potato variety

please has anyone any ideas on good potatoes to grow for good size all rounders that do all except chip and store well?  many thanks.  ps live in north yorkshire

Deffo Kestrel, and Maris Peer isn't bad either - makes lovely roasties, and stores well - I am just finishing my final sack off now (note to self - plant more spuds this year!!). I have had no storage problems at all - although the cold winter has probably helped that. Maris Peer is good if doing earlier pickings as "new potatoes", but then will get to a good size if left in the ground for longer. I got a little bit of scab, but not much slug or wireworm damage from leaving them in longer.

Quote from: plum crumble on January 21, 2010, 12:45

I got a little bit of scab, but not much slug or wireworm damage from leaving them in longer.

Shouldn't you have considered going to see your GP about that Plum? 

now that's NORTY! (Aunty, where are you?)    I am now visualising a Benny Hill moment, with a line of people running round and round an allotment with various implements in hand (oh no, what have I just said - again!!) 

Daffodill, are you on an allotment site or growing in your garden? The reason I ask if on site, then ask around what grows well in your ground. Its amazing the difference in results, last year I wanted a good jacket spud, on my old site eld arry always swore by cara, now on my new site, few miles upth road, eld bob says picasso, now picasso is a variant of carra i am lead to beleive, but the difference was massive in terms of size and quantity, piccasso beat cara by the country mile.
I would suggest you also ask at your local garden center as well if thats where you get your seed spuds from.

Deffo Kestrel, and Maris Peer isn't bad either - makes lovely roasties, and stores well - I am just finishing my final sack off now (note to self - plant more spuds this year!!). I have had no storage problems at all - although the cold winter has probably helped that. Maris Peer is good if doing earlier pickings as "new potatoes", but then will get to a good size if left in the ground for longer. I got a little bit of scab, but not much slug or wireworm damage from leaving them in longer.

I'm planning to put down a small number of first and second earlies (Lady Crystal and Charlotte maybe) and grow King Edward again this year (planted those last year - pretty good for a late sowing and the Missus wants me to grow them again). But I'm wondering - like you say about Maris Peer, are there other varieties that can be dug early as a 'new potato' but left in the ground for later, larger, spuds?

I was thinking of growing Picasso - can these be dug early if the King Edwards aren't ready and the earlies have been used up?

Ta.

Quote from: JohnB47 on January 21, 2010, 13:57

I'm planning to put down a small number of first and second earlies (Lady Crystal and Charlotte maybe) and grow King Edward again this year (planted those last year - pretty good for a late sowing and the Missus wants me to grow them again). But I'm wondering - like you say about Maris Peer, are there other varieties that can be dug early as a 'new potato' but left in the ground for later, larger, spuds?

I was thinking of growing Picasso - can these be dug early if the King Edwards aren't ready and the earlies have been used up?

Ta.

Yes, Kestrels can be taken as earlies small, and left in the ground as mains. Plus they are really slug resistant so you get few holes in them. The best all rounder [IMHO]

Thanks. I'll look into that.