Top-notch Potato Types for Cultivation: A Farming Guide
Growing Potatoes: Top Picks for Success
Potatoes are a garden staple, easy to grow in the ground or containers. Here are some popular varieties to make your choice easier, hand-picked by the experts at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.
Potato Varieties
Potatoes are categorized based on their maturity period. Here's a rundown of the four basic categories:
- First Earlies: Ready in about 70-90 days.
- Second Earlies: Mature around 90-110 days.
- Maincrops: Ready about 110-120 days.
- Late Maincrops: More than 120 days to grow.
Recommended Varieties
Have a look at these top-rated varieties from the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine trials:
- 'Lady Christl' - First Early. Plant in Feb-Mar, Harvest in May-June. A high-yielding, tasty variety with good disease resistance. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Rocket' - First Early. Plant in Feb-Mar, Harvest in May-June. Produces heavy crops of white, waxy tubers. Quick-maturing and can be harvested as 'baby' new potatoes. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Charlotte' - Second Early. Plant in Mar-Apr, Harvest in Jul-Aug. A high-yielding, waxy, flavoursome potato. A versatile potato that's Monty Don's favourite. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Vivaldi' - Second Early. Plant in Mar-Apr, Harvest in Jul-Sept. A versatile spud, said to have fewer calories than other varieties. Harvest early or leave to mature as a maincrop. Buy from Suttons or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Jazzy' - Second Early. Plant in Mar-Apr, Harvest in Jul-Aug. Produces a strong, sweet flavour in generous crops of small tubers. A versatile potato suitable for growing in bags. Buy from Suttons or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Orla' - First Early/Maincrop. Plant in Mar-Apr, Harvest in Sep-Oct. A first early variety that can be left to bulk up as maincrop. Good blight and disease resistance. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Carolus' - Maincrop. Plant in Apr, Harvest in Sep-Oct. Produces heavy crops with good resistance to blight. Combines a slightly floury texture with full flavour. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Pink Fir Apple' - Maincrop. Plant in Apr, Harvest in Sep-Oct. A heritage variety with long, knobbly, pink-skinned tubers. Gives a nutty flavour similar to a salad potato, but matures late. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Sarpo Mira' - Late Maincrop. Plant in Apr, Harvest in Oct. This pink-skinned variety is bred for excellent blight resistance and gives high yields of floury, tasty tubers that store well. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
- 'Cara' - Late Maincrop. Plant in Apr, Harvest in Oct. Excellent resistance to disease, including blight. Copes well in drought. High yield of tubers, good for baking and chipping. Buy from Crocus, Suttons, or Thompson & Morgan.
Online Sources for Seed Potatoes
- Crocus
- Thompson & Morgan
- Suttons
Start growing your very own delicious, homegrown potatoes today!
- With the abundance of homegrown potatoes on the horizon, consider venturing into the food-and-drink realm and crafting delectable recipes influenced by your gardening success.
- The lifestyle of a committed gardener doesn't end at the garden gate; indoors, domestic bliss can be found in preparing dishes using produce straight from the home-and-garden.
- Extend your passion for home-and-garden into the kitchen by trying out various recipes that incorporate the new potato varieties found in this guide, as your endeavors in cooking will undoubtedly intrigue and delight both friends and family.
