just went to check spuds and found a potato plant with what appears to be a couple of green tomato's growing on it. anyone know what this is about!
gkgirl,
Jan 28, 2:34am
ooh i have that happening too.
did you put dirt on your plants, like heaped it up! I haven't so I thought it might be related to that.
dabountyhunter,
Jan 28, 2:37am
really! how peculiar. yes, i did heap them up a bit. i was a bit lazy this year and didn't put much compost on, just mostly soil.
lilyfield,
Jan 28, 2:41am
They are the seeds after flowering
dabountyhunter,
Jan 28, 3:09am
thanks! that makes sense. does this mean if i keep them i will be able to grow a spud from seed!
gkgirl,
Jan 28, 3:14am
Gosh! ty, very tomatoey looking aint they. Potatoes must be some super evolved veges ain't they lol
dabountyhunter,
Jan 28, 3:17am
what came first! the potato or the seed!
gkgirl,
Jan 28, 3:23am
Mebbee there was an ancestor tompato plant that evolutionarily diverged into tomatos and potatoes.
But no. the seed would have come first, and then the potato got very cunning and became it's own seed and started lurking around my garden knowing I would NEVER dig the whole thing each year lol so the perfect seed is waiting underground to sprout each year:)
ro42,
Jan 28, 3:58am
Yep.You put them in a food processor with water, and the seeds will sink to the bottom - there should be about 50 seeds or so per fruit. Put them in the freezer for a bit, then plant them out like planting tomatoes from seed. If you have grown only one variety of potato, then the seed will probably be that variety. But if they have cross-polinated, they could be anything!
rainrain1,
Jan 28, 4:36am
when it's a dud spud
fibertrix,
Jan 28, 8:45am
Spuds and tomatoes belong to the same family solenaciae(sp) thats why you have tomato-like seeds on a spud.
edenrose,
Jan 28, 12:21pm
Will they be worth growing!
ro42,
Jan 28, 7:34pm
You don't know until you try! They will produce potatoes.
tlharrex,
Jan 28, 7:50pm
Could be wrong but I don't think all varieties produce them and when there is a lot it is a sign of the plant being stressed.
steptoesnr,
Jan 28, 9:55pm
When digging your spuds do your best to not let those fruit get left behind because they will germinate and give you unwanted potatoes for years.
tonijo,
Jan 29, 6:53am
yep - we found this out two years ago.They are still coming up:-)
tarawera99,
Jan 29, 7:17am
Spuds and tomatoes are part of Solanacae or knightshade family in case anyone wanted to know
gkgirl,
Jan 29, 7:18am
gosh, that almost deserves its own thread - when is a potato an unwanted potato! Or do you have an uber tuber intruber.
I say NEVER! let the spuds take over.
oh_hunnihunni,
Feb 15, 5:40pm
The potato is a storage body, with growth eyes that will produce a clone of the parent plant if allowed to sprout. The fertilised flowers produce a seed fruit by sexual reproduction, therefore allowing for genetic diversity if two plants are in close proximity. Clever, eh!
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