Chadahs potato list of varieties and notes about them

SEED POTATOES VARIETIES

Autumn and early-Winter is the time to think about buying your seed potatoes. Garden shops and centres should have their stock in by January. The table below describes over 40 popular varieties. This year (Autumn 2009), CHADAHS are offering 30 of these varieties to our members. Our prices are Ł2.85 for a 3 kg pack except for salad varieties and two other varieties which are Ł3.00 for a 2 kg pack.

Specialist suppliers:
A local shop which stocks a very wide range of seed potatoes sold loose from bins is T.Watts & Sons Ltd, 247-251 Hertford Road, Enfield, tel: 020 8804 1300. This firm also sells a range of peas and beans loose. The shop is located at the junction of Carterhatch Lane and Hertford Road. You can get there by public transport from Haringey on bus 279 from Manor House or Seven Sisters stations. (If you know of other suppliers with a good range, please let us know, and we will add them here.)

Quantities:
Seed potato tubers tend to weigh around 50 - 60 grams, so you get around 20 per kilo. Use this figure with the planting spacings given below to work out what weights of seed potatoes you require, or how many rows you will get from the common package (or 'net') of 3 kg.

Chitting:
Obtaining your seed potatoes in January allows you to 'chit' i.e. sprout the potatoes in a cool but frost-free place with moderate light but not direct sunlight. Chitting gets your potatoes off to a quick start, so they are quickly into leaf and make maximum gains. The good start and growth mean your crop can be lifted earlier, avoiding slug damage, also avoiding blight in a wet year and the driest period of a dry year. You can help First Early varieties crop quickly by rubbing out all but the 4 strongest shoots (but no need to do this for Second Early or Maincrop varieties). Egg boxes are ideal for keeping the potatoes airy and 'stalk down and eyes up' while chitting. (The 'stalk' is the original point of attachment of the potato to the parent plant). If your storage place is not too cold, your potatoes should have shoots of about 5 cm (2 inches) length by the time you plant them. If weather and soil conditions are very unfavourable, chitting can continue and planting times can be delayed by up to a month without too much decrease in your final crop.

Planting times:
First Early - from late March onwards. Harvest June-July
Second Early - from early to mid-April. Harvest July-August
Maincrop - plant mid- to late-April. Harvest early September for winter storage and use.

Planting distances:
Plant 'earlies' about 25 - 30 cm (10 - 12 inches) apart in rows 60 cm (2 feet) apart.
Plant 'maincrop' about 35 cm (15 inches) apart in rows 75 cm (2 foot 6 inches) apart.

Varieties in GREY are NOT available to members Autumn 2009 for Spring 2010.

POTATO VARIETIES

1st EARLIES

Accent A long yellow skinned variety. Produces a high yield of attractive tubers. Flesh is pale yellow and has a waxy texture. Excellent flavour and good all round cooking quality. Slug resistant.

Accord Accord is a high-yielding early variety, producing a good crop of attractive, uniformly-shaped, oval tubers. Good resistance to common and powdery scab and partial resistant to potato cyst nematode. Skin Colour - Cream. Flesh Colour - Cream. Accord is a mealy cooking type with good flavour. Uses - new, boil, steam and chips.

Arran Pilot An oval white skinned variety. Flesh is white and of waxy texture. Resistant to drought. Good in all soil conditions including light soils. A popular and successful variety in this area. Slug resistant.

Duke of York An old variety that is still extremely popular. This potato for boiling has a medium firm texture when cooked. It has a yellow skin and light yellow flesh with a pronounced flavour.

Epicure Traditional variety. Moderate yield of round potatoes with white flesh with an excellent, distinctive flavour which are good boiled, mashed or in salads. Potatoes do not discolour or lose their shape after cooking. Does well in cold exposed positions. Slug resistant.

Foremost A favourite amongst the earlies as a new potato with short oval tubers with slightly waxy firm white flesh of good flavour which does not disintegrate or discolour on cooking. Low - medium resistance to late blight. Not usually attacked by slugs.

Homeguard Moderate yield of uniform oval white skinned potatoes. Flesh is creamy white and of waxy texture with a good flavour. Does well in heavy soils.

