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Post by dianthus on Aug 31, 2015 22:46:36 GMT
All my spuds are gathered in. I bagged up the last few after they'd had a couple of days drying off on the garage floor.
Just caught them with the beginning of blight, so lucky only to lose a couple. It was mostly in the roots from the deluges we've had meant the growing bags were struggling to drain sufficiently. |
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Post by daitheplant on Sept 1, 2015 19:24:48 GMT
Di, potato blight doesn`t start in the roots. It starts on the leaves then moves down the haulms to the potatoes.
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Post by dianthus on Sept 1, 2015 19:49:36 GMT
Di, potato blight doesn`t start in the roots. It starts on the leaves then moves down the haulms to the potatoes. I know that, Dai, but this seems to give the same effect on the tubers. Daily rain, too much for it to drain through the drainage eyelets . |
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Post by SueA on Sept 21, 2015 20:54:08 GMT
I lifted some nice Charlotte potatoes today from one of my containers & decided to see if there were any of the Shetland Black (did you get any to grow Cherry?) decent enough to eat as they didn't seem to produce much foliage & it died off ages ago. I was pleased when I fished around in the container & found lots of small but perfect potatoes, the problem was finding them as they're black - in black compost!  I decided to scrub them & roast them with olive oil, butter, sea salt & rosemary & we had them with salmon & cauli. They're white inside when cooked & the skins become brown/mauve, quite chewy skins but tasty. Here's about half the harvest before cooking  and after:-  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 22:21:36 GMT
Great way of using up the little potatoes not worth peeling, I enjoy them done this way like in the Mediterranean countries. Might get a coronary from all the salt though! They look fabulous above and the skin colour clearly fades with cooking like the markings on my Blue Belle potatoes.
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Post by Cherry on Sept 22, 2015 5:48:09 GMT
Mine were all sizes SueA and I loved them. I didn't get many because the soil which was tipped on in a huge lump smothered some of the new growth and these did not grow through the weight of the soil. You may remember when this happened because I could not lift big weights at the time. I think I would have got a good crop if this had not happened, but the sizes were all over the place. This would be normal anyway.  |
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Post by SueA on Sept 22, 2015 7:23:48 GMT
I remember about you worrying Cherry that they'd got buried under a mass of soil but am glad you got some good potatoes in the end, I wasn't sure I'd get any because the foliage didn't look as vigorous as the other varieties & I think the slugs & snails in the garden must have liked it as it seemed to get nibbled! |
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Post by dianthus on Sept 22, 2015 11:36:20 GMT
The slugs and tiny snails had a field day with my foliage, too. Luckily, only found two potatoes with holes in them. Also killed a dozen or more golden eelworms when I tipped the bags out into my barrow.
I've never grown colour skin potatoes, except for Dad's Desirée, back home.
What are the flavours like? |
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Post by SueA on Sept 22, 2015 18:13:28 GMT
The Shetland Black had a nice flavour dianthus , slightly 'nutty' to me but that could have been the way I cooked them. Most of the info. I read about them said they were best cooked in their skins & either baked/roasted or steamed & they had a slightly floury texture but weren't dry. |
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Post by dianthus on Sept 22, 2015 21:42:41 GMT
My Kestrel turned out to have a higher dry matter, this year, too. I'm using them for mash.
Yours should also make good chips.... a pity they weren't bigger sized.
Any ideas what you may grow next year SueA |
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Post by SueA on Sept 23, 2015 7:39:42 GMT
I'm not sure yet dianthus , I usually only grow first/second early & salad types in containers & my favourites are Winston, Charlotte & Lady Christl but I end up going to a few 'potato days' & trying a few of anything which catches my eye as well. I spotted the Shetland Black at a potato day in Macclesfield this year & decided to give them a go & I'll probably end up with something else with a bit of novelty value.  |
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Post by dianthus on Sept 23, 2015 11:28:59 GMT
I'm not sure yet dianthus , I usually only grow first/second early & salad types in containers & my favourites are Winston, Charlotte & Lady Christl but I end up going to a few 'potato days' & trying a few of anything which catches my eye as well. I spotted the Shetland Black at a potato day in Macclesfield this year & decided to give them a go & I'll probably end up with something else with a bit of novelty value. Lucky you, SueA
I've never found an event like that. My knowledge comes from reading the Potato Marketing book, talking to some suppliers to industry, over 20yrs ago, then seeing what Dad grew over the years, and what I've grown when I've been able, since '86 when I had my first veg plot.
I've never lived near an allotment plot, so have never had that useful dialogue with other growers.
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 23, 2015 13:48:29 GMT
My research consisted of buying a bag of white spuds from the shop downstairs, neglecting them for about 6 months until they had started to sprout, and then - on a whim - planting them. Just call me "Mr Scientific"  |
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Post by dianthus on Sept 23, 2015 18:05:29 GMT
My research consisted of buying a bag of white spuds from the shop downstairs, neglecting them for about 6 months until they had started to sprout, and then - on a whim - planting them. Just call me "Mr Scientific" *giggles*
Roofy, you are the person who makes me laugh heartily.
It worked, of sorts, didn't it, as you got some potatoes in your bins..... but buying some seed potatoes or properly chitting them (laying them out, eyes uppermost, so they start to sprout, in early spring), is a more reliable way of getting a heavier crop.
PS. Ever thought of selling your 'extremely local' veg in his shop??
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 23, 2015 19:00:34 GMT
Yes, actually, though I've never had a big enough harvest to implement the idea. I've harvested two bins, leaving another two left. Thing is, both remaining bins have thrown out new foliage, and quite vigerous foliage to boot, so I've held off on harvesting them. The current crop ARE second generation; I grew my first lot in 2013-2014 from the aforementioned shop potatoes, and kept about 10-12 back to plant again for THIS season. (2014-2015). My first ever second generation plants |
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I decided to scrub them & roast them with olive oil, butter, sea salt & rosemary & we had them with salmon & cauli. They're white inside when cooked & the skins become brown/mauve, quite chewy skins but tasty.
