Christmas potatoes - not

[Catherine]

I planted some potatoes in the pt in bags hopefully for eating at christmas. Several weeks ago we lost the lot with blight. Everything went black and flopped. (I dont think it was frost) but I may be wrong. I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my PT as nothing seems to grow in it except lettuce!! We did get some egg sized potatoes.

Any suggestions on what we should do next year as we want to have some potatoes for Christmas day.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, i have never had any luck growing Christmas potatoes before, well i have only tried once, so we always have Pink fir Apple potatoes instead, and to my mind, they are just as nice.

And to make things even better, Old Codger grows them for me, now that's what i call a good friend.

[Arnie]

Hi Catherine,

Grow first early varieties The trick is if you can, is to get them in the ground early so that they are ready for harvesting before the dreaded blight takes hold
Then sort out what you want to save, put them in a plastic container cover them with DRY peat and not m/p compost it has to be dry peat. layer of peat then potatoes, layer of peat then potatoes until you fill the container, then place the container in a cool dry place, keep checking them every now and then just make sure that they are ok.
I have used this method a couple of times with great success, one year I grew Kestrel which make beautiful roast potatoes and are a very good potato for chips and you cannot beat a plate of homemade chips with cold turkey on Boxing day

Regards


Kevin

[alan refail]

Any suggestions on what we should do next year as we want to have some potatoes for Christmas day.

Eat seasonal (and traditional

[Catherine]

Mmmm those look good Alan. I have never eaten Pink Fir Apple potatoes OH but just might try them this year. We steamed and boiled the few potatoes from the plot earlier this year and froze them for later, they are still okay so we will probably eat these on Christmas Day. As there will only be us it wont be a problem.

OH I have not seen OC on the Forum recently, though I must say that I have not been a regular reader recently because of a holiday and decorating. How is his hip replacement going!! Sorry if I am behind the times.

I am looking at new kinds of potatoes to do next year Kestrel are on my list of maybe's

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, Old Codger's hip is as good as new, it's just the rest of him now.

I have got my Kestrel already on order, i just wouldn't be without them.

That's apart from the year they had been mis-labelled, i don't know what they were, but it certainly wasn't Kestrel.

[Shallot Man]

Catherine. Can recommend Pink Fir Apple. Easy way to peel them, is to boil in their skins, then run under cold tap, skins come away easily.

[Catherine]

Thank you Shallot Man I will try these next year those and Kestrel are on my list of things to buy.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've just come in from the greenhouse it got down to -5C last night. I've got some Red Duke of York potatoes in the border with no heat. They are under a layer of fleece and last night I put a sheet of newspaper over them.

I had earthed them up a couple of days earlier, but the bits of plant above ground although a bit wilted and not looking terribly happy, were still OK and haven't turned black (yet).

The potatoes were some I'd saved from this year's crop that had decided to start sprouting early, so I thought they would be better given a chance to grow in the greenhouse as they wouldn't have lasted until spring.

I'll report back on whether they get through this cold spell or not, and if I get any potatoes off them.

[Johnboy]

When I started growing the trick for Christmas New Spuds was to fill a metal biscuit tin, seal it, and bury it two foot into the ground and dig up for the festive season.
I really love my Maris Bard but only when they first come into season and for my Christmas dinner it has got to be good old roasties and nothing else!
Quite honestly I simply wouldn't entertain growing to dig in time for Christmas, to me it is simply not worth the hassle.
JB.

[Nature's Babe]

I believe that trick works with rosebuds too Johnboy, so you could have your roasties and romantic roses on the table at Christmas.