I went with an allotment collegue to the HDRA this weekend, where they
were holding their annual potato weekend. Together with talks on how
to grow potatoes, biological control of slugs and pests and diseases,
they also had a large tent with 150+ varieties on sale, by the
individual tuber so one can buy as many or few as needed, and it also
gives room to experiment!

It was fun. I have only grown one lot of spuds (International kidney)
deliberately so far (and a crop of unknown variety volunteers the
first year I had the allotment!) and was bemused as to which ones to
choose to grow.

I found this weekend very helpful - they had lists of what varieties
are resistant to what problem, and a special display by T&M of some
new, blight resistant maincrops from Czechoslovakia which they will
have in the 2005 potato catalogue. (We each bought a couple of the
three varieties there, so we shall see if they are indeed resistant as
what are the chances of another blight-free year?)

There were also a heck of a lot of folk there at the start of the
purchasing - it was more like a scrum! I now have rather a lot of
seed spuds chitting... as I bought a whole 3kg bagful of International
Kidney from a local nursery when I got back from Ryton, as I knew I
was wanting to grow more of those. Also have a guide to seed potato
varieties which is apparently the UK spud bible (Alan Romans Guide).

Meanwhile, I have got Pink Fir Apple, Ratte, Accent, Estima, Red Duke
of York, Mimi and the three trial Sarpo maincrops. Should be fun!

I can recommend next year's event to anyone interested in potatoes,
whether a novice like me or someone with years of experience.
Admission was 3.95 and worth a day out (fortunately mostly inside,
given the weather!)


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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