Scottish growing tool

Potatoes Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden

Every recommendation below traces back to our full Potatoes varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.

If: A maincrop to store over winter → Wet, exposed, or a history of blight or A maincrop to store over winter → Not sure, better to be safe or Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice

Sarpo MiraAGM

Named for resistance to blight as its defining characteristic, alongside good resistance to slugs, potato blackleg and potato virus Y. For a maincrop that has to sit in the ground through Scotland's riskiest blight weeks, that combination is hard to match. It's also a heavy yielder that stores well over winter.

If: A maincrop to store over winter → Reasonably sheltered, I'd like resistance without going full Sarpo

DesireeAGM

A genuine second maincrop option beyond Sarpo Mira: good blight resistance, plus some resistance to potato scab, though it crops mid-to-late season rather than late.

If: The fastest possible harvest

Maris BardAGM

It's not bred for blight resistance and none is claimed for it, but as a heavy-cropping first early it's usually out of the ground well before blight becomes a serious threat, and it has good resistance to drought and bruising as a bonus.

If: Salad potatoes → Yes or Salad potatoes → Not sure, better to be safe

CharlotteAGM

The better salad pick where blight risk is the deciding factor, credited with generally good disease resistance including to late blight, on top of its reputation for flavour.

If: Salad potatoes → No, flavour and texture matter more

Pink Fir AppleAGM

Knobbly texture and nutty flavour, though it carries no blight resistance. Best suited to a well-drained or carefully managed site rather than a consistently damp one.

If: Classic mash or chip flavour

Maris PiperAGM

Britain's most widely grown potato, for the classic flavour and texture many gardeners want. No blight resistance is claimed for it at all, though. That's not a reason to avoid it outright, but it is a reason to apply the same blight vigilance you'd use for any non-resistant variety, especially on a Scottish maincrop bed.

Answer these as a quick wizard instead →

Potatoes growing guide →Full Potatoes varieties comparison →