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#1
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Early Potatoes
Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they?
What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK (on Thames silt/clay ph6.5 in a dry spot) |
#2
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Early Potatoes
"Bob Hobden" wrote in
: Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? Bob, We will give Inova and Printaline a go next year from your recommendation, as we always get a few new to try.(I say always, this is our 4th year). Favourites are My dad always grew Arran Pilot and have found then so sweet and early so have done them since I had my own garden, always will. Another good one I have done again this year is Pentland Javelin which are prolific with the yeild and so sweet tasting early on. You could leave these in the ground and have them for mashing, chipping and roasting. I grew some samples of Swift and Premiere this year and am not impressed at all. I can't see any new(first early) potato beating Arran Pilot for taste but will keep on trying, and next year with your recommendation will give those you mention a go. Baz |
#3
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Early Potatoes
Sacha wrote in :
On 2011-06-26 12:27:17 +0100, "Bob Hobden" said: Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? International Kidney and they're delicious! I could not find any to buy localy, I know how good they are, but no body has them. Online is far too expensive. I guess you are talking about the former Jersey Royal. They are up there in my top 10 first earlies. Baz |
#4
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Early Potatoes
"Sacha" wrote ...
"Bob Hobden" said: Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? International Kidney and they're delicious! They are OK too, but for us on our soil, these this year are better IMO, more new potato taste. Of course, if grown like they do on Jersey it's a different matter. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#5
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Early Potatoes
"Baz" wrote ...
"Bob Hobden" wrote in Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early potatoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? Bob, We will give Inova and Printaline a go next year from your recommendation, as we always get a few new to try.(I say always, this is our 4th year). Favourites are My dad always grew Arran Pilot and have found then so sweet and early so have done them since I had my own garden, always will. Another good one I have done again this year is Pentland Javelin which are prolific with the yield and so sweet tasting early on. You could leave these in the ground and have them for mashing, chipping and roasting. I grew some samples of Swift and Premiere this year and am not impressed at all. I can't see any new(first early) potato beating Arran Pilot for taste but will keep on trying, and next year with your recommendation will give those you mention a go. Isn't Arran Pilot a bit floury? Floury potatoes are no good here as it's a dry spot anyway so even potatoes said to be waxy end up floury and floury potatoes end up as just mash in the pan. The two we grew were not what we wanted but were the suggestion of the expert at the Hampshire Potato Day when we asked about the two we wanted, Florette and Cherie (reserve Amandine). He said they were the nearest alternative but had Florette and Cherie back at Charlton Park GC (who run the potato day) but hadn't yet got DEFRA approval to sell them because the French grower sent them late. After travelling to Hampshire, a journey in the other direction to Wantage, Oxfordshire just for a few seed potatoes wasn't on. Our problem now is do we try Florette and Cherie next season or stick with Inova and Printaline. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#6
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We had Lady Crystl and Red Duke of York a couple of weeks ago and Lady Crystl won hands down.
Red D of Y yielded well and looked beautiful but was far too floury for an early Lady C had a lovely sweetness ( as someone mentioned for Arran Pilot ) We are now on the Charlotte and very pleased with them. Good yield and none too big yet Looking forward to Harlequin and Edgecome? Purple next week but also have more Lady Crystl which were held back and planted 6 weeeks after the others |
#7
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Early Potatoes
On 26/06/2011 12:27, Bob Hobden wrote:
Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? Harvesting Lady Christl (?) now. A few plants came down with black-leg and the yields have been variable. Smooth tasty potatoes. Leaving Kestrel till later. The plants certainly look more vigorous. |
#8
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Early Potatoes
"Bob Hobden" wrote in
: Our problem now is do we try Florette and Cherie next season or stick with Inova and Printaline. Bob, you will only know with experiments every year. If you are satisfied with Inova and Printaline this year, then grow them as your main earlies. You can always experiment with others by buying a few and see how you like them. Trial and error. I know you don't like my choice but we have to keep on trying. We will maybe never get it absolutely perfect but by trying a few every year we might get near the perfect new spud. Or will we? Baz |
#9
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Early Potatoes
On 26/06/2011 13:27, Bob Hobden wrote:
Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? I've grown daisy for the third year now. They are a second early. They weren't quite so nice as a boiled potato this year being a little floury and they also have a little scab, perhaps due to the long period of dry weather. However the yield is good and they make good sized potatoes if left until they die off naturally. The make excellent chips and mashed potatoes and keep well overwinter too. Last years crop lasted around the year - the old potatoes from last year started going soft and sprouting too badly just as this years crop became ready to harvest a few roots. -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted by a filter and not reach my inbox. |
#10
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Early Potatoes
"Baz" wrote.
