I thought I'd compare my tomato (left) and potato (right) fruits. Pretty similar in appearance.
Both are about the same size now. I'm looking forward to red tomatoes in a couple of weeks. Yummy! My first varieties this year will be New Girl (above photo) and Orange Blossom, sowed Feb 21.
Unfortunately potato fruit contains large amounts of the toxic alkaloid solanine, and is therefore poisonous.
Potatoes can be grown from seed, though they don't breed true; Wikipedia says to finely chop the fruit and soak it in water, the seeds will separate from the flesh by sinking to the bottom after about a day (the remnants of the fruit will float).
8 comments:
Cool.
I am definitely going to grow some from seed next year if I have fruits again. Last year I put all the potato vines and fruit in the compost and now I have potato plants coming up all over the place. The seed must be very viable that's for sure.
I too am looking forward to tomatoes in another few weeks.
I had no idea that potatoes had this tomato-looking fruit. Interesting that 2 fruits that look so similar (at least at this stage of growth)can be so different. I suppose this type of thing exists everywhere in nature.
How long after there are green fruits will they turn red? I'm pretty new to gardening and in my garden there are 50 or so green tomatoes that are about 1 1/2 in diameter, with the exception of a few that are about 3." I am just waiting for one to get a red tint!
P.S. I had no idea potatoes had fruit!
Interesting! Hopefully we'll get to see what the potato fruit looks like sliced open. I wonder if the physical resemblance is merely skin deep. Who knows, you might have the next great potato in your hands!
Yes they are closely related aren't they? Mine seem to be at about the same stage as yours!
My mom's potatoes are producing fruit as well. She's planning on saving a few to sprout next year.
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