How crazy is this? The Ketchup ‘n’ Fries Plant grows both potatoes and tomatoes. One plant grows about 500 cherry tomatoes and over 4.5 pounds of white potatoes.
It might sounds like crazy GMO stuff, but actually a much more natural process–both tomatoes and potatoes are nightshade plants, meaning they’re related. So, this is a cherry tomato plant that has been simply grafted onto a white potato.
Sounds pretty fun to me. This plant would be great if you had limited space in a garden. I’m wagering it would do pretty well in a container, too.
Farmers say potatoes and tomatoes are not to be planted close together or they will cause a plant disease.
Here is someone commenting on this.
I’ve always been told not to plant tomatoes and potatoes together. Why is this? I know that they are in the same family and that the potato plants can cross pollinate and create a tomato-like fruit which is poisonous – is this the reason you’re not supposed to plant them together? Or is there another reason? Thanks!!
There is also a problem with potato blight.
Some thing to think about.
Andy Rose–good question. I think it has to do with blight–if one plant gets sick, they all get sick because potatoes and tomatoes are related and can get the same disease. The thinking is that it’s bad enough if your tomatoes get blight, you don’t want it to spread to the potatoes too, so plant the two crops far apart to eliminate risk. But in this case, this is a singular plant, not multiple plants that can spread disease from one to the other. Once a single plant is sick, it’s sick. So it’s a different scenario entirely. Thanks for the feedback.
I’m wondering what companion plants would be good for a Ketchup ‘n’ Fries. Marigolds? or basil or bush beans? I have limited gardening space and would like to be able to maximize my garden yield.
I think basil is a good choice. It’s a good companion plant for tomatoes AND potatoes.