Potato Buying.

[snooky]

After reading Clive's post in the"Spring" thread,I wondered how potatoes were being bought.Ready netted in 1.5,2 or 3Kg packs,able to choose their own from a loose bin,or,the big con,given a paper bag and fill it and charged a set price no matter what the weight.Me,I like to choose my own from a loose bin,that way I can choose the size which I want.
The same for shallots and onion sets.I prefer to choose my own.

[Clive.]

Hello Snooky,

Parkers at Anwick Garden Centre work by number of tubers per bag rather than weight...
A bag of 30 Kestrel were £2-25 and Premiere were bag of 30 for £2-45.
I think there were smaller quantities available too...

At Johnsons G C, Boston the ones listed in my other posting in "Spring" thread were 2.5Kg bags. Maris Peer and Arran Pilot were £3-25 and the others I purchased were £3-50. I have yet to have a count up for ref which I do when I stand them up in the trays to chit.

Johnsons also had some 1.5Kg bags and also i seem to think I saw some bagged as 10 tubers...

For several years now I have purchased from Tuckers online...with good service and good seed...perhaps it could be said that it costs more with the carriage.?? but then if I drove to Boston garden centre on a special journey from work then time and travel ought to be be included. Todays trip out was actually courtesy of a check up for Dad at nearby Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.

From Tuckers I would usually buy 3kg of varieties I have listed and often have a few left over that go in spare plot around the back..but I do need to do a head count to make sure I have enough for full rows in the main show garden from the 2.5Kg bags I have just purchased locally.

I still require Ambo, Merlin, Harmony....I have not seen them locally as yet...so mail order for those I suspect in the next few days..

Clive.

[alan refail]

My local garden centre - Tyddyn Sachau - sells all its potatoes loose from the sack, priced by weight. I am able to buy exactly the number of tubers I need and the size I prefer. They usually have a choice of 40 - 50 varieties. I consider myself fortunate not to be forced to buy a quantity someone else has determined

[macmac]

We're on our way out now to a little local garden centre in nearby Hutton.We visited them on Monday but their stocks hadn't arrived and they've just phoned us to say they're in now.They have a splendid selection and you pick what you want.Last year we grew six of several varieties Lady Chrystal being the best overall.We always used to buy from "the hut" on the allotment but in recent years they have come in very late and been poor quality

[glallotments]

We buy ours online from Alan Romans as they have loads of varieties for us to spend hours choosing from http://www.alanromans.com/

[oldherbaceous]

Dear glallotments, i too have ordered from Alan Romans. This is the first time i have ordered from him, so hoping all goes well.

[Clive.]

I should add that Johnsons garden centre that I mentioned earlier do stock a vast number of varieties....just didn't see the 3 regulars that I am still outstanding for work..

Interestingly having had a look at Alan Romans over Christmas and again yesterday I had more or less decided to give him a try....

I hope he is not too busy now to accept my order as well.

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

He will probably want to sort his important customers out first.

[Monika]

We get ours from Thompson and Morgan, mainly because they sell Sarpo Miro and also because they are sold by number of tubers rather than weight. I know that 20 tubers are exactly the number I need for a row in our beds.

We have bought them loose before from one or two local garden centres but I find they are usually stored quite warm, too warm for my liking anyway.

[glallotments]

I think Alan Roman and Thompson and Morgan have some sort of connection as on their vegetable page they suggest that if they haven't got what you want to try their friends at T & M. Being more into potatoes, they don't sell many vegetable seeds.

[Clive.]

He will probably want to sort his important customers out first.

Seems that he has.. ...as two varieties that I went to order are showing zero stock...so best laid plans and all that...so order now placed with Tuckers..

I have now had a tray up and count up of the ones bought in the week.

Dad is a few short for his planned planting....so he is busy now with a bag of Ambo eaters tipped out in a cardboard tray on the dining room table...grading out some for an extra tray of "once grown".....

We have tended to buy new seed each year for many years but "once grown" was at one time a regular thing alongside some new seed each year.

Of interest today I came across loose select your own at local garden centre Lyndhurst, Burgh le Marsh...they also had the regular 2.5kg pre packs. There was a price premium to the loose sales.

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

Sorry Clive, looks as if i put a jinx on that.

I'm sure your Dads once grown will give just as a good crop as the bought ones.

[Clive.]

Hello Old H',

No jinx.... just that I'm a few weeks later than usual placing my Potato orders...

I strongly suspect that Dads selection from the eaters will be good growers...."once grown" if known to be from healthy grown stock historically do well..
If I ever get the, now soggy ground, digging finished..

Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Clive, i'm sure a determined fellow like yourself, will succeed at finishing the digging in time.

Please send my regards to your Mum and Dad, and i hope they are both keeping well.

[GERRYFEERY]

Does any know where I can buy a few tubers of an old variety of potato called Lumper. I am living in the Irish midlands.