VARIETIES ORDERED FOR THE EAST ANGLIA POTATO DAY 2012

First Earlies

Arran Pilot,  Bonnie Dundee,  Casablanca (o),  Colleen (o),  Duke of York,  Dunluce,  Epicure,  Foremost,

Home Guard,  Lady Crystl, Lord Rosebery,  Maris Bard (o),  Pentland Javelin (o),  Pentland Lustre, Pink Duke of York, 

Premiere,  Red Duke of York (o),  Rocket,  Sharpes Express (o),  Sherine,  Swift (o),  Tuskar,  Ulster Classic,

Ulster Prince,  Ulster Sceptre, Vanessa,  Winston, Witchhill

Second Earlies

Anya,  Balmoral,  Bambino (o),  Beauty of Bute,  Bonnie,  British Queen (o),  Cardinal,  Carlingford,  Catriona,

Charlotte,  Dobies Asset,  Doon Pearl,  Dunbard Rover,  Edgecote Purple,  Estima,  Edzell Blue,  Kestrel,

Lord Roseberry,  Marfona,  Maris Peer (o),  Myatt's Ashleaf,  Nadine,  Nicole, Osprey,  Pixie,  Sarpo Una, Saxon,  Smile,

Stroma,  Ulster Sovereign, Vivaldi,  Wilja,  Yukon Gold

Early Maincrop

Ambo (o),  Amour, Apache,  Argos,  Blue Belle,  Blue Danube, Celine,  Dark Red Norland,  Desiree,  Flourball,  Gladstone,  Harmony,

Highland Burgundy Red (o),  Hunter (o),  Isle of Jura (o),  Juliette, Kepplestone Kidney,  Kifli, King Edward,  Linda (o),

Majestic,  Maris Piper,  Markies,  Maxine,  Mayan Gold,  Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy,  Orla (o),  Pentland Crown,

Pentland Dell, Pentland Squire,  Picasso, Ratte, Record (o),  Remarka (o),  Robinta (o),  Romano,  Rooster,  Ryecroft Purple,

Salad Blue (o),  Santa,  Sarpo Shona, Setanta (o),  Stemster,  Vales Everest

Late Maincrop

Arran Victory (o),  Cara (o),  Fortyfold,  Golden Wonder,  Kerr's Pink,  Peach Bloom,  Pink Fir Apple (o),

Sarpo Axona (o),  Sarpo Mira (o),  Valor (o)

(o) after a variety name = organically grown

 Please note - We cannot guarantee that all we have ordered will be delivered

 The terms first/second earlies,early maincrop and late maincrop are jargon from many years ago. In reality it only describes the length of the potato's growing season. They are in order of growing time, so if they are all planted at the same time, the first earlies are the early summer crop, closely followed by second earlies through to some late maincrops that will still grow in October given the chance.
Two generations ago, working class people found the time to plant potatoes at Easter and would earth them up as necessary to keep the frosts from killing the growth. Within each category there is variation in growing season length and local conditions will affect the length too. It just gives you some idea of how long before you crop.

Many people plant potatoes late, sometimes very late to get late "new" potatoes. Your ability to do this is governed by the dormancy of the tuber. If they begin to chit you have to give them light to stop them growing too long before entering the ground. Chitting with light and water can give a plant a head start before growing in the ground but it does not extend the growing season. It is "prematurely aging" the potato. Clearly it is a "luxury" that commercial growers can never contemplate.