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I found this link which you might find interersting.
http://www.barfoots.co.uk/sweet_potatoes.html
Actually I found lots more links including a gardening forum in NZ where they seem to get the slips going in a different way by putting the rounded end of the tuber into the ground then harvesting the 'tips' same as slips off as they are produced then planting them. They seem to start as early as July which is approximately January here but the people doing this live in sub tropical Northland so I guess here in the UK we should stick to the jam jar on the windowsill!

Many thanks all, very informative and will get cracking on them right away! If not, there's always next year.  ;D

A very interesting thread - many thanks.
Now trying to find Kumara.

Sainsbury's have it (kumara) in some places. Also seen once in M&S.

I have also had a potatoe in water for quite a few weeks now and only thin roots starting to emerge.  I went to the supermarket and bought  some of those New Zealand potatoes and will put one in water and then put the other one in damp compost.

Fingers crossed!!

Jitterbug

I've just put four into pint glasses, am I too late.   ;D ;D ;D

Quote from: cornykev on March 26, 2007, 16:18:48
I've just put four into pint glasses, am I too late.   ;D ;D ;D

pint glasses ? ck..I thought the idea was to cut them in half, stick cocktail sticks in to support them with the cut end in the water, how do you get them to fit in a big glass, I've got mine in little tumblers  :)

I didn't cut mine in half & have loads of slips though none as chunky looking as those above.

On GW they are intending growing them & seemed to be burying whole SPs in a box of compost - not quite sure what they are planning to do with them.

Hi Scousers,  I didn't cut them in half I put four of them in four glasses pointy end down two thirds in the water with two cocktail sticks supporting on the glass.   ;D ;D ;D

ah!!  ;D

just started mine today, i have two whole ones with points down in water, hope it works.

i'm inspired to grown some sweet potatoe know after reading your thread i went to supermarket today to try and get some but they were sold out i'm going to try asda tomorrow. really want to get some started as i'm expecting a little baby boy in less than 2 weeks and sweet potatoe is really good baby food mashed up.

thanks again foe the inspiration.

p.s really good growning insturctions.

Quotei'm expecting a little baby boy in less than 2 weeks

How exciting! Dont forget to let us know when it all starts off, so we can pace back and forth.( The labour... not the sweet potato sending down roots!)

cj :)

will do if i get time lol this is my 2nd i know how time consuming they are!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh You are so lucky, I wish I had 2 children...







I have 4!! ;)

;D ;D ;D

cj :)

Tesco do Sweet Potatoes in Value packs which makes it a really cheap source. I bought some Kumara in Sainsbury's yesterday so let's hope they produce slips. I'm going to try groing mine on in a poly tunnel for extra warmth.... :)

I have two sprogs Caroline it seems like four sometimes and good luck with the baba Chicks.   ;D ;D ;D

I'll try anything new.
Bought & cutin half a 'tesco' jobbie.
Been sitting in trough for ? a month.
Whispy things are growing down from the skin edges.
Are they alive or wha?

Think the whispy things are probably roots - you need to wait for some shooty things with leaves which go upwards.  ;D

I don't know anything about growing these apart from setting one going once and it grew lovely green slips at a daft time of the year so I chucked it.

Question?

Is it not too late to start one off,by the time by green slips had started on my experiment quite a bit of time had passed and I would think it is too late now as I believe they need to be fairly big when they go out and they need a long growing season ??

?? I am probably wrong, can someone enlighten me .XX Jeannine