Floury potatoes

[Flo_Nettle]

Hello everyone

I'm new around here and am a grower of vegetables on a reasonably small veggie patch in Norfolk. I started as a beginner 10 years ago and now enjoy the reliabilty of having my "favourites" under my belt and the confidence to try a few new things each year. I dug up a flower bed this year to try some squash and I'm loving watching them grow before my very eyes!

But I've had a huge disappointment with my potatoes this year as every one is floury. Has anyone any suggestions why that might be?

I grew Home Guard and International Kidney. (I've not grown either before) Both grew heartily and happily but without flowers. The crop however is good. The potatoes look beautiful, they are clean, well sized and plentiful.

But as soon as they hit the pan they disintegrate. They seem to aquire a second skin in the water which then disolves. I feel quite deprived of any new potatoes this year! Both crops are the same, in fact its hard to tell the two appart.

I've heard two other people say they've had the same. They'd grown different varieties and each live about 15 miles from me. Is there something in the air?!

Hope you can help
Flo

[Lesley Jay]

Home Guard are a floury potato variety so will disintegrate when boiled in a pan. Although they claim that International Kidney is actually Jersey Royals, when I grew them I thought they were dreadful. International Kidney when harvested as small potatoes is supposed to be a waxy variety but when allowed to grow into decent sized spuds turns into a floury variety that will disintegrate in a pan.

I like growing different varieties but I got that fed up of potatoes disappearing when I boiled them, leaving a pan of mush and white water, that I bought an electric steamer and now I always steam potatoes with great results.

[Flo_Nettle]

Awww thanks for the tip, I'll try steaming them. I have that many that I have to find something to do with them and its too hot to bake them all.

Back to Swifts or Nadines next year I think

[POTHEAD]

if you like firm tasty salad pots try pink fir apple,either as 2nd earlies or main crop
regards POTHEAD

[Flo_Nettle]

Thanks PH I'll remember those for next year

[DunDiggin]

Yes PFA are a great potato if you like a maincrop boiling potato, they're smaller cousin Anya are better as a salad type though. I always find Charlottes make the best second early, and Maris Peer for my roasting maincrop. Trying Cara this year as my wife wants a large baking potato.
Also trialled the vales Emerald this year - don't touch with a barge pole, and Mayan Gold - good waxy potato, should have left them a bit longer though, hope they come down in price

[babcock]

Here in France Ratte are favoured as a waxy potato. I am not sure whether they are available in the UK.If you can cope with the exchange rate Baumaux sell them Graines Baumaux : graines de semences florales et potagères . Their catalogue is huge. I just counted 17 pages on tomatoes alone!