"Bob Hobden" wrote Our problem now is do we try Florette and Cherie next season or stick with Inova and Printaline. Bob, you will only know with experiments every year. If you are satisfied with Inova and Printaline this year, then grow them as your main earlies. You can always experiment with others by buying a few and see how you like them. Trial and error. I know you don't like my choice but we have to keep on trying. We will maybe never get it absolutely perfect but by trying a few every year we might get near the perfect new spud. Or will we? I think if we can get all four varieties we will grow them all but only a few of each. We don't eat a lot of potatoes so one row of earlies does us (and the neighbours still get half!). For those that have mentioned Second Earlies we only grow Kestral because it's a damn good potato, keeps quite well and is slug resistant and that is important for us. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
#11
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Early Potatoes
Bob Hobden wrote:
Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. So please let us know how your varieties have done? Four stragglers left in the soil have come up this year from my potato experiment last year. Strangely (at least to me) they just stopped growing once they were a few inches tall. and now they're just sitting there looking pretty much the same day after day instead of burgeoning into vines like last year. No idea why. I keep meaning to dig one up and see what's going on underground. Probably nothing much Do very small "seed" potatoes (the little blighters missed when I dug up last year's crop, basically) just have insufficient capacity to produce a full plant? I would have thought once they get going, they'd root and the size of the seed potato wouldn't matter, in my amateurish ignorance. Or have I invented the bonsai potato? Ian |
#12
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Early Potatoes
Bob Hobden wrote:
Now everyone is eating their early potatoes how are they? I pulled up a plant last week and was a bit disappointed with the crop and the number of unswelled potatolets, so put it back in after taking the bigger ones off. It's looking sad but alive atm. What do you think of the varieties you grew for growth and taste? My brain has gone blank and I can't remember my varities! We grew Inova and Printaline this year and must say we are rather impressed, probably the best early pototoes we have ever grown for yield, tuber quality/shape and flavour and that says a lot as we try different varieties every year. When the potatoes were still small we were getting over 3lb from each plant and the last Inova we dug up we got over 5lbs although they are beginning to get large, still taste nice though. The Printalines seem to have stayed smaller, more like new potato size. I'll make a note and look for them next year! So please let us know how your varieties have done? I think my problem was lack of water, so hopefully they'll be swelling up a bit now. Still have half a bag of last year's that can be used for mashing, so maybe dig some more up next weekend. Oh. Buggeration! Looks like I may have accidentally pulled up a 2nd early not a first early, that could explain things!! 1st Earlies: Riviera (huge bake/boil); hzd99-1437 (trial variety, like Charlottes) I had assumed I had 3, not 2. The hzd99-1437 are not very impressive top growth so far, so I'm loath to pull up. I pulled up one from the 3rd row, which is one of: 2nd Earlies: Maya Twilight (white with red splodges); Kestrel (white with purple eyes, we like these - very showy); Yukon Gold (I think these are the waxy yellow ones I liked last year - our records got a bit muddled); Toluca (organic); Bonnie (new variety, like Estima) I have a /suspicion/ but would have to check, that it was Toluca. Definitely white, don't think they were yellow. Not sure what Bonnie was like. Anyhow. Tasted ok, but very low yield so far, but not surprising if they're not meant to be up yet!! |
#13
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Early Potatoes
Ian B wrote:
Do very small "seed" potatoes (the little blighters missed when I dug up last year's crop, basically) just have insufficient capacity to produce a full plant? I would have thought once they get going, they'd root and the size of the seed potato wouldn't matter, in my amateurish ignorance. I have had giant potato plants grow from peelings! But could it be to do with the nutrient levels left in the soil, perhaps? If you grew potatoes there last year and didn't feed for potatoes this year, perhaps they didn't have enough oomph in them to get any further. I have a small field of potatoes growing under my beans. :-/ |
#14
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Early Potatoes
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#15
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Early Potatoes
Ian B wrote:
I guess it must be something like that. It's strange though, they're growing amongst rhubarb, gooseberries, roses and garlic. Which sounds like the title of a folk song I think that would have to be Rhubarb, garlic, gooseberries and rose! |
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