Onions, shallots and potatoes

Diary

Posted: Saturday 6 January, 2007

by Rosemary at 8:36pm in Growing 2 comments Comments closed

I've promised Dan that I will take more to do with the vegetable growing this year and I do intend to keep it. Unlike last year, when I undertook to look after the orchard and didn't. Actually, pruning trees is a bit scary - I'm happy to scalp the buddliea every year beacuse it grows like a weed, but I'm a bit anxious about doing long term, or even terinal damage to the trees.

So today I sorted out my onion sets (Jet Set), which came yesterday. I took out any soft or rotten ones and spread the rest on a tray, which is now in the spare room, to keep them cool and dry until planting time in March.

We've got two varieties of shallots this year - Longor and Mikor. These will be stored with the onion sets until planing in the spring.

We're growing four varieties of potatoes this year. I've set them out in egg boxes tonight to chit.

We've got Orla, which is an early potato for harvesting July / August. I chose this variety becuase it has good resistance to blight, scab and blackleg. Then we've got Kestrel, a second early. Again it has good disease resistance, which is great if you don't want to use chemicals. It has also (according to the catalogue) and "old-fashioned" flavour and is great for baking, roasting and chips. Our early maincrop is Desiree, which we've grown every year I think, and is a brilliant roaster and keeps well. Finally, we've got Cara, a late maincrop that stores well.

We haven't got any salad potatoes this year but Dan's parents are growing Pink Fir Apple, so we'll trade!