Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: French-Dream on November 27, 2014, 11:06:17
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I pop a sweet potato into a jar of water and left it in the kitchen window about 2 weeks back.....checked it a few times...nothing, until this morning....we have roots :toothy10:
http://(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20141127_105459_zpsyqgcaks5.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20141127_105459_zpsyqgcaks5.jpg.html)
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Great start :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:
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you are, erm, familiar with Invasion of the Body Snatchers??
(http://www.horrorphile.net/images/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-pod1.jpg)
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02485/invasion-of-the-bo_2485717b.jpg)
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Yes...I can see the likeness... :laughing7: :icon_cheers:
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Brilliant....(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing021.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
You've got me worried now......(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-scared004.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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First we had roots................. :toothy10:
Now we have Shoots.... :blob7: about 6 slips so far.
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20141222_095129_zps18mk8yur.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20141222_095129_zps18mk8yur.jpg.html)
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20141222_095044_zpsto5lfpjg.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20141222_095044_zpsto5lfpjg.jpg.html)
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:icon_cheers:....and those shoots are almost ready for peeling off and going into compost to root. All those little pumps/eyes will produce for you more and more potential new plants....
...invasion of slips..... :icon_cheers:
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You gardeners over there have almost caught up to me with sweet potato or kumera here down under. I just leave some tubers to over winter in the ground and depending how big the frosts get, -6C not too bad but -9C does cause rot in the upper parts of the tuber.
Our season is fairly late because the soil doesn't warm up too early and slips don't start to show until the beginning of November. As a result I have only had my slips planted for 3-4 weeks when about 200-300 mm long but I would rather 600mm long to curl them up at the planting point.
At the moment most are starting to run.
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:icon_cheers:....and those shoots are almost ready for peeling off and going into compost to root.
...invasion of slips..... :icon_cheers:
I've seen somewhere that when you take the slip of you put them into water also until they have a good root system, then plant on??
Do you plant into compost straight away then Goodlife???
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Do you plant into compost straight away then Goodlife???
Yep...that's what I've done...just sieved multipurpose compost, planted individually in small pots to root and with help of gentle heat in propagator, they've rooted just fine.
I bet you could do same in sand, water, vermiculate..as long as there is moisture.
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We used to have a member who bought single potatoes of new varieties, took each eye out and grew them, he once put up 20 plates of show potatoes at our local show all different varieties .
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20 plates of show potatoes
Were these sweet potatoes?
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I bought T&M slips this year. I did not take the growing tips out because T&M do not tell you to. Hence the crop was ok but totally not cost effective. I currently have 1 of my own sweet potatoes in a glass producing 10 plus slips. I intend to give it a whirl by buying some from the supermarket and try to produce with those. Not wishing to drop names but I have looked at all the supermarkets to see which is best and concluded that Sainsburys have the most choice. No I don't work for Sainsburys as I have just retired from Asda. They may or may not grow only a couple of quid lost but certainly to purchase slips is not cost effective but they did taste delicious.
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On the other hand, once you've got the bought variety, it should be possible to maintain it permanently by growing slips from your own potatoes. It would be worth trying both to see whether market varieties do as well.
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I bought T&M slips this year. I did not take the growing tips out because T&M do not tell you to. Hence the crop was ok but totally not cost effective. I currently have 1 of my own sweet potatoes in a glass producing 10 plus slips. I intend to give it a whirl by buying some from the supermarket and try to produce with those. Not wishing to drop names but I have looked at all the supermarkets to see which is best and concluded that Sainsburys have the most choice. No I don't work for Sainsburys as I have just retired from Asda. They may or may not grow only a couple of quid lost but certainly to purchase slips is not cost effective but they did taste delicious.
I didn't know that you should pinch them out either till I read it on here.
Saintsbury's taste the difference sweet potatoes are really nice.
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The way I grow my sweet potatoes is the same as my grandfather did after he emigrated to Australia in 1907, then followed by my father. Not sure if he bought the sweet potato growing method with him or he learnt from others after he arrived.
I have a nursery site (bigger for commercial growers) of just a couple of tubers in one corner of the garden where I have left them in the ground from last season. Frosts play havoc if it goes below -6C which causes rot to set in in the upper parts of the tuber. Unless the whole tuber is destroyed the portion left deeper in the ground will most likely shoot later.
