ARCADIAN ARCHIVES
Early Maincrop Potatoes for the North-west.
The last week of March is when I begin planting potatoes, weather permitting. I keep a collection of around twenty-four varieties, most of which I have been growing here in north-west England for the past ten years. Some of the more unusual varieties have originated from tiny micro-plants bought from a specialist, mail order catalogue. They were grown on in pots of compost for a couple of years until the resulting tubers were large enough to be planted out in the open ground. Several varieties have been given to me by fellow potato enthusiasts, some have been acquired from special ‘potato days’ that take place up and down the country, and others have been inherited from different gardens. A restriction on time and space keeps my collection down to a manageable and practical size, otherwise I would find it difficult to resist growing more varieties.
There seems to be little awareness of the arsenal of chemicals often used in the cultivation of commercially grown, non-organic potatoes. By the time a potato appears on your plate, you can safely assume it has been treated by some, if not all, of the following: fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, sprout suppressants and defoliants. It is worth noting that the use of at least two plant protection chemicals is presently permitted by the Soil Association in the commercial production of organic potatoes. Far better, then, to grow your own.
It goes without saying that some potato varieties are more suitable than others for different parts of the country. After years of trial and error, I have come to the conclusion that varieties producing a fairly early crop are the best for north-west England. Later cropping potatoes that remain in the soil for longer are extremely prone to slug damage, especially where soil is heavy and retains a lot of moisture during summer. If you are lucky enough to garden in lighter, friable, more open soil – perhaps in coastal areas – then late maincrop varieties may well thrive without any trouble. But for those who garden in areas where annual rainfall is fairly high, it is a much safer bet to grow potatoes that mature early and therefore spend less time in the soil where they become increasingly susceptible to pests and diseases.
Although I grow some varieties for historical value or unusual colouring, I have selected three others for their delicious flavour and reliable, heavy crops. They are all early maincrop varieties that seem to thrive in conditions that are less than perfect.
¢Ratte¢ is an old variety, dating back to around 1872, and never fails to provide an abundance of small, yellow, waxy tubers. It tends not to store very well, but its flavour is so irresistible there are rarely any left to store anyway. ¢Belle de Fontenay¢ has fairly large, oval tubers with a buttery flavour and waxy texture. It is regarded as being susceptible to disease but, so far, I have never had any trouble with it. If I had to choose only one variety to provide a trouble-free, early, abundant crop that stores well, looks good and tastes wonderful no matter how it is cooked, it would have to be ¢Nicola¢. This modern potato was bred in Germany and is freely available in the UK from seed merchants and mail order catalogues.