irish potato famine
Potato, Po-tat-o, Tomato, To-mat-o
What’s in a name?
Believe it or not, the similarities between potatoes and tomatoes don’t end with the song. They are actually part of the same family- the nightshade, or Solanaceae family- and they are closely related.
This means your tomatoes and potatoes are subject to many of the same diseases and afflictions, like blight.
Did you know that potato blight was the cause of the Irish potato famine in the 1800’s? True story. At the time, some thought it was due to static electricity from locomotives, or mortiferous vapours from a volcano, or divine punishment. Many still hold that it was a result of social, economic and political factors from the ruling English overlords.
I don’t know enough to say really, but I have suspected deadly volcano vapors being at work in my garden before. Or maybe it’s blight. Whatever.
Generally speaking, potatoes like boggy soil and thrive a bit earlier in the year when it’s cooler out. Tomatoes, on the other hand, like to keep their feet dry and thrive in the heat of late summer, so their growing cycles are staggered from one another, depending on the varieties you grow.
Having said this, hopefully you’ve planted your potatoes away from you tomatoes this year, as they are generally considered bad companion plants. It’s like your two warring sisters living next door to one another. You just know a fight’s going to break out sooner or later.
If your tomatoes get nailed with blight this year, your potatoes will be in danger too.
Cracked Pot Pix
