Potato varieties: List of popular potatoes in Germany

The potato plant - Good to know

Like the tomato, the potato plant belongs to the nightshade family(Solanaceae) and, like the entire plant family, originates from South America. Many varieties were originally native to the Andes.

The potato came to Europe in the 16th century with the discovery of America. However, it was not until the 19th century that it gained its status as one of the most important staple foods of Western civilization.

How many potato varieties are there?

There are over 3,000 potato varieties worldwide, of which around 540 are approved in Germany (Sortenbundesamt, as of 2023). However, only very few potato varieties are still cultivated on a large scale. The varieties can differ greatly in shape, taste or harvest time.

Within these 500 varieties, around 395 potato varieties are table potatoes. The remaining 105 varieties are starch potatoes, which are used to feed animals.

Table potatoes: What types of potatoes are there?

Firstly, potato varieties are differentiated according to their cooking type , which is determined by their starch content. The more starch a potato contains, the more floury it becomes when cooked. A distinction is made here between waxy , predominantly waxy and floury potatoes. Firm-boiling potatoes include, for example, the popular Annabelle potato or the old Linda variety. Floury potato varieties include Hela, Bintje and Augusta.

Another distinguishing feature is the cultivation period. There are early varieties, which are also known as "early potatoes". These are usually ready for harvest at the beginning of June, as they only need just under three months to grow. Medium-early varieties need around 5 months and can be harvested from August. Late varieties, on the other hand, can be harvested until the end of October. Medium-early to late varieties are usually stored and can be eaten throughout the winter if stored correctly.

Potato varieties - overview of the cooking type

Depending on which dish is on the menu, you can use either waxy or floury potatoes:

Hard-boiling potato varieties

Firm-boiling potatoes contain less starch than floury potatoes and are therefore firmer and easier to cut. They are popular potato varieties for potato salad, roast potatoes and jacket potatoes.

Floury potato varieties

The more starch a potato contains, the looser it becomes when cooked. This is why floury potatoes fall apart much more than waxy potatoes. This is why you use floury potatoes for dishes such as dumplings, mashed potatoes or homemade gnocchi.

Potato varieties - overview at harvest time

In addition to the cooking type, the ripening time also plays an important role for gardeners. The great advantage of early-maturing varieties is that they are harvested before late blight can occur. The risk of infection increases in summer and without plant protection, most medium to late-maturing potato varieties are affected and become infected. Here it is important to choose robust varieties, such as some old varieties. You can find a list of old, robust potato varieties further down in the article.

Unfortunately, early potatoes can only be stored to a limited extent and should be eaten within a few weeks. Late varieties, on the other hand, store well and will keep for several months if stored in the dark and at temperatures between 4 and 12 °C.

Want to know more about potato varieties?

In our library you will find information on a wide range of varieties, including growing seasons, planting and harvesting tips. You can also find good and bad neighbors for planning mixed crops.

Check out our plant library

Early potato varieties

Early potatoes only need around 90 to 110 days to ripen. They quickly make room in the bed and are therefore a good pre-crop. They loosen the soil with their tubers and thus improve compacted soil. This improves the water balance in the soil and the soil structure. These varieties are usually not as productive as late potatoes. However, they are particularly aromatic and tasty.

Medium-early potato varieties

The medium-early potato varieties are some of the most popular - they are particularly common in hobby gardens. They have an intense flavor and are suitable as storage potatoes. These varieties need around 120 to 140 days until they are ready to harvest.

Late potato varieties

These potato varieties produce the highest yields due to their long growing time. They stand in the bed for 140 to 160 days. The long shelf life of late potato varieties makes them an important part of the garden, especially for self-sufficient growers. When growing late potatoes, you should choose robust varieties.

Table with an overview of the most popular potato varieties

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Purple potatoes & red potatoes - colorful exotics

Red or purple potatoes get their color from anthocyanins. This is a secondary plant substance that protects plants from excessive exposure to light. Excessive exposure to light produces free radicals (= oxidative stress) in the plant, which are bound by anthocyanins. Red potatoes are therefore particularly healthy, as they also bind harmful free radicals in the body and render them harmless.

• Blue Anneliese
• Blue Swede
• Desiree
• Heiderose
• Highland Burgundy Red
• Laura
• Violetta

Old, robust potato varieties

Old varieties are becoming increasingly popular with buyers and gardeners. However, many old and traditional varieties have already fallen into oblivion. This is mainly due to the fact that they were not as productive as their competitors or were not suitable for industrial production due to their shape. However, important resistance to diseases and pests or flavor characteristics, among other things, were lost as a result of yield-increasing breeding. Old potato varieties are therefore increasingly coming into focus, as they could be used to breed new, unique-tasting and more resistant varieties. To read more about the diversity of old varieties, you can take a look at our article on the subject.

Popular old varieties:

• La Ratte
• Bamberg croissant
• Linda
• Sieglinde
• Blue Swede
• Bintje

I hope this has whetted your appetite for growing your own potatoes. If you have any questions or comments, please write to us at [email protected].

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Cover picture by Couleur on Pixabay.

Source: https://www.bundessortenamt.de/bsa/media/Files/BSL/BSL_Kartoffel_2023.pdf