Tatties

Storm Freya blew over, Storm Gareth has just finished with us, and it still dares to be quite blustery.  So it's no surprise that with all that wind, we haven't ventured out much over the past week.  We did peek at the growing sweet peas (praying the little greenhouse didn't blow away Wizard of Oz -  esq), and we thought about replanting the basil seedlings (but as that needed one of us to go outside and obtain pots and compost, that remained a thought).  

As the spuds are still chitting on the kitchen window sill we thought a little bit of research on them may be useful (although how they taste, if they grow, is all the research we really need).  When growing first early potatoes in the ground you should avoid planting in soil where potatoes have grown for two years in succession to reduce the risk of disease, but as we don't have prepared spaces we are growing in potato bags.  Its a case of chuck it all in and let it do it's thing.

Red Duke of York (the girl's choice)

So this one is a heritage type.  This means it is an open pollinated variety that has been grown for many years - the seeds will grow a variety that will breed 'true to type' from one generation to the next. The seeds produced will carry their parents' genetic material and plants grown from them will bear their characteristics.  And breathe.  It also has the RHS Award of Garden Merit and this means that it has been tested and grows really well (when in its optimum conditions)..... but then this location probably isn't the perfect location for anything!

Red Duke of York is a vigorous, larger oval, red skinned tuber with a moist yellow flesh and (we shall be the judge of this) a good flavour.   It is supposed to be a good all rounder and excellent for roasting.

They can be planted from the end of February but as we think that everything should be done a month later here, we are aiming to plant at the end of March after a few weeks of chitting (to give the spuds a head start).

Foremost (the boy's choice)

These are a very tasty, firm white fleshed variety of top quality (allegedly). It is a good salad and boiling potato which you can leave in the ground for harvesting through the summer,  but doubt they will last that long!

They can be planted from March and be harvested in June and July.  These have been chitted too but are not as ahead of the game as the Red Duke of York and look like little dirty prunes!

So two quite different types... watch this space..... well the potato bags!