My spud flowers germinated
 

and now I have small tomato shaped "fruits"

Am I right (After googling) that sowing in much the same way as tomatoes
that I will end up with small tubers which are then planted out instead of
spuds with eyes?

also, SWMBO needs to know when best to plant the seeds too.

My spud flowers germinated
 

In article ,
R wrote:
and now I have small tomato shaped "fruits"

Am I right (After googling) that sowing in much the same way as tomatoes
that I will end up with small tubers which are then planted out instead of
spuds with eyes?

That's my understanding, yes.

also, SWMBO needs to know when best to plant the seeds too.

Ripen the fruits first, of course! I would guess spring. The chances
of a useful variety are low, but you might make your fortune.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

My spud flowers germinated
 

In message , R
writes
and now I have small tomato shaped "fruits"

Am I right (After googling) that sowing in much the same way as tomatoes
that I will end up with small tubers which are then planted out instead of
spuds with eyes?

The usual reason given for not growing potatoes from seed is that
potatoes don't come true from seed, and any plants you get are likely to
be inferior to the parent. But possibly also that it takes too long to
get a crop from seed raised potatoes.

Also, while I don't suppose it's a particular high risk, potatoes with
tubers with toxic levels of alkaloids have accidentally been breed in
the past. There's some chance that this might happen with you seedling
potatoes.

also, SWMBO needs to know when best to plant the seeds too.


--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

My spud flowers germinated
 

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:

Also, while I don't suppose it's a particular high risk, potatoes with
tubers with toxic levels of alkaloids have accidentally been breed in
the past. There's some chance that this might happen with you seedling
potatoes.

When trying out new varieties, use some disposable person as the test
subject - such as a husband :-) More seriously, the alkaloids are
dangerous in small quantities primarily to women in the early stages
of pregnancy, as they can cause foetal abnormalities.

Those alkaloids taste bitter, so your test subject needs to be able
to taste bitterness (not everyone can) and to compare them with
standard varieties of potatoes. You can tell the difference by
tasting slightly green potatoes.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Many of the potatoes grown at high altitude in Peru/Bolivia in the past had naturally toxic levels of alkaloids. That's why they natives processed them to make chuno http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu%C3%B1o. Today mainly non-toxic varieties of potato are grown there, but they still make chuno because they have got used to it, and because it allows easier long-term storage. I think it's horrible.

The so-called "Irish potato" refers to those varieties of potato that can be grown at higher latitudes. Typical Andean varieties don't tolerate the day-length patterns at higher latitudes. It was only once a variety tolerant of long summer day-lengths was accidentally created that potato-growing became common in more northerly places. More usually once economically useful crops were discovered by Europeans in their colonies, they spread round the world like wild-fire (see eg chilli, sweet potato, maize, etc). I wonder whether the potatoes grown from potato seeds would retain their tolerance for long summer day-length.

My spud flowers germinated
 

R wrote:
and now I have small tomato shaped "fruits"

Am I right (After googling) that sowing in much the same way as tomatoes
that I will end up with small tubers which are then planted out instead of
spuds with eyes?

also, SWMBO needs to know when best to plant the seeds too.

A bit "off topic", but I wondered if anyone in this newsgroup has grafted
tomatoes onto potatoes.

A search in Google turned up a few hits, but only one made any real comment
on the outcome: "The reverse graft, tomato on potato, allows the potato
stock to produce its tubers underground, but they are inferior to those
produced by ungrafted potatoes. The flavor is off. Something produced by the
tomato scion is conveyed to the roots and accumulates in the tubers.
Meanwhile, the tomato scion produces fruit, but these are also of bad
flavor. Something from the potato scion is transmitted across the graft
union and into the fruit."

Pity. I wonder if different varieties could be chosen to reduce the taint.
Also, I wonder if it would be true of peppers and aubergines, too.

--
Jeff