sjhog
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« on: June 25, 2009, 05:11:46 PM » |
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hello everyone, I need some insight on what is growing in my mother in laws garden.
She has a row of potato's ,two of the potato plants have what look and taste like small tomatos
growing on the vine. There should be one picture attached. if you want to see more i can email them to you...
thanks
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« Last Edit: June 26, 2009, 03:38:54 PM by sjhog »
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mjb8743
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« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2009, 11:58:46 PM » |
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Well.... if it looks like a tomato, and tastes like a tomato, then by gum it's a cantalope!!  ... er, I mean tomato! I'm curious too... Mickie |
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93 EBs and growing... so how come there are never enough boxes??
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« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2009, 12:56:10 AM » |
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I remember reading an article (in Organic Gardening Magazine?) back in the '70s that said you could somehow combine the two plants so that they would appear to be one plant. I think it involved carving a hole in the potato, inserting some soil, and planting tomato seeds in the potato "pot." I always wanted to try it, but never got around to it, and now I'm not sure I remember how they did it. Way back then, I also read about planting tomatoes so that they would hang from underneath hanging planters. Decades before the "Topsy Turvy" made an appearance! That article was probably in OG Magazine also.  |
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« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2009, 01:10:27 AM » |
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By the way, in case you didn't know, tomatoes and potatoes are both in the nightshade family. Potatoes will form blossoms, which turn into fruits, but I'm not sure if those fruits look like tomatoes. I would do some research before attempting to eat the "pomatoes," since you DON'T want to get on the wrong side of the nightshade gang! Actually, it's not really a "gang," but a plant family called "Solanaceae," named for solanine, a toxic compound typically found in the green parts of the plants. That's why you don't want to eat tomato leaves, and potatoes that have turned green. I ate some greenish potatoes once (after peeling off the green skins), and got a bit of a tummy ache  , which I assumed was from the the solanine toxin. They did taste a bit "off," which should have given me a clue, but no, I had to go and eat them anyway!  |
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sjhog
Newbie
Posts: 4
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« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2009, 12:22:46 PM » |
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THANKS MICKIE, AND BOXED IN FOR YOUR INSIGHT, I AM HAVING A HARD TIME TRYING TO POST THE PICTURES OF THIS STRANGE PLANT, BUT I AM WORKING ON IT. IF I CAN GET MY SON OR DAUGHTER
TO HELP ME GET THE PICTURE UP, YOU GUYS TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK
SJHOG
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« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2009, 05:55:21 PM » |
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Now that I can see the photo, I don't think they're tomato fruits. My advice is to let them ripen and see what they look like, and maybe plant the seeds next year and see what you end up with. If the original plants were hybrid potatoes, the seeds might produce plants that are not true to their parents. Hmmm... Let me reword that.  While they may be obedient offspring in other ways, they may not have the same characteristics as their parents, as far as color, size, flavor, etc. Anyways, look up potatoes on Google or Wikipedia or somewheres else, and see if potato fruits (as opposed to tubers) are edible before you decide to sample them. |
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mjb8743
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« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2009, 06:13:10 PM » |
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Tomato-like Fruit on Potato Plants Occasionally gardeners are surprised to find small, round, green, tomato-like fruit on their potato plants. These fruit are not the result of cross-pollination with tomatoes. They are the true fruit of the potato plant. The edible tubers are actually enlarged, underground stems. Normally, most potato flowers dry up and fall off the plants without setting fruit. A few flowers do produce fruit. The variety 'Yukon Gold' produces fruit more heavily than most varieties. The potato fruit are of no value to the gardener. Potato fruit, as well as the plant itself, contain relatively large amounts of solanine. Solanine is a poisonous alkaloid. The small fruit should not be eaten. Since potatoes don't come true from seed, no effort should be made to save the seed. This article originally appeared in the 7/2/2004 issue. by Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2004/7-2-2004/tomatopotato.htmlMickie |
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93 EBs and growing... so how come there are never enough boxes??
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sjhog
Newbie
Posts: 4
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« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2009, 02:48:25 PM » |
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Thanks guys so much for the information on these potato plants. My mother in law is 83 years young
and has been gardening as long as I remember. She could not remember anything like this before
so she had me curious. I printed the article you sent Mickie, I'll let you know her reaction
thanks again
sjhog
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Philt
Newbie
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« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2009, 08:32:36 PM » |
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I have the same thing growing in my garden. I had to check it out and see what was up. Thanks to everybody who responded. I found everything I needed right in this thread.........
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« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2009, 11:33:09 AM » |
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I have the same thing growing in my garden. I had to check it out and see what was up. Thanks to everybody who responded. I found everything I needed right in this thread.........
You're welcome, Philt, and welcome to the EB Forum! |
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