In 2005 I saved some true seed from some Nepalese blight resistant potatoes. I grew several hundred seedlings. Below are some of the tubers from that first year 2006.
Over the last four years I have grown them out every year, usually treating them really badly. For example, one year I didn't get around to lifting them till it was time to plant them again. Other years I have forgotten to weed them. A couple of years ago we taste tested them with the students from the Kinsale Permaculture course and narrowed them down a bit further. This year I left the tubers in a bucket until sometime in May when they looked like prunes with long green sprouts, then I planted them.
When I lifted them earlier this week there were three types left. The best yielder was the pink and white variety. I decided to call it Ardagh Susan after my sister who died earlier this year. The white variety was a very smooth skinned and scab resistant. It will be Ardagh Autumn after my elder daughter. The solid pink one had rather poor skin but was the 'flouriest' I have decided to call it Ardagh Holly after my younger one. 
I have put away plenty of seed potatoes in the beautiful apple storage box that Mike made. he copied the old one that Sylvia gave us, and Bridget and Noel kindly brought back from England for us. It is full of apples now.
I hadn't realised potatoes would be so resiliant (although I shouldn't be surprised given the places we've often found them growing!)
ReplyDeleteSo they're blight resistant - excellent - I'm guessing you already have Blue13 and Pink6 blight strains in Ireland. This tends to suggest that some kind of citizen breeding project could yield locally adapted varieties. What was the name of the original variety/ies? If these show a good level of blight resistance it 's probably worth continuing to breed from them.
ReplyDeleteI still read you blog (using an RSS feed), so I thought I'd comment. How are Autumn and Holly nowadays?
ReplyDeleteAre you still fiddling? I'm still fluting, and it's still getting better - that's one benefit of having so far to go, I suppose.
We are starting a vegetable garden - an "orto" as they call it here. It's half-way through being dug over for the first time.
And the weather? Dare I ask? Coldish but still often sunny here.
The girls are fine, Autumn is in Austrailia. She is 23 today. Holly is in Waterford studying sports injuries, she will be 21 next week. I still play a bit, took up accordion as well. We have had the best summer weather-wise since I can remember. However it is raining now and a bit miserable.
ReplyDeletegood luck with the orto and love to Sarah.
I absolutely love your potato and apple storage rack. By chance have you ever posted how to make one? Thnx!
ReplyDeleteThe design looks pretty simple. The trays are just box frames with slatted bottoms, probably 1x1.
ReplyDeleteIf you removed all of the drawer/trays, you'd be left with a frame that has horizontal rails on the vertical supports. The trays just slide in and "ride" on the rails to fill up the frame...
Very nice.
Got your link on pinterest. The storage rack caught my attention. I like the storage type. Will like to make something similar for myself. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love your storage unit!!
ReplyDeleteGrowing potatoes for the first time and was looking for ways to store them This beautiful design is definitely on my dream list
We are growing potatoes for the 1st time this year too, and need a good place to store those along with carrots and onions. Nice work on the storage unit! I'd like to try this on a smaller scale.
DeleteYOU need to store potatoes for eating in the dark, these are seed potatoes.
DeleteGreat storage unit. What are you lining the drawers with?
DeleteThe drawers are lined with newspaper.
DeleteI will be following your blog!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone here ever tried growing Russian fingerling potatoes? Any success if so?
ReplyDeleteApples and potatoes together? Doesn't the gas from the apples cause the potatoes to sprout faster?
ReplyDeleteIt didn't seem to be a problem, perhaps because the room is pretty airy and well ventilated.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was much younger (I am almost 74 now), we moved into a house in the country. My Mother threw the potato peelings in the back yard by the steps and forgot about them...then spring came...and we foound about 12-15 potato plants growing from those peelings. As I remember...they were very tasty :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm commenting because you requested it! But I do have a question: what temperature is your "root cellar" and how long do the crops last? I live in upstate NY (true upstate - Rochester!) and we our area has splendid apples. But I don't know how to store them over the winter, so I end up buying a few in the fall and eating supermarket stock the rest of the winter.
ReplyDeleteWhat temperature is your storage area? and how long do the crops last? I live in upstate New York (true upstate - Rochester) and would love to be able to store apples all winter. As of now, I don't know how to do that. I live in a 1980's house with a full basement.
ReplyDeleteI think apples need to be above freezing, and fairly humid. My 'back' kitchen is on the north side of the house and is at an average of about 15C during the winter. The apples keep till Christmas, but are pretty wrinkly after that. I have heard you can also store apples in plastic bags, tied, but with a few holes in them.
DeleteI really like your storage unit. I live in Florida and am looking into starting my own root cellar.
ReplyDelete