Author Topic: sweet potatoes (Read 2946 times)

debster · « **on:** January 04, 2009, 15:23:13 »

Yes i know its far too early but last year i had some limited success with these and would like to try again, i feel if i had got them started earlier and given them a longer season it would have been more successful. what is the earliest i can start growing slips indoors bearing in mind i can only grow them in cloches or a poly cold frame outside.
im gonna write the earliest date in my diary to remind me
thanks again
debs ;D

ceres · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2009, 15:42:40 »

I'm just about to start mine now, same as last year and I got a great crop. I grow mine outside and it seems to me too that it's the length of the growing season that matters. I read somewhere they need 5 frost-free months so I aim to get them in the ground as early as possible.

debster · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2009, 15:44:05 »

do you grow slips from them?

ceres · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2009, 15:59:17 »

Do you mean do I grow my own slips? If so, yes. I get a supermarket potato, stick cocktail sticks in half way down and suspend it (root end down) in water. When the shoots appear I pull them off carefully with a little bit of skin attached and put them in water. Once they've got a good root system I pot them up. That's the way that works for me. No doubt Eristic will be along to say I'm wrong. ;)

saddad · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2009, 16:19:04 »

I always buy mine, but it isn't sure to be frost free here until June. I grow under glass. We still haven't finished this years crop... tend to get 1-2 kg per slip..
;D

;D

debster · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2009, 17:16:29 »

wow saddad im impressed.
thats exactly how i grew my slips last year so i will get one going got nothing to lose, just want to extend the growing season, can keep them indoors as long as possible too, thanks guys

Eristic · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2009, 17:41:59 »

Quote

No doubt Eristic will be along to say I'm wrong.

Not wrong but brutal which I suppose is what we should expect from the Greek Goddess of all things nasty to man. Mutilating the tuber opens it up to infection and damaged sweet potatoes are highly susceptible to rot.

If the tuber is kept in a warm humid atmosphere it will sprout whether you want it to or not. Leave one in the cupboard for a few weeks and it will shoot. I used to start mine in Feb by sitting them in a container with some water in and placed on the server but this year my home server is offline.

Sparkly · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2009, 17:54:51 »

I tried this a couple of years ago and I couldn't get them to sprout. Don't think it was an organic one so I guess they are sprayed to stop them sprouting. I may try again this year. When do you start them off? On gardener's world they grew them on a wigwam exposed. Is this worth a try?

debster · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2009, 18:00:34 »

mine sprouted really well dont remember if it was an organic one or not? think i remember someone suggesting scrubbing them first although i didnt do that

ceres · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2009, 18:15:43 »

Quote from: Eristic on January 04, 2009, 17:41:59

Quote
No doubt Eristic will be along to say I'm wrong.

Not wrong but brutal which I suppose is what we should expect from the Greek Goddess of all things nasty to man. Mutilating the tuber opens it up to infection and damaged sweet potatoes are highly susceptible to rot.

If the tuber is kept in a warm humid atmosphere it will sprout whether you want it to or not. Leave one in the cupboard for a few weeks and it will shoot. I used to start mine in Feb by sitting them in a container with some water in and placed on the server but this year my home server is offline.

Been continuing your charm lessons with tgg I see.

BTW I am singular not plural, spelt with a C, not a K and Roman not Greek. But an easy mistake to make if you rely on Wikipedia for your 'facts'.

Bye bye!

debster · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2009, 18:22:42 »

come on folks i only asked a question please dont fight about it. :(

Sinbad7 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:26:56 »

So, do the shoots look the same as they do on an ordinary potato?

Sinbad

manicscousers · « **Reply #12 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:28:23 »

my cuttings from the vines last year are still going, looking a bit yellow but with a bit of growth.hoping to get them through to planting or, take cuttings from them :)
never grown them like this but it's worth a go :)

ceres · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:31:03 »

Quote from: Sinbad7 on January 04, 2009, 19:26:56

So, do the shoots look the same as they do on an ordinary potato?

Sinbad

Not really. It grows like a vine, so the shoots are thinner than a normal potato and they curve a bit. The leaves are a bit ivy-ish in shape and colour.

debster · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:32:36 »

mine grew a shoot then a leaf from the shoot as ceres said ivy ish shaped if i remember rightly the leaf came very early on in the growth of the shoot

saddad · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:44:29 »

I tried cuttings Manics but they all died on me... :-[

manicscousers · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:46:41 »

I am expecting it, saddad but, we live in hope ;D

Sinbad7 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2009, 19:59:09 »

I am real keen to grow my own slips, so I did the sticks and water thing about two weeks ago and I have a long cotton bit growing from the side, would this be likely to be a slip, given time? ;D

Sinbad

ceres · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2009, 20:01:48 »

Ah no! The bit of the potato in the water grows a huge tangled mass of white roots. Usually mine have put out some roots before they start shooting.

It's a good sign though - it's alive!

caroline7758 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2009, 20:14:25 »

Saddad, can you remind us where you buy yours from- think I'd have more luck with bought slips.

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Author Topic: sweet potatoes (Read 2946 times)