How Does Your Garden Grow?

[Onoff]

Potato "berries". Do I do anything with them?

Pull off and compost, remove and store to make new plants?

 

[OJCar]

Pull off and compost

This.

 

[Onoff]

This.

Reading just that they're somewhat poisonous but can be used as seed potatoes?

 

[Onoff]

Something to go with the Chrimbo cold meat & pickles hopefully:

 

[DanZac]

Reading just that they're somewhat poisonous but can be used as seed potatoes?

I don't think that growing potatoes from seeds works very well. I don't think they come true to type (the seeds that grow won't be the same type of potatoes as the seeds came from).

It's always worth a try as an experiment though.

 

[Onoff]

It's always worth a try as an experiment though.

All the plants in the photo were an experiment. Potatoes that had gone to seed in the fridge. Over 50% of them I halved, dipped the cut face in a wet chalk mix and buried. I've not harvested any yet mind.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Potatoes that had gone to seed in the fridge.

I also tried using a bag of supermarket spuds...they did grow but I seem to lose a lot of the crop with various pests. They were planted exactly the same as some bought seed potatoes which did much better.

I've no idea why they did so badly.

 

[DanZac]

I've no idea why they did so badly.

I'd guess that there's a lot of difference between varieties grown commercially and those we tend to grow on the allotment.

I'd wager the commercial varieties whilst probably being more productive need a lot more pesticides etc to remain pest free and are probably selected for soil type and growing conditions.

Where as most of the allotment type seeds and veg are selected to be naturally pest resistant, and do OK in any situation.

 

[Onoff]

I also tried using a bag of supermarket spuds...they did grow but I seem to lose a lot of the crop with various pests. They were planted exactly the same as some bought seed potatoes which did much better.

I've no idea why they did so badly.

Probably the strongest plants I've grown these spuds. Not that I grow much. The runners afflicted by black fly and slugs/snails. The radishes by fly beetle. Tbh I've done alright keeping them under control with organic methods. Wasps decimated all our fruit tree crops this year. Should have dealt with the nest earlier

The spuds though, as strong as and seemingly perfect specimens.

 

[Divingdad]

Potato berries will produce hundreds of tiny seeds that will grow into the potato weed. Bin them, do not compost them or you will have ground full of the weeds.

 

[Onoff]

First potatoes I've ever grown. Just unearthed a couple of plants grown from halved potatoes in the bottom of the fridge that had gone to seed. Obviously a couple of varieties there. Really pleased tbh.

 

[DanZac]

First potatoes I've ever grown. Just unearthed a couple of plants grown from halved potatoes in the bottom of the fridge that had gone to seed. Obviously a couple of varieties there. Really pleased tbh.

View attachment 514146

There's not many things better than a freshly harvested spud, lightly boiled and tossed in butter. Unlike the shop bought ones, fresh ones actually taste like potatoes.