Think I found them today....(TPS?)

patty_b · August 28, 2008

I've been looking all summer for potato berries from the three types of Fingerling potatoes that I am growing and could never see anything remotely close to what I thought they might look like and wasn't sure if they would just show up on their own without me doing anything to the bloom.

Tonight decided to pulled and dig a few potatoes even though the vines were not dead yet to get some small new potatoes for dinner from some old potatoes that had sprouted this spring and planted them anyway.........and here's what I found. Is this what you call potato berries??
They came from one or the other potato also on the saucer.

Another question I have, the tiny little potatoes still clinging to the root system that are smaller than a dime, is there any reason to try to save those, since I did not get any of the berries from the Fingerlings to try to grow next summer??
Patty

matereater · August 28, 2008

Boy! those sure look alot like little green tomatoes. Hope its what you were lookin for!

tuttamatta · August 28, 2008

Hi there Patty,
I'm NO EXPERT here but since I found some myself not too long ago I did some research and then I read all that Tom Wagner had to say about it in the Potato Forum ( see: Potato berries and TPS), so, yes, they are the right thing, according to Tom you should wait to pick them until they are yellowish and soft.
In my case I noticed that I lost a lot of them but could not find them on the ground, so I found some mesh bags, like the ones garlic or onions are sold in, and put them around each cluster of berries and, guess what..., none of them fell on their own, they are still attached and growing, not one fell in the bag...so what's eating them? I sure don't know!!!!
Read what Tom Wagner has to say, it's very informative.
As far as the little tiny potatoes I don't know for sure, but what I do when I find them I let stay in the ground until next year.
Hope this helps.

Medbury Gardens · August 29, 2008

Patty,
To your question about those small potatos for next year, i would not save them,-small spuds=small plants=small spuds again.

In maintaining the heirloom potatos that i grow, i poke markers beside 10 to 15 of the most vicious growing from each variety,come end of season when all top are down i dig up and keep each plant in separate piles. From that 4 or 5 will be chosen for there size,shape,colour and yield,then only the top half (size)are saved for the next season

Richard

August 28, 2008	#2
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Boy! those sure look alot like little green tomatoes. Hope its what you were lookin for! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

August 28, 2008	#3
tuttamatta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: portland,Oregon Posts: 52	TPS Hi there Patty, I'm NO EXPERT here but since I found some myself not too long ago I did some research and then I read all that Tom Wagner had to say about it in the Potato Forum ( see: Potato berries and TPS), so, yes, they are the right thing, according to Tom you should wait to pick them until they are yellowish and soft. In my case I noticed that I lost a lot of them but could not find them on the ground, so I found some mesh bags, like the ones garlic or onions are sold in, and put them around each cluster of berries and, guess what..., none of them fell on their own, they are still attached and growing, not one fell in the bag...so what's eating them? I sure don't know!!!! Read what Tom Wagner has to say, it's very informative. As far as the little tiny potatoes I don't know for sure, but what I do when I find them I let stay in the ground until next year. Hope this helps.

August 29, 2008	#4
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	Patty, To your question about those small potatos for next year, i would not save them,-small spuds=small plants=small spuds again. In maintaining the heirloom potatos that i grow, i poke markers beside 10 to 15 of the most vicious growing from each variety,come end of season when all top are down i dig up and keep each plant in separate piles. From that 4 or 5 will be chosen for there size,shape,colour and yield,then only the top half (size)are saved for the next season Richard