June 11, 2013 - Another Case of Mistaken Identity

Top potato: Yukon Gold, from seed potato saved from last year's crop.  Bottom potato: Yukon Gold, from seed potato purchased at my local feed & grain store.  Methinks someone labeled the bin wrong.

I realize mistakes can be made, but how unusual for it to happen to me twice in one year!  First the snap peas that ended up being shelling peas, now the Yukon golds that are probably the Russets I swore I'd never grow again.  Bummer!


36 comments:

  1. Sometimes a woman just wants a yellow potato and that is what she wants!! Criminey

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    1. You've got that right, Cloud! I find I use much less butter on the Yukon Golds, which is soooo much better for my figger, LOL!

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    2. HAHA. You and George Carlin Crack me up so.

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    3. Hey, my $*&$#@ mouth is cleaner than his!

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  2. I've been seeing this more and more. A sign of the times---carelessness.

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    1. Sue, last year, with the nasturtiums, was the very first time it happened to me in all my years of gardening. At least, that I noticed. I'm sure they could switch something like beet seeds and I'd never know the difference, as long as they were the correct color. I am beginning to wonder about the purple cone flowers I planted last year. They got what looked to be the beginnings of flowers on them, but never did actually blossom. It looks like they are doing the same thing this year. Having never grown them before, I'm not sure if they are doing their normal thing or not. They'd better hurry and do something, or they're outta here!

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  3. Dang Granny! That really sucks coz those yukon golds are so darn delicious they don't even need butter! Well, maybe a little butter, because that is delicious too!!! What are russets good for anyhow besides making crappy baked potatoes?

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    1. Making crappy baked potatoes. They make pretty good French fries too, but those are taboo for us these days. I think they grow russets commercially here for the French fry market. I'm not sure if they get crispy enough as oven fries, but I guess I'll find out. Of course, they may not be russets at all, but I didn't see any other labels on the bins that would make me think they were anything else. Like Kennebec, which I would like to have.

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  4. You just haven't had much luck in the variety department have you? The last time I didn't get what I ordered was hmm. Has it every happened? I don't remember having that issue. I have gotten seed that doesn't germinate from Pinetree. They always replace it though.

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  5. OK, soapbox time!

    Work ethics and quality workmanship are becoming scarce. So many people just don't give a rats patootey. We always try to point out and praise good service and quality when we find it...it's more rare than ever.

    -Step down from soapbox.-

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    1. Move over, Ray. I need to get up there with you!

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  6. How frustrating! What a waste of garden space especially if you don't like the mystery potato. I had issues with wrong seeds last year from two different sources. My Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers ended up being some sweet pepper and my Delicata Squash was something else that wasn't even consumed as I couldn't cut into the darn things.

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    1. Rachel, I've had that problem with saved seeds that others have sent or that I saved myself....I got 2 varieties of tomato seeds mixed up last fall. I thought I was planting 2 Una Hartsock tomatoes and 1 Black Cherry, and it turned out to be the reverse. No biggy, but I'd rather have double Unas! But getting the wrong seed from a purchase is relatively new to me.

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  7. We have had the same trouble the last two years. Last year tomatoes this year peppers. We had peppers from the same pack that are completely different. Never know what you will get these days.

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    1. Peggi, come to think about it, last year I did have one packet of sweet peppers that weren't anything like the seed packet showed. I forgot about that! They were from Seeds of Change, and supposed to be Corno Di Toro. They weren't even close!

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  8. Sorry you were given the wrong potato! You can't seem to win lately! I planted Yukon Gold and I hope I did not get the wrong thing too! Hope nothing else goes wrong for you. Nancy

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    1. Nancy, this was a small local store with bins of seed potatoes. I'm sure an employee just put the wrong label on the bin.

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  9. I would be upset as well, Yukon Golds are so deliciously buttery and sweet compared to Russets. Sweet potatoes grow so much better in Kentucky than regular potatoes, but seeing your potato harvests makes me want to redouble my efforts and try again.

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    1. Phuong, at least I had a dozen small Yukon Gold potatoes saved from last year, so I do have a row of them!

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  10. Oh no! Even the texture is different. I hope the taste turns out to be good and the textures isn't as off as it looks. :-( Maybe it was an off spud and the rest aren't like that? Oh geez. What a disappointment. Good thing you've got people to share with.

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    1. Barbie, I pulled 3 of them out from under different plants, and they are all the same (probably russets). I'll just leave them to mature into big bakers, and we'll pig out on the new Red Norlands and the few Yukon Golds that I do have.

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  11. Now you've got me hoping my Yukon Golds are really Yukon Golds. I hate surprises like that! And I love my Yukon Golds too.

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    1. Probably no worries for you dave, unless you're having a year like mine LOL! Of course you ARE the person with the hot or sweet, take your chances, Happy Yummy peppers! I'm still planting those seeds and hoping they turn into the sweet ones!

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  12. That's why I buy plants rather than seeds. Yeah, that's why. They are just so stinkin cheap here to get heirloom varieties (25 cents per plant) that I can't see going through the trouble of doing it myself.

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    1. Well, Langela, you can't buy potato plants LOL! Hey, I've had tomato plants from the nursery that turned to be the wrong plants. Somebody can always move those little plant markers! BTW, I bought my main tomato plants this year, and only grew, from seeds, the ones I knew wouldn't be available. I don't know of any nursery source for the Una Hartsock that we like so much, and Sungold and Black Cherry are also hard to find.

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  13. Yep, methinks you're right. I found a potato growing in my fern bed. Dern squirrels!

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    1. I wish our squirrels would just move potatoes. Instead, I spend half my time pulling out walnut trees. I swear they can grow 3 feet in a day!

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  14. Good thing there is always next year...

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    1. But I want them NOW, Dan! *Sniffle, sniffle, whine, whine*

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  15. What is going on? So much garden misery this year! My garden is soo....slow, and for the first time I was visited by a groundhog, not very pleasant at all! Is it too late to plant more potatoes? 'Cos I was thinking of doing just that.

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    1. Mrs. R., I never have planted them after the middle of March, ever! But I just checked the guide for my zone, and it says I can plant up to June 15. Heck the ones I miss and leave in the ground grow the next spring, so I'd say it would be worth a try. I'm still tearing my hair out over the poor carrot season I'm having. I've always had carrots by this time, and mine aren't even close :-(

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  16. Same here with the carrots. They're now even hosting swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. As soon as those butterflies emerge, I'm pulling the carrots, plant more potatoes in their stead, and call it a day. I've given up!

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    1. I pulled all my garlic yesterday, then spent the evening making carrot seed tapes. I have the entire garlic bed empty, so I'm trying carrots one more time!

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