Identifying Potato Seeds

cwhaley · 27 Mar 2020

I've been a bit of a plonker with my potatoes... In February I took two sets of seed potatoes (Nicola and Rooster) and put them out onto the windowsill to chit them. They are coming along well -- the early (Nicola) potatoes will be ready for planting out in a couple of weeks, with the main crop potatos (Rooster) ready a few weeks after that.

The problem is though, I didn't label which potato was which so I have no idea which to put out first! Can anybody identify them from the picture attached? I can see one set is darker than the other and that's how I split them, but no idea which are which. I don't want to wait to put them both out either as I do want an earlier crop.

Hope it's possible!

Mottie · 27 Mar 2020

cwhaley said:
Can anybody identify them from the picture attached?

I seem to remember that Roosters look darker - well, the ones I’ve seen in the supermarket are. I could be wrong though. Looks like ask the audience could be unreliable so it’s 50/50 now. Lol.

These chitting Roosters look like yours. https://thelandroverownerswife.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/potato-albert-bartlett-rooster/

cwhaley · 27 Mar 2020

I did think that too but didn't mention it. The Nicola potatoes are salad potatoes too which are generally lighter so would make sense!

HawkEye244 · 1 Apr 2020

I grow Nicola potato. Not heard of rooster. My Nicola are the same shade as yours so I would bet money on them being Nicola first earlies.
All potatoes can be planted at the same time, they will just emerge at different times. Obviously, opinions differ.
The only difference for me is the planting distances. I plant earlies about 30cm apart, 45cm between rows. Seconds and main get 40cm apart, 70cm between rows. All go in at the same time.

cwhaley · 2 Apr 2020

HawkEye244 said:
I grow Nicola potato. Not heard of rooster. My Nicola are the same shade as yours so I would bet money on them being Nicola first earlies.
All potatoes can be planted at the same time, they will just emerge at different times. Obviously, opinions differ.
The only difference for me is the planting distances. I plant earlies about 30cm apart, 45cm between rows. Seconds and main get 40cm apart, 70cm between rows. All go in at the same time.

Thanks for confirming. After reading a few opinions and also your comment and @Mottie 's I'll treat them as Nicola potatoes. Rooster potatoes are the big ones with red skin -- nice all-rounders.

You're not the first to tell me to plant them at the same time either. For ease I might just do that as there is only a two week gap between planting them anyway!

I'm putting them in large pots as any available ground space will be taken up by runner beans, onions and strawberry. The pots are about 16" wide and I'll put two in each pot.

HawkEye244 · 2 Apr 2020

I've never grown potatoes in pots and no space in the greenhouse anyway. Best of luck with it. There is a YouTube channel called 'allotment diary' and he favours growing spuds in pots so much so that he no longer grows them in the outside soil

Mottie · 2 Apr 2020

I planted my 'Jazzy' new potatoes today then changed my mind, dug them up again and planted them elsewhere. Decisions, decisions!

cwhaley · 4 Apr 2020

All planted out today in glorious sunshine. Only thing to watch out for is constant watering which I don't mind! Built the frame for the runner beans to be planted out next month.

More great weather predicted tomorrow -- enjoy!

HawkEye244 · 5 Apr 2020

Well done bud best of luck with these. I have a feeling you'll get a very nice crop. Spring is well and truly here!
I planted some of mine yesterday as well. Down here it's clay but the muck I spread last year as helped keep the moisture in, so it was quite wet, I didn't bother watering. Just to correct myself earlier, when I said that Nicola are first earlies, they are second earlies, my bad

Mottie · 5 Apr 2020

Just got some of my seed potatoes out of the shed, put them in egg cartons and moved them up into the bedroom to continue chitting. I have two types - I’ll have to look them up to see when to p,ant them. 'Winstons' and 'Vale of Sovereign'. To date, in the ground I have rhubarb, new 'jazzy' potatoes, three different types of garlic including elephant garlic, red onions and a few multi coloured beetroot. In the poly tunnel, I have red and green kale, cauliflower, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, sweet corn and courgettes. Going to plant a few more seeds in pots today, just got to pop over the allotment and bring some pots back.

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Identifying Potato Seeds

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