Kitchen Garden Forum

As we approach 2017 we may be thinking of what First Earlies to grow this year. I'm growing mine in bags (compost bags turned inside out) this year again as I like to come out the back door, turn the corner and they're there! I've not decided yet what to go for. I've tried quite a number of different varieties over the years but still feel I'm searching for THE one that ticks all the boxes. There is an interesting feature on Heritage potatoes in the Jan issue which got me all excited so might try one of more of those.

Just wondering what others have grown and what they would recommend to other forum members.

Grown WILJA and Pink Fir Apple for years Satisfied with both. Though recently bought Harmony. Think I might try some next season.

Not grown in bags for years, never found the results match up to the pictures promoting potato bags

A variety I think may prove suitable for bag growth is "Jazzy", a small potato, nice texture and we found it had a nice nutty taste.
Another first early we highly recommend is "Winston", good all rounder we've found.
Harvest as normal for a first early but can be left in ground to produce large potatoes for second early and main crop

I had two bags in the pollytunnel last winter I think they where Charlottes when I tipped them out I had 35
In the first bag a week latter I had 42 in the second at a time when new potatos were at a premium price this year I was thinking of around 6 bags

I've chased the elusive perfect flavour for new potatoes by trying different varieties and usually found they weren't particularly better than my usual Rocket but they were never as early or as high yielding. I used to start them under a cloche outside on about my birthday, 7th March, and harvest them on or just after my wife's birthday, 21st May. Since I have had the polytunnel I have been planting the earliest in there under a cloche, this year 6th February yielded a root of 1.7 kg on 12th May. I think your own fresh potatoes are so superior to anything you can buy any little extra flavour you might get with the perfect variety is marginal. Don't forget I garden at 600 feet in the frozen North so lots of you should be able to do similar if you are brave enough. Never tried containers but have seen people putting 3 tubers in a bag and getting little more than a meal off them which seems wasteful to me.

I've just been harvesting some Catriona (second early) that I grew in bags in the polytunnel. A nice looking potato (if that's not too weird a thing to say); quite tasty.

I only ever put one seed potato in a bag and get decent yields generally.

What do you use as planting medium

Just common or garden multipurpose compost - though yields are better from the veg patch

I always grow Maris Bard for a really early potato. I try to get them as soon as I can from the garden centre - usually around mid Jan. They get chitted for about a month by sitting on top of our oil central heating boiler and then they are planted out in a large cold frame. They can't be earthed up in the frame but get covered in a thick layer of straw. They are easily harvested as the new pots develop in the top layer of soil but remain protected by the straw. Always need to keep to keep a couple of sheet of fleece handy in case of late frosts.
Maris Bard grow rapidly and produces a good crop with excellent flavour. Foliage is not too lax so everything remains compact even at maturity.
John

First Early I grow Sharpe's Express but my favourite potato is a second early "British Queen". It is floury and needs steaming in its skin. The flavour is marvelous, I think it's Irelands favourite potato.
Regards,
Gerry.

According to good old Wiki there are about 5,000 varieties of potatoes.

Pays your money and takes your choice by looks of it lol


Could be a lot of varied answers on here