Spud delivery

My expensive scottish seed potatoes are here. (see Wise Mike's Tip No.1 August 2007). Ordered in November and not actually that expensive. Moog thinks: "They aren't food."

I have two varieties, Orla (First Earlies to get me going) and Sarpo Mira (Maincrop). Both are advertised as being resistant to blight, particularly the Sarpo. I got these because I lost all my patio-grown tomatoes to blight last summer. Also there are signs up all round the allotment site warning us allotmentalists to look out for blight as it has been a problem, so hopefully these two varieties will stand up to the job. The supplier sent me a note to apologise for how small the tubers were, this being due to high demand for blight resistant varieties. If they're that popular then Moog thinks I'm on the right track.

For now, they're quietly "chitting" in my spare bedroom. You're supposed to put them the right way up, how you're supposed to tell at this stage I don't know, so I will wait and see what happens. Moog thinks once they start to sprout, then we'll know which way up they're supposed to be.

Moog found a useful guide on how to grow potatoes on the Thompson and Morgan website, which is also where I placed my order.