Potato berries and TPS (true potato seed) - Page 5

Amigatec · May 10, 2009

Found these on my Yukon Gold a couple of years ago.

feldon30 · May 10, 2009

Wow those are some huge berries. Great pictures.

Unfortunately saving seeds from Yukon Gold in particular would produce such wildly unpredictable results as to be almost meaningless. Unless you've got the space and patience to grow hundreds of growouts to find the best and repeat for several years as Tom Wagner has done, I wouldn't mess with the seeds. But they're fun to look at.

rutabagaboy · July 7, 2009

If you are interested in trying your hand at growing potatoes from true potato seeds, I have quite a few that that my "supermarket red" potatoes produced. I'd like to trade for tomato/sweet pepper/eggplant/bush squash seeds. I'm looking for seeds for these tomatoes: Caspian Pink, Cherokee Purple/Green/Brown, Stupice, Opalka, Ox Heart or other off-beat stuff.

Private Message me and I'll send you a photo and you can decide if you want to go forward.

**Tom Wagner** · July 9, 2009

I hate to see anyone suggesting not to mess with potato seeds (TPS), but then again, most people are not hybridizing their flowers to get the hybrid vigor so important in potato breeding and cultivar development. Most of the time, when folks find potato berries on Yukon Golds, the seed is selfed. With lots of experience, I should be safe to guess this to be true for most folks' gardens. Whenever I self potatoes or allow them to open pollinate, I use the progeny most often in future crossing programs.

My hunch is that most folks trying potatoes from seedlings get discouraged because they don't have the valuable hybrid seed in the first place. But, then again, nobody is asking the seed companies to carry really great hybrid potato seed.

Tom Wagner

phicks48 · April 24, 2011

any one still posting on here

David Marek · April 25, 2011

I had plenty of flowers, but no berries last year. I'll certainly be excited if I get any.

macmex · April 29, 2011

Great thread! Very educational. I'm growing out some of Tom's TPS this year. Haven't been so excited about a new area of gardening, for a long time!

George
Tahlequah, OK

May 10, 2009	#62
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Wow those are some huge berries. Great pictures. Unfortunately saving seeds from Yukon Gold in particular would produce such wildly unpredictable results as to be almost meaningless. Unless you've got the space and patience to grow hundreds of growouts to find the best and repeat for several years as Tom Wagner has done, I wouldn't mess with the seeds. But they're fun to look at. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

July 7, 2009	#63
rutabagaboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Near Sacramento, California Posts: 322	If you are interested in trying your hand at growing potatoes from true potato seeds, I have quite a few that that my "supermarket red" potatoes produced. I'd like to trade for tomato/sweet pepper/eggplant/bush squash seeds. I'm looking for seeds for these tomatoes: Caspian Pink, Cherokee Purple/Green/Brown, Stupice, Opalka, Ox Heart or other off-beat stuff. Private Message me and I'll send you a photo and you can decide if you want to go forward.

July 9, 2009	#64
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	I hate to see anyone suggesting not to mess with potato seeds (TPS), but then again, most people are not hybridizing their flowers to get the hybrid vigor so important in potato breeding and cultivar development. Most of the time, when folks find potato berries on Yukon Golds, the seed is selfed. With lots of experience, I should be safe to guess this to be true for most folks' gardens. Whenever I self potatoes or allow them to open pollinate, I use the progeny most often in future crossing programs. My hunch is that most folks trying potatoes from seedlings get discouraged because they don't have the valuable hybrid seed in the first place. But, then again, nobody is asking the seed companies to carry really great hybrid potato seed. Tom Wagner

April 24, 2011	#65
phicks48 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lakeland FL Posts: 74	any one still posting on here

April 25, 2011	#66
David Marek Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: St Charles, IL zone 5a Posts: 142	I had plenty of flowers, but no berries last year. I'll certainly be excited if I get any.

April 29, 2011	#67
macmex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Posts: 102	Great thread! Very educational. I'm growing out some of Tom's TPS this year. Haven't been so excited about a new area of gardening, for a long time! George Tahlequah, OK