Bikini

[jayb]

I believe an Irish bred Potato, with one of the same lines as Rooster, T2532 64 which is crossed to Red Cara. Classed as high having high dry matter, the ones I sampled last year were lovely, nice tasting and creamy not at all dry and floury. It might have been a one of, I hope not! But what really drew me to the variety are the gorgeous 'redbald' colouring of red and pale yellow, really pretty



I'd really hoped to get some selfed berries but the flowers are looking like they might be male sterile. The anthers are generally pale yellow to green and misshapen, they do develop some colour later on. Flowers are pretty pale lilac/pink with paler tips which are also tufty on the outer edge of the star points. Many of the flowers have an extra skirt of petal at the back of them too, unusual and not so many now as when they first started to flower.

I've cross pollinated some flowers with the hope of still being able to use some of their genes, first signs weren't promising with all flowers and stems falling at the knuckle. But it is looking like some of the second batch is more successful, the flowers are dropping leaving tiny pods, which are at least hanging on. Time will tell, excited if they do develop.

[Galina]

Yours are flowering already? No such luck here. Eagerly awaiting how they will turn out here too.

[jayb]

The flowers on mine have pretty much all gone over now. I didn't manage to collect any pollen from them for using in crosses, but it's looking like some of the later crosses I made using them as the female part are continuing to grow their pods, heaven!

[Galina]

Sight for sore eyes The calyx is pretty with the contrast between red and green. Hope you get the berries to maturity.

[jayb]

I'll say
Perhaps an indication of skin colour in the tuber?