Spuds you will like

Peter tries the taste test on potatoes at an RHS trial

WE are spoilt for choice these days when browsing mail order catalogues. Take potatoes for example, most list at least 30 different kinds and some over 50. How do we choose the one or two we have space for from so many?

Several weeks ago, along with fellow gardening scribes, I was taken through an RHS Potato Trial at Capel Manor College, Enfield by Colin Randel from Thompson & Morgan. Nicknamed “Spud” by fellow members of staff there, Colin’s knowledge of vegetables and potatoes in particular is encyclopaedic. If I need to find out anything about vegetables he is always my first port of call.

The RHS trial had 37 cultivars, including a number of new introductions, and at the end of the tour we had six modern kinds, both baked and boiled, to taste test. Cerisa a French bred, red skinned, second early, came out top, although with the exception of Bellanita (Colin’s favourite too) I thought they all tasted pretty much the same.

Cerisa has a problem in that, similar to most salad potatoes, it does not grow and yield well in the ‘Safe Haven’, seed potato growing areas of Scotland

“We had 6 modern kinds - baked and boiled to taste-test”

and the north of England. ‘Safe Haven’ means free of aphis, which spread virus diseases and other major potato problem diseases – brown rot and ring rot. Gardeners and commercial potato growers are advised to rely on ‘Safe Haven’ sourced seed to avoid the import of such diseases.

Yield from an 8ltr bag and this after a hot summer when drought was a factor.

Chas (musician of Chas & Dave fame) joined me and fellow gardening scribes, including AG.’s Lucy (pictured right) at the potato taste-in.