Tomatoey plants in my potatoes

Okay, these appeared BEFORE I planted tomatoes and certainly before the tomatoes flowered. Between my potato rows I've found a few plants that look like tomatoes. They smell like tomatoes, too. I've read about "crosses" but as I said, the tomatoes weren't out yet. What's going on?

Volunteers

I got a lot of tomato volunteers this year, myself. Probably because we spread out compost over the veggie garden before tilling, and it included last year's tomato plants and end of season tomatoes. ;)

Some of those tomato volunteers are really healthy, too. Wonder how well they might bear fruit?

Well, but this is a new garden bed, just dug. No tomatoey compost; the only compost I had this year I bought and it came in bags and has been weed free. And the previous owners didn't have a vegetable garden. The potatoes are certified organic seed potatoes. Honestly, I think it's weird.

Birds?

Zeppy, this is probably the deadly nightshade or silver nightshade. Wait and see what color the blooms are, then I could tell you which it is. Leave a few, it will distract the flea beetles and colorado potato beatle. For anyone who doesn't know, the beatles lay their eggs on these plants, preferring them over your potatoes, and then the larva hatch, eat the plant, and die. Warning, it is also toxic to livestock, esp preganant ones, incluidng sheep, goats, cos, etc. They usually wouldn't eat it unless they were really hungry and there was nothing else around. Also, what color are the leaves, are are they prickly around the base of the stem?

Here is a picture of a silver nightshade. The difference is how tall they get, the shade of the leasves, and the color of the berry. Otherwise, same plant. I get all excited when I see one with bug hole in it, cause I know they all died!

Oops, can't add a photo, so another post is necessary...

This message was edited Jun 14, 2005 10:01 PM

here it is...

Nope, TamaraFaye. What I've got is tomatoes. I've pulled most of them, but they were the real shmeel. My garden's really popular with the birds, and I guess maybe they ate tomato out of the compost and then pooped it in the garden. But honestly, why bother starting seeds indoors when such lovely stocky things pop up with absolutely no work at all.

Really, so did you plant them in pots or elsewhere?

Sorry for all that wrong info, but maybe someone lurked and learned something from it. :-)

I am with you Zeppy! my compost volunteers have blossoms on them! Can't wait

-Kim

Nothing wrong about the info; I didn't post a picture, so who knew? I'm leaving one to fruit and I'll see what I get, but only because it's in the weed bed. Wacky...

Bluekat, you have to report on what sort of tomato you get. I'll be watching...

MY best 'maters always come from volenteers (dh HATES that I leave a few on the ground int he fall but hey! he's not so grumps when they're in his salad next year...LOL!