Lady Christl Lady Christl is a high yielding variety of numerous uniform attractive cream smooth-skinned oval-long tubers. Good all round disease resistance, although it is slightly susceptible to foliage blight. Excellent cooking qualities with light yellow flesh.

Maris Bard An oval white skinned variety. Produces a large yield of moderately large potatoes. Flesh is white and of waxy texture, with a good flavour. Very early.

Pentland Javelin Produces heavy crops of short oval potatoes with white waxy flesh. Cooks well - especially good for boiling and for salads. Normally used small as new potatoes, but also good when mature. Keeps well for an early. Slug resistant.

Red Duke of York Oval red sport of Duke of York with moist yellow flesh of superb flavour. A good all rounder and really excellent for roasting. More vigorous than Duke of York, spectacular foliage and larger tubers, with a pale yellow floury flesh and a wonderful flavour. Uses: New potato/roast/summer baker/general purpose.

Rocket Very early variety. Very high yield of even sized round white potatoes. White flesh with firm waxy texture. Superb flavour and good cooking qualities, especially when boiled. Low haulm reduces wind damage. Does well under cloches. Slug resistant.

Sharpes Express A favourite amongst 'home-growers' for many years. Pear shaped tubers with bright white flesh, smooth skin and an excellent 'new potato' flavour. A floury potato best boiled whole in skins. On the downside, this variety has low resistance to dry rot, late blight on foliage and late blight on tubers.

Swift Extremely early variety, even earlier than Rocket. They crop in 8-10 weeks. Plant only 9ins (23cm) apart. Excellent for cloche and pot growing. Moderate yield of round white potatoes, with cream flesh. Good all round cooking qualities. Very good salad potato. Slug resistant.

Vales Emerald A Maris Peer/Charlotte cross that yields a high number of round to oval, white skinned, firm, cream fleshed tubers. An ideal variety to grow as a ‘baby' potato. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Skin: White. Flesh: Medium Yellow. Cooking: Boiling & Steaming.

Winston Bred in 1992, Winston is a popular potato because of its heavy cropping and large bold tubers of even size. It has a firm texture and a creamy flesh. It scrapes well when used early and bakes well upon maturity. Eelworm resistant and often takes first place on the show bench.

2nd EARLIES

Catriona An excellent new general purpose potato with a firm, mealy texture and a pleasing flavour. Good yields of long oval tubers with white skin, attractive blue eyes and pale yellow flesh of superior flavour. A showbench favourite before Kestrel.

Estima Very high yield of oval potatoes with pale yellow flesh which is firm, waxy, moist and free from after cooking blackening. One of the earliest varieties to mature sufficiently for baking. Slug resistant.

Kestrel High yield of long oval blue-eyed potatoes. Flesh is cream with a semi-waxy floury texture with an old fashioned flavour. Good all round cooker and an excellent chipper. Highly slug resistant.

Marfona High yielding table potato, tending to produce large baker-size tubers and very popular as a baker with supermarkets. An excellent variety for baking, boiling and mashing due to strong flavour. White skinned with pale yellow moist flesh. Medium to good all-round disease resistance.

Maris Peer A round oval white skinned variety. Produces a high yield of medium sized potatoes, except in dry conditions. Flesh is cream and of waxy texture. Good boiled and in salads. Slug resistant. May be used as an early main crop.

Nadine Very high yield of uniform round potatoes with white skin and pale cream flesh, with firm, moist, waxy texture and no after cooking blackening. Good all purpose potato. Good foliage blight resistance. Slug resistant.

Saxon High yield of long oval potatoes. Flesh is cream and of waxy texture. Outstanding flavour and good all round cooker. Good disease resistance. Stores well.

Vivaldi This is a versatile potato, producing moderate yields of yellow skinned, pale yellow fleshed, long oval tubers. Plants have good common scab resistance, but are susceptible to foliage blight, blackleg and slugs. Can be lifted early to give good yields of 'baby potatoes', or left to produce larger tubers as a second early / early maincrop. Uses: Tasty creamy flesh. Eat boiled or steamed as 'new', or mash, saute, bake or roast. This variety has attracted attention because its tubers have a third less carbohydrate than usual.

