Just read some messages posted earlier about growing sweet potatoes and decided I'd like to give them a go. What do you actually plant, are they similar to grow to ordinary potatoes? And where can I buy seeds/tubers or whatever I need from, I've never seen any before in garden centres etc?
Sparky
Tried under a cloche last year.....tubers were so thin, so not worth the trouble for me.
I'll post instructions for growing your own sweet potato slips at the weekend sparky, if you can wait that long ;)
they are not part of the pot family you plant things called slips which is like a shoot .They need v warm conditions as there are a tropical plant .
They cionsequently do not seem to do well here unless we have a belting summer. I think Marshalls can supply the slips.Hope this helps?
To grow a Sweet Potato Vine
Sweet potatoes in the U.S. are grown mostly in the South. They are planted in the spring by "slips." These are the small rooted pieces of the vine that grow from the "eyes" or buds of the potato.
The sweet potato produces vine-like stems that resemble the philodendron plant. Place the sweet potato in a container of water. Keep the top 1/3 of the potato exposed by placing toothpicks into the sides. The pointed end should be down in the water. In a few weeks a vine with several stems will begin to sprout. The stems are weak; tie the stems to a stake.
Sweet potatoes like a bright, sunny location and require care like green house plants such as ivy.
Fertilize about once a month.
If the sweet potato vine gets too long, cut it back a few inches to force the vine to get bushier. The tip of the vine that was pinched off can be rooted in water or moist soil.
Your sweet potato vines can be planted outside in late May to produce sweet potatoes that can be dug and eaten in the fall.
I'd love to grow sweet potatoes! Thanks for the info.
Nice recipe = cut them into slices, put them in a roasting dish, sprinkle olive oil, black mustard seed and turmeric over them.
Mike is that a recent picture? Mine are sprouting but the slips are still very little and growing ever so slowly.
Picture is from last year, I was just answering the question. I must confess I haven't got started on them yet this year.
were they quite slow to get started when they first sprouted? I'm getting worried that mine are just sitting there not doing much in the way of growing bigger.
Thanks for all the advice, although on reading not sure whether they'll suit my plot as not sure it'll be warm enough for them here in the north!
Sparky
Hi Jesse,
I grew mine in the greenhouse last year, but didn't start them 'till April as my understanding (from books) was that they needed a temperature of 18-32C. Remembering this thread from last year I did a search and looking at the previous replies are you not the resident expert? Reading the replies I would follow your advice rather than my own book learnt variety.
MikeB
Thanks Mike, I'll be patient with them then, they're in the house at around 18C.
If you can get them to grow and produce a decent crop then they are well worth it. I tried some on a recent holiday in Madeira, where they steam cook them. Absolutely delicious!
Mine a the moment seem to be growing hairs (after 4 weeks!)- hopefully these will mature into wee beasties like the one pictured above. how long do they take to get like that and is that the size we should be aiming for before taking off and growing on the slips?
When the shoots are 10-15cm long, gently twist them from the potato. Place the shoots in water so that their bottom halves are immersed. The slips (shoots) are ready to plant when roots appear, usually in just a few days. Don't allow the roots to get longer than 2.5-3cm before planting.