Depending on how early or late the season is going, I usually have slips growing in the last month of spring. Unfortunately this year it was a bit slow because of a lot of low night time temperatures so by the first day of summer I still only had slips about 200mm long. best is for 600mm slips. Anyway I was panicking because unless I can get them in by the first day of summer the growth period is reduced by early frosts in mid autumn, which slows their growth because the onset of real frosty weather doesn't usually start until after the first day of winter.
So my method of growing is as my grandfather used to: dig out a slight depression in the ground then twirl the long slip around in ever increasing circles until you reach the end. Neatly drag soil back over the slip covering the stem and leaving exposed each leaf and the growing tip at the end. If you only have short slips just bury them in a straight line overlapping the next one beside the former again leaving the leaves and growing tip exposed to light.
The results: at each leaf node there will be a tuber forming root so all your harvest should be in one place or in one line.
Works for this third generation anyway.
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Oo...that tip is something I need to put in test...I wonder if that would solve my issue with lack of SW?!
I've never had issues to get slips...nor getting them to root.
So...next time I trial them...I need to start earlier and get them in earlier (which can be challenge in UK)...let them grow longer...plant shallow and burying most of the stem(s) length.
Once this Christmas hassle is over...I'll be heading to supermarket to get myself 'starter'... :icon_thumleft: :toothy10:
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I currently have 1 of my own sweet potatoes in a glass producing 10 plus slips. I intend to give it a whirl by buying some from the supermarket and try to produce with those.
I think part of the issue is if (and maybe it is commonplace??) tubers are treated to stop then sprouting - that makes supermarket ones much harder to get to sprout, so I would expect you to have much more success with you home-saved one :)
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This SP is from a supermarket a few weeks back.....maybe I'm just lucky...I'm thinking of have another go then I'll have some spare slips to pass on to anyone on our allotments.
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I currently have 1 of my own sweet potatoes in a glass producing 10 plus slips. I intend to give it a whirl by buying some from the supermarket and try to produce with those.
I think part of the issue is if (and maybe it is commonplace??) tubers are treated to stop then sprouting - that makes supermarket ones much harder to get to sprout, so I would expect you to have much more success with you home-saved one :)
Yes, that treatment is 'bugger' to get rid of. First few tubers that I tried to sprout took months and months before the eyes started to 'open'. Then I started to soak the potatoes ( few days at the time and with few water changes during that time) and gave them good wash with soapy water before putting the potatoes into heated propagator on wet surface... :drunken_smilie:...it certainly helped and after that the sprouting has been quicker process than without the soak and wash.
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Goodlife you will get some tubers set at the nodal roots but these are generally smaller and fewer in number than what you get from the original planting site.
My near neighbour grows sweet potatoes too but just relies on runners coming from his missed tubers left over in the soil from last year. Because he doesn't cut off and bury his slips his harvest is usually poor.
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Goodlife you will get some tubers set at the nodal roots but these are generally smaller and fewer in number than what you get from the original planting site.
My near neighbour grows sweet potatoes too but just relies on runners coming from his missed tubers left over in the soil from last year. Because he doesn't cut off and bury his slips his harvest is usually poor.
That has been my issue with sweetpotatoes....not getting much return from my efforts....fewer in numbers and size very small..
I'm even that bothered if the potatoes stay slightly on small side...as long as the would be decent amount of them.
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Sorry if I mentioned it elsewhere, but do you all already take cuttings from your sweet potato plants as the autumn approaches, root them in water, then pot up indoors over the winter ready for putting out as sturdy plants when it is warm enough? My cuttings were looking good but are currently a bit disheartened as I cannot keep them warm enough indoors in this frosty weather. Hope they perk up soon.
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Tops die down naturally....so one has to start with 'fresh' slips each spring. Saying that, if you do your own slips fro supermarket tubers, because of the 'coating' that slow natural sprouting ,it is good to start slightly earlier to give yourself chance to get them ready early enough for planting...it can be bit hit and miss how they sprout. I'm planning to start in next few weeks or when I remember get some tubers.. :drunken_smilie:
If you have your own stored tubers...those will sprout much more readily and you are not in rush to get them going yet.
