Given this diversity, how do you choose which plants to grow in your garden? We’ve put together a few simple guidelines to help you make the right choice for your garden. Ask specialist retailers for advice to make sure you’ve selected the right variety! They offer a wide range of strains and will advise you on the varieties best suited to your needs.

Firm flesh varieties for gourmets

Potato varieties have different cooking characteristics. If you’re a gourmet gardener, choose the “firm flesh” category. They have fine flesh, a distinctive taste and good cooking qualities. As they hold up well to steaming or browning, they are the perfect choice for these dishes, as well as for salads and for baking. They’ll be a delight for the whole family.

Early-maturing varieties for impatients

Not all varieties reach maturity at the same speed! Early or very early varieties have a shorter maturity cycle (around 70 days for the fastest) and can be harvested as early as late spring. You’ll need to eat them soon after harvesting, as they don’t have the same shelf life as later varieties.

Starchy varieties for French fries

For crisp, low-fat French fries and smooth, hearty purées, choose varieties with a starchy, soft, melting flesh, rich enough in dry content. Harvested when fully ripe, they produce large tubers that are also suitable for soups, stews and baking.

Varieties to eat all winter long

For best potato storage, we recommend choosing varieties with good storage capacity, usually semi-early to late varieties (110 to 150 days of growth), for best storage results. Potatoes for storing purposes should be harvested from September to October, at full maturity, when all the leaves have wilted.

Once you’ve removed any injured tubers, you can store them in a ventilated, dry place, away from light.