Hybrid plant known as potatom growing in Ireland
Well, it’s the new hybrid plant which can literally give you a natural version of ketchup on chips and it’s just hit Ireland.
The potatom produces tomatoes overground and potatoes underground — all you need to add is dressing to make a meal of it.
Beechmount Garden Centre in Navan, Co Meath, reckon they’ve got their hands on the first plants to reach Ireland and interest has been huge since they went on sale last weekend.
According to manager Ciara McQuaid: “They’ve never been available in Ireland before. We’ve certainly never seen them elsewhere here. Tomatoes and potatoes are from the one family. The tomatoes ripen first and when you’ve picked them all, you can dig the plant up to get at the white potatoes which are good for everything, from mashing and roasting to boiling and making chips.”
The plant is not the result of genetic engineering. It’s simply the top of a cherry tomato plant and bottom of a white potato plant which have been grafted together at the stem.
One plant can reportedly produce up to 500 tomatoes and 4.4lbs of potatoes.
It’s not the only innovative plant to be found in Beechmount Garden Centre which also sells a white strawberry which tastes of pineapple.