Wilja Very high yield of medium sized potatoes which store well for an early potato. Flesh is pale yellow, floury, moderately firm and not subject to disintegration or after-cooking blackening. Good all round cooker, excellent boiled or in salads. May be used as an early main crop. Slug resistant.

MAIN CROP

Cara A round pink eyed very high yielding variety. Produces large attractive tubers. Flesh is cream and of firm waxy texture. Excellent boiled or baked. Good show variety. Good foliage and tuber blight resistance. Slug resistant.

Desiree A long oval red variety. Very high yield of medium to large shallow eyed potatoes. May be irregular in shape especially in heavy or wet conditions. Flesh pale yellow and waxy. Good all round cooking qualities. Rather prone to scab, but this does not badly affect eating and cooking. Good drought and slug resistance. A popular and successful variety in this area.

Golden Wonder Russet skinned. One of the best varieties for roasting and frying. This potato has a deep rich flavour which improves on storage. A good cropper. Slug resistant.

Kerrs Pink First grown in 1917, a traditional tasty main crop potato. Dense weed suppressing foliage. Ireland's favourite. Is a general purpose floury potato which microwaves, mashes, bakes and fries well. Boiling needs care if not to disintegrate. Tubers are round, pink, with deep eyes. Moderate foliage blight and scab resistance.

King Edward High yield of medium sized oval potatoes with creamy white slightly flowery flesh. Well known good quality potato which is a good all round cooker and rarely discolours after cooking. Responds well to good conditions.

Majestic High yield of medium to large oval potatoes with creamy white soft waxy flesh. Good all round cooker. Keeps well into late spring. Reliable cropper which succeeds in a wide variety of conditions. A popular and successful variety in this area.

Maris Piper High yield of medium to large, short oval potatoes, with creamy white flesh with a soft, dry, flowery texture. Good all round cooker, boiled, mashed or baked, but not recommended as a salad potato. Rarely discolours after cooking. Has largely replaced Majestic commercially.

Pentland Crown Extremely high yield of medium to large short oval potatoes with white waxy flesh. Cooking qualities are only moderate. The potatoes deteriorate if kept into the new year. Best mashed, baked or chipped. Slug resistant.

Picasso Oval potatoes with white skins, red eyes, cream coloured flesh and mild flavour. Good for boiling, baking and chipping. A possible alternative to Pentland Crown. It is also extremely high yielding, but the potatoes have better cooking qualities and keep well. Has good tuber blight resistance and is generally trouble free.

Romano High yield of round potatoes with creamy white, waxy flesh. Good all round cooker, often grown in preference to Desiree because of its greater scab and foliage blight resistance and the better appearance of the potatoes, but Romano is less drought resistant.

Rooster Originally from Ireland, Rooster is an excellent potato, producing pink or red skinned, yellow fleshed, oval tubers. It has a high resistance to potato viruses. Uses: Versatile general purpose, can steam, mash, chip, saute or bake. When cooked is neither too waxy, nor too dry and floury, and has a good flavour. Stores well so can be used throughout the winter months. This potato variety is being promoted in several supermarkets as something new and special - and with a premium price, so all the more reason to grow your own!

Sante Probably the most pest and disease resistant potato including foliage and tuber blight resistance and grows well in all soils. Double eelworm resistant. Lots of uniform large oval tubers with quite dry pale yellow flesh. Ideal for boiling and baking. One of the most widely grown varieties on organic farms.

Valor Late-maturing maincrop potato. Vigorous grower with excellent all round disease and slug resistance. Good yield of large cream white tubers that store well. White skin with cream colour flesh. Cooking quality is very good with a dry firm texture particularly good for baking and boiling but can also steam, mash, chip, saute, and roast.

SALADS

Anya A cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple, Anya has Pink Fir's fine nutty taste yet is 8 weeks earlier so they can be lifted as early as July. The tubers are a long shape, but do not have the branches that can make preparation and storage difficult. Skin colour is yellow and flesh colour is white. Cook by boiling or steaming. Can eat cold in salads or sauteed, or tossed in a herb sauce such as Italian Pesto.