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I haven't had any success keeping slips over winter. They seem to just grow old, get a bit of fungus on them and generally slow down in growth. I think it is better to start with a tuber grown slip later (in winter or early spring) and keep it vigorous to planting time which will always get better summer growth and product. They require minimum 5 months of active summer growth.
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Hi Ya, Having read this and seen your pictures I have been tempted to try growing SP's again. I have been on line and ordered my slips from Robinsons as they seemed the best. I was considering trying supermarket and creating my own SP slips but after this post will not bother. I have grown them 3 years now, or rather tried, first on the plot, hopeless, in the greenhouse border and they spread like wildfire but alas no usable tubers, last year in tubs and after reading Bob Flowerdew article tried training the growth up canes. I put 4 plug plants this time in each tub and the roots all congregated round the bottom of the tub as if pot bound. There were quite a few tubers but nothing very big. I have managed to use 4 and the tasted great. I grew Beauregard and Carolina ruby, the latter winning the taste test, I am considering using the same tubs this year or even a bigger one used for spuds. Any one grown them like this? I will only put 2 slips per tub this time and water more as I have read they need plenty of water. Any advice would be welcome. Good gardening all.
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Hi Ya, I also meant to mention I am trying to grow slips from my own saved tubers and have them set up on the kitchen window sill much to my OH's annoyance. I have to try.
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I have been moved into action and have put a tube end down into a jar of water on the windowsill. It will be interested to see if anything happens. Not sure whether I should put a plastic bag right over it. It is better on a warm sunny windowsill?
Did spend sometime washing the tuber. It has some rather promising little white knobs on. Had them in the supermarket so chose it specially.
I wonder whether a hot bed would make it happy.
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A ROOT have emerged here and the tuber haven't been in propagator full 2 days yet... :icon_cheers: :toothy10:
It aint big yet...just few mm long but it is still a root :sunny:
So far so good....
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Hells bells, that was fast Goodlife. I have mine stuck in a jar of water, mind you only bought it last Friday. Gave it a bit of a wash before I popped it into the water. Perhaps I could wrap it in damp kitchen towel and bung it in the airing cupboard to speed things up. What do you think?
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Hells bells, that was fast Goodlife. I have mine stuck in a jar of water, mind you only bought it last Friday. Gave it a bit of a wash before I popped it into the water. Perhaps I could wrap it in damp kitchen towel and bung it in the airing cupboard to speed things up. What do you think?
Hells bells indeed! I'm sure warmth and damp will help...but you are not in hurry for any result yet...it is only first week of January.
Although I'm really pleased for little progress, it is still long way from producing any new sprouting growth.
Trust what ever your gut tells you..mine told 'keep it warm, but don't cook it' :icon_cheers: :sunny:
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We've got first 'sprout' out :icon_cheers: It wasn't supposed to happen that quickly! :icon_scratch:
Other day though of having some chemical treatments on sweet potato tubers started to bug me ..'what are they feeding on us?'
As already mentioned, I too have heard about this 'treatment'...but I didn't find much about it when doing some googling. Surely with all these EU rules, regulations and restrictions they would not be allowed putting such a stuff on food !!??...and what would those chemicals do to us?!
I didn't find much about it...what I did found was about ethylene gases that are used in storage, gasses that will inhibit sprouting and ripening...not very good for normal potatoes but it is used for sweet potatoes and other crops. I wonder if this is what we've been heard of being 'the treatment'?
It certainly doesn't have that long lasting effect once out of storage. My spuds have sprouted into growth in record time...too early perhaps? :BangHead:
Now I must find out more about it..must get this itch to know out of my system... :drunken_smilie:
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I am intrigued by what you are calling slips and would like to have a go! How much of the potato skin do you take with a slip?
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I am intrigued by what you are calling slips and would like to have a go! How much of the potato skin do you take with a slip?
Only a tiniest little sliver...not much more than what is size of end of the slip...or what ever little bit of skin the new growth is attached to.
I usually put knife against the point where the new growth is attached to...and instead of cutting the 'sprout/slip' off I just wedge the blade in between, gently apply some pressure and allow it all snap off 'naturally'. What ever is attached to the end of the slip can stay on.
