Nottingham Organic Gardeners: Potato Day 2020

Descriptions based on breeders’ websites, UK Potato Council data, the European Cultivated Potato Database or Alan Romans, Guide to Seed
Potato Varieties.

Recommended for salads and boiling: Accord, Aura, Belle de Fontenay, Charlotte, International Kidney, Nicola, Pink Fir Apple,
Ratte, Spunta, Vitabella
Good all-rounders: Desiree, Kestrel, Kingsman, Linda, Marfona, Maris Bard, Picasso, Sarpo Shona, Stemster
Tasty bakers: Desiree, Kingsman, Marfona, Mary’s Rose, Red Duke of York, Sarpo Una, Stemster, Yukon Gold
Delicious & floury for roasts, mash, & chips: Inca Bella, King Edwards, Maris Piper, Pink Gypsy, Red Duke of York, Shetland Black
Growing for disease resistance? Cara, Charlotte, Kingsman, Lady Christl, Sarpo Shona, Sarpo Una, Sunset, Vitabella
Entering your local show? Accord, Kestrel, Lady Christl, Picasso, Pink Gypsy
Growing in a container? Accord, Lady Christl, Picasso, Sarpo Una, Spunta, Swift

1st Early ready June to July; 2nd Early - ready June to August; Early Maincrop ready August; Late Maincrop ready September onwards.

1st earlies (* denotes Soil Association organic standard) PCN = eelworm

Variety Cooking qualities Notes Resistance to Susceptible to
Accord Lift early for salad or grow out for Cream skin and flesh. Good yields, clean Scab, PCN Blight (foliage) – but
bakers. Good flavour, quite waxy. tubers. Versatile. Good container variety. 1st early, virus Y
Arran Pilot Good for boiling and chipping; A favourite garden variety. Dates from Scab, slugs Late blight;
excellent flavour. 1930s. Midway between floury & waxy. however 1st early
Colleen* Good boiled, also fries well. White skin, light yellow flesh. Performed Blight (tubers), Blight (foliage) – but
well on NOGs allotment. Good yields. scab 1st early
Lady Christl Excellent cooking qualities. Waxy High yielding variety of numerous Scab, leaf roll, Blight on foliage,
and boil nicely with very good uniform attractive tubers. Good general PCN globodera PCN globodera
flavour. disease resistance. RHS AGM. rostochiensis pallida
Maris Bard Retains its colour and shape when High yielding, good size and appearance Leaf roll, Y virus, PCN
boiled. Also mash, steam, sauté. drought gangrene
Red Duke of York Lovely roasts. Fairly floury. Tasty Beautiful ruby skins, yellow flesh. 1942 Dry rot Leaf roll, blight (but
mash and bakers. heritage variety. 1st early)
Rocket Waxy-ish. Boils well, mild flavour Produces very early yield of firm, waxy Slugs, PCN (esp. g. Blight, but 1st early.
tubers. Big if left. Reliable & good yields. rostochiensis)
Swift Delicate early potato flavour. Good Very early, large tubers if left. Short Virus Y, slugs, Blight, but 1st early
all-rounder. foliage; good container type. Good blackleg, scab,
disease resistance. PCN

