Allotments 4 All

 I put two sweet potatoes in water a couple of moths ago and forgot them until now  i just noticed that one has grown roots the other has swivelled  up That water was foul smelling The others water was still ok. But my question is.  its recommended to take the shoots (SLIPS ) off  but why cant the potato  be planted whole ? as when in the wild  the complete potato would just grow  like a normal  potato

I have 3 that grew shoots so planted them whole under a cold frame in good soil and with a blanket of potting compost on top.  Didn't read any instructions other than to keep them warm.   It took a while but all three have now grown a healthy set of shoots.  Cold frame removed to give max sun now and they are just starting to make their way up individual obelisks.

I've only tried because they couldn't be eaten so we'll have to wait to see if it works and produces edible roots.

 I think I will also plant mine whole and see what happens  I saw no point in losing the shoots as its the potato is self that has all the roots on the bottom and not the shoots  so its going in a large pot in the green house  and I will hope for good results

Hi Ya, I am very interested in this trial. I have tried growing sweet spuds for 4 years from suppliers bought slips with mixed results and none the size of shop bought sweet spuds. I have considered making my own slips but reading that the ones in the shops are from more temporate climates would not like our weather here so the varieties beauregard and Carolina ruby are bred for the UK. Some pictures if possible will be interesting to see how you progress. I am growing from slips again but this year in tubs in the greenhouse and trailing them up sticks. Will keep watch.

I tried everything last  year including a cloche.   Bought slips, own slips.  Actually the red ones from Waitrose did the best.  I got a couple of thumb sized roots.  I understand that the leaves are edible.

So I wish you joy and hope you do better than me.

I put the tuber into potting compost with the shoot just on the surface and the roots quickly formed.  I then separated the plants and planted out.  Plants grew well huge amount of leaves, not much in the way of tubers.

I can't get them to work ... different varieties ... in pots, in the ground, under cover, outside ... they all make a plant under protest through the summer and then make tiny tubers (seriously I've grown gigandes beans bigger!).  I give up ... and the general impression I get is that many others in the UK have wasted hours coming to the same conclusion.  It's a sub-tropical plant.

Why bother when there are many great performing sweet winter squashes like buttercup that can be cooked in exactly the same way and taste almost identical?