Potato 'fruits'

[maytreefrannie]

I've tried the Search facility over the last few days and can't see my particular question :

Is it advisable to remove the 'fruits' that grow on potato haulms (I don't intend keeping/growing the seeds) in order to allow the plant to have more energy to focus on the potatoes?

Also, I take it the potatoes can be eaten as normal after the 'fruits' show?

I've grown potatoes several times, yet this is the first year I've had the 'fruits' grow on a few of them.

Apologies for starting a new thread if this has been dealt with elsewhere.

[rustylady]

You can remove the fruits if you wish. Your crop can be lifted and eaten as normal, whether or not the plants have produced fruit.

[maytreefrannie]

I was thrown by seeing the fruits, first time ever. I should have known the answer but I didn't.

Thanks a million, Rusty Lady.

[ladylottie]

I've tried the Search facility over the last few days and can't see my particular question :

Is it advisable to remove the 'fruits' that grow on potato haulms (I don't intend keeping/growing the seeds) in order to allow the plant to have more energy to focus on the potatoes?

Also, I take it the potatoes can be eaten as normal after the 'fruits' show?

I've grown potatoes several times, yet this is the first year I've had the 'fruits' grow on a few of them.

Apologies for starting a new thread if this has been dealt with elsewhere.

Thanks for asking this question - I had been wondering about this too. This year is the first year (in a lot of years!) that I've ever seen these large green "tomato-like" fruits on any potato. The variety I'm growing is Cara.

[nomis]

Ive got these fruit too. Is there anything you can do with them? Any method for cooking them etc?

[Hans Mum]

Ive got these fruit too. Is there anything you can do with them? Any method for cooking them etc?

No dont eat them (I seem to think they're posioness someone will confirm)

read throught this thread if you want to produce your own seed potatoes

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...9-a_20577.html

[maytreefrannie]

They are poisonous according to other posts I've read here on the Vine - indeed, anything I've read or heard about them has confirmed that they're poisonous.

[ddiogyn]

The Iowa State Univ has this to say of potato fruit:

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.

Tomato-like Fruit on Potato Plants | Horticulture and Home Pest News

[womble]

Ive got these fruit too. Is there anything you can do with them? Any method for cooking them etc?

Anything on a potato plant that is green, is poisonous, same as tomatoes as well I am pretty sure, even the green tomatoes are mildly poisonous, but I think you have to eat shed loads of them for anything bad to happen.

[Flummery]

The Iowa State Univ has this to say of potato fruit:



Tomato-like Fruit on Potato Plants | Horticulture and Home Pest News

....unless you want to try and make yourself a new variety! I really dislike (maybe this should be a Minor Rant?) the idea that you should make no effort to do something which can be an enjoyable experiment, just because you can't predict what the results will be. Where would reserch be if no-one tried anything because they didn't know what they'd get if they did?

[SueA]

Ive got these fruit too. Is there anything you can do with them? Any method for cooking them etc?

As the others have said Nomis you definitely shouldn't eat the fruits growing on your potatoes as they are poisonous, they're related to deadly nightshade, they'd probably not be fatal unless you ate an awful lot but they would give you a serious stomach upset. It's the same reason you shouldn't eat green potato tubers as this shows that they have a high concentration of solanine in them too which would make you ill.

[50010MONARCH]

I take it I'm Ok to put these fruits in the compost bin ?

[womble]

I take it I'm Ok to put these fruits in the compost bin ?

Yes you are.

[quark1]

I may stand corrected here - but I also believe that disease is less likely to be passed via seed rather than saved seed potatoes. E.G. - Blight/Scab 'can' be held within an infected tuber perhaps?

And in the 'worst case scenario' - seed is more likely to survive much longer in seedbanks etc - than a live tuber which will have to be used the following year.

There are still a VERY small number of places where you can actually buy potato seeds! - but we have become accustomed to buying tubers as they virtually guarantee quality as they are clones of their parents.

For the third world, 'seed' is actually vital whereas we enjoy excellent food production/provision and can afford to be a little more picky.

And the greatest fun for us gardeners, is the adventure that seeds can provide in either the surprises that nature can throw up - or even the cultivation of new breeds which might even make us a few pennies in royalties in fue course.

Flummery has done well in new Golden Rasps and Blue Spuds.

[50010MONARCH]

Yes you are.

Thanks Womble