Charlotte Charlotte is a second early maturity potata, producing moderate yields of uniform, smooth skinned tubers. Charlotte has a high resistance to foliage and tuber blight. The cooked potato has a medium dry waxy texture.

International Kidney A first early. Grown on Jersey as "Jersey Royals". Kidney shaped potato with pale yellow skin and pale yellow flesh which is waxy when young. Excellent boiled or as a salad potato. Famous for its flavour. Can also be grown as an early main crop.

Nicola Maincrop. Firm cooked texture. Long oval shape, yellow skin, light yellow flesh. Excellent boiled or in salads, with waxy flesh when cooked. Golden eelworm resistant and good tuber blight resistance.

Pink Fir Apple Matures late in the season. This very old (1850) variety is low yielding, but remains popular because of its excellent flavour. The flesh is firm waxy pale yellow. They should be boiled in their skins which are then easily removed. They retain a superb 'new potato' flavour well into the new year and rarely discolour after cooking. Delicious hot or cold. Decadence is making chips with individual tubers!

Ratte An early variety. A French cuisine classic since 1872, although it may have been known as Asparges. The tubers are long, with a white skin and yellow flesh. It has fewer knobbly bits than Pink Fir Apple but the same waxy texture.

Varieties in GREY are NOT available to members Autumn 2009 for Spring 2010.
POTATO VARIETIES
1st EARLIES
Accent	A long yellow skinned variety. Produces a high yield of attractive tubers. Flesh is pale yellow and has a waxy texture. Excellent flavour and good all round cooking quality. Slug resistant.
Accord	Accord is a high-yielding early variety, producing a good crop of attractive, uniformly-shaped, oval tubers. Good resistance to common and powdery scab and partial resistant to potato cyst nematode. Skin Colour - Cream. Flesh Colour - Cream. Accord is a mealy cooking type with good flavour. Uses - new, boil, steam and chips.
Arran Pilot	An oval white skinned variety. Flesh is white and of waxy texture. Resistant to drought. Good in all soil conditions including light soils. A popular and successful variety in this area. Slug resistant.
Duke of York	An old variety that is still extremely popular. This potato for boiling has a medium firm texture when cooked. It has a yellow skin and light yellow flesh with a pronounced flavour.
Epicure	Traditional variety. Moderate yield of round potatoes with white flesh with an excellent, distinctive flavour which are good boiled, mashed or in salads. Potatoes do not discolour or lose their shape after cooking. Does well in cold exposed positions. Slug resistant.
Foremost	A favourite amongst the earlies as a new potato with short oval tubers with slightly waxy firm white flesh of good flavour which does not disintegrate or discolour on cooking. Low - medium resistance to late blight. Not usually attacked by slugs.
Homeguard	Moderate yield of uniform oval white skinned potatoes. Flesh is creamy white and of waxy texture with a good flavour. Does well in heavy soils.
Lady Christl	Lady Christl is a high yielding variety of numerous uniform attractive cream smooth-skinned oval-long tubers. Good all round disease resistance, although it is slightly susceptible to foliage blight. Excellent cooking qualities with light yellow flesh.
Maris Bard	An oval white skinned variety. Produces a large yield of moderately large potatoes. Flesh is white and of waxy texture, with a good flavour. Very early.
Pentland Javelin	Produces heavy crops of short oval potatoes with white waxy flesh. Cooks well - especially good for boiling and for salads. Normally used small as new potatoes, but also good when mature. Keeps well for an early. Slug resistant.
Red Duke of York	Oval red sport of Duke of York with moist yellow flesh of superb flavour. A good all rounder and really excellent for roasting. More vigorous than Duke of York, spectacular foliage and larger tubers, with a pale yellow floury flesh and a wonderful flavour. Uses: New potato/roast/summer baker/general purpose.
Rocket	Very early variety. Very high yield of even sized round white potatoes. White flesh with firm waxy texture. Superb flavour and good cooking qualities, especially when boiled. Low haulm reduces wind damage. Does well under cloches. Slug resistant.
Sharpes Express	A favourite amongst 'home-growers' for many years. Pear shaped tubers with bright white flesh, smooth skin and an excellent 'new potato' flavour. A floury potato best boiled whole in skins. On the downside, this variety has low resistance to dry rot, late blight on foliage and late blight on tubers.
