more sweet potato tips!!!

Hi all

I'm not sure if anyone else is having a go at sweet potatoes -but just in case I thought I would pass on some more information (kindly passed on by my mum -who heard it on the radio and wrote it down for me, so she wouldn't forget)
Anyway.. they were saying that

1. it is important not to let the leaves lie on the floor as they will root and you will end up with a spaghetti like bundle when it come time to pull them up! -Which sounds similar to my result last year -very thin and twisted -luckily this year the foliage got off to a much better start so it is allready being trained up canes..
2. lots of water -obviously to help the tubers swell -last year I had to go away for 3 weeks in the middle of summer and they were totally neglected -so that explains a lot too...
3. oh and at the end of the season if you can -cover them with black plastic/fabric and take indoors to get them an extra couple of weeks warmth -Shall I tell hubby now that I will want 2 dustbins full dragging into the basement? or wait and spring it on him? lol

Tips for those giving it a go next year included ;-

1. If you are starting your own slips make sure the sweet potato has heat underneath -so like me -the pot sat on a radiator or on a heated pad
2. slips need to be twisted off once about 3" tall or the sweet potato will start to rot -which might explain the problem some folks have been having
3. Start them off in February -so you get a long growing season, which strangely enough is what I did (more by luck than anything)-started off what i thought was "way too early" and then when I twisted them off I set them in pots of compost indoors -so by the time they went out they had got a good root system going!

They were also saying that the sweet potato gives one of the best yields out of all plants.... they set 1 slip in a bucket(not sure what size) and said you could get anything from 5-10lb yield -I have 2 dustbins with about 12 slips between the 2 -so if things go well we could be in for lots of sweetpotato based soups for winter (hubby doesn't like them -but always comments "how nice that soup was" when I have used them in it ;-) -and lots of roasted slices with balsamic for me mmmmm ..and should I end up with way too many I will have to take some back for my mum at xmas as she hasn't done any -but is going to give them a go next year! ..so she can help me with mine ..fingers crossed I get loads

SWEET POTATO TRIFFIDS

I remembered to get a pic of 1 of my dustbins of sweet potatoes yesterday evening -they are growing much better than last year (so far)..I have much more foliage and they are behaving much more like the magazine I read said they should. Last year they didn't seem as invasive, this year I have had to put canes in allready to hopefully encourage them to climb -so I can keep and eye out on the compost for bugs and problems. They have allready started to twist up the canes -so fingers crossed for some good tubers underneath eventually.

SWEET POTATOES COMING ON NICELY

This is one of the 2 bins of sweetpotatoes and they seem to be coming on nicely -Im going to put a few canes in soon as the foliage is supposed to be quite vigerous -so by training it up something it should keep it out of the way :-)
We nipped out for the last of the compost after hubby finished work, and I sat today and worked out what containers I have left and what plants still to be potted on -so tomorrow if the weather allows Im planning on getting everything finished off -can't believe I have about done -well except for the things like more carrots etc that will be going on all season. Mind soon we will be onto the frantic nipping out, fastening in and pest control lol

SWEET POTATOES HAVE MADE IT OUTDOORS

Another stunning day for us again!!!!
I have just been out and set the first 8 slips...the other 4 will join them in a few days.
I have left one bin covered in black plastic -but removed it from the other one as I thought I could see if it makes much difference to the result ;-)

I was going to sink a pop bottle into the middle to make sure I could water them easily -then I remembered my garden tea light holders -so I have sunk one of those in ...so now I can get water deep down into the middle. ...just a pea cane poked down the middle and I have a "dipstick" to check if they need any more water.
I just need to make a plastic showercap for each one and then just wait ..they need 150 days of warmth -so its going to be a long one lol

SWEET POTATO UPDATE -AGAIN

Here are the latest pics of the sweet potato slips -I now have 12 taken off the potato and as you can see in the background the sweet potato is still throwing off more!!!

The first 2 pots now have plenty of healthy roots and leaves and the last pot is rooting too now. Hopefully a few more warm days and I will be able to get them into the dustbins to grow -fingers crossed that I get lots of sweet potatoes off them.

I seem to find the slips really easy to grow -so when i move back to the UK and start growing there -I will end up passing my spares off to those of you that I "know" from other sites lol

SWEET POTATO SLIPS POTTED ON

Here is a quick update on the sweet potato slips, I now have 8 and the roots are really coming on -I put them in clear tubs so I could check without disturbing them ;-)

There are more on the potato -not sure if I'm going to need them -but no doubt I will stick them in the tubs "just in case" lol.

