What's up with this???
Potato dingle-berries...
Potato fruits. That's about as big as they get. Toxic. You could plant the seeds.
Thank you for responding. I've never heard of such a thing. Thought I had a mutant cross!
Please explain about planting the seeds. Are they actually seed pods? What about the toxicity??
They're sort of like mini green tomatoes.
Here's another thread on this same question with links to several other threads. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1005967/
Thanks!
So, if my potatoes are going to seed pods, does that mean that they are "ready"???
My leaves always start yellowing without any flowers or seeds. I've always taken that to mean they were ready to harvest. Does this mean I'm not growing a correct variety for my zone or are seeds uncommon? Does seed production degrade the quality of the potatoes like is common with some other root vegetables?
Potatoes not fruiting is common, nothing to be concerned about.
So, do the berries mean that the potatoes are ready to pick?
I had these last year on Yukon Golds. I went ahead and waited until the leaves died back. I couldn't tell a bit of difference on the ones that had the seed pods and the ones that didn't.
Thanks, DDD, that's what I couldn't remember - leaves dying back. Duh!
I grew Yukon Gold the year before lst and they were the best! This year I got Desiree and Austrian Crescent from Landreth, and an unknown red from the grocery store, which is the one with the dingle-berries! Too bad they are not edible - they would look great in a stir fry! Not quite ready for The Last Supper, though!
I'm with you on that. Last year I thought that I had a tomato plant mixed into the potatoes. I didn't belong to DG and it took me forever to find out what they were. I wonder if we could actually plant them.
Have a good 4th,
DDDAL
There is thread around here somewhere about potatoes planted from seeds, but I think they were planted from commercial seeds, not saved. I wonder if someone around here can explain the logistics of seed saving for potatoes. Since they look so much like tomatoes when cut open, I'll bet they would process the same. (Certainly worth a shot if no one comes along who has a definitive answer.) I also wonder at what stage these "fruits" need to be for seed saving? What is mature enough for them to be viable, etc.
Guess this will make a good research project when I get a little time on my hands! Now it's time to address company and cooking!