Potato varieties

I grow my early and maincrop spuds in raised beds - this coming year it's going to be Red Duke of York for earlies and Setanta for maincrops. But I think it's also nice to experiment with different varieties, so I have ten 30 litre pots which I am going to use to grow five different varieties - King Edward, Sharpe's Express, Carolus, Pink Gypsy and Arran Victory. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

I shall be planting my first batch of earlies next week. Mainly Queens to sell at the mart, I will also put in some Red duke of York`s and Charlotte for our own use. I will plant further batches in the spring so "Belt and braces". I have decided to give up on the main crop as no matter what I plant blight takes its share. Sarpo varieties are quite resistant but not totally. I must have lost 1/3 of my main crop yield to blight this year. Do you not get blight Sean?

Yes, my earlies (usually Red Duke o' York) do get blight, but I don't find it a problem. Most of them are eaten before the blight strikes and the remainder store well enough to see me through to the maincrop (Setanta) which, as far as I have found, is pretty much immune to blight. I have to say, also, that I found Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Axona completely immune to blight. I grow Setanta now instead because it has a much better flavour and the spuds don't come quite so big as the Sarpos, which suits my preferred way of cooking them - steamed in their skins.

Blight is prity endemic here, but I can normally get earlies away before it strikes. I have found that looking along the drills of Sarpo`s there is always the odd plant showing blight. The Blue Danube plants have less resistance than the Xona or Mira get but the tubers are very resistant so I find I can get something of a crop from them by removing the infected leaves etc.

My first batch of earlies are now showing in the poly. So now the fun begins keeping them frost free. Red duke of Yorks, Queens and Charlotte. I will be putting a second batch in early March. I am not growing them in drills this year. To save on water I am growing them flat in raised beds and instead of earthing them up I shall give them a good covering of straw. If we get another dry summer growing them on the flat and mulched will conserve moisture. I had problems last year with the ridges drying out.

I'm going to start off Sharpe's Express in tubs in the poly. I've put them chitting inside to give them a headstart. Last year I grew my earlies and maincrops on the flat under weed-suppressing membranes with three-inch circles cut for each stalk. No earthing or weeding necessary and results were very good.

Digging Sharpe's Express and Red Duke of York now. Sharpe's are good but D of Y are even better!

Most of the main crops lifted - great crop of Setantas, nearly all big spuds. Carolus ok but far too many small ones which are only fit for chicken feed. The varieties I grew in tubs were pretty much a waste of space - with one notable exception : Arran Victory - good crop of beautifully flavoured, floury purple spuds. I intend to grow a bed of them next year along with Setantas and Red Duke of York. I still have a bed of Roosters to dig. Incidentally - no blight this year!