tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post1045990825678071490..comments2024-03-17T19:32:26.043+00:00Comments on Daughter of the Soil: Heritage vegetable review Potato: Witch HillRebsie Fairholmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17811733792196954188noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-36599931468531427342021-11-29T17:56:31.359+00:002021-11-29T17:56:31.359+00:00Apprreciate you blogging thisApprreciate you blogging thisWanderlust Trevorhttps://www.trevorwanderlust.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-57177764975598207132021-03-12T13:17:49.825+00:002021-03-12T13:17:49.825+00:00Could someone let me know where l can purchase see...Could someone let me know where l can purchase seed or tubers of an old variety called snowdrop it's fabulous our local green grocer gets quite a few sacks early summertime but l have never seen seed potatoes to grow myself l have scoured the internet and there is only a mention of it being grown in the 1920s and it was around as far as they knew in 1885 can anyone help please ? Sarah.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15075493676927910067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-70624009203061050572013-09-13T14:06:08.941+01:002013-09-13T14:06:08.941+01:00A quick update, Witch Hill related as another crop...A quick update, Witch Hill related as another crop of these lovely potatoes were lifted from the garden, but this year a touch of scab was found on a few of them, maybe my soil ph is out of sync or the lack of grass clippings in the trench this time made them slightly more susceptible? I can't keep blaming the weather for everything so will look into what the most likely cause was and try and improve the situation while continuing the crop rotation.<br />Something I've noticed is the lack of tiny little tubers you get when lifting Witch Hill, conker/marble sized tubers still attached to the roots were nowhere to be seen unlike with other potatoes I lifted, is that a common feature? The yield was good again (slightly more row for row than Maris Piper).<br />The added bonus of 3 potato fruits being found still attached was immediately seized, they were a lovely dark green ripening to a dark purple colour and eventually yielded larger than normal dark brownish seeds.<br /><br /><br /><br /> Wesley Haydennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-44230707926977631732013-02-13T15:30:56.520+00:002013-02-13T15:30:56.520+00:00Hi Rebsie, Alex Brown's Witchill potato should...Hi Rebsie, Alex Brown's Witchill potato should be classed under "Heritage Gourmet".<br />These were roasted in Beef fat at Christmas and everyone complimented the "old school" flavour and texture.<br />I have wisely saved a couple of kilo of my own from the garden and as the local potato seed fares I got to visit this spring struggled to get these in at any quantity, I consider myself quite lucky.<br />I'm hoping to get some TPS from this variety, although I'm not even sure if they flower but its worth a try, Ive personally not tasted a better potato yet!<br />Something else worth mentioning was after the terribly wet weather of 2012 all the 10 different types of potato I had sown , Witchill gave the biggest crop, in close second was Red Duke of york, both free of blight.<br />All were grown in native garden soil (silty loam) and fed organically with comfrey liquid manure.<br />Good luck with all your brilliant experiments for 2013 and beyond!<br />Wesley Haydennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-34163590123061586872009-09-12T01:28:48.791+01:002009-09-12T01:28:48.791+01:00Hi there Rebsie.You might be interested to know th...Hi there Rebsie.You might be interested to know that the name Witchhill comes from a property 3 miles inland from Fraserborough, Scotland by the same name. My grandfather, Alex Brown, bred that variety and names it Witchhill. Its great to see you keeping the variety alive and well.<br /><br />Kind Regards<br /><br />Justin Brown<br />AustraliaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15344838552408814473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-8255626600768031482008-03-05T18:48:00.000+00:002008-03-05T18:48:00.000+00:00By all means. IF the buggers grow, there will be s...By all means. IF the buggers grow, there will be some samplers with your name on them! Perhaps I could do a swap with some of Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy? I've longed to know what they're like for ages...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-60442623852619604842008-03-04T22:16:00.000+00:002008-03-04T22:16:00.000+00:00Yes I would love a review. And if you get a good c...Yes I would love a review. And if you get a good crop and want to swap a few Edgecote Purples for anything I've got in my list, that would be good.<BR/><BR/>You can probably guess what motivated me to start these reviews. If you google the name of a vegetable you generally get ten or twenty sites all offering the same description word-for-word which they've copied out of a catalogue. I thought it was about time someone without a commercial interest actually grew these bloody things for themselves and started giving out some honest, useful information.<BR/><BR/>I do love Witch Hill, it's one I intend to keep growing every year. And I'm not even a fan of flouries.Rebsie Fairholmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17811733792196954188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23047857.post-56468802674787487612008-03-04T19:43:00.000+00:002008-03-04T19:43:00.000+00:00Fantastic resource this, Rebsie. Really useful. I'...Fantastic resource this, Rebsie. Really useful. I've been wondering whether Witch Hill was everything it's cracked up to be, and now I know!!<BR/>I've managed to get hold of some Edgecote Purple for this year's growing. And damn difficult they were to source, too. I'm promised they're delicious. We live in hope. Would you like a review if I get a crop?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com