Back to Info Sheets	Seed Potato Varieties   Potatoes are grown from pieces of the tuber (or potato) that contain the "eyes", the tiny depression from which sprouts grow.   Do not use store bought potatoes as seed as they are often treated with sprout inhibitors.  Instead, order certified disease-free seed from a seed company  or garden supplier.  To prepare seed potatoes for planting: cut potatoes into pieces approximately 2-ounces and containing at least one "eye".  Cure the seed pieces by drying them slightly for a day in an airy, bright location.  Plant in acid soil, and a fertile, well-drained location.  Do not lime.  Mix  6-12-12 fertilizer at 1 lb per 10 feet of row, mix in well.   Plant seeds in furrows 4 inches deep, 3 inches wide, and 3 feet apart.  Set the pieces 12 inches apart.  Plant with eyes upward and cover with 3 inches of soil.  Sprouts will show in three weeks approximately.   As tubers and plants grow, mound soil up over the tubers to keep them covered.  Do not let light shine on the tubers or they will turn green and toxic substances will develop in them. Seven to eight weeks after planting, potatoes begin to develop flowers.  At this time, you may harvest some of the potatoes as "new" potatoes.   Be careful not to damage to plant when you dig down to unearth the tubers.   Leave some tubers to grow and cover them with soil again.  It is time to harvest all your potatoes once the foliage dies and whithers.  The potatoes could be left in the ground until late summer, but harvest before the first frost.   Dig the tubers with a spade or fork.  Wash tubers and let them dry in a ventilated, dark place before storing.  Do not store damaged or diseased potatoes as they will infect any good potatoes.  Store your potatoes in a cool (3-4oC), dark place.     VARIETIES TO GROW:   ANSON:   Mid-season, round potato with medium eyes, buff skin colour, white flesh, and  high yield. Dry potato.  Moderately resistant to late blight.  Wart resistant, susceptible to golden nematode and common scab.  Excellent baking, boiling fresh market potato with good store-ability.   ATLANTIC:    Mid-season, oval/round, shallow eyes, buff skin with white flesh, high yield.  Highly resistant to virus X, and resistant to late blight.   Dry  potato.  Moderately resistant to wart, resistant to golden nematode, tolerant to scab and verticillium wilt.  Resistant to pink eye.  Susceptible to hollow heart.  Excellent baking, boiling, chipping potato with good store-ability.   BANANA:   Late season, banana shaped potato with shallow eyes, pale yellow skin and flesh.  Low yield.  Medium dry potato. Susceptible to wart and golden nematode.  Moderately resistant to common scab.  Good boiling potato for the home market with good store-ability.   BLUE MAC:   Late maturity, round potato with medium eyes, blue-purple skin with white flesh.  High yield, medium dry potato. Moderately resistant to late blight.  Resistant to wart. Susceptible to golden nematode and common scab. Good baking and boiling potato for the fresh market.  Good store-ability.   BLUE PRIDE:   Mid-season long potato.  Blue skin with white flesh. Resistant to wart.  Good french fry potato.  Good store-ability.    BRIGUS:   Mid-season, oval potato with shallow eyes.  Blue-purple skin with creamy yellow flesh.  High yield, medium dry potato. Moderately resistant to late blight. Resistant to wart.  Susceptible to golden nematode and common scab.  Susceptible to rhizoctonia.  Good boiling potato for fresh market.  Good store-ability.   CHEROKEE:    Mid-season, round potato with medium shallow eyes.  Buff skin with white flesh and high yield.  Medium dry.  Highly resistant to late blight. Susceptible to wart and golden nematode.  Highly resistant to scab. Moderately resistant to black leg. Resistant to bruising. Good boiling and  chipping potato with good store-ability.   CHIEFTAN:    Mid-season, round / oval tuber with medium eyes.  Bright red skin and white flesh.  High yield, medium dry.  Resistant to virus A and late blight.  