THE TATTIES THREAD 2018

Yesterday I bought some Charlotte (12 tubers), Blue Belle (12), Estima (6), Marfona (6), Picasso (12), not bags but individual tubers. Our daughter goes back to uni this weekend so that will free up some space for chitting up until the Easter holls.

That still leaves some Kestrel, Casablanca, Desiree, Mayan Twilight, Sarpo Mira & Wilja to purchase next month, and maybe anything I find seriously reduced. I'm going for a bit a variety this year, 13 varieties planned so far including my saved Kondors, but only 6 to 12 tubers of each.

 

I am having a dabble at growing container spuds this year . From another thread I have seen Sarpo Mira . Would these normally be stocked , end of this month, by my local GC's? Wilkos sell lots of varieties but not Sarpo. Or is mail order my best option ?

 

Those Mayan Twilight look good

 

once grew pink fir apple great new tattie taste but you could only peel them after boiling a bit knobbly

 

I grow Pink Fir Apple, you don't peel em, you boils em

 

aye that's whot I meant

 

I grow them too, lovely and never peel them to be honest. Another variety which is very good is Anya which is a cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple. I grew both Anya and Pink firs last season and have to say Anya produced a bigger crop. Will probably grow both again this season but if I could only grow 1 I would perhaps choose Anya they are a bit earlier and less knobbly.

 

They (and Mayan Gold - might also try some of those) are supposed to cook in half the time of other spuds (take note @Zigs ), so a saving on electricity/gas, anď more handy perhaps to take on camping trips.

That's one I'll be looking out for when spuds get reduced to £1/bag.


P.S. Googling during the early hours this morning (after waking up and not being able to get back to sleep), I tried some new searches that might help find information on giant potato growing. "Overly-large" was the one that found some 'new' information, a book written by a potato farmer and published 100 years ago. The information wasn't aimed at giant veg growers, but providing advice to potato farmers on how to avoid growing spuds far too big for sale. Basically the advice was virtually indentical to how it's done to today's experts.

 

grew them first time they were fine second time slug eaten to hell

 

I grow Mayan Glod too, small but tasty

 

Hiya! I'm brand new to growing veg so go easy on me!

I was wondering if it'd be possible to plant potatoes early/mid-feb in containers in a greenhouse, or would the temp just not be high enough yet?

Thank you!

 

I started doing that for 'giant' spud growing in 2016, and extended it to ordinary spuds in 2017. Rather than having to cover up/shift around/find space for in my polytunnels for loads of 35 litre pots and spread protection over a large area whenever they need to be covered with frost protection, seed trays (or smaller pots) containing sprouting/rooting spuds can be stacked up in mushroom boxes or supermarket crates in a big pile and have old curtains or blankets thrown over them.

 

s

This sounds a "cunning plan Baltric"...yes I admit to being a big Black Adder fan. I have in the past chitted but not planted in a bit of compost to encourage rooting. Can't think why I didn't as done that for years with Dahlias which obviously are similar being tubers like potatoes. Going to have another bash at growing potatoes in compost bags/ huge containers in the greenhouse (unheated) and this season not expect miracles so quickly especially as I live very close to the North Pole.... @Zigs please take note. Thanks@JWK I doubt my old brain would have made the connection to what I do with Dahlias to speed things up if you hadn't explained what you do. Also going to see if my local seed supplier (very good with huge selection) stock Winston and give them a try. You of course will be to blame if things don't go well.