Monday, September 28, 2015

Choosing potatoes for my garden

 It is kinda sad to see the end of this years garden. Yet fun to collect and put away the bounty. I have been so happy with the potato garden doing well this year. When I go to some of the local places that sell from there home. I see my potatoes came out bigger and healthier than theirs. It puts a smile on my face.

What I learned from this year is, some of the exotic potatoes should have been planted closer. I did not have enough info on them to know they were small fingerling type of potatoes. So they will be planted closer together next spring.

My plans for next year
I will continue to grow potatoes from TPS (True botanical seeds).

 What I am looking for is productive sustainable potatoes to add to my collection. So this winter I will continue to research and buy some, that may be more productive and produce berry's. .I placed an order for the ones below. They will come some time in October. So I will have to store them for the winter.

 Desiree  ( 95-100 days, Mid season)
 I have read it is a red-skinned main-crop potato originally bred in the Netherlands in 1962. Disease resistance It has a waxy, yellow flesh with a distinctive flavor. I have seen many in the UK grow it on videos. It seems very productive.  I have also seen potato berry's and TPS seed collected from it. 
 General purpose potato (best for Mash potatoes) 

Purple Majesty (85 days, Early season)
Plant should be under 2 foot tall. With a spread of about 12-15 inches.
Purple inside and out. Said to be full of antioxidants The tubers may be small in size. Will update after I grow them. This plant can set berry's for TPS seed collection.

Viking Purple (90 to 100 days, Mid season)
 Pink/red-splashed purple skin, white flesh.
Small-to-medium spreading plant, yet it produces 3 1/2 to 4-inch round tubers some times larger. These tubers grow near the soil surface so keep the ground covered to prevent greening.  Needs the soil to be lose and fertile.
 Good for baking or mashing
.
 Russian Banana Fingerling (80-90 days)
Plant is under 2 foot tall around 8 inch wide.
Crescent-shaped small 4-5 inch tubers, yellow/tan skin with yellow flesh.
The plant can produce potato berry's.(TPS)
 perfect for boiling, roasting and baking


Yellow Finn.( 95-100 days) (Mid season)
dark yellow flesh tan to yellow like skin. Medium size tubers.
I have read it very productive, and has a buttery sweet flavor.
Good general purpose potato.  (boiling, mashing, frying, or baking).

Oct 15, update
I just ordered 1 pound each @ $7.00 per pound


77CHA     Charlotte - Certified Seed Potato    Early-Season
    Good producer of medium oblong nuggets, sometimes slightly crescent shaped, with very thin, golden yellow skin and flesh with shallow eyes. Great salad variety, excellent storage qualities.(waxy tubers and creamy yellow flesh)

77HU  Huckleberry - Certified Seed Potato (aka Cranberry Red)  Early-Season
 90-110 days. Skin color is a maroon-beet red and the flesh is dark pink with white marbling. Has an oblong potato shape, medium to medium-large tubers and is a consistent producer of vigorous medium to medium-large tubers. This is definitely one of a kind. Named after the legendary wild huckleberry of the Northern Rockies.  Early (for tubers to steal without disrupting the vines) and mid-season for a larger crop to harvest once the vines have naturally died. And it sets seed pods

77RFA     Rose Finn Apple Fingerling - Seed Potato Fingerling
90 to 110 days. A rosy colored skin with deep yellow flesh and a waxy, firm texture. finger-shaped spuds 2 to 5 ounces each.  A great roasting potato. Delectable flavor and a fine keeper with vigorous vines. Many chefs are finding that these potatoes cooked and pureed lend themselves well as a soup thickener for sauces and gravies. A fine keeper with vigorous upright vines. Mid-Season variety. 
12 to 18 inches tall but spreads up to 4 feet wide
TPS  added
Pokhipsie
Purple Vally
USDA B 0850-4 x USDA B 0975-1purple skin and partially blue fresh), will throw lots of non purple (blue flesh)
POTATO VALLEY CO. LTD. Korea
Mt. St Helen
Pam Wagner
Anna's Gold

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