[Becci W]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone knows what these are and why they have appeared on my potato plants. They are second earlies,Maris Peer. Have dug a few up and they have some good spuds on them but have left the rest in for now. What should I do?

[Terrier]

Hi Becci W, that's the fruit of the potato plant. Poisonous. Don't eat! The fruit produces seed that can be grown to produce 'seed' potatoes. Some people like to grow their own seed potatoes but it's a lot easier to buy them from seed suppliers. As with growing anything from saved seed, the outcome may not be true to the original plant due to cross pollination. Some people cut off the flowers before they produce fruit in the hope of getting better potato harvest.

[Becci W]

Will they affect my spuds that are still in the ground? Was thinking if the plants are putting energy into producing these then my spuds might not get much bigger. Should I dig the rest up or can I keep them in the ground?

[Yorkie]

Your plants will be fine.  You can remove the seed pods if you want, but it won't do any harm to leave them on.

[Becci W]

Thanks! Always wondered how you got 'seed' potatoes! Didn't have these on last years crop and still very new to this! (my second summer)