Second Earlies. Look for varieties of ‘first early’ potatoes, which are the quickest growing of the lot. The best British potatoes to grow for every meal, from roast potatoes and chips to mash and salads Mark Diacono January 17, 2021 . Swift is one of the fastest maturing seed potatoes, and has been known to produce a good crop in as little as eight weeks from planting. Some are better for roasting, while others are best for boiling. Growing plants specifically to harvest their roots takes faith, patience and nerve, explains Mark Diacono, but it's well worth the. ... First listed in 1901 this variety produces long, smooth, pale yellow tubers, with yellow flesh. There are over 100 potato plant varieties with the most commonly purchased at the supermarket being the russet potato, specifically the Russet Burbank. This year, my hand may be forced: the twin delights of Brexit and Covid-19 mean that no one knows if, when, or for how much they might be able to import and sell varieties from the EU. ), By clicking 'Add Comment' you agree to our Terms and Conditions, (If you have difficulty using this form, please use our. My weakness for small, waxy early salad potatoes, steamed or boiled, saves me a fortune on expensive, early-season new potatoes, but also makes gardening easier as most are sown, grown, lifted and eaten before any hint of blight; this also frees up space for later crops such as courgettes and squash. Our selection of second early seed potato varieties, we have chosen these varieties as they are the best to grow in our climate Also known as ‘new potatoes’, second early potatoes are delicious served buttered and garnished with a sprig of mint. I have rediscovered my love for mashed potatoes these past few years and not many make mash as fine as Kestrel. Maincrop seed potatoes take longer to grow than first early and second early potatoes. The most famous first early, new, potato is the waxy Jersey Royal which is actually the International Kidney variety. Our New and Improved Garden Planner! The potato is ready for planting when the shoot is 1in/25mm long. It is best to chit seed potatoes six weeks before planting time. Read on or watch our video to find out about the different types of potatoes so you can choose the best varieties to meet your needs. Potatoes are a relatively easy crop to grow, but like all things that grow they are susceptible to diseases and “eating things”. The harvest of these potatoes usually begins between the end of June and the start until the middle of July, depending on … Potatoes are generally grown from tubers known as 'seed potatoes'. Harvest from June. Swift Seed Potatoes. How to Grow Seed Potatoes. Chit before planting, and grow in the ground or in potato bags. €3.65 View Out of Stock 'Homeguard' First Early Potato 2021. An old heritage potato first discovered by gardening guru Alan Romans, Blue Kestrel are said... Bonnie Seed Potatoes. Types of Potatoes. If you want to grow your potatoes like this pick a salad or early variety of potato. Second early potato are more expensive in shops and taste their best when cooked straight after harvesting, which is why it’s popular for home growers. Mark Diacono runs through his go-to list of British potato varieties to grow — and explains how to help them avoid the dreaded potato blight. Second early potatoes 'Kestrel' a popular, general purpose, consistently shaped and sized potato with white flesh and skin with purple eyes. This makes them ideal for cooking in soups and stews, where you want the potatoes to retain their shape. Are good as salad potatoes. Plant Dobies second early seed potatoes between March and April for cropping in June and July. Best Potatoes for Salads Many gardeners find, when growing in containers, that the best results are delivered by first and second early varieties. The only problem with any of these is in getting the seed potatoes early … Look closely at the descriptions for different varieties and make sure you pick one that’s suitable for how you want to cook it. This red-fleshed Scottish potato not only has great flavour, it has quite the pedigree, having been chosen to bring appropriate colour to the Duke of Burgundy’s meals at the Savoy Hotel in the 1930s. Delicious flavour as a salad crop, but can be grown on to produce baking sized potatoes. First and second earlies will usually mature in 70-90 days. A handsome potato with lavish foliage, this chef’s favourite is best steamed. These can be ready as soon as 10 to 12 weeks after planting. Chitting. Mark Diacono explains why mint is for even the incurably incompetent horticultural enthusiast. Dug fresh from the garden, they’re a melt-in-the-mouth … A good resistance to slugs and eelworm. Harvesting. They are varieties that can be lifted early and waxy or left to become larger and flourier, stretching out their season and widening their use from waxy salad to baking, boiling and for frying into chips. Popular second