Hello from a newbie

[Peapods]

Hello all, its very nice to 'meet you' :-)
My names Paula, and this is my second year of veggie growing.  Last year was container only, but this year Ive been given a small bed on a community garden and my lovely OH had built me a small greenhouse, and Im still doing a little bit of container growing.

My question is...has anyone grown sweet potatoes? We love them here, but the slips are quite expensive (im a student on a small budget!) so I wanted to get some input before ordering.
The greenhouse is very sunny, but unheated btw, and I want to make the most of the space Ive got

Looking forward to chatting with you all
Thanks for now

Paula

[Peapods]

[dtw]

Welcome aboard.  :D

I don't know anything about sweet potatoes though.

[Lauren S]

Hello Paula nice to meet you too. Welcome to A4A.
Like dtw I too know nothing about sweet potatoes, but the experts will be along shortly  ;D

Lauren

[antipodes]

do a search on the site for sweet potatoes, there is another thread that explains it. But I would say you are too late for this year to grow your own, they need starting indoors over the winter (I believe you put a sweet potato in water and wait for it to sprout) and are put outside when they are developed. I think most people start them in February  ;)
welcome, i hope you enjoy your little piece of paradise

[manicscousers]

hiya, peapods, welcome to the site, we grow sweet potatoes, inside the polytunnel, saddad has the record, in a greenhouse..my order from the green catalogue hasn't arrived yet so there's time to plant, t&m also sell them, saddad got a brilliant harvest last year,  ;D

[Peapods]

Thanks all for the replies
Im lucky enough to have access to a polytunnel thats arriving at the end of may, so I can order my slips now! We all love them    ;)
My goal to grow all my own veg for xmas dinner is on course
(next goal, beat Saddads record  ;D )

Thanks again
Paula

[PurpleHeather]

Welcome.

The equipment to grow sweet potatoes will cost you more than it will to buy them imported.

They are not something which is easy to grow in this climate.

As a student I imagine that your funds will be restricted. My simple advice is to grow what ever your limited area will allow and use the bog standard items like potatoes, cabbages, onions and so on.

When you have completed your studies and you are on a fantastic salary then you will be able to afford to eat what ever you want.

[Peapods]

Hi PH :-)
You are very right about being on a limited budget, even with my supportive OH, its definately a struggle. Luckily for me I have access to a community garden where I have a small bed that I can grow normal stuff , with an added bonus of buying potatoes and other large area crops very cheaply. When the garden gets a polytunnel, we have all been encouraged to make use of it, and I will! And its all free(ish) :-)

Having that option, I can try my GH for various things this year, toms are started, and  two types of chillies, plus peppers, but wanted to make the most of the limited space I have to grow as much as possible for the greedies at home  ;D.
Im very big on buying british also, and SP are rather hard to come by in my neck of the woods, so I want to grow things we will definately eat, and the room left in the GH or the PT may as well earn its keep, I just wish Id got the GH or PT earlier,I would have been more prepared :-(

[saddad]

Hi Peapods, and welcome to the site... you're on about the challenge!! I use T+M slips but if you have a greenhouse you are in business.  ;D

PS I'm from Rawtenstall originally!!
::)

[aromatic]

 ;D :D ;D :D Welcome Peapods!! Nice to have you on the forum... Its a really nice place be...

                   

[Peapods]

OOPS! Ive challenged a master!!  :o and from rawtenstalltoo!   (hmm no footy team there though, but...not much of one for burnley TBH!!)

But us northerners are strong stuff (gulp) as you well know, so, (after Ive used all your SP tips of course)
Ill be growing em out of the door :-)

[posie]

Welcome Peapods, have a fab time with site, I'm also a student, I'm also called Paula and I'm also aiming to grow all the veg for xmas dinner!  ;D

[daileg]

hello posie i used to have a take away on the island the old kebab shop on the front used to be mine small world lol im from Cwmbran by Newport

[Ishard]

Welcome Paula, Im sure you will soon feel right at home here.  :)

[PurpleHeather]

The quickest and easiest way to grow sweet potatoes is to use cuttings. Simply cut a piece of a runner, about a foot (30 cm) in length.

Remove all the leaves except for the tiny leaves at the very tip. Plant the cutting by covering the whole length with soil, only the leaves of the tip should stick out of the ground.

The cuttings will root at every leave node. Not just the leave nodes under the ground will root. A sweet potato also grows roots from every leave node that develops as your cutting grows.

If you can't get hold of cuttings you can start growing sweet potatoes by planting the tubers. You can use any shop bought sweet potatoes.

Place them on the ground, cover them with soil, and keep them moist. The tubers will develop shoots, called slips. Slips can be snipped or pulled off and planted out when they are about 15 cm in size. The original root will continue to produce more slips.

[Ishard]

How tall do SP actually grow?

As I  havent got a green house or poly tunnel I thought I may try to cobble together something with clear plastic to grow these under, direct in the allotment ground and if they are too tall it may not work.

[saddad]

They sprawl rather than climb... can be encouraged up netting and this supposedly gives better tubers... and if you are really lucky flowers ( like morning glory) BUT they really do need protection especially in BURNLEY!!!!!
;D

[Suzanne]

Hi peapods and welcome to the site  ;D

[Peapods]

Hi posie AKA paula :-) Wonder what else we've got in common
Are you also a supermodel, wealthy and brain of britain in your spare time?





















Naah me either but we can dream eh?  ;)

And saddad? You forgot the UP THE CLARETS bit before the BURNLEY!!!!!!!!  in your last post, Ill let it slide this once  ;D ;D

[saddad]

Up the Clarets..... but down the beer....
;D