2nd earlies * denotes organic PCN = eelworm

Variety Cooking qualities Notes Resistance to susceptible to
Aura Waxy salad type with good flavour. Pale yellow skin and flesh. Tubers often Scab PCN g. rostochiensis
Boil, steam or roast. curved ‘half-moon’ shape. 1951 French.
Charlotte* Waxy salad potato. Very good Long yellow tubers. Reliable and stores Blight, slugs PCN
flavour. well. High yields. Our most popular
variety by a country mile! RHS AGM.
International Excellent boiled or as a salad potato. ‘Jersey Royal’ variety. Kidney shaped & Leaf roll Late blight
Kidney Famous for its flavour. pale yellow. Waxy when young.
Kestrel Decent all-rounder. Semi-waxy, Kestrel gives good yields of very Blackleg, dry rot, Blight, moderately
good roasts and chips, ‘old- attractive, long oval, partly coloured gangrene, leaf roll susceptible to scab
fashioned’ taste. tubers. Good show potato.
Marfona Popular early baker with ‘buttery’ Can also be grown as a maincrop. Good Dry rot, blight, PCN
flavour. Can also be boiled. yields. From Netherlands (1975). drought
Nicola Not quite as waxy as Charlotte, but Good sub for Charlotte. High yield, Scab, leaf roll, PCN globodera
still waxy. Popular taste – sweet & uniform tubers, stores quite well. drought, PCN g. pallida
nutty. Popular at Whitemoor. rostochiensis
Sarpo Una Lift early for waxy salads, or leave Unusual as 2nd early sarpo. Can be grown Blight, scab, virus PCN
longer for bakers. Delicate flavour. in container. Good yields if left to grow. Y
Shetland Black Floury – best roasted, fried, baked or Dark blue, almost black skin, yellow flesh Sturdy & grows Blight
steamed. Sweet, buttery flavour. with deep blue ring. 1923 variety. Cook well in windswept
Great crisps and chips. with skin on to keep the blue ring. Shetlands!
Spunta Good for salads, boiling or roasting. Light yellow Cyprus variety. Long oval Blight, viruses Scab, PCN, splitting
tubers, high yields.
Vitabella Great flavour, firm and waxy. Will Good for organic growing. Yellow skin & Blight, viruses Some scab
boil well. flesh. Netherlands, new variety.
Yukon Gold Bake or mash, said to have buttery Golden flesh, popular in US & Canada. Dry rot, blackleg, Slug damage, PCN
taste. Can also be boiled, fried. Stores well. X yellow Peruvian var. & virus Y
Norgleam.
 Maincrop varieties * denotes organic PCN = Eelworm
Variety Cooking qualities Notes Resistance to Susceptible to
Belle de Very good flavour, improves on Classic French salad variety – c. 1885. Scab PCN
Fontenay storage. Good for salads. Waxy. Also great leek & potato soup!
(early main)
Blaue Tasty & fluffy – creamy flavour, nutty Blue skin and flesh. New German variety Drought, blight on PCN, blight (tubers)
Anneliese* aroma. Salad, roast, blue mash. (Karsten Ellenberg). Cook with skin on to foliage
(early main) retain colour.
Cara* Mild flavoured creamy flesh, good Attractive white tubers with red eyes. Blight, PCN g. PCN globodera
(late main) baked or roasted. Soft texture. Stores well. Good general disease rostochiensis, pallida
resistance. drought, slugs
Desiree* Popular ‘nutty’ flavour. Excellent Pink skin, yellow flesh, great flavour. Some resistance PCN, can suffer
(early main) roasted, boiled or baked. Delia Between waxy and floury. 1962. Decent to most diseases from blight.
recommends! yields even in dry conditions. & slugs.
Highland Fluffy texture, delicious sweet Red fleshed variety (by popular demand!) Blight, scab, PCN No info found
Burgundy Red flavour, good for chips & mash. – retains colour better when steamed.
(early main) 1936.
Inca Bella Very floury – roast or bake. Cooks Bred from Mayan Gold (2014). Golden Scab, blackleg Blight, PCN
(main) quickly. Sweet, nutty flavour. skin/pink splashes. Roasts in 25 mins.
Waitrose(!)
King Edward Iconic for roasts & mash. Excellent Introduced in UK in 1902. Good cooking Scab, spraing, Blight, PCN
(late main) flavour. Floury, so boil/steam with quality, flavour and frying colour. Lovely slugs, bruising.
care. trad. taste.
Kingsman* Creamy, floury flesh. Good chips, all- New variety to UK lists in 2017 with PCN g. PCN g. pallida
(early main) rounder excellent yields. White skin & yellow rostochiensis,
flesh. blackleg
Linda Good for gratins and oven bakes. V Vigorous campaign saved this variety Blight (members’ PCN, viruses (not
(main) good flavour. Waxy becoming floury from legal extinction. Yellow flesh. Now a observation). specified which)
on storage. favourite with members, growing well in
organic systems. Good yields.
Maris Piper One of Heston Blumenthal’s Maincrop maturity with high yields and PCN, gangrene, Slugs, scab, virus Y
(early main) favourites for chips! Pleasant floury many tubers per plant. Stores well. bruising
texture, good flavour.
Mary’s Rose* Good flavour, holds shape well. Boil, New variety developed by Skea, our No info as yet… … why not try it &
(early main) bake, mash or wedges. organic supplier! Pink skin, white flesh. see?
High yields.
Picasso Good all-rounder – great mash, Pretty oval white tubers, pink eyes and Scab, medium Slugs
(early main) roasts, bakers. Good flavour, can be cream to light yellow flesh. Cara is a blight r., general
boiled too. parent. Popular on allotments. RHS AGM. virus resistance
Pink Fir Apple Very waxy, will not disintegrate. Knobbly pink long tubers, yellow flesh. Scab PCN, blight, viruses
(late main) Delicious nutty flavour. Salads! Good yield if given long enough. Waxy leaf roll, A, B , C, X
Curries! firm texture. Storage v good. RHS AGM.
Pink Gypsy* Fluffy texture, good baked, roasted Striking pink and white skin, white flesh. Scab, dry rot, PCN Blight, PCN g.
(early main) or mashed. V good flavour. Oval long tubers. g. rostochiensis pallida
Ratte, aka Very well regarded salad potato. 19th C French or Danish variety. A Scab Blight (very
Asparges Waxy with a nutty/chestnutty favourite of French chefs. Small amount susceptible), leaf
(second early) flavour. Try Pink Fir Apple if you miss ordered. Yields can be modest. It is roll, PCN
out. grown for its legendarily fine flavour.
Sarpo Shona Mash, roast & excellent chips. Can Productive all-rounder. Early maturity, Blight, scab Blackleg?
(early main) boil. round tubers. (anecdotal)
Stemster Pink skin, tasty, creamy yellow flesh. Bred from Desiree & Maris Piper but Scab, PCN g. PCN g. pallida,
(early main) Boil, mash, bake or roast. better disease resistance. Good yields rostochiensis, leafroll virus
blight, drought
Sunset Deep red skin, cream/yellow flesh. Bred from Desiree to cope with drought. Bruising, dry rot, PCN, g. pallida, virus
(main) Good all-rounder – boil, mash, roast. High yields. Decent all-round disease scab, PCN g. Y
Lovely flavour. resistance, medium blight resistance. rostochiensis

Changes to list published in the January Newsletter: Sunset replaces Robinta (crop failure).