Seeds are In!

[Pa Snip]

Having looked at 60 plus varieties of loose seed potatoes today at the nursery we always use I can confirm that there were all different shapes and sizes in the boxes and they were very much mixed.

Today was supposed to be just a reconnoitre as we are planning visiting a potato fair next weekend, as it happened we still came away with two varieties today that we have not tried before. Plus some Picasso shallots to supplement those now growing from overwintering.

Belle De Fontenay, loose @ £1.95 per kg (20 purchased, size & weight worked out @ 15p each)
Jazzy, 2kg net bag @ £3.95 (37 spuds in bag, should get a return on 11p per spud)

They are now in egg trays in the summer house.
Looks like this mornings drawn up plan to have just 4 varieties this year is going to go straight out the window.

I picked through the two varieties I wanted and all had little sign of 'eyes' but they were firm

Shallot Man I think the bit that would most concern me about what you have received is your comment that they are shrivelled.

Got to be worth a complaint, unless you got them dirt cheap.

Notice that both Suttons and D T Brown's are now offering Sarpo Axona as new to their range, my supplier ordered them and was told they were unavailable. Suspect both Brown & Suttons might have taken everything they could.
Will be looking to see if their are any at the potato fair.

[Shallot Man]

Pa Snip.
This is the reason I prefer to go to my local [well fairly local ] nursery and hand pick my selection. Of course there is also the cost of postage. The only reason I felt like trying SARPO was reading a good writ up. What up sets me is the obvious lack of quality control. If I complain, they will probably offer me a credit note. I would rather not deal with them again.

[Pa Snip]

Hi Shallot Man

If it was a well known seed company I would be surprised if they offered a credit note.

The complaint is that the product was not up to standard, on that basis you are not obliged to accept a credit note. I would Insist on refund or proper quality replacement with return (if they even ask for them to be returned) P & P at their expense.

Come on, its worth sending a email. Complacency when it comes to complaining is how companies get away with shoddy service.

I believe in complimenting as well as complaining whenever appropriate.

We also make a long journey to our 'local' supplier purely because we can select every potato individually in almost all of the 60plus varieties they stock.

[Monika]

On the Sarpo varieties: we have grown Sarpo Mira, Sarpo Axona and Blue Danube in the past because of their blight resistance, but found that they all produced very large and very small potatoes and very little 'in between' and the yield wasn't brilliant (though that, of course, could have been our cultivation rather than the varieties). With our now greatly reduced allotment space, I intend to grow just a few potatoes in pots at home where I can keep a closer eye on them and harvest immediately if blight threatens.

As for complaining about seed potatoes: a few years ago, one of our potato varieties developed blackleg which is seed-borne rather than soil-borne. When I contacted the suppliers, I immediately received a credit note. So it is certainly worth complaining.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've been to Wilkinson today and they have got new stocks of seed potatoes in.
Select your own £1.50 for a small bag or £2.something for a large one. I got my supply of Picasso that I've been looking for. I suppose you could get one or two of all the different varieties to try them out. I might do that next year.

[Pa Snip]

I suppose you could get one or two of all the different varieties to try them out. I might do that next year.

2014 season I tried 11 different varieties, I had taken over another 1/4 of the plot at the beginning of that season and devoted it entirely to my own potato trial.
.
I have the harvest breakdown and notes of each variety on file somewhere, I think the total crop was about 546lbs that year. Certainly somewhere near that figure. I would need to double check.

I know a few suffered from wireworm due to the soil not having been worked much in recent years. Incidence of wireworm decreased in 2015, although not completely eradicated.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Did you just trial the varieties for weight of crop PaSnip? And did you decide which were your favourites?

I've tried a lot of different ones and whittled them down to about seven favourites, for colour, flavour, cooking qualities, slug resistance, and yield. I like to try a couple of different ones each year, but there are so many to choose from it is good to hear what other people like and why.

[melving.crane]

Kinda my type. I'm also stubborn of doing same mistake again and again.

[Pa Snip]

Did you just trial the varieties for weight of crop PaSnip? And did you decide which were your favourites?

