Seed Potatoes

[Scythe]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post on the forum and it concerns seed potatoes for next year. As I have always been a bit of a traditionalist, I have always grown the old favourites e.g. this year I grew Sharpe’s Express and Aran Pilot for earlies and Maris Piper and Desiree for main crop, apart from a bit of scab and slug damage the results were very good. Next year I would like to try some new varieties particularly first and second earlies, so any suggestions based on your harvests would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
John

[johnmichael]

Found Kestrel second earlies a good all rounder + heavy cropping also.

[solway cropper]

Agree that Kestrel are a good and reliable cropper. Lady Christl is a superb tasting first early...far better than Jersey Royals in my wife's opinion. Charlotte is an excellent salad potato..firm and waxy and good tasting.

I try one or two new varieties each year and there's enough to keep me going till I end up in the ground myself!!

[vegetable-gardener]

We always grow red duke of york which is a first early. Very nice potato. Though this year I fancy growing a heritage variety called Shetland Black (second early) and Salad Blue (early maincrop) these are available from Thompson and Morgan.

[realfood]

Shetland Black is a tasty floury tattie, but a small crop. Salad Blue is not a salad potato(floury) and I found it tasteless even microwaving it. Do not boil or you will loose all the colour!

[Saturna]

Try some Swift as a first early, I've been eating them within 9 weeks of planting before now, they are one of the fastest maturing varieties. Usually plant them and Rocket at the same time and have a 2-3 week gap between them in terms of maturity.

[johnmichael]

Originally Posted by Saturna

Try some Swift as a first early, I've been eating them within 9 weeks of planting before now, they are one of the fastest maturing varieties. Usually plant them and Rocket at the same time and have a 2-3 week gap between them in terms of maturity.

Personally i have found the taste of Rocket potatoes nothing to write home about.

[Saturna]

Personal taste I guess as I've always found them to have a nice flavour, certainly as good as older varieties but they do need harvesting before they get too big as the flavour does go then

[vegetable-gardener]

We planted our Red Duke Of York Yesterday. Have planted them this time of the year for the last 2 years and works really well for us.

But if there is frost forecast we always water them so the damage to the leaves is very minimal.

[Hammer]

vegetable-gardner, have you chitted your Duke of York spuds or is it neccessary? the reason i ask is i bought first early Home Guard today and i know they will crop 3 or 4 weeks earlier if i chitt them but that will take about 3 weeks, would i be as well off to put tham straight in - i have always chitted my spuds in the past but was wondering if it was a must do or not?

[solway cropper]

Hammer, it's not necessary to chit potatoes...they'll still grow. The idea is that if you get the tubers early and chit them you can give them a head start and get an earlier crop. Chitting is also handy if you get them too soon and the conditions are not right for planting. I would think that in south-east Ireland you should be getting them in about now.

[Hammer]

solway cropper, that's what i was thinking, get them in this week as the weather is quite mild here with some nice sunny days, i even cut the lawn today which is rather earlier than usual. Thanks.