[kel28]

My main potatoes are doing very well, but today I noticed on a few of the plants at the front they have little tomatoe looking things on. I know someone told me the answer to this last year up my allotment as someone else had the same thing happen, but for the life of me I cant remember what it was or if I had to do something. Can someone let me know if its bad and what if anything I should do.  Thanks

[zazen999]

They are the fruits of the potato plant.

They come after the flowers fall off.

Most people remove the flowers, so never get to see the fruit.

You can grow potatoes from these, I've got 2 in my greenhouse from last year's potato fruit.

They aren't as prolific as growing from seed spuds though - just nip them off and the potato will put it's energy into the tubers underground.

[DD.]

Most people remove the flowers, so never get to see the fruit.

That will be news to a lot of us.

[mumofstig]

Don't think it makes any difference whether you remove them or not

[DD.]

I said this last time this cropped up - if was worth doing, the commerical growers would be doing it!

[Kristen]

"a few of the plants at the front they have little tomatoe looking things on"

DO NOT EAT THEM !! They are poisonous.

[zazen999]

Most people remove the flowers, so never get to see the fruit.

That will be news to a lot of us.

What does this mean?

[Janeymiddlewife]

Most people remove the flowers, so never get to see the fruit.

That will be news to a lot of us.

What does this mean?

I think DD means that most people don't remove the flowers deliberately from their spuds? Although i believe that some spuds don't flower either - I may well be wrong and frequently am 

[Kristen]

Earlies lifted soon after flowering will have less gain than with, say, mains that are left to develop fully.

I have read often that there is research that removing flowers increases yield - but I have yet to see a citation to field trials

I also read that modern varieties are bred to produce fewer flowers - the implication being that flowers reduce yield, so bred them not to flower - again, no citations ...

... so it may all just be a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The plant has to put some energy into making those green tomato-like seed pods ... but I have no idea how much. I do take the dead flowers off my Roses and so on to divert their energy away from making seeds and into making more flowers - but that may have as much to do with the flowering process stalling IF they start to set seed? (which is specifically why I dead head my Sweetpeas ...)

[kel28]

Thanks all of you very helpful once again. Thank you