Seed Potatoes

SurferDan

The 99p stores have just started selling seed potatoes for yes you guessed 99p.

Contents of each pack vary from 6 to 10 tubers depending on the variety of potato.

Besides the commoner varieties ( Maris Piper, Nicola etc) they have some unusual ones eg "Home Guard" and "British Queen".

An absolute bargain compared to other sources of seed potatoes.

They are also selling onion and garlic sets

Happy growing

meanmarie

Home Guard and British Queen are two varieties traditionally grown as early potatoes....the queens are my favourite potato as they are a dry flowery, tasty potato which are best steamed as they burst easily.

Marie

rosie383

So, I shouldn't waste my money going for more expensive ones from the internet? I am really keen to get my seed potatoes and wasn't sure about where to go for them.
On eBay, the prices are about £3 for 5-10 seeds inc P&P. Seemed quite expensive to me.
I really want some from Northern Ireland, as I have never had a decent floury spud since I've moved to England (sorry!). Prices are about £10 inc P&P for 2.5kg of seed potatoes. Rather too expensive for me I'm afraid.
So, if I can get seed potatoes from Poundland, Wilkos etc, that's good enough? Have an allotment now, and last year just planted some normal potatoes in the garden, which were sprouting in my veg rack, and got about 4 good meals worth from 3 wee spuds!!!!!
So really keen to get lots in the lottie, but don't want to be out a fortune.

rosie383

Just had a look at Poundland website and can't wait to get there!!!!!!
http://www.poundland.co.uk/product-range/leisure-and-entertainment/garden/

They have a lot of stuff that I need .......goody!

p00

I bought seed potatoes from poundland last year and got a good crop.

Ive planted sprouting potoatoes from the cupboard and had a good crop from them also. Absolutely no need to pay a fortune in a garden centre etc.


xxp00

A._Badger

rosie383 wrote: »

So, I shouldn't waste my money going for more expensive ones from the internet? I am really keen to get my seed potatoes and wasn't sure about where to go for them.
On eBay, the prices are about £3 for 5-10 seeds inc P&P. Seemed quite expensive to me.
I really want some from Northern Ireland, as I have never had a decent floury spud since I've moved to England (sorry!).

It's the variety that determines the flouriness and you should be able to get the same varieties you were used to before, if you look around.

Sadly, I don't think buying seed potatoes via the Internet makes any sense, unless you're after a variety that you can only get that way. The swingeing postal charges in the UK are killing mail order on heavy items.

Potatoes from Poundland etc should be good enough - providing they are certified seed potatoes - just check the label. Having said that, size does matter, too. I recently saw some 'cheap' seed potatoes that were half the size of the T&M, Unwins and Taylors that I'd seen a few days before in a garden centre. I wouldn't, personally, buy marble-sized tubers, even if they were cheap. You might also find a restricted range in a pound shop.

If floury is your taste, it might be worth trying British Queen or Homeguard.

Hope that's some help.

Sally_A

If you google taterbase you'll be taken to Dundry Nurseries website, and a whole host of potato varieties. You will need to do this in Internet Explorer though as the table doesn't always work on other browsers. It gives loads of info and often cooking texture.

Alternatively pop over to growveg.info, a few members of MSE are also over there, and you will find individual comments re spud varieties and success (and failures) in various parts of the UK.

rosie383

I went into Wilkos yesterday and bought a 2.5kg bag of pretty decent sized Maris Piper seed potatoes for £3. Also a variety of 5 packs of Pink Fir Apple, Rooster, Charlotte and another one I can't remember for 97p each. All of them are a good size.
They have onion sets too for £1.27 but I am off to Poundland today to get my weed-suppressing membrane for the allotment so I will see what they have there.
Thank you for your help.

rosie383

BTW, I did plant some garlic in December, but as I am seeing it for sale now, and we use a lot of it, is it too late to plant some more?

RHYSDAD

I was going to get mine from Wyevale. Waste of money or good investment?

RAS

It may be worth going to one of these events if you only want smal quantities or want unusual varieties:

http://www.potatoday.org/potatodays.htm

Prices vary from 12-20p per tuber, usually cheapest at events where there is an admissions charge.