[jackiestagg]

OK guys lets get prepared for this to happen next year - which were worst and which best?
'Smile' went down immediately. 'Jersey Royals' went this week. 'Pink Fir Apple' is, amazingly, still going strong, and planted in the same bed as the others.  What has happened with your varieties? And anybody growing Sarpo Mira, does it work?

And how do I add a poll, wouldn't that be useful for this subject?

[Salkeela]

Okay I grew:
Home Guard - went down about 3 weeks ago.
Saxon -2 weeks ago
Pink Fir Apple - down just this week - and a great crop from those I've dug so far.   & I thought they were supposed to be lower yeilding..

Also some un-named somethings from the Organic-box man, that were in the bottom of the fridge when I found a space.  They were still going strong today - but I took them out today as a precaution because I planted them just out side the vent to the greenhouse & toms inside.

[Annie]

My fir apple now showing signs.I have grown sarpo axona last year,we got reasonable yields but didn`t grow this year because it didn`t taste of much.Despite this years disasters-though until we dig all the potatoes lurking in the soil we don`t know how badly we`ve been hit,I don`t regret leaving them out this year.

[crowndale]

I planted rocket and desiree and both went down with blight but I didn't lose any rocket, though they were a bit small coz dug early and only lost around 6 to being rotten in the desiree which is as likely due to the standing water as anything I guess.  I gave around half my seed spuds to friends with an allotment and every single one of theirs was completel mush in the ground, same spuds and simlar ground.  I think maybe mine had the advantage of slightly raised beds which may have helped lessen the water rot side of it.

[Salkeela]

Has anyone tried Sarpo mira ?  It's supposed to be blight resistant and tasty.

[GrannieAnnie]

Never tried Sarpo Miro, but with my earlies (Duke of York and Ulster Chieftain), although the plants were only a little affected, 2 thirds of what I'd stored for only a week were going rotten.  At the moment, I've only dug up a third of the Desiree that I'd cut the haulms off 2 weeks ago, and about a third of them are going.

[jackiestagg]

Are we all going to get really fat, trying to eat all these spuds before they go off? Anybody got any storage tips?

[splodger]

my spuds went in early and came out early - so missed the blight (except my mains - marfona) every plot on my site had blight - and most plot holders have done nothing about it - really bad husbandry i think :x

my spuds have been up for about 3/4 weeks now and are storin ok but as a precaution - as i had my mains up early - and have started cooking them off and freezing.

i have made batches of chips, par boiled and mash - as well as dauphinoise and lyonnaise.

i've also made some ready meals - with spud topping and a few batches of soup. all now in the freezer.

i shall do another big batch this week - so at least if the rest go off in store - i have salvaged something.

[jackiestagg]

too right. My next door neighbour and most of the allotments have just left the sad remains and haven't dug them up or cut the tops. I took all the haulms down to the council recycling.

[paintedlady]

Hi Jackiestagg,

Probably not very helpful, but those that I dug up have gone into the fridge, working on the principle that there is still potential   for warmer weather and the spuds might start to sprout.

Of course there's very little else in the fridge   and my harvest was a lot smaller than expected.

[sclarke624]

Like Splodger I started early and dug first earlies quite a while ago now and 2nd earlies at least 4 - 5weeks ago.  Advantages of being so South.

I grew Rocket not great yield as a first early.  And Maris Peer as a 2nd early, found these tastier than Rocket.

Rocket clean no scabs or anything.  Maris Peer common potatoe scab and good yield.

Did find some rotten ones in both but I think these were the seed tats themselves.  Do they do that when they have done their job.  Seemed to be the first tat on the group each time, not all but some.

[Annie]

Taking advantage of the sun I have been checking the potatoes on big sheets of newspaper.All except the rocket have some rotten spuds in regardless of weather the folliage was affected.I daren`t even think about those still waiting in the ground.I think I will be giving potatoes away with the courgettes,that is if the courgettes and squash do not succumb to the rapidly spreading powdery mildew!