potato fruits!

[0tterbot]

i wouldn't know crap from christmas when it comes to potatoes, but i read
somewhere that potato plants will very, very occasionally make fruits.

3 potato plants have come up spontaneously in my back yard (which is rather
good as i'm out of spuds atm) & now all three have fruits!! i can't believe
it. i'm going to see what happens after all the flowers die off & all. the
potatoes are some sort of white ones, sebago or something (i dug around &
had a look), which i wouldn't normally grow cos i like pink taties.

it's nice to get something unexpected, but doubly nice to get something
doubly unexpected.

does anyone know if the fruits will have viable seeds? how would one tell
when the fruits are ripe? (atm they look not unlike little tresses of green
cherry tomatoes.) we are overdue for the first frost of the year so the
plants & i are making the most of it while we can. first frost is normally
mid-march. (gawd!)
thanks!!
kylie

[Chookie]

In article >,
"0tterbot" > wrote:

> i wouldn't know crap from christmas when it comes to potatoes, but i read
> somewhere that potato plants will very, very occasionally make fruits.

It's not *that* uncommon!

> does anyone know if the fruits will have viable seeds? how would one tell
> when the fruits are ripe? (atm they look not unlike little tresses of green
> cherry tomatoes.)

The fruits *can* produce viable seeds, but the plants will not be true to type
afaik, and I believe the viability rate is low.

Can't remember what happens to the fruits. IME the whole plant seems to die
down at once.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

[len garden]

chookie,

if the plants do go to fruit/seed do they still produce tubers?? as
the only time i've ever experienced fruiting was when the plants where
grown at the wrong time of the year ie.,. in summer when too hot.



On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:08:45 +1000, Chookie
> wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

[FarmI]

"len garden" > wrote in message
> chookie,
>
> if the plants do go to fruit/seed do they still produce tubers??

Yes.

[FarmI]

"Chookie" > wrote in message
> "0tterbot" > wrote:
>
>> i wouldn't know crap from christmas when it comes to potatoes, but i read
>> somewhere that potato plants will very, very occasionally make fruits.
>
> It's not *that* uncommon!

I agree

>> does anyone know if the fruits will have viable seeds? how would one tell
>> when the fruits are ripe? (atm they look not unlike little tresses of
>> green
>> cherry tomatoes.)
>
> The fruits *can* produce viable seeds, but the plants will not be true to
> type
> afaik, and I believe the viability rate is low.

Its how the potato breeders grow new varieties - lot sof testing of course
but the seed pods are the genesis of new strains.

> Can't remember what happens to the fruits. IME the whole plant seems to
> die down at once.

I can't remember either but I do seem to recall seed pods going black, but
can't quite remeber whether this has been on other plants of the Solunum
family or on spuds.

[0tterbot]

"Chookie" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "0tterbot" > wrote:
>
>> i wouldn't know crap from christmas when it comes to potatoes, but i read
>> somewhere that potato plants will very, very occasionally make fruits.
>
> It's not *that* uncommon!

yes it is - it only happens to particularly special, worthy people upon whom
mother nature smiles.... <g>.

this topic seems never mentioned in garden info, so i guess it might be a
trait of some potato kinds under some circumstances, or something.

>> does anyone know if the fruits will have viable seeds? how would one tell
>> when the fruits are ripe? (atm they look not unlike little tresses of
>> green
>> cherry tomatoes.)
>
> The fruits *can* produce viable seeds, but the plants will not be true to
> type
> afaik, and I believe the viability rate is low.
>
> Can't remember what happens to the fruits. IME the whole plant seems to
> die > down at once.

some of my fruits have gone slightly purplish & fallen off (this could be
for any reason e.g. animals), the others are just getting bigger.

if i get to it, i might save some & see what happens if they're sown next
spring. or something. but it rather sounds like only worthwhile if i feel
like it, not much to be gained...
kylie

[John Savage]

"0tterbot" > writes:
>"Chookie" > wrote in message
...
>> In article >,
>> "0tterbot" > wrote:
>>
>>> i wouldn't know crap from christmas when it comes to potatoes, but i read
>>> somewhere that potato plants will very, very occasionally make fruits.
>>
>> It's not *that* uncommon!
>
>yes it is - it only happens to particularly special, worthy people upon whom
>mother nature smiles.... <g>.

Not true. Happens for us good-for-nothing unworthies, too.

>this topic seems never mentioned in garden info, so i guess it might be a
>trait of some potato kinds under some circumstances, or something.

Peter Cundall answered all of these questions for you last Fri/Sun. He
said the seed pod is poisonous; either cut it off (I guess the plant
expends some energy into growing it) or leave it to get composted when
the plant expires.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

[0tterbot]

"John Savage" > wrote in message
om...

>>yes it is - it only happens to particularly special, worthy people upon
>>whom
>>mother nature smiles.... <g>.
>
> Not true. Happens for us good-for-nothing unworthies, too.

perhaps mother nature is saying "i should give this john character a second
chance, he's all right.." lol :-)

no, i fully admit i'm not up there in potato knowledge - for all i know they
lift up their skirts & spend the night doing the tango. i was (am) just
excited about these plants because they popped up after one of my potato
crops, in the end, was rather unsuccessful, & i htought that was rather
cool, and i get to see the fruits & find out what happens! (maybe).

i have a tamarillo(sp?) that's popped up there as well, & not sure where
that's come from at all! very odd. but nice. :-)

>>this topic seems never mentioned in garden info, so i guess it might be a
>>trait of some potato kinds under some circumstances, or something.
>
> Peter Cundall answered all of these questions for you last Fri/Sun.

bugger!!!!!!!! gardening aust is one of those shows where i almost never get
to see it because it's on at times i don't watch telly and i just never
think of it!! very frustrating (but entirely my own problem, of course).

He
> said the seed pod is poisonous; either cut it off (I guess the plant
> expends some energy into growing it) or leave it to get composted when
> the plant expires.

thanks john. i'll leave them on for a bit. i might cut up the fallen ones &
have a look.
kylie
p.s. - yes i know one "should not" suffer potato volunteers to live! i'm
going to let these three get away with it, though.