I have the 2 dustbins covered to warm up the soil -once they are nice and warm I will transplant them . Im thinking of covering the compost with a black bag and planting through them so they keep nice and warm, I'm going to cut the bottom off a pop bottle and use it like a giant funnel -sticking a bean cane through to the bottom to help keep it secure and I can also use it like a giant dip stick to make sure they stay damp.

Sweet potato slips being set

Well, since its so miserable and windy outside -I decided to start potting the sweet potato slips that are ready -or in the case of that 1 very large "over ready" ....

So all you have to do is twist the slip off at the bottom -then I have sunk them about 1 1/2" deep in the damp compost.

Don't worry if the flag a little to start with as they need to grow roots -although as you can see 1 of mine has grown some whilst still on the potato -it grew near the bottom -so had access to water..

I have put 4 in the clear tub and will keep in and warm unitl it warms up outside -so they should get a good start..They are in a clear tub as I figured I would be able to keep an eye on the root growth

The sweet potato with the smaller slips on is now back on the radiator and I will twist and set them as and when they are ready !

We are off for more compost on Wednesday -then I will fill the dustbin up and make a clear plastic "showercap" for it o I can warm the compost and then use it to keep them covered once set as they need 150days of warmth plus ones grown "indoors" store better ...

Another sweet potato update

Thought I would pop back and show how the sweet potato slips are coming on .. I have over a dozen buds so far and 1 that has got off to a head start... once they have leaves on I'm going to twist them off and set them in small plastic tubs so they can get going until its warm enough for them to go outside....

Hubby has been out strengthening the frame for my brassicas today -it now has 3 crates to each side and 2 tubs inbetween -so it is even longer ... just need to get the netting over now....

Tomorrow I WILL be getting some seeds set -think i will start off with the peppers etc as they are sometimes a bit iffy with germination...
Hope everyone is getting ready for the warm weather lol

Sweet potato update

Well, I am thrilled to say that my sweet potato has the first signs of slips appearing -tiny litte pink buds are making an appearance ..... only a couple so far -but its a good sign!!!!

We keep getting snow and frosts in spurts -so I haven't even started any of my other seeds yet...
I think I will have to give it another couple of weeks and then take the risk and make a start

SWEET POTATO

I have finally managed to get hold of a supermarket sweet potato!!! When I wasn't on the look out for them -there were loads, the minute I wanted one they vanished!!!
Anyway I have now started the process of growing the slips for planting later .... I will try and add step by step photos as I go along (starting in the morning )....

So -here is what you need to do:-

• Scrub the sweet potato with a nailbrush -they are sprayed to stop them from sprutting (so i have read)
• get a shallow tray with holes in the bottom-I'm using a grape tub
• half fill with compost with a little gravel mixed in
• nestle the sweetpotato in the compost mix -so its half burried
• stand in a shallow tray with a litle water in the bottom
• then they like quite a bit of heat -so luckily I have radiators that are about 2" wide and flat on top -so I sit mine on there with the radiator on low. I would think that a warm window sill should be fine, they may just take a little longer to get going
• I just keep checking on them daily and adding a drop more water to the bottom -or misting the top of the compost
• You will find that after a while you will get lots of fine roots on the bottom and then tiny pink buds should start to appear
• eventually they will grow quite tall and sprout leaves
• when they are about 2" tall you simply twist them off -they leave a hole like you have used a potato peeler to take an eye out
• you then set them into your pot/tub -the bottom leaves may wilt -but it doesn't matter... roots will eventually grow out of ther bottom and away you go

I grew mine in a crate last year -they didn't swell very well (they went without water for 3 weeks when I had to go home)...but there were loads of them -so fingers crossed for this year.

Im going to try them in a dustbin this year so they can go deeper -be warned they are invasive so if you set them in the ground -you may get more than you bargained for..

they need 150 days of warmth... so Im going to make a giant plastic shower cap for the dustbin to help keep the warmth in on colder days, and I will put them in the corner that catches the sun !

I'm also starting them now -then when I have the slips Im going to set them in small tubs indoors to get them going before moving them outdoors -Im Hoping it will give them a head start.

Sorry for the waffle.... I will add pics and go through each stage as I come to it ...hopefully it will make more sense then ....

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11th february

Just an update to say that I have the 1st root on my sweet potato...Quicker than I expected,,so Im thrilled, I just wish the weather would warm up so I could make a start on my seeds ..

I will get photos in the morning -its really strange light here at the moment -