Maincrop Potato 'King Edward'

'King Edward' is perhaps the most iconic traditional British maincrop potato, celebrated for its floury texture and distinctive pink-splashed creamy skin. This reliable cultivar produces medium to large oval tubers with shallow eyes, making them easy to peel. In the UK garden, it thrives in deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil and requires earthing up to protect developing tubers from light. It is legendary for its culinary versatility, being the gold standard for roasting and chipping, as well as providing light, fluffy mashed potatoes. As a late maincrop, it needs a long growing season and plenty of water during the summer months. While it has some resistance to common scab, growers should be vigilant against potato blight during warm, damp spells. Its habit is upright and vigorous, producing pretty mauve-tinted white flowers before the foliage begins to die back in autumn. Ideally suited for allotments where space allows for heavy-yielding rows.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Moisture-retentive, fertile, well-drained loam.

Hardiness: H2 — down to 1°C.

Flowering: Jun, Jul.