Potatoes are flowering plants that produce flowers and fruits above ground. However, you can find the edible roots underground.
Table of Contents Show
What Does Potato Fruit Taste Like?
The fruit of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is non-edible because it contains harmful toxins known as Solanine and Chaconine.
However, the taste of Potato fruit is considered similar to the taste of Melon and Tomato when they ripe fully.
Unripe fruits of Potato are bitter in taste and contain more toxins in comparison to ripe fruits.
If you consume these toxins, you can get symptoms including Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Headache, and Dizziness.
Immediately contact the nearby medical stations if you consume the toxins and get symptoms.
Should You Remove Potato Fruit?
Yes, it is a good idea to remove the fruits from the Potato plant, as these fruits are toxic and can cause various short-term and long-term health effects.
Hence, if you see Potato fruits in your garden, remove them as soon as possible.
However, take some preventive measures during the removal of Potato fruits.
- Use gloves and full-sleeve clothes while entering the field.
- Cut the fruit stalk with a sharp knife and collect them in a gardening basket.
- Bury the removed fruits properly under the ground.
Does Removing Potato Flowers Increase Yield?
Yes, removing flowers from Potato plants can increase the yield.
Generally, flowers produce fruits that are toxic and not useful because the seeds inside the fruit are non-viable.
Potatoes are grown from tubers, which are underground stems that store food inside them. So, flowering and fruiting in the Potatoes are a total waste of energy from the plant.
Plants can save and utilize the energy in Potato tubers if you remove the flowers from them.
However, there are other environmental conditions that can affect the yield of Potatoes that are below.
- Variety of Potato: The quantity of Potato production depends on their varieties. There are some high-yielding varieties of Potatoes, including Paradiso and Purple Peruvian.
- Temperature: You should provide a temperature of 68-70°F for Potatoes to increase the yield.
- Sunlight: Potatoes demand at least 6 hours of sunlight to give more yield.
- Watering and Humidity: Potato plants need 1 inch of water weekly with 55-75% humidity.
- Soil and Fertilization: The Potato plants thrive well in well-drained and acidic to slightly neutral soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
- Crop Rotation: Potatoes are more susceptible to root rots and some pests, such as Aphids and Wireworms. Hence, crop rotation can be helpful to control them.
From Editorial Team
Conclusion!
Although Potato fruits contain toxins and cause harm to our bodies, they also possess several health benefits like antioxidants, Vitamin C and A, and can treat diarrhea and dysentery.
However, consult a doctor or nutritionist to avoid the damages caused by toxins present in Potato plants.
