January 23, 2012
May 15, 2011
First New Potatoes!
This must be a record for our first new potatoes! Luck has been with us and we have had quite warm soil temperatures.
new-potatoes-15-May
With fingers crossed, we planted these Maris Bard on 12th February, very early because Mike was away for the following 3 weeks. The seed potatoes were particularly big, which helped to give us a head start.
Even though the potatoes were covered with polythene we had a scare last week when we had a ground frost early in the morning. Leaping out of bed at first light, we rushed out to sprinkle the potatoes (& strawberries) with water – a trick to keep the frost off.
Other than the frost protection, we have not watered these potatoes at all since they were planted- and we only had 9.5ml rain in March and none in April!
The soil is now very dry, so it is easy to dig the new potatoes out with your hands.
digging-new-potatoes
The soil is full of the potato roots – which have helped the potato plants to grow so well.
roots+new-potatoes
The first new potatoes were quite delicious!
May 4, 2011
Swift Early Potato
Les told me last night that he was going to ‘try’ some of his Swift early potatoes next week. I was impressed!
He said he always grows Swift & has the first boiling in early May! Here are some of the secrets I picked up:
· Swift are the earliest variety, ready within 7 weeks of planting
· Les plants Swift in January
· He grows them in flower buckets
· The buckets are kept in the greenhouse all the time
· Swift only have short tops, so don’t fall over
· Les pulls the plant out of the bucket, picks of the largest potatoes & returns the plant to the bucket to continue growing!
Swift is ‘The earliest early” according to the British Potato Council variety database.
Characteristics of Potato Variety:
· exceptionally early maturing potato variety
· good yields
· attractive, medium sized potatoes
· good skins
· good cooking quality
Click this link to buy Swift new potatoes from Unwins
Swift is a very early potato variety!
April 27, 2011
Benefits of Early Planting Potatoes under Polythene
Our Maris Bard potatoes are showing the benefits of planting early under polythene.
maris-bard-9wks-after-plant
- The soil warmed up under the polythene and the seed potatoes emerged quickly.
- Once the leaf was out the plants grew more quickly.
- These potatoes were planted with only a shallow covering of soil, so that they warmed up more quickly, and emerged sooner.
new-potato-developing
- This early initial development promises an early harvest! Potatoes are already the size of a marble!
Maris Bard Potatoes
The potatoes are covered over if there is a chance of frost. The leaves can be severely damaged or killed by frost, which would reduce the benefits achieved of early planting under polythene.
March 4, 2011
Early (or new) potato varieties
Early (or new) potato varieties are planted from January to March and are ready for digging from May-July.
Second earlies are planted between February and May and harvested from July to October.
Examples of early potato varieties are:
Ultra-Early Potato – Lady Christl
LadyChrstll-new-potatoes
* high yielding
* numerous uniform attractive tubers
* good all round disease resistance, although it is slightly susceptible to Foliage Blight
* excellent cooking qualities & great flavour
Extra Early Salad Potato – Rocket
rocket-potatoes
* firm, waxy texture tubers
* good for chipping
* responds well under polythene
* best under long day length conditions of Northern Europe
* good yields
* bold white tubers
* a very short growing season
* good drought and heat tolerance
* powdery scab resistance
* masher, chips,bake,roast
First Early Potato – Sharpes Express
* low resistance to dry rot, late blight on foliage and late blight on tubers
First Early Potato – Red Duke of York
* low resistance to late blight on foliage, late blight on tubers, common scab, potato leafroll virus and potato virus Yo .
First Early Potato – Maris Bard
Maris-Bard-new-potatoes
TopVeg favourite!
* high yielding and early bulking
* good resistance to potato virus Y, gangrene, potato leaf roll virus, drought, damage and bruising
* moderately susceptible to spraing, powdery scab
* susceptible to potato cyst nematode
* medium dry matter with good boiling and frying quality
* good all round cooker
Second Early Potato – British Queen
* round tubers
* white skin
Second Early Potato – Charlotte
charlotte potato
* moderate yields
* uniform, smooth skinned tubers
* high resistance to foliage and tuber blight
* susceptible to potato cyst nematode
* medium dry matter
* waxy cooked texture
* salad potato
kestrel-potato-variety
* good yields of very attractive, long oval, coloured tubers
* good all round cooking quality
* good chipping potential, particularly early in the season
Second Early Potato – Edzell Blue
* heritage variety
* very floury texture
* mashes & bakes well, though difficult to boil
* best known blue- skinned variety
Early (or new) potato varieties mature in 8 to 10 weeks, so are the first to be ready for eating.
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May 24, 2010
Lady Christl New Potatoes
The Lady Christl new potatoes are delicious. About the size of a duck egg, one root has been enough for four people.
digging-EarlyChrystal-potat
first-early-potatoes
The plastic tunnel has brought forward the harvest of the Lady Chrstl new potatoes.
February 16, 2010
Vales Emerald Potato Variety
Vales Emerald is a popular, high yielding, first early potato variety which tastes good.
Vales Emerald :
- produces a large number of new potatoes
- matures quickly , making it a very early potato
- is a Maris Peer x Charlotte cross
- has red violet flowers
vales emerald potato seed
Vales Emerald potato tubers are:
- round to oval
- white skinned
- cream fleshed
- shallow eyed
- firm & waxy
- great tasting
Uses of Vales Emerald:
- boil or steam
- serve hot or cold
- ideal salad potato
Click this link to buy some seed of the first early variety of potatoes Vales Emerald
February 14, 2010
Potato Variety Accord – first early
The recently launched potato variety Accord is a first early.
Accord potatoes are:
- first early
- disease resistant – Double eelworm resistant
- high yielding
- creamy fleshed
- very tasty
- easy to grow
- ideal for containers, patio planters, a sunny balcony or roof terrace
Click this link to order some Accord seed potatoes, which are a first early variety.
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February 13, 2010
Potato Variety Premiere
The potato variety Premiere is a first early potato.
Premiere potatoes are:
- first early
- pale yellow-skinned
- yellow fleshed
- oval shape
- firm and dry texture
- good for chips, boiling, New Potatoes, & Salad Potato
- golden eelworm resistant
Click this link to buy some seed poatoes, variety Premiere.
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January 24, 2010
Is it necessary to chit potatoes?
It is not necessary to chit potato seed.
chitting-in-egg-box
But chitting does bring an earlier crop because chitting starts the growing process.
- This is particularly important for new or early potatoes, as the growing season is short & every day counts!
- Many people do not chit maincrop poatoes because the potatoes seem to catch up over the long season.
Chitting does act as an insurance. If the planting season is delayed because of bad weather, or family duties, the potatoes have actually started growing so will not be quite so delayed.
Chitting is not necessary, but it does start the shoots growing on the seed potatoes, so chitting is popular with early potato growers.
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