Susceptible to wart and golden nematode.  Highly resistant to common scab. Fair baking, boiling potato with fair store-ability.   CUPIDS:   Medium-late, oval potato with shallow eyes.  Slightly russet skin with white flesh and high yield.  Medium dry.  Moderately susceptible to late blight and rhizoctonia.  Resistant to wart and golden nematode.  Susceptible to common scab.  Good baking, very good boiling potato for fresh market. Good store-ability.   DOMINO:   Mid to late season, round, smooth potato.  Blue skin white flesh with good yields.  Dry potato.  Resistant to late blight and common scab.  Good baking, french fry potato.  Good store-ability.  Even crop.   FUNDY:   Early, round, shallow eyes, buff skin with white flesh.  High yield.  Medium dry.  Excellent baking or boiling type. Good storability.   FRONTIER RUSSET: Mid-season, oblong to long potato with shallow eyes.  Light russet skin and white flesh.  Medium yield and medium dry.  Susceptible to early blight, golden nematode, and  common scab.  Wart does not bother it.  Tolerant of verticillium wilt and second growth. Highly resistant to fusarium dry rot and bruising.  Resistant to hollow heart.  Good baking, boiling,  and french frying.  Used in the french fry market.  Good store-ability.   IRISH COBBLER:  Early, round tuber with deep eyes, buff skin colour and white flesh.  Medium yield and high dry matter. Resistant to virus A.  Susceptible to virus Y, wart, golden nematode, verticillium wilt and common scab.  Moderately resistant to black leg and fusarium dry rot.   Good boiling and chipping potato for the early fresh market.  Good store-ability.   JEMSEG:   Very early, short oblong with shallow eyes, buff skin and white flesh.  Medium yield.  Medium dry.  Highly resistant to virus A and virus Y.  Immune to virus X.  Moderately resistant to wart.  Susceptible to golden nematode, hallow heart and common scab.  Good baking, boiling, fair chipping for early fresh market.  Good store-ability.   KENNEBEC:   Mid-season, oblong potato with shallow eyes.  Buff skin with white flesh.  High yield and medium dry.  Resistant to virus A, virus X, virus Y, and late blight.  Moderately resistant to wart and black leg.   Susceptible to golden nematode, common scab, verticillium wilt, and pink eye.  Tolerant of drought.  Excellent baking, boiling, and store-ability.  Good chipping.  Used for fresh market.   MIRTON PEARL: Early to mid-season potato with round shape and medium eyes.  Buff skin and white flesh.  Very high yield.  Dry potato.  Moderately resistant to late blight, common scab, and bruising.  Wart resistant but susceptible to golden nematode.  Excellent baking, boiling potato for fresh market.  Good store-ability.    RED ISLAND:    Mid-season potato with round shape and shallow eyes.  Red skin and white flesh.    PINK PEARL:   Late potato with oval shape and shallow eyes.  Pink skin with white flesh.  High yield and medium dry.  Moderately resistant to late blight and black leg.  Resistant to wart.  Susceptible to golden nematode and common scab.  Good baking, boiling and store-ability for fresh market.   RUSSET BURBANK:    Very late potato, long shape and shallow eyes.  Russet skin colour with white flesh.  High yield and dry potato.  Susceptible to virus Y, wart, golden nematode, hollow heart and second growth.  Resistant to common scab, black leg and fusarium dry rot.  Excellent baking and french fry potato.  Good boiling and store-ability.  Used in processing market.  SUPERIOR:  Early to mid-season. Light buff skinned, round tubers with white flesh.  Moderately resistant to common scab.  Good for boiling and baking.  Not recommended for long-term storage.   YUKON GOLD:   Mid-season oval potato with shallow eyes.   Yellow buff skin and light yellow flesh.  High yield and dry.  Resistant to leaf roll and virus A.  Susceptible to wart, golden nematode and common scab.  Very good baking, boiling potato for fresh market.  Excellent store-ability.  vol. 97 no. 19
© Murray's Garden and Horticultural Services Last updated: March 2, 2008