The harvest season of the diverse tuber begins in the garden with the early potatoes. We give an overview of early potato varieties and what needs to be considered when growing them.
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) have different ripening times depending on the variety, which are also of interest to the hobby gardener. Early potato varieties ripen as early as summer and thus herald the beginning of the potato harvest.
New potatoes: What is that actually?
New potatoes are varieties that take less than 120 days from planting to harvest. They are divided into the maturity classes very early (90 - 110 days), early (110 - 120 days) and medium early (120 - 140 days). This means that the first early potatoes are ready to harvest from mid-June. We have summarized the most popular early potato varieties for you below.
What is the difference between late potatoes and early potatoes? late potatoes have a significantly longer cultivation time, which means they need a longer period of time between planting and harvesting than early potatoes. They take between 140 and 160 days to be ready for harvest. While late-ripening potatoes can be stored longer, early-ripening potatoes have the advantage of being less likely to be affected by potato diseases.
List of new potatoes
Very early potato varieties
Very early potatoes only have a short growing season and are ready to harvest 90 - 110 days after planting. They can therefore be harvested from mid-June to early July. Since the tubers do not keep very well, they should be eaten quickly.
‘Annabelle‘: Early potatoes with firm flesh and very early harvest from June. The tubers are oblong in shape, slightly curved and light yellow in color. As a waxy new potato, 'Annabelle' is well suited for potato salad or as a boiled potato. Its fine aroma is particularly outstanding.
'Augusta': 'Augusta' is the most early maturing varietyfloury potato variety. Its tubers can be harvested as early as July, they are roundish-oval and have a classic yellow colour. Because of its mild aroma, this variety is particularly good for making soups, dumplings or gnocchi.
'Finka': Potato with deep yellow, oval tubers. The variety is one of the predominantly waxy potatoes and has a strong aroma. It can be harvested from July and is good to prepare as mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes.
'Glorietta': Waxy potato that ripens very early from July. The flesh and the oval tubers are deep yellow. 'Glorietta' is also very suitable for potato salad, but its good aroma also unfolds as a grilled or baked potato.
'Hela': The oval, light yellow potato is one of the predominantly waxy to floury varieties. Their flesh and skin have a typical yellow color and a mild aroma. It is particularly suitable for mashed potatoes and as boiled or baked potatoes.
‘Rosara‘: Very early maturing, red-skinned potato variety with predominantly firm, deep yellow flesh. Their taste varies from creamy and fine to aromatic and spicy.
‘Solist‘: Potatoes that ripen very early, starting in mid-June and mainly have firm, round tubers. The variety is high-yielding and has low susceptibility to most potato diseases.
Early Potato Varieties
Early potato varieties can be harvested about 110 to 120 days after planting. They can therefore be dug up from the end of July and can be stored for a few weeks.
'Goldmarie': Early ripening, yellow-fleshed and waxy potato variety with an oval shape. The variety has a good shelf life and good yield. 'Goldmarie' is also extremely resistant to Rhizoctonia infections and the Y virus (Potyvirus).
'Marabell': Potato with light yellow, sweet-tasting flesh. This early-ripening, mainly firm-boiling potato variety has been one of the most popular varieties in Germany since 1990 and, thanks to its aromatic taste, can be easily prepared as a jacket or boiled potato.
'Red Duke of York': Potato with a roundish-oval shape and a striking red skin. she isalso known as 'Red Firstborn'. The predominantly waxy, yellow flesh is particularly suitable for boiled potatoes or puree.
Mid-early potato varieties
Mid-early potatoes need 120 to 140 days to reach harvest maturity. They are harvested from the end of August and can be stored for a long time.
'Adretta': Medium early, floury potato variety with round, light yellow tubers and a strong, spicy taste. It has low susceptibility to late blight (Phytophthora infestans).
'Blue Swede': Medium early ripening, purple potato variety with a rounded shape and a strong taste . It is one of the predominantly waxy varieties and is ideal for purple puree or fried potatoes.
'Nemo': Red and yellow patterned potato variety with bright yellow flesh. The long, oval, mealy tubers have a mild, fruity taste and are particularly suitable for puree and as grilled potatoes.
'Regina': Medium early, waxy variety with oval, ocher tubers and light yellow flesh. The potato has a very good taste and is ideal for fried potatoes or potato salad.
'Rote Emmalie': This variety, which was only approved in 2012, belongs to the red potato varieties. Its skin and flesh are colored magenta. The variety is predominantly waxy and has elongated, very spicy-tasting tubers. Especially when prepared as pink gnocchi, this potato is a real eye-catcher on the plate.
Growing early potatoes
New potatoes can be pre-germinated or planted straight into the ground. Pre-germination advances the harvest by about two to three weeks. A warm window sill with lots of light is ideal for this from March. Pre-germinated potatoes are planted from mid-April, weather permitting. Without pre-germinating, the tubers are planted in the ground from May. You can find detailed instructions on how to plant potatoes in our special article.
Potatoes can be cultivated in beds or in pots. A nutrient-rich potting soil, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil, is ideal for this. The high humus content promotes root formation and soil life in equal measure.
Harvest early potatoes
When harvesting early potatoes, particular care must be taken to ensure that the skin is already well formed, otherwise they will not last very well and tend to rot quickly if they are slightly injured. In contrast to late-ripening storage potatoes, the herb of the potato does not have to be dead yet. How to tell if the potato plant is ready to harvest is explained in our article Harvesting Potatoes.
Cultivating potatoes in intercropping has many advantages. Read here which plants are bad or good neighbors for potatoes and which plant combinations can even keep pests away.