Growing sweet potaotes

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Growing sweet potaotes
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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 8:21 am Post subject: Growing sweet potaotes

Ever fancied growing your own sweet potatoes? I noticed on last weeks gardeners world they are trying them this year so this great article by Leonie is very timely.

https://www.downsizer.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=271

I've a couple of supermarket tubers trying to sprout as we speak and if I'm successful this year then next we'll try the tubers more suited to the UK. Due to our cold house mine are in a jar in a heated propagator and seem to be doing well.

Anyone else growing them this year?

Jb

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91� N

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 9:10 am Post subject:
Good reminder - a fellow allotmenteer and I were both going to try sweet potatoes this year. Where's the best place to buy the slips?

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 9:31 am Post subject:
I've ordered some... can't remember where from now.... better check my emails again! Okay found it now - I went for these ones: https://potatoes.thompson-morgan.com/product/aww3296/1 My sister and I are going to split the bigger pack.

starmoonlilly

Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 218
Location: Northampton

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 1:23 pm Post subject:
I started some in water, but on Gardeners World they put them in compost. So I took them out of water and put them in a tray of compost in the propagator. One had started to show signs of 2 slips, waiting to see it the other 3 tubers do anything in thier new bed!!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 1:39 pm Post subject:

JB wrote:

Good reminder - a fellow allotmenteer and I were both going to try sweet potatoes this year. Where's the best place to buy the slips?

You can get 'em from the Organic Gardening catalogue and from T&M, probably other places too. Got mine from the former last year, T&M this year (although obviously they ain't here yet).

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 2:09 pm Post subject:
would like to give them a try

BahamaMama

Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Posts: 2315
Location: Away with the fairies

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 2:21 pm Post subject:
I will be trying them in black bins for extra warmth...

deanom

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 07 6:50 pm Post subject: Producing Slips

I have a great book by an american who describes how he makes slips.

He says to cut the potato into chunks, fill a glass with water, put a wooden skewer through the chunk, and rest it on top of the glass so that the sweet potato is resting in the water. Once the potato starts to put out shoots, pull them off and place them half in, and half out of water. The shoots will develop roots, which can them be planted. A picture would probably help, but I am a technophope.

Bit of a coincidence seeing this thread as we've just been out to buy some sweet potato to do this with.

starmoonlilly

Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 218
Location: Northampton

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 07 7:07 pm Post subject:
Oh heck.......just when I'd swopped mine from the water to compost. Grrr.......I guess there's different ways, maybe we should all try a different method and post on successes and failures? Mine are in compost for the record

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 07 9:57 am Post subject:

How are everyone's slips doing? We started two different varieties of shop sweet potato, one taking ages to produce a couple of shoots and the other quickly covered in them! I took a couple of slip cuttings several days ago, one in water and one straight into the compost. The water one was showing roots about a week later so I took some more cuttings. The next batch of cuttings in the water are showing roots in a few days - it looks like we'll have a large amount of sweet potato plants.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 07 6:02 pm Post subject:
We had ours in water for weeks & still no sign. Moved them onto some compost covered with wet paper & they have started to develop shoots all over. Left two in the water & they still have no shoots. Justme

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 07 6:25 pm Post subject:
The one I put in compost promptly rotted.

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Mon Apr 23, 07 7:52 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

How are everyone's slips doing?

Mine won't arrive until May...

... note to self.... remember to leave a corner unplanted for them!

starmoonlilly

Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 218
Location: Northampton

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 07 8:34 pm Post subject:
Yeah me too Have to keep reminding myself not to use all the space up. Im going to make a raised hot bed to grow them in. I have to separate them very soon as the roots are so big now......oh dear hope I dont break them

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 07 7:38 am Post subject:
The slips I put straight into potting compost now have roots out the bottom of the pot, if we have a warm summer they might take over. With the cucumber, melons and luffa in the greenhouse we might not make it out of the greenhouse alive.

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