Potato confusion

I've always tried to buy by number and not weight,only last year I was struggling to find a variety and ordered by weight and ended up with twice a many as I wanted.

20 each of five varieties weighed 6 kilos, that may also include the box they came in.

Can't really comment on 'Orla' I did grow it once,years ago, never since so I must have either not liked the taste or been dissappointed with the crop size. My favourite first early is 'Sharpes Express'

When I first started planting potatoes I worked out how many I needed per row then weighed that number using the spuds I already had to eat! Wasn't perfect but gave me a very good idea of what to buy.

I think roughly 1.5lb makes a 10 ft row.

I've never had a problem with blight in first earlies, they have been harvested before the problem occurs, and rarely with second earlies, except for 'Kestrel' which I leave in for about 20 weeks if possible, it then produces some lovely baking spuds.

This year I'm planting

Sharpes Express, First early a waxy salad type

Charlotte, a Second early, again waxy, you can pick a few bigger ones as earlies and leave the others to grow on.

Kestrel, Second early, good for storing.

Juliette, Early main, waxy salad type, I had to pick these early last year because of blight.

King Edward, Early main, good for storing, excellent for roasting, mashing and chips.

If you don't have a lot of space, avoid early main and main crop,these take up a lot of room and can be bought easily enough from shops and supermarkets, farmers seem to grow for quantity rather than taste in the new(early) market so this is where the home producer can do well.

I grow 5 first earlies each in 3 canvas bags then seconds and mains in the veg patch - not lots of each but enough for a good store.

This year I'm trying Blue Belle main, Pentland Javelin first earlies and Wilja second earlies. I like waxy potatoes so Pink Fir Apple is one of my favourite main crops.