Top 10 Potato Varieties

Name: Desiree

Type: Maincrop

Description:
This potato is the world's most favourite red. It is a waxy potato which has a strong taste. The tuber is a long oval shape and has great drought resistance.

Skin Colour: Red

Flesh Colour: Light Yellow

Uses: Mash, chip, boil, roast, bake

Name: Arran Pilot

Type: First Early

Description:
Arran Pilot is the most popular garden variety in the UK. Its oval tubers, even from the same plant will vary greatly in size and shape, and will produce high yeilds.

Skin Colour: White

Flesh Colour: White

Uses: Boil, salad, roast

Name: Pentland Javelin

Type: First Early

Description:
Creating short oval tubers, this showbench-quality early has a fantastic flavour. Pentland Javelin has excellent disease resistance.

Skin Colour: White

Flesh Colour: Cream

Uses: Mash, boil, salad, roast

Name: Rocket

Type: First Early

Description:
One of the earliest to crop, producing mild tasting, attractive, uniform, exhibition-quality round tubers. Double eelworm resistance.

Skin Colour: White

Flesh Colour: White

Uses: Boil, Salad, Roast

Name: King Edward

Type: Maincrop

Description:
England's best known variety. Striking colouration and superb all-round cooking qualities.Good resistance to common scab.

Skin Colour: White/Red

Flesh Colour: Cream-Light Yellow

Uses: Mash, chip, boil, roast, bake

Name: Maris Piper

Type: Maincrop

Description:
Maris Piper is best for flavour, high yields of top-flavoured tubers. Excellent frying characteristics, often called the 'chippies choice'

Skin Colour: White

Flesh Colour: White-Cream

Uses: Mash, chip, boil, roast, bake

Name: Wilja

Type: Second Early

Description:
Super, floury flavour which produces high yields of attractive tubers. Easily manages foliage makes Wilja a popular choice.

Skin Colour: Yellow

Flesh Colour: Light Yellow

Uses: Bake, chip, boil, roast, bake

Name: Charlotte

Type: Salad

Description:
The most popular salad variety. Charlotte is reliable, high yielding and has a waxy texture. Good resistance to Blackleg.

Skin Colour: Yellow

Flesh Colour: Light-Mid Yellow

Uses: Boil, salad, roast

Name: Kestrel

Type: Second Early

Description: This new variety dominates show classes for its attractive appearance of blue eyes. Kestrel has good disease resistance and excellent flavour.

Skin Colour: Cream

Flesh Colour: White/Blue

Uses: Bake, chip, boil, roast, bake

Name: Pink Fir Apple

Type: Salad

Description:
Very old variety with a unique flavour. Pink Fir Apple is a firm tuber with a knobbly appearance!

Skin Colour: Pink

Flesh Colour: Mid Yellow

Uses: Boil, salad, roast

How to grow seed potatoes

How to prepare
Seed potatoes can be potted or planted. Ground should be well dug and fertilised before planting.

Chitting
Allow to'chit' or sprout before planting. Place in shallow trays (egg boxes are ideal) with any shoots facing upwards. Place trays in the light and protect from frost and extreme heat.

Outdoor Planting
Earlies: March/April
Later varieties: April/May
Ensuring the roots are facing upwards, plant 25cm (10in) apart and 10cm (4in) deep. Allow 60cm (24in) between rows.

Indoor Planting
February onwards, moving outdoors after the risk of frost. Plant 2 seed potatoes per 30cm (12in) pot.

Care
Water well in dry periods. Once shoots are 20cm, pile earth around the stems (tubers) to block out the light.

Harvesting
Earlies: Lift once big enough to eat, normally after 9-12 weeks.
Maincrop: Lift as required or store in a cool dark frost-free place.

For further information on growing potatoes check out these links;