Too late 4 tomatoes? Potato seeds.

joseph brand

I have a feeling that they should be planted around April, but I was so eager to try out the new greenhouse.

Here's a photo of them:



Should I just give up and compost them or push ahead?

My potato plants are growing seeds. Never seen these before, and they look like tomatoes. (just discovered today that they are from the same family). Anyway, I thought I would share a photo of them. I'll harvest them in Autumn or just before I lift the shpuds.



One last thing. Could anyone ID this plant? I had mustard planted here last year (green fertiliser, some sprouted again this year) and the bird feeders are above.



Thanks in advance.

redser7

That plant looks like a type of spinach that's bolted.

Why not have a bash with some of the tomato plants. But you need to pot them up ASAP. Keep the number of trusses low (2 or 3) and be vigilant about taking the shoots off.

amandstu

Ihave a feeling think your potato "seeds" are not worth harvesting.I don't think they grow into anything and I definitely wouldn't eat them as they could be poisonous.

I think belladonna is also related to the potato. It certainly looks a bit similar.

Not sure if you are supposed to remove them. (they might be taking from the tubers)

joseph brand

amandstu wrote: »

Ihave a feeling think your potato "seeds" are not worth harvesting.I don't think they grow into anything and I definitely wouldn't eat them as they could be poisonous.

I think belladonna is also related to the potato. It certainly looks a bit similar.

Not sure if you are supposed to remove them. (they might be taking from the tubers)

You're right. I'm not going to eat them, but save the seeds. I read that every green part of the potato plant is poisonous, which is why you're supposed to cut off the shoots from older spuds going to seed in your press, prior to cooking.

They are probably taking from the tubers but I have plenty of plants here and I'm interested in growing potatoes from seed. From what I've read, the seeds produce new varieties, so these rooster plants should give me seeds for a different spud.

I'm new to all this and so, open to correction.

amandstu

I thought you were supposed to cut out any part of the tuber that had been exposed to light - and had turned green.

On the other hand I also read that there had not been a recorded case of anyone actually becoming ill on account of not doing it.

Maybe you eventually turn into the Green Man.

monkeynuz

Yes, potatoes and tomatoes are part of the solanum family (deadly nightshade etc.) although deadly nightshade is atropa belladonna but black nightshade is solanum nigrum.

Don't harvest the potato seeds but dig up a potato plant and have a look.

Definitely try the tomato plants too.

Flimbos

Pretty sure that last photo is of a spinach plant that's bolted, as redser said. Looks exactly like two of mine last week.

I just pulled mine up, and re-planted. Salvaged some of the leaves for a stir fry... wouldn't put them in a salad as they'd probably be too bitter.

Francie Barrett

The best thing to do with those potato seeds would be to just pinch them and bin them. They'll be useless for seed and the plant is just putting wasted energy into growing them.

joseph brand

On the advice of redser7 and monkeynuz, I decided to try out the tomato plants. I've repotted them into larger pots (might be slightly crowded since I had so many plants).

There's a healthy layer of comfrey leaves just under the compost and I have some comfrey tea which should be ready, so that'll be used on them tomorrow. I'll have to read up on truss and shoot management.

Here they are: (I put an arrow in the pics, as the top of the marker isn't visible now)

http://i.imgur.com/TWJ0Iat.jpg

redser7

Hi Joesph, sorry but each plant would need its own pot

donaghs

It looks like a lot of effort to grow a new potato plant from (true) seeds within the potato fruit. But it can be done, and you have a new unique variety of potato as a result

e.g. http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.ie/2010/04/sowing-potatoes-from-tps.html

joseph brand

My greenhouse is bursting with tomato plants. So much so, that everything else is outside. Maybe next year I'll just plant about 8 seeds. 20+ plants is too many.

The plant in the smaller pot is a blackcurrant bush. I have a bush in the front garden, and this year I found lots of small seedlings in between the cobble driveway. They're all in pots now, and will make nice gifts next year.



Here's a photo of my first ever tomato. As you can see, there's still flowers on the plant, so I'm thinking I could be cutting it fine, hoping they ripen on the plants. Perhaps the greenhouse will be the help I need? Anyone have an idea how long it will be until this tomato can be harvested? The rest will need more time I suppose.

redser7

To be honest Joseph I would be surprised if that tomato even ripens. It's just getting too late now. You should have already taken off the growing tips of the plants to stop them producing foliage and flowers and concentrate on ripening the existing fruit.
But it's a good learning experience and next year will be much better. I would say that 8 plants in that greenhouse would be pushing it to be honest.

highdef

I am growing 3 tomato plants in a planter bag in the open air. They are positioned right in front of the stone wall of a cottage facing south west which means they get a LOT of radiated heat from the walls, extending well into the evening.
I have had unexpectedly large crop which is about to ripen....I would estimate around 70 tomatoes or so between the 3 plants.

joseph brand

Update. Maybe it's due to this unseasonably warm weather, but I have plenty of tomatoes, although there are a few small ones. They're still green, but I heard that if taken off the plant and put in a bag with some bananas, they will turn red.

Here's a couple of pics.





Should I harvest the larger ones? And what's the red-ish brown-ish patches on the tomato in the photo?

redser7

I'd say the brown is blight, not uncommon at this time of year. The weather is still mild so the plants won't give up yet. But the threat is that blight. Might be best to take the larger fruit and try ripen them in a warm spot indoors.