All I can say is that you should try a few of each, some in pots, some in the ground. I always grow a few earlies in pots, with protection, so that I can harvest by June, for a treat. Different conditions will produce different results, as will different cooking methods! Maris Bard is another 'goody', lovely for salads, waxy, but try a red, and some for baking, too, like Red Duke of York (early), and King Edward (maincrop). Worthy

Thanx very much i would love to try lots of different ones. Maybe when both my children are at school i will have the time at the moment they take up most of my time besides work! I only have time to plant 1 type that why i go for maincrop!

Talking about potatoes I boiled some today in the microwave and it took ages longer than usual to cook them . (Normally 5 minutes) but after 5 minutes they were still rock hard so I thought "Give them another 2 minutes"... after which they collapsed into an unuseable mush.

Are there some varieties that do this?

Hi Anchorman I would never consider cooking potatoes in a microwave. Some varieties can break down to mush if overcooked. Best is to steam them as then you don't loose any of the nutritional value.

Petitbabe it will not take you any more time to plant 2 or 3 different varieties than to plant one. But if you enjoyed your Maris Piper why not grow again?

Iusually get excellent results with boiled potatoes in a microwave Moon grower but the new ones I tried yesterday did turn from hard to a mush in a minute or so. Previous varieties haven't done so.

It is a fallacy that microwaving reduces nutitional value according to what I've read.

I've had a similar experience with some "found" spuds. The bed hadn't been planted up last year but some stray spuds had grown for a 2nd generation. They looked great but when I boilled them they were rock, rock, rock, soup! They collapsed from rock hard in the space of seconds. I thought this could be due to them being a 2nd generation?

Probably lack of water Pamsco as you will not have been watering the bed if it hadn't been planted. When the potato is cooked this results in it absorbing too much water all of a sudden. The solution is to steam in this case.

Though it is better to remove volunteer potatoes as they could be diseased.

http://www.potatoday.org/potatodays.htm is a link to potato days all over Britain. Unfortunately you have missed the Derby one it was on Saturday 29th Jan 2011. There may be another near you. You will need to look at what is available on the list. If not get in touch with the people who ran the Derby one and they may be able to tell you where you can find a seed potato supplier in your area who will allow you to buy single potatoes instead of you having to buy 1kg or 3kg packs. All else failing DIY stores sell packs of 5 seed potatoes. You are paying for the packaging so they will be a more expensive option but you can then grow several different varieties. Maris Piper is so cheap in the supermarkets because it is widely grown by farmers and is a very good variety for all your potato needs. I recommend heritage varieties like Arran Victory and Highland Burgundy Red. Mayan Gold, Kestrel and King Edwards would make a good first selection.

thanx everyone and thanx scotsgran i look up some varieties on this website
http://varieties.potato.org.uk/menu.php
found which ones filled my requirements and went to a potato day at chesterfield unfortunately due to other commitments sat morn i couldn't get there until 1 hour after it opened by which point they had sold out of the variety i wanted! next year i can pre order! I will contact the Derby one though as i need to find somewhere that sells small amounts. I have thought about arran victory and if i can find somewhere that sells small amounts i will try more than 1 variety but it is proving difficult to find!

Well just a little bit of an update today i have found a nursery online that were very helpful on the phone and i ordered 1 kg of 3 different types of seed potato. Only £2 for most varieties and they don't charge stupid p&p charges. I have ordered Markies, sarpo mira and Rooster so hope fully i will have a nice yield of potatoes again this year! So for those of you out there trying to get a small amount of potatoes try pennard plants.

That is good news. Pennard Plants are behind a lot of the Potato days around the South West of England and it is good to hear they are being so encouraging. Postage is steep these days as we all know if we post a letter which is not standard so well done them.