What potato varieties are you planting?

I've got:

Nicola Second Early
Wilja second Early
Purple eyed Seedling Second Early

Peachbloom Main
Champion Late Main
Fortyfold Late Main

Will plant them out in the last week of March. A layer of horse manure at the bottom of the trench covered in a layer of comfrey with the potato's on top, then I'll immediately earth up into ridges above the tubers.

[ 26. March 2008, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: sawfish ]

 

With Main croppers I used to ridge mine straight away too. Then just made sure any that any that broke the surface were recovered to stop them going green, result..Half a dozen+ big boys and none of the small spuds that Mrs Pal refused to peel and were wasted.

 

Not a great spud grower these days but I do have a few of my favourite to plant.

Pink fir apple.

 

If I plant and then ridge up right away, most of the plants grow out of the side of the ridge instead of in nice straight rows. I have to re earth up and end up with plants all over the place.

 

Hi there. I`m using Arran Pilot (earlies) and Pink Fir Apple. I wont plant these until around first week of april. I thought it was supposed to be best to earth up as they appear ? Cheers...freddy.

 

what is comfrey ???

 

Comfrey is a plant they used to use as fertilizer in the old days and is making a comebach. Great fat leaves that are full of useable goodness even before they rot down.

I have an ancient book called 'Organic Gardening' by Lawrence D Hills, he goes on about comfrey. Its a great book to get as its not obsessed with any trendy gardening fads and teaches you cheaper ways of doing things.

http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/comfrey/comfrey.PDF

http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/comfrey/index.php

 

We have Charlotte, Osprey, Cara and Pentland Javelin, nothing too exotic but the Charlotte's last year were scrummy

 

We've got Sharpe's Express (cue my husband wandering around talking like Sean Bean for the first half hour after we chose them). First time ever trying potatoes - or indeed any veg for that matter!

 

Rocket first early seed spuds from Wilkos, charlotte from saved spuds from last year and Anya (both originally from sainsburys!)
King Edwards from last years crop. All chitting away on the top of the bookshelf.

Am collecting big plastic containers, and old compost sacks to grow them in this year. idea being they grow down, not sideways, and the soil can be used for other things. Never tried this before, so I hope it all works out !

cheers,
Dave

 

Dave, they don`t grow down, they grow up. If growing in containers, you only need 2 to 3 inches of soil below the seed potato but a good depth of soil above it.

 

Maris Piper - New (yes) and maincrop

Rooster a good all rounder!

Space is limited so I can't afford the luxury of over indulgence. The Maris Pipers did very well last year, I pulled some early as a "new" and was very, very happy with the result, beat Jersey Royals in our opinion!

 

Don't know. We bought them at Morrison's and couldn't eat them all. When they chitted we planted. :D

 

We have got Arran Pilot again this year because they seem to produce
the best in our garden.
We have tried many different sorts over the years and always go back
to Arran Pilot. Good cropper and they scra-pe easily which is always good
for a busy housewife :D

(sorry had to include a hyphen as middle four letters edited out - obviously
not a 'nice' word)

 

Dai - You're right of course. They do grow up.....
I've got some large pots, but also old plastic compost sacks, which I'd planned to fold down, and gradually fill up as the spuds get earthed up. Anyone tried this?

cheers,
Dave