[barbarella]

I heard picasso were good for baking which is why I am growing them, another couple of weeks before they will be ready though.

Please let me know when you try them Starling.

[DD.]

For bakers/all round spud, I grow "Ambo" - a Cara/Desiree cross.

[Starling]

Will do Barbarella

[Patrick]

First earlies - Red Duke Of York - reasonable yield and tasty enough. Have grown Accent for the three years before this year and will go back to them for next year if I can get the seed potatoes. Heavier cropper, more versatile and no less tasty.
Second earlies - Charlotte - great crop from the few plants I've dug up and so tasty.
Maincrops Desiree, Sante and Sarpo mira.
Yield and taste to be seen but I've grown Desiree before and they were bountiful, tasty and can be cooked succesfully in any way you care to mention.
Bit dry this year so Iexpect the yield from all the spuds to be less than last year.

[SUTTY1]

After liting 1 Picasso plant during the week that looked good, decided to lift the rest today before the slugs get to them
Best harvest i've had in 5yrs of growing must easily be 5lb+ per plant

For those how mentioned baking Picasso, i have in the past and they were real good. Always been good storers too.

[Starling]

How many weeks have yours been in Sutty? 
This is my first time growing spuds and I really don't want the slugs to get them, they have been in 17 weeks, should I pull one up and have a look or leave them for another few weeks?

[SUTTY1]

mine beeen in 4months, think i learned a lesson

[DD.]

For best storage properties of maincrop spuds, they should really be left in until the foliage dies down, so the the potatoes are mature.

I'm interested to know how people manage to "pull" potatoes. I've tried it, but most sem to stay in the ground. If I could perfect this technique, I'd save some fork damage. 

[arugula]

2nd early Catriona harvested today. Another decent sized, clean looking crop. The odd purple tinge on some of the pots, so they look rather nice. One thing we did notice is that this variety has many more very small potatoes in the crop, than the other varieties we have grown this year. I wondered if this is caused by the container growing and the plants running out of room to grow all the fruits up to a decent size? Perhaps someone knowledgeable could give their opinion?

Cooking and taste thoughts are that it seems quite ordinary, almost lacking in flavour, and therefore not extraordinary enough to be given space again in our setup. Will try them roasted though, they might be good at that.

[Starling]

For best storage properties of maincrop spuds, they should really be left in until the foliage dies down, so the the potatoes are mature.

I'm interested to know how people manage to "pull" potatoes. I've tried it, but most sem to stay in the ground. If I could perfect this technique, I'd save some fork damage. 

Silly question I know DD but when you say leave until the foliage dies down are we talking plants looking yellow and a bit unhealthy or brown and withered?   All very confusing for a newbie surrounded by newbies.

A for pulling potatoes, I am planning to have OH loosen everything with the fork, then I will just give a ladylike tug 

[DD.]

The recommended method is to let them die back fully - then wait!

Here's the Garden Organic fact sheet:

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.php

[Starling]

Thanks for the link DD.  Dug up one of each main crop spud, chose those with the most dead foliage just to have a sneaky peek.
Maris Piper - 10 medium spuds -scab and lots of eelworm holes
Picasso - 11 mostly smallspuds - terrible scab only one eelworm hole
Pink fir apple- 17 very small spuds - some scab and a few eelworm holes.
So no bakers for me
Now I am deciding whether the dig them all up or let the slugs that are due in early September fight the eelworm for what is left

[JayG]

Thanks for the link DD.  Dug up one of each main crop spud, chose those with the most dead foliage just to have a sneaky peek.
Maris Piper - 10 medium spuds -scab and lots of eelworm holes
Picasso - 11 mostly smallspuds - terrible scab only one eelworm hole
Pink fir apple- 17 very small spuds - some scab and a few eelworm holes.
So no bakers for me
Now I am deciding whether the dig them all up or let the slugs that are due in early September fight the eelworm for what is left

Potato Eelworm (potato cyst nematode) don't make significant holes Starling; more likely wireworm damage if you soil was recently grassed over or slug and/or millipede damage if not.

Eelworm link

[diggerjoe]

Just dug a row of Wilja second earlies - very good yield considering how dry the ground with some big enough to bake but mainly mid size no marks on any -  no slug damage which may be due to dry soil. I think if watered nore there would have been more at a good baking size. A definate for next year.

[Starling]

Thanks JayG,  definatley wireworm, and a few nasty black/grey slugs to boot.  So I guess they are all coming up at the weekend.