The Poultry Keeper

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Location: Shetland

Hope I'm not the only here a little obsessed with potatoes... thought I'd start a thread all about them - what we're all growing, what we recommend (varieties, cultivation methods, etc), how we like to eat them, etc.

So, me first!

This year I'm growing King Edward, Ulster Sceptre, Pink Fir Apple, Blue Belle, Purple Eyed Seedling and Shetland Black. Of these, the Ulster Sceptre were a freebie from Thompson & Morgan, so not a first choice. Of the rest, the Blue Belle and Purple Eyed Seedling are new to me - am growing both with half a mind to the forthcoming agricultural shows produce table. The latter are especially smart - a nice pale yellow skin with shallow purple-blotched eyes.

The Shetland Blacks are a labour of love - not the most productive tattie by a long chalk, but they're the local breed and the strain I have is the darkest skinned one I've come across here. We started out with 3 different strains, all from different sources across the isles. The one I've retained has, when harvested, an almost jet-black skin. None of this royal purple skinned ersatz offering you can buy in Waitrose or from the online seed merchants!

Planted mine in the first week of May (late by most standards, but about right for here with our late and short growing season). All breaking through the ridges in the past week, and will grow like fury now the days are so long. Dusk comes at about 11pm now, and we're still 3 weeks from longest day!

Attila

Dusty · Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 770 Location: St. Asaph

Running late with my veggies, but the spuds - Maris Piper have been planted and are doing good.

I have done all mine in bags this year as I find that I leave odd ones in the ground and they sprout the year after just where i've put my lettuce etc!

Did some in bags last year and they were so easy to look after and harvest.

Very Happy

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1334 Location: Manchester

I've got pink fir apple and some random ones that were left over from my sisters, not sure what they were now...

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

Ive planted Foremost, which when they do well are our favs. Some years they just wont get going and are a washout.
This year they have been very slow but are all up about 9inches now. I dont think it will be a bumper crop as some have flower buds showing already Confused

I can only grow first earlies as slugs ruin anything that needs to be in the ground longer.

I have some really good volunteers about the garden all looking much better than the Foremost.

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2478 Location: South Cumbria

I don't have room for them at this house and can't get an allotment only 5 in this parish Sad

but at least I can buy freshly dug local ones from the farm shop Smile

NannyP · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject:

Not planted many, but what I have pleanted are Charlottes.
They were gorgeous last year, washed and straight into the pan.
Can't wait to try this years, if it EVER stops raining!

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Location: Shetland

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually having to water mine - we've just come out of a May with only 5% of the usual rainfall here in Shetland!

Good job we don't have a hosepipe ban...

I like Charlottes too - great for potato salads, imho. Have you tried Anya? It's a cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple - similar taste and texture to Charlotte, but generally a bigger tuber. (how trainspottery is that? I even know my potato hybrids!)

Attila

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7157 Location: isle of lewis

i haven't this Embarassed

NannyP · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

I haven't grown Anya...only bought them in the UK.
I don't remember seeing any when looking here for seed pots.

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1235 Location: Correze

I haven't planted any spuds this year ... although I do have a healthy-looking crop of "volunteers" from last year's completely-failed crop of "Agata". I'm keeping an eye on them, as last year's failed due to blight ... so the first signs of blight this year and the whole lot will be pulled-up!

Of course, they're in the wrong place, being in this year's Brassica bed ... but there's space amongs the plants for the brassicas so far ... Laughing

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Location: Shetland

Grr. Just when everything was going so well, mine have been hit by a double whammy of some bitter northerlies that burnt a lot of foliage off, and then a newly released Minorca hen that managed to scale a wall and a fence to spend a happy day digging her way through all my rows of potatoes. Have ridged them up again, but the disturbance isn't helpful.

Still, nice long days here at the moment, so plenty of growing season yet to come. They could rally...

Attila

Dusty · Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 770 Location: St. Asaph

Mine are growing like billyo in the bags Shocked

Having to add more compost every couple of days, bag 3/4 full now Rolling Eyes

NannyP · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:32 pm Post subject:

Have been eating mine now for 3 weeks....they're gorgeous....just hope I can keep up with them, as we haven't eaten that many.
Razz

Dusty · Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 770 Location: St. Asaph

Mine won't be ready until autumn Mad

JaxMax · Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Dublin

I'm a 'potato virgin' and this year planted some for the first time, I used bags and they've grown like mad, but they were battered by the wind and loads of stems broke off. Will they still continue to grow? There's still a lot of stems left on them and I emptied one of the bags that I planted up in March (Red Duke of York earlies) and I had quite a few egg sized potatoes, but lots that were smaller, maybe golf ball size, and then even ,or that were like marble size - did I pull them up too soon? None have actually flowered yet, I think because they were starting to get flowers on them but then the stems broke. I had a dig around in a few other bags and found some tiny pea sized spuds so hurredly tried to cover them up again. Do you think I've wrecked them now? The spuds I dug up were lovely though.