I suppose you could take little slice off from potato too...I just never have tried that way. I do both, sweet potato and normal potato growth same way as most of the first roots will emerge from that small area at the bottom end of the slip/sprout stem. Often you can see those first nodules swelling already on the stem that will later on stretch out to become roots.
Edit to add...actually I don't think that you even need any of the old potato being in touch with new plants..allowing some to be attached is just way of securing you've got all the 'sprouted' surface intact (where the new independent roots will emerge)
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Thanks for that information Goodlife. I presume the benefit of slips is that you can get more for your money?
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Thanks for that information Goodlife. I presume the benefit of slips is that you can get more for your money?
Yep...one tuber is capable of producing dozens individual plants...low cost way of getting them, good thing if one has plenty of room to fill. One sweet potato is much cheaper to buy than getting hold of established plant or buying some slips.
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I am getting quite excited about trying this out now. Will let you know how I get on! :blob7:
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A week ago I bought a bag of organic sweet potatoes from a Sainsburys where I do not normally shop. I soaked them in tepid water for a couple of hours and scrubbed them before sticking in the toothpicks and putting 3 of them in separate glasses of water on a windowsill in a spare bedroom. I have just checked them and I have tiny roots just starting on all 3. Yesterday I used root trainers to plant 4 of my own cuttings from one of my last years potatoes which I bought from T & M. I have never used root trainers before so I found them a bit fiddly to set the cuttings in but got round it eventually.
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Been busy since the start of the year, so only just catching up with everything....
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20150127_055956_zpsztclha9n.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20150127_055956_zpsztclha9n.jpg.html)
Taken two of the slips off, one last week, t'other yesterday and popped them in the same jar...as you can see the one on the right now has roots.
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20150127_060036_zpsz4vbtvzf.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20150127_060036_zpsz4vbtvzf.jpg.html)
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Gosh!...that is lot of 'development' :icon_cheers: And the growth looks nice and strong too.
My 'spuds' are out of propagator..again...and this time all the 'sprouts' are happy about it, they are that little bit bigger that they don't mind the change in the environment...there is even one that is almost 2" long!...and 'millions' little eyes that are starting to show first leaves forming :icon_cheers: It seems that once the sweet potatoes decide what they are going to do...there is no stopping them.
Weather here is very dull, and not enough natural light so my potatoes will be 'sprouting' and growing under grow lamps...another week or so and I'll be taking first slip or two off into water too :icon_cheers:
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Hi.
A quick update for those that maybe giving this a try.... :icon_cheers:
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/69742114-7c00-4dde-a7cc-ade609972b9c_zpsydssdsji.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/69742114-7c00-4dde-a7cc-ade609972b9c_zpsydssdsji.jpg.html)
The top one was the first one I slipped off....middle one 3/4 days later and the bottom one today. They all seem to be going along fine, the last 3 slips are still on the SP which I'll deal with in a few days time.
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When you have these slips, how deep would you plant them?
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Sorry for time delay Gardenqueen....(http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/winks/winking-pumpkin.gif) (http://freesmileyface.net/free-winks-smileys.html) not been around for the last week or so....As for planting I'm going to make sure all the roots are covered when I do plant, which I'm going to do the bigger ones today. The tuber in the jar as in fact got another 3 slips growing....only tiny so far but this will give me 9 plants in total.
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No problem French Dream. Don't laugh but I had a problem deciding which end of the sweet potato to put in water! :tongue3: I have obviously got it right as I can see the first signs of some growth!
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No problem French Dream. Don't laugh but I had a problem deciding which end of the sweet potato to put in water! :tongue3: I have obviously got it right as I can see the first signs of some growth!
:icon_cheers: Success! ...though 'which end of the sweet potato' is not crucial. Mine are lying one their sides on the water and they are sprouting new growths and roots all over the place. If you think of it, 'in nature' they would be underground..surrounded by soil and they would do as they please.