Swift	Extremely early variety, even earlier than Rocket. They crop in 8-10 weeks. Plant only 9ins (23cm) apart. Excellent for cloche and pot growing. Moderate yield of round white potatoes, with cream flesh. Good all round cooking qualities. Very good salad potato. Slug resistant.
Vales Emerald	A Maris Peer/Charlotte cross that yields a high number of round to oval, white skinned, firm, cream fleshed tubers. An ideal variety to grow as a ‘baby' potato. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Skin: White. Flesh: Medium Yellow. Cooking: Boiling & Steaming.
Winston	Bred in 1992, Winston is a popular potato because of its heavy cropping and large bold tubers of even size. It has a firm texture and a creamy flesh. It scrapes well when used early and bakes well upon maturity. Eelworm resistant and often takes first place on the show bench.
2nd EARLIES
Catriona	An excellent new general purpose potato with a firm, mealy texture and a pleasing flavour. Good yields of long oval tubers with white skin, attractive blue eyes and pale yellow flesh of superior flavour. A showbench favourite before Kestrel.
Estima	Very high yield of oval potatoes with pale yellow flesh which is firm, waxy, moist and free from after cooking blackening. One of the earliest varieties to mature sufficiently for baking. Slug resistant.
Kestrel	High yield of long oval blue-eyed potatoes. Flesh is cream with a semi-waxy floury texture with an old fashioned flavour. Good all round cooker and an excellent chipper. Highly slug resistant.
Marfona	High yielding table potato, tending to produce large baker-size tubers and very popular as a baker with supermarkets. An excellent variety for baking, boiling and mashing due to strong flavour. White skinned with pale yellow moist flesh. Medium to good all-round disease resistance.
Maris Peer	A round oval white skinned variety. Produces a high yield of medium sized potatoes, except in dry conditions. Flesh is cream and of waxy texture. Good boiled and in salads. Slug resistant. May be used as an early main crop.
Nadine	Very high yield of uniform round potatoes with white skin and pale cream flesh, with firm, moist, waxy texture and no after cooking blackening. Good all purpose potato. Good foliage blight resistance. Slug resistant.
Saxon	High yield of long oval potatoes. Flesh is cream and of waxy texture. Outstanding flavour and good all round cooker. Good disease resistance. Stores well.
Vivaldi	This is a versatile potato, producing moderate yields of yellow skinned, pale yellow fleshed, long oval tubers. Plants have good common scab resistance, but are susceptible to foliage blight, blackleg and slugs. Can be lifted early to give good yields of 'baby potatoes', or left to produce larger tubers as a second early / early maincrop. Uses: Tasty creamy flesh. Eat boiled or steamed as 'new', or mash, saute, bake or roast. This variety has attracted attention because its tubers have a third less carbohydrate than usual.
Wilja	Very high yield of medium sized potatoes which store well for an early potato. Flesh is pale yellow, floury, moderately firm and not subject to disintegration or after-cooking blackening. Good all round cooker, excellent boiled or in salads. May be used as an early main crop. Slug resistant.
MAIN CROP
Cara	A round pink eyed very high yielding variety. Produces large attractive tubers. Flesh is cream and of firm waxy texture. Excellent boiled or baked. Good show variety. Good foliage and tuber blight resistance. Slug resistant.
Desiree	A long oval red variety. Very high yield of medium to large shallow eyed potatoes. May be irregular in shape especially in heavy or wet conditions. Flesh pale yellow and waxy. Good all round cooking qualities. Rather prone to scab, but this does not badly affect eating and cooking. Good drought and slug resistance. A popular and successful variety in this area.
Golden Wonder	Russet skinned. One of the best varieties for roasting and frying. This potato has a deep rich flavour which improves on storage. A good cropper. Slug resistant.
Kerrs Pink	First grown in 1917, a traditional tasty main crop potato. Dense weed suppressing foliage. Ireland's favourite. Is a general purpose floury potato which microwaves, mashes, bakes and fries well. Boiling needs care if not to disintegrate. Tubers are round, pink, with deep eyes. Moderate foliage blight and scab resistance.
