"Terryc" wrote in message
FarmI wrote:

I doubt very much that Terry will be able to find any spuds in Oz that
are grown as seed spuds in a climate similar to Sydney as all the areas
where seed spuds are grown (like Crookwell and in Victoria) don't have a
climate anything like Sydney's.

This is why heritage varieties/strains are important. They often grow in
wider environments than modern, pampered varieties.

I think you misunderstood what I meant.

Seed spuds, whether of heritiage or newer varieties, are all grown in the
same areas in Australia so the source is the same whether they are pampered
or heritage. In NSW those seed spuds are grown in places like Crookwell,
Orange and Guyra.

That is how I got my Purple Congos and Kipflers.

We also have tried Desiree, Toolangi Delight, Pink Eye(?) and others (the
dreaded clean up monster threw out the bags). Pink eyes might be worth
another go in the tyres as it slowly petered out.

Thankfully, we have a new permaculture group locally and seed sharing is
happening, so we might be able to obtain a good local variety there.

You should be able to find out from them which varieties people have found
have done well for them in the local area, but I would be absolutley amazed
if they have not sourced their spuds at some time or another from the seed
potato growing areas in one or other State of Australia.

OTOH, I've managed to get some nice corn growing this year. Just wondering
how long after the silk dries off before I should try picking?

Corn is one of the very few plants which can be picked even before it ripens
and thus when the silks are green. It isn't optimum at that stage but the
worst thing is to let it go too long after the silk has turned brown -
better to pick the lot and freeze it than leave it on the stalks. To long
and it's only good to throw to the chooks.