Potato day 2010

Last Saturday was members Potato Day at Garden Organic. I think I've gone nearly every year for the last 10 or so years, apart from last year. We moved house the day before and Kevin was deaf to my view that potato day was more important than unpacking boxes...

My chosen varieties for 2010 are now chitting in egg boxes in the lounge room, viz:

And because you probably cannot read the labels(!), here is the list:

• Pentland Javelin (1st early)
• Linzer Delikatess (1st early)
• Red Duke of York (1st early
• Charlotte (organic) (2nd early)
• Catronia (2nd early)
• Salad Blue (2nd early)
• Will*
• Maxine (early maincrop)
• Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy (early maincrop)
• Picasso (early maincrop)
• Stemster (early maincrop)
• Sante (early maincrop)
• Ryecroft Purple (maincrop)
• Verity (maincrop)
• Highland Burgundy Red (maincrop)
• Arran Victory (late maincrop)
• Blue Danbue (late maincrop)

It might seem like a lot of potatoes, but not as many as you think. In most cases I just get 4-5 of each variety. I do this because: a) diversity means that if some potatoes get hit by blight, not all of them will (at least that's been my experience to date); b) I like growing different types of taties for different eating (mashing, baking, salad etc); and finally; c) I love growing more unusual varieties, espectially if they are red or purple. I love purple veggies. I don't know why, I just do.

*Will is a potato given to me at the seed event in Oxford by Ben from Real Seeds. It is supposed to be a blight resistant variety, but don't know anything about it other than this. Ben gave me 2 seed potatoes, so now let's see what happens.

A potato expert has written a useful article regarding how to be potato blight in The Guardian today. To date I haven't heard any predictions for how this summer is going to turn out, so best to keep your blight information close by. My non-very-scientific experience has been that if it is a very warm April, summer is wet, but cold or at least a wet April, often leads to a warmer summer. So let's see what April will bring.

I went up to potato day with Kevin and Mark. It was a stunningly beautiful day, cold but crisp, blue skies and warm sun. On the way back we stopped by the Rollright Stones (stone circle). You can see how sunny it was by Kevin and Mark blinking into the camera!

And here is the Rollrights under beautiful English winter blue skies...