King Edward	High yield of medium sized oval potatoes with creamy white slightly flowery flesh. Well known good quality potato which is a good all round cooker and rarely discolours after cooking. Responds well to good conditions.
Majestic	High yield of medium to large oval potatoes with creamy white soft waxy flesh. Good all round cooker. Keeps well into late spring. Reliable cropper which succeeds in a wide variety of conditions. A popular and successful variety in this area.
Maris Piper	High yield of medium to large, short oval potatoes, with creamy white flesh with a soft, dry, flowery texture. Good all round cooker, boiled, mashed or baked, but not recommended as a salad potato. Rarely discolours after cooking. Has largely replaced Majestic commercially.
Pentland Crown	Extremely high yield of medium to large short oval potatoes with white waxy flesh. Cooking qualities are only moderate. The potatoes deteriorate if kept into the new year. Best mashed, baked or chipped. Slug resistant.
Picasso	Oval potatoes with white skins, red eyes, cream coloured flesh and mild flavour. Good for boiling, baking and chipping. A possible alternative to Pentland Crown. It is also extremely high yielding, but the potatoes have better cooking qualities and keep well. Has good tuber blight resistance and is generally trouble free.
Romano	High yield of round potatoes with creamy white, waxy flesh. Good all round cooker, often grown in preference to Desiree because of its greater scab and foliage blight resistance and the better appearance of the potatoes, but Romano is less drought resistant.
Rooster	Originally from Ireland, Rooster is an excellent potato, producing pink or red skinned, yellow fleshed, oval tubers. It has a high resistance to potato viruses. Uses: Versatile general purpose, can steam, mash, chip, saute or bake. When cooked is neither too waxy, nor too dry and floury, and has a good flavour. Stores well so can be used throughout the winter months. This potato variety is being promoted in several supermarkets as something new and special - and with a premium price, so all the more reason to grow your own!
Sante	Probably the most pest and disease resistant potato including foliage and tuber blight resistance and grows well in all soils. Double eelworm resistant. Lots of uniform large oval tubers with quite dry pale yellow flesh. Ideal for boiling and baking. One of the most widely grown varieties on organic farms.
Valor	Late-maturing maincrop potato. Vigorous grower with excellent all round disease and slug resistance. Good yield of large cream white tubers that store well. White skin with cream colour flesh. Cooking quality is very good with a dry firm texture particularly good for baking and boiling but can also steam, mash, chip, saute, and roast.
SALADS
Anya	A cross between Desiree and Pink Fir Apple, Anya has Pink Fir's fine nutty taste yet is 8 weeks earlier so they can be lifted as early as July. The tubers are a long shape, but do not have the branches that can make preparation and storage difficult. Skin colour is yellow and flesh colour is white. Cook by boiling or steaming. Can eat cold in salads or sauteed, or tossed in a herb sauce such as Italian Pesto.
Charlotte	Charlotte is a second early maturity potata, producing moderate yields of uniform, smooth skinned tubers. Charlotte has a high resistance to foliage and tuber blight. The cooked potato has a medium dry waxy texture.
International Kidney	A first early. Grown on Jersey as "Jersey Royals". Kidney shaped potato with pale yellow skin and pale yellow flesh which is waxy when young. Excellent boiled or as a salad potato. Famous for its flavour. Can also be grown as an early main crop.
Nicola	Maincrop. Firm cooked texture. Long oval shape, yellow skin, light yellow flesh. Excellent boiled or in salads, with waxy flesh when cooked. Golden eelworm resistant and good tuber blight resistance.
Pink Fir Apple	Matures late in the season. This very old (1850) variety is low yielding, but remains popular because of its excellent flavour. The flesh is firm waxy pale yellow. They should be boiled in their skins which are then easily removed. They retain a superb 'new potato' flavour well into the new year and rarely discolour after cooking. Delicious hot or cold. Decadence is making chips with individual tubers!
Ratte	An early variety. A French cuisine classic since 1872, although it may have been known as Asparges. The tubers are long, with a white skin and yellow flesh. It has fewer knobbly bits than Pink Fir Apple but the same waxy texture.