royal jersey potatoes

Thats interesting Kristan, the local nursery were promoting Charlotte on that point.

In fact, it was the only seed potato they had in August. Do you think its worth giving Fir Apples a go & still get new ones for Christmas ?

 

Pink Fir Apple keep well - and still taste like "new potatoes" even when stored (as I'm sure you know)

Personally I think having New Potatoes at Xmas is daft ... traditionally what you have are Roast Potatoes :thumb:

But our kids prefer New Potatoes, and I'm happy to oblige (eating-their-veg is not one of their strong suits!), plus its quite fun when guests say "What nice New Potatoes" (thinking we are loaded and imported them from Israel in our private jet no doubt ...) and I can say "I picked them from the garden just before you arrived

Not many people who grow them outdoors, in the ground, have good success - so better suited to "Bags" I think - plus you can then get them out of the rain, and less chance of them catching Blight spores.

All in all quite a lot of Faffing" involved

 

Thats true about the PFAs (Still got problems with those initials, as in my trade it refers to Pulverised Fuel Ash, a mortar additive :D)

I likes, roast potatoes and new ones on the same plate at Christmas

 

Well, you've answered your own question then! Grow both :thumb:

 

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It's all a matter of personal taste!

Me, I grew Charlotte once, never again, as for Rocket I would not take them even if I was paid to take them.

Tesco's was promoting two years ago Vales Soverign as the greatest potato ever, I tried them as I am a sucker for anything novel in the plant world, they were total rubbish even my kids complained about the taste of them!

But the point was, I have tried them!

One point is not in dispute "home grown" really does taste better, especially in potatoes!

Cheers!

 

Is it ok to resurrect this 10 year old thread???? Basically I’m planting Jersey Royals tomorrow (well one day this week) and I’d love to know a more scientific way to tell when to start pulling them than ‘can’t wait any longer’ which is my usual… any idea?

 

I wish I could get some Jersey Royal seed potatoes.

 

They are called International kidney, that is the variety name.
I grew some last year and they were not good, but then last year nothing grew well.

 

Thanks for that Pete.

 

Locally they swear by a big old layer of vrac (sea-weed to anyone else) laid on the soil in the Autumn: I missed it this year but have done this bed previously. We shall see…

 

well - I bought well chitted seed potatoes (they sell them all over here) and I’m about 200 yards off the east coast in Jersey (Grouville parish) - SE facing garden. It would be simple to lay sea weed over them once planted? I’ll give it a go. We only get a real frost once every 5 years or so - so I’ll go for it and cross fingers.

Question is though: how long from planting to first harvest? And is the local practice of cutting the tops off to stop them growing further once they’ve got there, effective and worth it?

 

Do you mean wrack?

 

Quick trip to Jersey? Flights are dirt cheap right now but we have something like 8% infection rate so maybe not the best moment…loads of seed royals available at the moment. Not sure how long they go in for I’m not sure.

 

I'll remember that, although 35 miles is a long way to carry it.