Potato, Portly Fingerling

Andean potato information and growing instructions

Potato products and sizes

This is an OSSI open source variety. Click for more information about open source seeds.

Phytosanitary information

Portly Fingerling is the first potato I have released from a red flesh fingerling breeding project.  It has the highest seed production, which is why it is the first.  Three others, Burgundy, Merlot, and Port Fingerling will probably be available in some form next year.  This variety goes back to a cross between Loowit and Shetland Beet, followed by several generations of selfing and sib mating.

Culinary Traits

Portly Fingerling has relatively strong flavor and all purpose texture.  The flesh color becomes a more uniform red when cooked.  The skin is relatively thick.

Agronomic Traits

This is a late season potato at full maturity and the tubers can get pretty big by then.  If you want only fingerlings, then you might want to harvest a little early – around eight or nine weeks.  At that point, you can expect mostly 4-7 inch fingerlings.  If you let them go, you will get a mix of fingerlings and larger tubers at harvest.  Yields here averaged 3.5 pounds per plant at full maturity.  Dormancy is pretty good – at least five months.  It is self fertile and sets a heavy crop of berries.

Fertility:  MF8, FF10

True Seed (TPS)

TPS of Portly Fingerling is open pollinated and the majority of the progeny should be self pollinated.  The nearest neighbors were other varieties in the red flesh fingerling project, so I expect this to be an excellent source for fingerling and long tubers with red flesh.  One of the goals for this project was intensification of red flesh and some of the siblings are among the darkest red potatoes I have ever seen, so it would not be surprising if you find some with really deep red flesh.

Germination

2024

Final germination
Days to first germination	18
Days to final germination/2
Days to final germination