Topic: Sweet potato slips too early

[Garjan]

 
As I really enjoy growing 'strange' vegetables I read up on how to grow sweet potatoes at this forum.
Being very curious and not knowing how long the process would take, I put two potatoes in water the first week of december.
It took less than two weeks for the first slip to appear. Within three days it was large enough to be taken off and to be put in water. A week later I had to put it in a pot.
Now I have loads of sweet potato slips. Some in water, some already potted up and the potatoes are still producing new slips.

Obviously they are way too early and I have to keep them indoors for a long time. How do I keep them from becoming long, skinny and pale?
Somewhere on this forum someone, I think it was EJ, knew how to check other vegs, but I can't find the thread anymore. Any advice is welcome.
Thanks.

Btw: slips in water grow roots quicker when the container is translucent.

[saddad]

Don't know enough about them but standing too long may make them "bolt" assuming the plants do seed in the proper sense....
 :-\

[Garjan]

Hi saddad
Thanks for your reply.
Hadn't thought about the possibility of bolting. If they do, I will try to post a picture of the fowers.
The potted up slips still do okay. Keeping them as cool as possible seems to do the trick for now.

[Svea]

i tried overwintering some slips, i.e. take cuttings from the vines and put them in water in september. they all fairly quickly rooted, but i didnt put them into soil soon enough (lack of time). they eventually became sick and all have died off. however, my last sweet potato from last summer's crop has started sprouting even though it's not currently in water. i might put it in water and grow slips from march onwards )if it lasts this long), this should give me good slips to grow on in pots, and put out, in june.

[Marymary]

Please could you say a bit more about slips & how you get them.  Can you use a sweet pot from the supermarket?

Thanks MM

[saddad]

I know this sounds a bit silly but how can I induce flowers/bolting in a couple? They are related to Morning Glory and are supposed to be very decorative... we have a yellow book open day at the start of Sept and that would be something to show!
 ;D

[Garjan]

Hi there

Sorry saddad, I don't know how to get them to flower. Still hope they won't, although I like morning glories.

And MM: yes, you can just buy a sweet potato from the supermarket. Put three sticks in them to keep at least half of the potato above water. The slips will soon appear. If they are about 10 cm long, you can wiggle them off and put them in water to grow roots.
Try the Search-function of this forum. Their are some threads with pictures.
Good luck, but don't start too early.