This week my evening task is putting my seed spuds out to chit in a frost-free (I hope) shed.
Chitting means that the seed tubers are put in moderate warmth and some light and the buds, officially called eyes, begin to sprout.
Unfortunately, I have been advised that matrimonial harmony is inconsistent with sprouting seed tubers under the bed or on top of the wardrobe. This means that the unheated shed is my only option. This can be a tad chill, but better some chitting than none.
This is because earlier growth and tuber bulking that follows chitting is especially valuable in the dry south-east when soil moisture can run out by late summer.
My favourite potato is 'Symfonia' –a Dutch cultivar similar in cooking quality and drought resistance to the excellent Desiree. Sadly, Desiree is too susceptible to common scab disease for my dry, alkaline soils. 'Symfonia' on the other hand is very resistant to disease and the dreaded soil-dwelling Potato Cyst Nematode. Unfortunately 'Symfonia' seed is hard to come by, so I will have to use my own saved seed. I usually get away with this but from time to time disaster strikes so I won't rely on 'Symfonia' to the extent I would wish.
'Robinta' another red, I like red spuds best, is very nearly as good as 'Symfonia', so I shall grow some more of this.
'Ambo', a King Edward look-alike with pink 'eyes', did very well for me last year. It produced a monster crop of huge baker size spuds that were well up to the standard of its parent, 'Cara'. So I shall try it again. Sometimes potatoes impress in one year and disappoint subsequently, but there is only one way to find out…
I would be very sorry not to have some of the delicious 'Charlotte' and 'Pink Fir Apple'. They are tricky to grow, rather prone to disease and often light cropping, but I think them hard to beat on flavour and texture.
Naturally I will need earlies, and 'Accent' and 'Vanessa' are quick growing. ‘Lady Christl’ is a bit later than the others and is sometimes called a second early, so it fills in before the true second earlies.
'Cosmos' is my only real second early this year. It is a vigorous, robust potato that copes with any adverse conditions, produces baker sized tubers in late summer. I like a baked spud with my ratatouille.
Growing funny stuff is a big advantage of having your own veg plot, and Tuckers (http://www.edwintucker.com/ ) has proved a very fruitful source of French varieties this year. 'Fleur Pecher', 'Blue D' Auvergne' and 'Red Laure' are all claimed to be special in the flavour line – we shall see.
I have usually found obscure continental spuds all too susceptible to potato blight. If I lived in a wet district and was unable to apply copper fungicide, I would certainly grow the Sarpo blight resistant potatoes.
I hope to do a potato talk at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and at Tatton Park Flower Show, so you can come and see these spuds (all being well) if you are visiting these shows.