And my update is that I have now first slip just about to be potted on...it was removed from tuber last week and I poked it back into water to for roots...those are now out and about :toothy10: Several other 'sprouts' are getting ready for being separated ..they are couple of inches tall and the leaves have started to green up...sign of getting ready for their independence. Although there is more new shoots emerging form the SP than I need...I'll be only rooting 4...or maybe 6 at most...I haven't even decided where they are going to be planted later on so just few is enough :drunken_smilie:
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IM TRYING THIS BUT SO FAR NO SLIPS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED GOT IT FROM SUPERMARKET AND WASHED IT OFF BUT STILL NOTHING
oops sorry about the caps lock
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I had 8 slips from one of my own sweet potatoes left them in the water until they had routes and then potted them on in route trainers. Unfortunately although the slips were kept in a warm house I have lost all but two of them. I have more slips almost ready on the same potato so I am going to purchase some new compost as I only had last years compost to use on the first lot. I have four other potatoes in water bought from two different supermarkets and all of them have roots on them. I am hopeful that once the weather warms up and we longer periods of daylight that I have more success as purchasing the slips from various seed suppliers is not cost effective
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IM TRYING THIS BUT SO FAR NO SLIPS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED GOT IT FROM SUPERMARKET AND WASHED IT OFF BUT STILL NOTHING
oops sorry about the caps lock
Are you keeping it warm enough place? If the water, where the potato stands in, feels cold...it will take aaaages to root.
I put the potato in its water container and all into propagator and it only took days to first roots to emerge.
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Mine has been standing in water with poly bag over top on the electric propagator for months - still nowt.
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I grew Beauregard for a couple of years and then lost them one winter so, inspired by this thread, decided to take the cheaper supermarket option. I started with two Covington tubers, one of which started going bad after a few weeks. There was just one slip on it which was potted up but no sign of movement since. Not sure it was really ready for potting on, but i'm hoping roots are growing. The other tuber has several shoots which I will leave until they outgrow the propagator. Any idea what varieties people are working with?
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I grew Beauregard for a couple of years and then lost them one winter so, inspired by this thread, decided to take the cheaper supermarket option. I started with two Covington tubers, one of which started going bad after a few weeks. There was just one slip on it which was potted up but no sign of movement since. Not sure it was really ready for potting on, but i'm hoping roots are growing. The other tuber has several shoots which I will leave until they outgrow the propagator. Any idea what varieties people are working with?
Yes, Covington tubers here too :wave:
Found this interesting info about them..https://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/containerplants/sweetpotatoes/covingtonsweet
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As you can see they have good roots..
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20150216_132352_zpsc908wypo.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20150216_132352_zpsc908wypo.jpg.html)
I've just seen the the SP has got 3 more slips now..
(http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af94/Dieseljockey/Allotment/20150216_132131_zpsoq6azsy7.jpg) (http://s997.photobucket.com/user/Dieseljockey/media/Allotment/20150216_132131_zpsoq6azsy7.jpg.html)
Mine has been standing in water with poly bag over top on the electric propagator for months - still nowt.
Maybe time to think about trying another SP Lottie.. :wave: I must admit we do seem to be getting a very varied rate of success across the members.
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trenches dug next week planting 1st earlies
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How are everyone's SP doing.
Mine are well...............I have one plant with potato with loads of roots and another with one tiny shoot!!
Doesn't look too promising as I am posting this several months after everyone else :glasses9:
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well finally ive had 3 goes 2 did absolutely nothing then i covered one with compost and watered it and after what seems like an eternity ive just noticed a slip has popped its head up through the compost cant remember when i started it off
wonder if i have enough time for it to grow and plant out to grow ???? i know they need a long season
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Well. after all the effort I have made to grow slips, I just hope I like Sweet Potatoes! :BangHead: I have lots of slips and have just taken most of them off the parent potatoes and put in water to grow roots. Weather is so changeable here in Wales so will keep them on the kitchen windowsill as I have no heating in my greenhouse.
How is everyone else doing?
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I still have one sweet potato with one shoot and another with a load of roots. Ideas please!!
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Mine looks just like the second picture above. I has more of them, but they have not grown any more for months, and certainly no roots. Just gnarled pink things.
I think I am going to leave it in the water and if it survives my holiday I shall try potting it up.
Presume it is suffering from the growing inhibitors, what worries me is that I am eating them. Anyone know what it is I am eating.