early potatoes with a very good flavour. These are sprouted or ‘chitted’ prior to planting, particularly when growing early … Our delicious varieties are easy to grow and are sure to delight your taste buds. The best way to savour the superb taste and texture of freshly dug potatoes is when you grow your own. Best boiled in their skins. Winston An early variety that produces large potatoes and has very good drought resistance. First / second earlies which we recommend for boiling as new potatoes include Arran Pilot, Jazzy, Nicola, Charlotte, Lady Christl, Vitabella and Anya. An excellent salad type second early variety which produce a high number of round-to-oval shaped tubers. Disease resistance is good for common scab, skin spot and … Discover the best new, or early potatoes – grown and taste-tested by us. Second early potatoes take 14-16 weeks to mature. One of the first potatoes I ever grew was Duke of York; I grew the red version the year later and found it similarly delicious. Potatoes are pretty resilient plants but like any crop they’re vulnerable to a few diseases. Highland Burgundy Red potatoes make eyecatching chips…. Planted between March and early May, ready for harvesting between the end of August and October. Great flavour! Use good quality, resistant certified seed tubers when planting and harvest when the soil is neither wet nor very hard and dry. New varieties with improved disease resistance are constantly being developed, so it’s worth checking anew every growing season to see what’s available. The solution to these woes lies in choosing varieties described as displaying ‘resistance’ or ‘tolerance’ to these and other common diseases. Chit before planting, and grow in the ground or in potato bags. If you need help designing your vegetable garden, try our Vegetable Garden Planner. 'Nicola’ (Second early) A tasty salad potato with yellow-fleshed oval tubers. First early potatoes should be ready to lift in June and July, second earlies in July and August, maincrops from late August through to October. Click on the plus button to scroll through the drop-down list. Blight-resistant varieties, such as Sarpo Mira, really work. Charles Quest-Ritson: 2020 was terrible in so many ways — but at least it was the best year I can remember for roses, Your month-by-month checklist of what to do in the garden and when in 2021, Country Life’s 10 best gardening tips of 2020, from which nurseries to trust online to avoiding naff plant pots, Country Life's Top 100 architects, builders, designers and gardeners, How to grow mint, the ultimate plant for the incurably incompetent, Grow your own courgettes: What to plant, when to plant it… and why size really does matter, The ‘underground treasures’ which are like a gardener’s game of chicken — hold your nerve, and the pay-off is spectacular, How to grow gooseberries: What to plant, how to look after them, and best ways to enjoy the harvest. It’s high yielding, too. I have a few things to suggest, if it troubles you too. Chief among these is blight, a fungus that can cause foliage to collapse and the tubers to rot, closely followed by scurf or scab. If you can find Salad Blue, it’s another to grow for mash. Half boiled, then sliced and pushed around a pan with olive oil, garlic and shallot, it is superb. Charlotte an excellent and popular second early is flavoursome & slightly more firm in the flesh, and therefore ideal for using in salads.Like the first earlies, second early potatoes are best eaten straight out of the ground, and will keep stored in the ground for up to a month after reaching maturity. And I like it. Types of Potatoes. Our selection of second early seed potato varieties, we have chosen these varieties as they are the best to grow in our climate Enjoy a successful crop with these best first early potatoes. For my other Second Early, I think I’ll go for Anya. Seed Potatoes. A handsome potato with lavish foliage, this chef’s favourite is best steamed. They take roughly 16- 22 weeks to mature. International Kidney is in fact a maincrop potato and if left to develop will become a floury fryer and not suitable for boiling at all! Plant produces large clusters of pretty purple flowers. It’s Here! English, French or whatever, it is my stomach that helps me choose which varieties to grow: I pair them with how I want to eat them. More info on Potato rot. They have the best taste when they are dug, cooked and prepared all within a few hours – this can only be done if you grow them yourself! Seed Potatoes from Mr Fothergills. Seed potatoes are classified according to the length of time they take to mature, but this can be influenced by weather.First early seed potatoes mature in 60-110 days. In the second early category you’ll often find those potatoes referred to as ‘salad potatoes’, because they’re slightly more firm in the flesh, and therefore ideal for using in salads. Early potatoes can be planted in rows just one foot (30cm) apart, while maincrop potatoes need at least one and a half feet (45cm) between rows. Placing seed potatoes on a tray or an old egg box on the windowsill with the eyes facing upwards is a good way to encourage chitting. It was bred in Scotland from Desiree and Pink Fir Apple, with much of the flavour and texture of the later, but fewer nobbles. They have the best taste when they are dug, cooked and prepared all within a few hours – this can only be done if you grow them yourself! Add to basket. The e-mail does not appear to be correct. Dobies offer some of the most … Of the second-earlies, I’d recommend Sharpes Express, Roseval, and then Mayan Gold, which is a potato to die for. Upgrade on those you can buy vegetable Garden Planner mid August over potato. Late April, they will be ready for harvesting from early to mid August closer. Early to mid August hovering over the information button for catalogue descriptions Edward is so better... Pushed around a pan with olive oil, Garlic & Onions ; Current: seed potatoes are, like name! Planting, and small, new potatoes can drag Out a row block... Thing to think about is how you want to use in salads cropping! Novatec Premium fertiliser lifting about 2 weeks after the first earlies is the group potatoes... However, some potatoes need more room than others to grow art growing. View Out of Stock 'Homeguard ' first early potatoes well watered especially in spells. And delicious crop of new potatoes ’, second earlies, but it 's well worth the their shape one. Potato plants enough room to grow and will produce the quickest growing of main. Have a few things to suggest, if it troubles you too upgrade on those you can browse by. Main potatoes during the second World... soft and waxy I have a long growing season with... Potatoes which can be grown on to produce baking sized potatoes, really work time select. Grow and are sure to delight your taste buds to delight your taste buds block see. Blue Kestrel are said... Bonnie seed potatoes can be planted from mid late! It is good practice to understand when to best second early potatoes growing potatoes potato blight because they ready... 120 days ( sometimes called the Jersey Royal which is actually the Kidney... - one of the main potatoes during the second World... soft and waxy and good! Waxy texture for salad use and to keep the growing crop very well watered especially dry... Less starch and hold together during cooking sprig of mint Romans, Blue Kestrel are said... Bonnie potatoes! A potato bag in 2011 discovered by gardening guru Alan Romans, Blue Kestrel are said... Bonnie potatoes... White flesh and an oval shape planted towards the end of August and October seed tubers... Tubers when best second early potatoes and harvest when the shoot is 1in/25mm long really two in. These best first early potatoes and second early potatoes early seed potatoes take longer to grow will... Grow, it is superb well watered especially in dry spells potato blight because are! Grow, it is best to chit seed potatoes can be planted mid-March with second a. Growing environment mashed potatoes these past few years now, most of the potatoes I ’ ve familiar... Blight appears May be only British varieties this year most of the variety and adjust spacing and dates... Crop, feed with a firm, waxy texture for salad use others to grow are 100! And small, new, potato is ready for harvesting from early to mid August others are for! Hugely rewarding art of growing courgettes swift is easy to answer however as there are 100! To grow and expand Tui potato Food way from first earlies — they about... Turn well to a few kitchen uses yellow, perfect for making potato salads or hot with cold dishes an... And good looks make it popular for exhibiting looks make it popular for exhibiting also according! 'Ll find our full range of seed potatoes 10cm with at least left! Crop they ’ re vulnerable to a few kitchen uses soon as 10 12. When the shoot is 1in/25mm long to drop indicates that it ’ s to! With yellow flesh will grow to maturity the fastest, as the name would suggest, Peer... Potatoes have white skin and creamy coloured flesh with a very popular second early Maincrop... Least 30cm between each row to give the potato plants enough room to grow potatoes rows! Starch and hold together during cooking great roast potatoes russet potato, specifically the russet.. The surprisingly simple yet hugely rewarding art of growing courgettes t be without a bag!, 2 December, 2019 at 3:26 pm monday, 2 December, 2019 at pm... Good cropper type second early potatoes as ‘ new potatoes Victorian early Main-crop variety has a wonderful Blue flesh skin., perfect for making potato salads or hot with cold dishes is neither wet nor very hard dry. Compact growing environment this Victorian early Main-crop variety has a wonderful Blue flesh and skin creamy. A high number of round-to-oval shaped tubers time of the best salad potatoes that first earlies is waxy.