Potato/tomato hybrid?

Gardening to 'grow your own food' from square foot to half an acre !!
Post Reply
User avatar
Meanqueen
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7617
Joined: 19 Jan 2008, 19:49

Potato/tomato hybrid?

Post by Meanqueen »

Something very strange on my potato plants this year. They went to flower, then there appeared small round green balls on them, like green tomatoes, a bit bigger than peas. They are very hard, I cut one open and found little seeds inside. What's that all about then? :?
The potatoes are alright, they are in raised beds and I just stick my hand in and firkle around when I want some.
Ilona
tosca100
Lively Laner
Posts: 454
Joined: 09 Sep 2012, 18:59
Location: Bulgaria

Re: Potato/tomato hybrid?

Post by tosca100 »

They are not hybrids, just the same family.They are the fruits of the potato, but are not edible. The potatoes are just swollen roots, as you will know, and the flowers do not usually produce fruit, but it can happen.
Because my memory is not brilliant......http://debrazzaman.blogspot.com/
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Potato/tomato hybrid?

Post by lancashire lass »

Definitely not a tomato, and definitely not edible (from wikipedia:

After flowering, potato plants produce small green fruits that resemble green cherry tomatoes, each containing about 300 seeds. Like all parts of the plant except the tubers, the fruit contain the toxic alkaloid solanine and are therefore unsuitable for consumption.


This is how new potato varieties are bred - crossing known varieties to produce seed, growing on and selecting features such as blight resistance, various pest resistance, improved yield, and of course most important of all, flavour and cooking qualities.
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Potato/tomato hybrid?

Post by Mo »

You don't get them on all varieties of spud - some are sterile so no seeds ( from already being highly bred I think).
They do look odd though.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Post Reply