Potato Patch

[karstopography]

I really look forward to harvesting and eating these potatoes. I don’t care what might get written about homegrown potatoes being a waste of garden space as they aren’t any better than store bought because I’ve eaten plenty of store bought potatoes and the homegrown ones are definitely much better.

[bower]

So true @karstopography . Home spuds are as different from storebought as home tomatoes are!

[rossomendblot]

Home grown potatoes are amazing, to my taste. Supermarket ones often have a weird, gelatinous texture and an almost sweet taste when roasted. They brown inconsistently in the oven and don't crisp up well, and these are supposed to be good roasting/chipping varieties like Maris Piper and King Edwards. The reviews across supermarket websites are consistently bad.

I don't know what they're doing to them to get them like that, maybe storing them too cold? Anyway, we gave up buying from the supermarket and found some very local potatoes from a small farm, stored in a barn with the soil still on. They crisp up nicely, go golden brown and have a great texture.

This year I'm growing one of my favourites, Red Duke of York.

[karstopography]

https://potatoes.agricrops.org/varieties/compare

Comparison of potato types.

[bower]

That's a nice database!

[rxkeith]

we just cooked, and ate taters from the garden for dinner. 6 months or so out of the garden,
they still taste better than store bought. there is definitely a difference in taste.
the reds sprout faster than some of the other varieties i have grown. norlund, never keeps as long.
i also have either pontiac or lasoda which seems to be keeping
longer than norlund. we may have to cut back on whats planted this coming year. with the lad going to college
in florida, it is taking us longer to go through food. still plenty of potatoes in the basement.


keith

[AKgardener]

Thst reminds me I need to go the local greenhouse and get potatoes.

[karstopography]

I’d like to potentially branch out next year and order something besides the four potato varieties the feed store sells, Kennebec, Red Pontiac, Red Lasoda, or Yukon Gold. Or maybe I’ll try something new for a fall crop. Yukon Gold didn’t impress me here, so I don’t think I want something more or less like that.

I don’t want anything to do with russets, so I’ll scratch those off. I want to avoid any late season types if I can, I don’t think my climate will allow for those unless I’m able to get a good head start.

What are the elite flavor, extra tasty potato options out there that are main crop or earlier? Does not have to be some kind of high production type. Something noted for its great flavor that is mid season main crop or earlier, preferably with a thinner skin that isn’t one I have to necessarily peel to roast, boil, use in a soup or mash.

I’d rather it be waxy or all purpose.

[JRinPA]

I can't help much, I'm very happy with Lehigh, but it was developed for here in PA/NY/NJ, not Tejas. Lehigh River/ Lehigh Valley is only 15 miles from here. I would call this mid season? Though it is listed as indeterminate, I've concluded it does not set potatoes up in the hill when I hill up multiple times. I stopped bothering and just hill it right away and don't add more. Yellow, good taste, thinner skin - I rarely peel. Waxy, not sure what that means. Most are not that big, the way I grow them.

I saw Lehigh was not on that web list, but that list looked british-centric, plus this is a relatively new potato. I wanted to see how it was categorized.

I haven't bought new seed potatoes for a few years. I used to get these at the agway nearby, but that is gone.

[JRinPA]

This bag was the last picked, in October. Grown right against my last corn block. Stored at 57 degrees ( upstairs in the living room )

08.JPG

[karstopography]

https://fedcoseeds.com/moose/lehigh-lat ... otato-7905

Lehigh appears to be a Late season, all purpose type.

[karstopography]

I was doing a search for the German butterball seed potatoes and basically as far as I can tell no one that sells retail small order mail order types of quantities ships seed potatoes before March or if they do, there is something murky about it if they really ship earlier than March.

It does look like our local Walmart has a mix of various seed potatoes from a giant national grower and I might try those next year if I can’t really nail down a viable source of German Butterball that would ship by early February at the latest.

It really isn’t a big deal. I’ve got a lot of time to figure out how to get German Butterball seed potatoes when I think I need them, if I don’t, no one is going to die.

[JRinPA]

If you go by what is says on that Fedco seeds site criteria:
Early potatoes mature in 65-80 days.
Midseason potatoes mature in 80-90 days
Late potatoes mature in more than 90 days
Then yes Lehigh is a late season. April 5 to July 21, 107 days. Early May to mid August, 100 days. Those my last two years at 40 N. Three and a half months from planting to a clear senescence.



Meanwhile that brit website above is using the terms
first early
second early
early maincrop
maincrop
I don't know how much that corresponds to growing over here.
They get a weaker sun up at 50N than I do at 40N, and much more steady spring. Down at 30N the sun is way stronger. Fedco seeds is up in Kennebec Co in ME, about 45N.

Maybe search for what they are calling a First Early that fits your need and see if you can find seed for US delivery. But I suspect those agricrops.org charts are mostly for GB. I haven't found a way to search that site by the actual categories. ie, show all -->Maturity = First Early.

[karstopography]

These folks in South Georgia grew German butterball successfully.

[karstopography]

https://growhoss.com/products/german-bu ... 9330229558

Hoss tools ships German Butterball in late January.

[karstopography]

IMG_3571.jpeg

The Kennebec potatoes are up and growing. I wish the feed store got them in about three weeks earlier than they did. I have them in a marginal more shady spot, but even there they tend to produce reasonably well.

IMG_3569.jpeg

About all the Red Lasoda have blossoms forming. None of the Pontiac appear to have any sign of flowering. Other than that, it’s hard to tell them apart as the plants are all about the same size and shape.

[bower]

German Butterball, I grew it and it was a very nice potato. Very tall plants and late, but the spuds were good and they were pretty disease resistant compared to some.
Have you thought about trying some fingerlings?
I've been meaning to try the French Fingerling, which is red skinned and late, gets top reviews for taste and quality.
One early fingerling which I loved - Bellanita. A yellow fleshed potato, they were quite small but fantastic flavor. Considering I'm very partial to red skinned potatoes generally, they won me over on taste alone. I went looking for them, and I see McKenzie has some! Very tempted to get them and just find a place anywhere at all.
I read elsewhere that Bellanita is an "improved Linzer" or "Linzer Delikatess".

[karstopography]

@bower yes, I had thought about the french fingerlings. That grower on YouTube I linked to a couple of posts ago mentioned how good they tasted.

I’m a little ignorant about what to do with the french fingerling potatoes, with what type of applications do these shine?

Next season I plan on casting my search net a little further afield to see if any other reasonably close suppliers have G.Butterball or F.Fingerlings. The problem with ordering them is when will they actually arrive (will it be too late) and then they tend to be way more expensive, many multiples, of what I am finding locally.

I did also notice the Pontiac plants are more full and spreading than Lasoda. The height is about the same.

[bower]

If you don't have gnarly potato disease, you can keep and grow your own stock from the spuds you like best.
Then you would have them when you need them.

[rxkeith]

i like the taste, and color of pinto. skin is thin, red and yellow. flesh is yellow, maybe on the waxy side.
other non feed store varieties i have are ama rosa which did very well last year. its a larger red skin fingerling
with dark pink or light purple flesh depending on your point of view. also have magic molly, a purple through and
through fingerling. might be too late for you. purple mashed potatoes would make a statement.


keith