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Solanum tuberosum 'Pink Fir Apple'

potato (salad) 'Pink Fir Apple'

An old-fashioned late-cropping variety which are long and have thin, yellow, waxy and knobbly skins. Potatoes have a creamy, nutty flavour and can be harvested early to mid October. A good variety for boiling or chipping as well as for salads.

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Solanaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous or Semi evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten, except potato crop. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten, except potato crop - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Solanum can be annuals, perennials, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or twining climbers, with simple or pinnnately lobed leaves and star- or bowl-shaped, 5-lobed flowers with prominent stamens, followed by fleshy fruits
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Potatoes require an open, frost-free site with deep, fertile, moisture-retentive and crumbly soil for high quality and heavy yields. Improve soils by adding organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, in the autumn. Before planting, supplement with a general fertilizer, such as Growmore or blood, fish and bone, applied to the soil surface or spread along the sides of the drill during sowing, at the rate of 1kg per 10m (2.2lb per 33ft) row. Half of this amount will be enough if the garden is known to be fertile. Potatoes can also be grown in large containers or potato gro-bags. See Potatoes for further advice.

Propagation

Propagate from tubers known as 'seed potatoes' which are sprouted or 'chitted' prior to planting. Tubers can be chitted from January and planted between March and May, when the risk of frost has passed.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to cutworms, slugs, wireworms, leaf and bud eelworm and potato cyst eelworm.

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), potato blight, potato scab, potato tuber rots and potato blackleg and stem canker.

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