Topic: sweet potato slips

[manicscousers]

I've just ordered 10 from the organic gardening catalogue..after the T&M fiasco with the slips last year, thought I'd give them a go, I don't think my own will produce enough slips so. 10 slips for 12.95, plus 1.50 p&p..bit dearer than the other ones but ,hopefully more reliable..will let you know  ;D

[Eristic]

10 slips for 12.95, plus 1.50 p&p.

Ouch!

So far I have 18 rooted slips from the orange skinned one.
7 from the red skinned.
The white one has finally decided to honor me with some greenery but none have been removed yet.

Once they start, I find they keep on producing for ages and I will expect a lot more to come yet. Thats a lot of money for a few cuttings. OK you get named varieties but they are ripping the customer off. I doubt if they grow their slips in jars of water either.

[Doris_Pinks]

Mines just sitting in it's jar on a windowsill doing b*gger all! >:(

[carolinej]

~Same here at the mo DP ::)

cj :)

[Eristic]

Mines just sitting in it's jar on a windowsill doing b*gger all! Angry

Wrong place for it until the shoots emerge. It can be left in a dark or gloomy position until slips emerge but must be warm, cozy warm or mildly hot even. You shouldn't do this at home but I start mine off on top of the web server (More to cool the computer really). They can be stubborn but once they start they don't stop.

Has any roots appeared yet? You should get loads of roots in the jar.

[hazelize_uk]

Ours did take a while to get shoots but the roots appeared pretty quick and since we added pop bottles over the top the shoots have shot up quite nicely now  :)  £12.95 a bit pricey for us we'll see how the freebie ones do first  :P

[springbok]

 i bought a sweet potato from the supermarket.

there is lots of advice to put it in a jar of water ,halfway suspended on toothpicks like doing avocado as kids.

Is this correct?

Only want to try one potato, and see what happens.

How many potatos can you get from one plant?

[Lindsay]

I did what Springbokgirlie mentions - and all it did was sit there for four weeks, then started to go mouldy.   ???   So I lost patience and threw it out!

Is there a sure way of growing slips from one bought from the supermarket?  Or is it all rather hit and miss?

[miniroots]

I had three chunks from a super market sweet potato - two of them went mushy and had to be thrown away, the third is sprouting happily - have about 6 or 7 slips appearing.  -  but no actual roots - or are they very fine?

So I suppose you need a few bits to catch one that will do it - I wonder if some are treated to stop it happening - a few months ago I had one that spontaneously sprouted in the cupboard - but have never know that before.

BTW does anyone change the water that they are sitting in?

S

[manicscousers]

only got 2 on mine at the moment, lots of roots..the other one has buds but no roots, this was an organic one

[allaboutliverpool]

I have tried them for the first time this year. The problem was, which end goes in the water?
After a week there is no hint of a bud or root so I still do not know if they are the right way (if there is one).
I have changed the water every 2 days.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[debster]

i cut mine in half and put the cut half in the water on one nothing on the other one root and one bud though i too have them on a window sill but will be moving them to somewhere warmer and yes i do change the water though not sure if im meant to lol

[springbok]

Found this info for kids!!  Actually helps all the questions above :D

To help your kids grow their own vine, choose a firm sweet potato. Some are treated with heat to keep them from sprouting on grocery-store shelves, but most grow roots in a matter of days after being placed in water. Using four toothpicks, have your child suspend the vegetable on the rim of a jar or mug filled with water. Make sure the bottom half - the pointed end - is under water. Place in a sunny spot, and change or add water as needed. In a few days, roots will form below the water. And, two to three weeks later, leaves and stems will sprout from the top. Continue to grow the plant in water or, after a month or two, pot the sweet potato in a houseplant potting mix. Keep the soil moist. The stems are weak, so help your child tie them to strings, wire or a stake. Feed once a month with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20. As the vine grows, cut it back a few inches to force the plant to grow bushy.

marguaritaIf your kids want to try growing sweet potatoes in your garden, you can have them root 25- to 30-centimetre (10- to 12-inch) cuttings in water, then plant them outside in late May to produce sweet potatoes they can dig and eat in the fall. Plant 30 centimetres (one foot) apart and feed once a month with 5-10-10 fertilizer. Mulch with straw or dry leaves to control weeds, and keep the soil moist. The tubers need approximately 120 days to mature, so let them grow as long as you can. But don't let frost hit them. In case of an early frost, cover the plant overnight with newspaper to keep the vines growing. Late in the season, probe beneath the vines to test the size of the tubers. Be careful not to puncture or bruise them. Store the tubers in a cool, dry place, and wrap them in newspaper to keep them from sprouting.

[debster]

someone put some fantastic piccies on here of slips growing anyone able to find it and link it here?

[springbok]

Debster, found this, looks pretty good, is this it??

http://www.david-frary.com/Plot/batatas.php

[debster]

its very good but not the one i was thinking of i think it was pictures of someones home grown ones and it was brilliant

[caseylee]

mine have started sprouting quite nicley it has taken two weeks though and I change the water once a week

[manicscousers]

Ray's put the one that's slow somewhere warm and dark, will see if there's any progress  :)

[Barnowl]

Probably best to buy organic from the super market in case the potato has been treated.

I found the 'potato suspended by toothpicks in water' method worked - would recommend not changing the water - just top it up from time to time. Warmth but not direct sunlight.

[Eristic]

What's with the toothpicks? Potato just requires heat and moisture. As for which way up it goes, they are all sorts of shapes and so long as shoots have clearance I do not think it matters much if they grow from the top, side or bottom.

Once removed, slips ought to be potted on immediately into compost, watered and kept warm but in light during the day. Sometimes they have roots when removed but they root within a few days and grow according to the prevailing temperature.

As for how many you get from one potato, this will vary according to the variety and the size. I expect to get about 2 dozen.