I've tried a lot of different ones and whittled them down to about seven favourites, for colour, flavour, cooking qualities, slug resistance, and yield. I like to try a couple of different ones each year, but there are so many to choose from it is good to hear what other people like and why.

Hi Plumpudding

I will answer you with some detail tomorrow, its Ma Snips birthday today, and our wedding anniversary, so we are off out to see The Lion King as its the nearest we can get to visiting South Africa again at the moment.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Thanks PaSnip, I hope you've had a lovely day.

[Pa Snip]

Morning PP.

Show was amazingly brilliant thanks.

Re the potatoes.

Slight exaggeration on my part came to light once I checked my records.
Total yield when I did my attempt at a trial in 2014 was 427lb which was total of 11 rows of 8 varieties, not 11 varieties as I incorrectly recalled.

The purpose was to find what gave us the best result for taste and versatility and which gave a good return on cost.
As a result of that test we are firmly on Lady Christl and Winston. Sarpo Mira was a favourite until last summer (2015) when all the mains and late mains got attacked by blight, fortunately I cut top haulms back in time to save the potatoes.

I seem to think that a while I posted a picture of the potato bed but I can't find which thread it was in. I use the picture image number to search and a mixed variety of 24 pages of various individuals posts comes up.

Variety. Date Planted Quantity Cost Dates Harvested Yield
Lady Christl, 3/4/14 6 .75p 21/6/14 > 29/6/14 23lb Good taste, versatile
Winston 3/4/14 15 £2.54 5/7/14 > 27/7/14 57lb Mixed sizes, Good taste, All rounder
Vanessa Red 3/4/14 15 £2.09 15/7/14 > 28/7/14 43lb Clean, roasted / chipped well
Kestrel 18/4/14 12 £1.78 2/8/14 > 16/8/14 33lb No comments recorded
Salad Blue 19/4/14 10 £1.32 28/7/14 > 16/8/14 33lb small to medium, difficult to see against
............................................................................................................ earth . Riddled with wireworm holes.
Maris Piper 19/4/14 20 £2.80 5/9/14 > 20/9/14 95lb Small & Scabby at first, larger and
...............................................................................................................mixed clean & scabby. Wireworm
Rooster 19/4/14 11 F O C 20/8/14 > 5/9/14 41lb Free gift from supplier. good for roast,
................................................................................................................boil with care, some wormhole
Sarpo Mira 19/4/14 20 £2.98 5/9/14 > 5/10/14 86lb Good size jacket, roast, chip.
................................................................................................................Stayed clean in 2014 with no sign of blight


With the exception of Rooster all the above were personally chosen loose seed tubers. All were based on price by weight at £1.50 per kg

(EDIT)
(Sorry the above has not turned out easy to read, that's site alterations to my post which was a almost perfectly lined up chart with comments only on right hand side)

[PLUMPUDDING]

That's quite a crop PaSnip. I've tried quite a few of those varieties and agree the Salad Blue are so dark they are hard to find and they are more susceptible to slugs, but I like the navy blue colour when they're cooked and served cold

Now there are only two of us at home I only grow a few of each variety, but they nearly all produced a good crop last year, much better than 2014.

My Sarpo Axona produced the biggest crop. I like the way they stay in good condition in store and are the last to start sprouting.

Kestrel is a very nice looking potato and is usually a good size.

I've bought some Rooster and Picasso for bakers this year just for a change. I grew Picasso a few years ago and liked the flavour and size and they were very productive.

There was very little slug damage last year but with this mild winter I'm going to treat the beds with Nemaslug as I think they will be an even bigger problem than usual.

[Westi]

Agree PP!

I've been checking Nemaslug out as well! Slug invasion big time this year I think with no cold 'really cold' spell! Took my milk in the other morning with a really big slug on the side of a bottle! He is unfortunately departed! Don't usually see the big boys out this time of year.

Westi

[Pawty]

I'm thinking that I should start writing down what I grow...... I'm so impressed at the knowledge everyone has! I can't even remember what varieties I bought last week!

[Shallot Man]

Pawty.


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