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best tasting potatoes
treehugger80
Posts: 1,923
in Fruit & veg
this year I took over an old allotment, not knowing what the ground was like I planted a small selection of potatoes. the only one i'll be replanting next year is Red Duke of York (a 1st early). the reasons for changing was the others were mostly tasteless.
the rejects were: Maris peer, Shetland black, pentland javelin, and possibly King Edwards (due to an attack of slugs)
can anyone recommend a 2nd early and two main crop pots that taste any good??? yield isn't as important. im based in northern North Yorkshire.
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I've found Kestrel (2nd early, keeping) to be good on sandy loam in SW Lancs this year. Charlotte (1st early, salad) were also good and, it's claimed will also keep. Both got blight in July, just before I was about to lift them. Unfortunately, so did my maincrop, Cara, which are claimed to be resistant; they didn't get it as badly though. Still got a reasonable crop from them. All taste pretty yummy.
Not too much slug damage, considering; voles are my main pest!
i'm on clay (with extra glass, nails and plastic!) which someone in the past has added sandy soil to in patches (going by the nails and rotten wood I find, i'm thinking raised beds?)
slugs were terrible this year from Aug onwards, and that's with a pond right next to my plot filled with frogs, toads and even great crested newts! but our site (its only 24 plots surrounded by a housing estate) was blight free this year and I've been told by other allotmenteers that its now been free for three years in a row.
thanks for the recommendation i'll add kestrel to my list
..there's a potato on sale in some supermarkets now by the variety name 'Triplo'... sold as an Organic potato. So far, it's the best tasting potato I've had and it seems so versatile too...boiling..frying.. the flavour seems outstanding to me.
I'll second Kestrel as a tasty 2nd early and add that it grows fine in the clay soil I have. It has also proven itself resistant to keeled slug here.
I am on clay soil and had a great yield from Kestrel and Sharpes Express with the spuds weighing in at one and a half pounds each and superb flavour
Hi, Treehugger: I was very taken by Osprey (2nd early/ keeper) - clean, smooth skin, pearly flesh & tasted really satisfying; steamed with just a knob of butter added to the serving tureen. I'd definitely grow them again. Others' nominations noted, so I'll still be tight on (buckets) & open space next season - yet again!
All the old timers on these allotments prefer British Queens, and they definitely are good. Sharpe's express also but not a big yield for me.
Victoria. Never heard of it otherwise, but my 'boss' gets them from a farmer up the road (or maybe they fall off the back of his lorry - literally) and they do well every year. She says it's a local variety (SW Lancs) and not available commercially. So you've been wasting your time reading this and I've.....
but also
this is my first year growing potatoes. I tried Desiree, king eddies and maris pipers. Desiree came out on top in terms of everything- taste, versatility and yield.
I'll definitely be doing those again next year