This is a late Second Early type. It has cream-coloured skin and firm yellowish flesh. Its eating qualities are similar to "Charlotte".
Not counting the "tiddlers" which were too small to be worthwhile, there were 35 useable tubers in this batch, which weighed 900g. I suppose it is because they have been in the ground longer than most of the other types I planted, but I think that is a good yield from one seed tuber. All the potatoes in this series of photos came from the one plant, grown in a 40cm container. They are a nice size too - no huge ones, and mostly the size of a small hen's egg.
They look even nicer when washed and ready for cooking, don't they? I have to say that even I am impressed with how clean my spuds are this year. I'm sure it is due to the fact that they were grown in composted stable manure. Anything with a high "bulky organic matter" content is good for preventing scab on the tubers. So you win some, lose some, eh? The tomatoes have been very poor due to compost issues, but the potatoes have been good despite having been grown in the same compost. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the contaminated compost was not the stable manure stuff, but the multi-purpose compost in which my early seedlings were raised.
Potatoes like these are not intended for long-term storage. They are best eaten within a couple of weeks of being lifted. I have three more containers of "Nicola", as well as four of "Pink Fir Apple", so we should be OK for potatoes for about the next two months!
They look nice potatoes. I know I've grown Nicola before but only once, I don't know why I didn't again. Perhaps they were one of the varieties which the slugs had a field day with at the allotment. I may have to give them another go now I'm on another site.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I am impressed by your potato harvest. You made me consider growing some potatoes in the containers the next year. I will give a try growing them in a plastic bag.
ReplyDeleteThey look wonderful! I'm yet to pull the ones that I have growing in a pot and hope they'll size up as well.
ReplyDeleteLovely potatoes. And I think you are right. The stable manure can't be the problem if those potatoes were grown in it.
ReplyDeleteA pretty nice harvest from one plant!
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