones get lost at the bottom of the bag. I have acquired a few paper sacks but find the reuseable Iceland and Wilkinsons fabric carrier bags make good storage bags.

Can anyone tell me the proper name because the allotment shop said something about being called 'international' because the EU have stopped the use of Jersey.

thanks