Best early pots for flavour?

[toffeeman]

I'm a bit late getting my earlies in this year. (My second at growing pots). Last year I tried home guard and did not chit them and they were lovely. Would like to try something different with good flavour. All advice gratefully received.

[Monika]

No doubt: Anya for real potato taste.

[alan refail]

My best early potatoes: Red Duke of York and BF15.

Alan

[Cider Boys]

Maris Bard are my favourite.

Barney

[Tigger]

Red or White Duke of York for me.

Trying a few new ones this year, alomg with the D of Ys, so may change my mind.

[Johnboy]

Maris Bard beyond a shadow of doubt!
JB.

[alan refail]

Well, it looks like Duke of York 2 Maris Bard 2 so far.

Talking of varieties, everyone round here can only think of Sharpe's Express. So much so that I used to think Sharpe's Express was Welsh for early potatoes

Alan

[Colin_M]

How about a vote for Charlotte?

It depends if by "early" you mean salad or just general purpose. I've tried Pink Fir Apple and a few others, but always go back to Charlotte for salad potatoes because:
- I like their flavour
- Their texture suits me more than Pink Fir Apple
- They seem to grow reliably

My Charlottes started poking their heads above the soil this week. Roll on the next frost


Colin

[GIB]

Belle De Fontenay for me

Graham

[cevenol jardin]

Jersey royals -
i brought seed potatoes back from a trip to jersey last year and they were great. They are traditionally grown very early in Jersey - my friend had them 1 foot high mid february in the ground of her greenhouse.
I do like charlotte as well, good firm texture for salads or just boiled -they get away well from an early march planting.

[Granny]

I'll vote for Jersey Royals as well. They're sold as International Kidney at our garden centre. I've always considered them to be a second early but I've got a couple showing through now, not far behind my 1sts.
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Granny

[toffeeman]

Off down the locsl garden centre tomorrow with all these names on a bit of paper and see what I can find available. Many thanks to all.

[Geoff]

If you've grown them yourself and eat them fresh they all taste good. I grow Rocket for speed. I might have trouble this year, already touching the cloche after all the recent sunshine so might have to uncover them and watch the weather and forcasts very carefully.

[alan refail]

I think the only two earlies I have had problems with have been International Kidney and Rocket.

International Kidney I found grew large and coarse-tasting - and that in two different soils 175 miles apart. A terrible disappointment when expecting tasty Jersey Royals.

Rocket I have never grown, having been put off by one garden writer's description of them as "super early, super tasteless". I was given many by a friend, who thought they were the best ever potato, some years ago, and I found the description accurate. To be fair I gave him Linzer Delicatess and later Pink Fir Apple and he hated them both - "too strong a taste" he said!

Just goes to show, you can take all the advice there is, but in the end it's your own experience and taste that count.

Alan

[toffeeman]

Most of the garden centres had sold out of seed potato around here. Eventually found one but none of the above were in stock. Went for Foremost in the end.