Grow comical potatoes

I want to be amongst the First Earlies with one or two comments about spuds you like. When I talk about comical potatoes I am not thinking of those funny shapes you can grow in a stony garden. Nor am I thinking about the ones that look like someone’s anatomy and cause amusement at the village garden show to those who have aged but not matured.

I am thinking about the eyes in the potatoes that you want to sprout for half an inch before you plant them – if you look closely you will realise they are called Speck Tators for a good reason.

Some are always looking to cause problems with scab or burrowing keeled slugs and really get under your skin or their own skin They are called Aggie Tators. Varieties like Wilja and Pentland Dell Charlotte and Golden Wonder are a bit more resilient to slug damage.

If it takes you a long time to get around to planting your Earlies and are even late for main crop planting leaving it well after March We call them Hezzie Tators. Late main crop varieties include Golden Wonder, Valor, Sarpo Mira and Pink Fir Apple.

Some folks spent a lot of time sitting and peering into their garden, no double digging or earthing up for them. These gardeners are your Medi Tators.

There are the new varieties like Gary Lineker and Sue Barker but they are only Common Taters.

On a more serious note potatoes contain a lot of nutrition in the form of Vitimins C, B1, B6  and Potassium, Iron, Magnesium plus fibre and other healthy traces so it pays to grow a selection of spuds.