Author Topic: Spud - something strange (Read 4337 times)

Hot_Potato · « **on:** June 14, 2004, 21:54:01 »

Noticed when I went up to lottie Saturday that one of my first earlies (Foremost) looked a bit wilted & curly....so went to dig it up....as I got closer to it and began to lift it...found it had got what looked like small tomatoes!! green & shiny, growing in the way that sprouts do up the stalk, above the ground!! - showed it to a 'seasoned' lottie neighbour and he said he'd never seen such a deformity before....some 2/3 weeks earlier, I'd pulled up another that was wilting & curled but without the 'tomatoes' on it....

Any ideas please - I did wonder if it was cos I'd not earthed them up high enough & the spuds were growing attached to the stem!but all the rest look healthy and some are flowering -

Palustris · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2004, 22:03:36 »

I presume they were not the fruits which form after the flowers have been fertilised. After all potatoes are in the same family as tomatoes and produce a very simialr looking fruit. Except that potato fruits are deadly poisonous.

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #2 on:** June 14, 2004, 22:38:06 »

but surely this isn't 'normal' for these things to grow up the stem?....altho I've not grown potatoes for probably 20 years - I can't ever remember seeing this on a stem before.....where do these 'potato fruits' normally grow/appear then please - if that's what they are?

gavin · « **Reply #3 on:** June 14, 2004, 23:28:54 »

Interesting - I've only seen the fruits up on top of the plants; at least, I think so - you'll have me looking at everybody's potato beds tomorrow! :)

All best - Gavin

john_miller · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2004, 03:07:26 »

Aerial tubers can be a symptom of infection by Rhizoctonia solani. Did the plant exhibit any other pecularities besides the wilting?

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2004, 05:56:02 »

Not that I can remember......there were just a few marble sized tubers in the ground......I've now destroyed them so can't go back for another look!

The first one that I removed cos of wilting that I mentioned-just broke off at ground level when I tried to dig it up....there was nothing in the ground - other than ants!...couldn't even find the original tuber! - they were side by side but as I say....the next ones look ok to me......I'm so tempted to try digging but they've not all flowered and have been in the ground now almost 10 weeks....

john_miller · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2004, 06:45:09 »

Wilting would indicate that the flow of water from the roots to the leaves has been interrupted. This suggests that there is something infecting the cambial tissue, typically a fungus. Wilting will be more apparent, during initial stages of infection, during the day following apparent overnight recovery. Eventually infection will be so severe that wilting is permanent.
That the stem broke off at ground level when you pulled it also points to the tissue being destroyed at that level. If you find anymore wilting, carefully pull up the stem and check for discolouration of the stem at ground level. If there are no aerial tubers but browning/purpling of the stem at soil level, and possibly moving up the stem, then you probably have a verticillium wilt instead.
If by 'looking a bit wilty' you mean that some leaves were wilting while others weren't this would also indicate early fungal infection before the entire plant stem is ringed by the fungus resulting in complete interruption of moisture flow.

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2004, 07:00:41 »

thanks to all for suggestions but....John, if this is the problem as you've suggested...would those 'fruits/tomato' things also appear on the stems?

also, does this mean all my others are going to get it - they don't seem to have any sign of it so far!!....is it something that's in the ground or is it 'weather related' and have I got to do anything about it?

sorry so many questions but it seems so weird!

Multiveg · « **Reply #8 on:** June 15, 2004, 10:23:22 »

If there is a next time - get a picture then we can all have a look...

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #9 on:** June 15, 2004, 14:06:07 »

Ok....can take the picture but haven't yet worked out how to post them on here!! :'( ???

john_miller · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2004, 02:38:38 »

Whatever these strange things I would imagine they are some sort of stress reaction. Were they fruit? Did you cut one open?

Hot_Potato · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2004, 08:34:18 »

??? NO!!....was just soooo surprised to see these 'things' on the stem so took it straight to an experienced & helpful lottie neighbour, who said 'get rid right away and he'd never seen such a deformity' - so I did!!.... :-[...if I'm unlucky enough to find another, I'll photograph it etc. etc.

Andy H · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2004, 19:19:24 »

This is our first full year of plot and doing spuds. they flowered then we noticed these tomatoes hanging on them.normally just a single bunch of 2 or 3 on one branch. We dug spuds and they are fine but some small so may leave a week or two. love to know what these "tomatoes" are. We asked another plotter and he said they are the seed potato and some people grow them just for this??? Not sure about that... anyone else got any other thoughts. will get a photo in next few days. :o

Wicker · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2004, 22:32:41 »

Hi andy H, Your answer is in Palustris's and Gavin's comments at the top of this thread, these are the potato trying to set seed which you don't want so you can either pull them off or just leave and throw away with the foliage when you lift your potatoes. And they are poisonous. (never heard of anyone keeping them and sowing them for potatoes tho)

Andy H · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2004, 22:50:13 »

OK thanks for info. another thing... are the spud tomatoes ok on compo heap and what about the rest of spuds like the stems and leaves? are they ok on compo? I hate throwing green stuff down the dump and slowly lowering the height of soil in a plot? Maybe I could put weeds and non compo stuff on BBQ when finished cooking then on compo??? Andy

gavin · « **Reply #15 on:** June 21, 2004, 06:44:56 »

For wicker - I haven't tried it, but apparently people do/did it when they wanted a "clean start" with a variety that had got badly run down with virus infections? The virus wouldn't transfer with the seed.

And for Andy - I don't put any potato waste on the compost heap; allotments are wonderful at conserving all sorts of mysterious potato infections. :)

All best - Gavin

philcooper · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2004, 09:23:44 »

A couple of points.

The seed from the potato "tomatoes" are the way that new varietites are produced - so thousands are sown each year (and ultimately produce a handful of new varieties each year). They don't clean up a variety - they produce a brand new one. To clean up a variety, micropropagation is used, as the virus can be removed from the very small quantities of material used

Healthy haulms can be composted - but do not put anything on that you have any doubts about

Phil

Wicker · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2004, 21:23:40 »

Cheers, Phil, I'm suitably chastened :-[ I did work for an agricultural seed company who dealt with potato growers so knew that new varieties could be produced but meant that "normal" people like lottie holders don't use them for seed as a rule.

For myself I never use the shaws (haulms) in compost tho lots of people on our site do. To each his own - that's what makes growing/gardening so interesting, learning from our mistakes/discoveries/other people's experience.

claire · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2004, 21:42:45 »

apparently the latest notion (per Bob Flowerdew on Gardener's Question Time) is to take the flowers off the potatoes as they form, thus forcing the plant into producing more tuber rather than wasting its energies on seed production.

I was thinking I'd try this (once it stops raining, of course!)

philcooper · « **Reply #19 on:** June 22, 2004, 09:13:46 »

Wicker,

I wasn't trying to chasten anyone but I must correct you on your last posting.

Following the threads on this site your statement whcih includes the words '"normal" people like lottie holders' does not compute!!!!

;)

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Author Topic: Spud - something strange (Read 4337 times)