I let the ones I bought in the local super store chit...Just figured they would do well for me if they did well country wide.

Still looking for Epicure though..

The T & M catalogue says you can't buy it in shops. But they would, wouldn't they?

I would not recommend growing supermarket bought potatoes. Seed potatoes are grown in areas where there is less likelihood of disease and are carefully roughed to ensure that the crop is clean. We buy our seed potatoes, and other seed, from Chase Organics, aka The Garden Organic Catalogue... copy and paste the link below into your web browser Gattina

http://bit.ly/tZ8i8x

http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/
In addition to Garden Organic, see above, I would suggest that you look at the JBA site, one of the main seed distributers in Scotland.

Thank you very much, MG, and you too, Bulba. I shall have a look later. I did flirt with the idea of planting supermarket bought potatoes, and it is tempting, but we have to be very careful here, as we live in one of Europe's top potato growing areas, and the last thing they need is imported "nasties". I would much rather grow from accredited stock. I believe you tend to get a much better yield, anyway, and a better choice, too.

I always like to see the seed potatoes that I want but in your case that might not be possible. As said, I always buy seed potatoes from a trusted source that have been grown in a cooler climate where there is little infection from aphids such as Scotland and Northern Ireland. On the other hand, it's best to find out which varieties are known to thrive in your local environment.

We save some of our own potatoes for seed other than that I prefer to buy from a reputable source rather than the local GC as you have no way of knowing how long they've been hanging around or in what conditions.

Jimmy, You'd be surprised how little choice there is here, either of potatoes in the supermarket, or seed potatoes (Which are pretty much always for the commercial market, only the mad English grow their own)- they are generally labelled "White" or "Yellow". Occasionally you can find "red". Oh yes, and "Selenium potatoes". (?) I want more from my crop than just those unnamed choices!!! I did manage to buy seed potatoes from a UK GC one year, MG, - worse than useless!

Just goes to show, in the UK all the supermarket potatoes have to identify which variety they are. An EEC directive no doubt, but we are the only idiots in this country who abide by the rules, ha ha.

If you scroll to page six this may be of use as to suitable varieties...or not Lol

http://www.potato.org.uk/sites/default/files/%5Bcurrent-page%3Aarg%3A%3F%5D/BPC%20OMIS%20Report%20Italy.pdf

I was in B&Q today and they have them for sale already !!!!

Which is too soon in all reality, means they will not have been properly cared for in weeks. Gattina that link I gave you gives names and descriptions of dozens of different potatoes 1st and 2nd earlies and early and late main crop. I can't see why they wouldn't send to Italy but if there is a problem let me know and we can get and send to you.

How kind, MG. Thank you. We generally get things sent to my sister-in-law who posts them on, but it's a lovely offer, nonetheless.
B & Q really aren't gardeners! I certainly wouldn't order anything before mid-January, much less buy it. Pimpernel, I have copied the website address into my "gardening favourites" folder, for later perusal!
I am saving the pleasure of trawling through plant and vegetable catalogues until the dull, dark days after new year, in the knowledge that the days will already be getting longer. My Granddad, who was a sea captain, used to say that the solstice may be in December, but you didn't truly notice any difference in day length until the 16th of January (very precise man, my Granddad), and THEN, whatever the weather, you could feel your heart lift. He's been right every year.

I can't believe what a strange system the Italians have with potatoes..Graded by skin colour then again by flesh colour.

The link I sent gives the names of potatoes grown out there in Italy. Hope you find some..a spud straight from the ground to the pot is so much nicer than the stored ones.

I can only agree with your grand dad it isn't until around 16 January that there is any marked change in the light.

Goodness, Pimpernel, I just had a look at the website you gave me - Phew! I have only heard of about three of those varieties, and I'm sure the man on the market couldn't tell me what he had on his stall. I still want British varieties - the flavour and range is incomparable. Italian potatoes are no match in the taste department - they are palatable and mainly used for chips, gnocchi, and to oven bake with rosemary - none of which demand real flavour

Can't say I blame you Gatt...I didn't recognise any, if they were any good we would be growing them surely?

Yes, is the short answer, P.

Gattina go back to the website I sent you to

http://bit.ly/tZ8i8x

they have all the well known varieties of potatoes as well as those less well known. Pimpernel a lot of the varieties you possibly don't recognise are extremely good. The British public has very conservative tastes and very few varieties of potatoes are therefore grown commercially private growers are often far more adventurous - we try to grow at least one 'new to us' variety every year.

I did try when you first sent the site address to me MG, and I've tried again now, but can't get anything but my original question coming up on Google, I'm afraid.

Copy and paste the link into your web browser not google, so the space where the web address appears at top of page

http://bit.ly/tZ8i8x

I've just checked again and it works... full link is horribly long but if you really can't use the short one here it is, again copy and paste into web browser

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Seeds-Potatoes-Potatoes-by-maturity/c21_47_124/index.html?osCsid=d7f2b675d9661fe61d4f281634c0e3ae

Thank you MG. Dopey technophobe at large here! I found it, and have stored the site in my "gardening" folder for later perusal. Sorry about that. I think it maybe something to do with different language perameters in Google.

Glad you finally got the link MG