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#1
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potato fruits!
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 |
#2
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potato fruits!
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 |
#3
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potato fruits!
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/ |
#4
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potato fruits!
"len garden" wrote in message
chookie, if the plants do go to fruit/seed do they still produce tubers?? Yes. |
#5
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potato fruits!
"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. |
#6
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potato fruits!
"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 |
#7
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potato fruits!
"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) |
#8
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potato fruits!
"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. |
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