[RJR_38]

Thanks Peas.  Yes, my children are 20, 17, 16, 11, 6 and 4.  They keep my on my toes!

I spent a few hours the other day reading through both of the long sweet potato threads, from 2010 and 2011.  I would still be interested in whether or not the tire method might help to increase the temperature - but I'm also wondering about the rubber etc leaching into the soil.  Maybe with a liner?

I would love to hear if this works for you. I don't have a greenhouse or tunnels etc but would love to grow sweet potatoes - like you we eat loads of them. We are in the south so if I picked a sheltered spot I wonder if it would work.

Anyone know what the minimum temp needs to be for the 4 months?

[Trillium]

80F would be ideal but unlikely to happen in the UK.

But, if you can do a makeshift polytunnel cover with a few short cane pieces for anchors, some poly tubing bent over for hoops and some clear vinyl sheeting, you could contain whatever heat you get. This can be made over containers as well as garden beds.

[RJR_38]

I am only getting started this year so it won't be a project for this year but it is something to think about for next year definitely!

[Trillium]

I found an interesting article that might help a few wannabe sweet potato growers.

LINK

[Klausy1000]

Trillium, can we grow sweet potatoes in southern Ontario?

[matuyama]

This is a great thread, lots of useful info.

I'll be experimenting with growing different sweet potato varieties here in southern Sweden this year. I've collected 9 tubers from all over the place and plan on growing at least one plant from each. I have purple, white and orange-fleshed varieties, does anyone have any experience growing the purple ones (the dark-purple skinned/fleshed ones, not the Okinawan variety) in colder climates? My guess is it won't do very well but I'll give it my best shot.

I've got them all sitting in water on my windowsill and so far most of them have started growing roots. One actually started forming both roots and shoots at the bottom-end (which was under water), so I turned it around and took off the roots.

Can't wait till summer!

[ThatsNice]

My sweet potatoes are not looking good. The look like they are starting to rot and no signs if any growth Might just chuck them and try again. Is it too late to do that?

[Trillium]

That's Nice, yes, start again asap. Was your potato completely under water or anything? If so, it just needs to be suspended halfway in water (I use 3 toothpicks inserted midway around the tuber. The water also needs replacing once a week to prevent nasty slime and if the submerged end looks slimey, give it a rinse before setting it back into the cleaned container. I started this thread early so those interested could get a head start.

Klausy, I live in upper southwestern Ont and grow it so Toronto will do well. There's a fellow in Kingston who grows them in small polytunnels and actually has a business with them.

matuyama, all the varieties you have will grow the same, and hopefully you already have them in water for sprouting. When you take off your slips, I recommend you plant them in a larger pot than we would because yours will need more indoor growing time due to your more severe climate. Be sure the pot mix is part compost or composted manure to give them a good start.

For extended growing outside later, you might want to consider building a simple tall grow box that has an upper 'greenhouse' enclosure so they stay warm, because warmth is absolutely key for sweet potatoes. Without warmth, they'll just sulk. The top can be poly film, glass or dual walled greenhouse plastic - whatever you can get/afford so long as you can enclose the growth and open slightly for air.  If your climate becomes a bit too cool in fall, you might want to bring that container inside to finish the growth (if that's possible).

[ThatsNice]

That's Nice, yes, start again asap. Was your potato completely under water or anything? If so, it just needs to be suspended halfway in water (I use 3 toothpicks inserted midway around the tuber. The water also needs replacing once a week to prevent nasty slime and if the submerged end looks slimey, give it a rinse before setting it back into the cleaned container. I started this thread early so those interested could get a head start.

Hi, yes I have them as you describe. I have been changing the water but the bottoms that are submerged look either slimey or starting to rot. They are in my bedroom windowsill (the only one that gets exposure to sun) but it has maybe been too cold even there because of the hard friars we've been having? I've done the foil trick too to maximise the daylight.

[ThatsNice]

Frosts* not friars, lol!

[matuyama]

matuyama, all the varieties you have will grow the same, and hopefully you already have them in water for sprouting. When you take off your slips, I recommend you plant them in a larger pot than we would because yours will need more indoor growing time due to your more severe climate. Be sure the pot mix is part compost or composted manure to give them a good start.

For extended growing outside later, you might want to consider building a simple tall grow box that has an upper 'greenhouse' enclosure so they stay warm, because warmth is absolutely key for sweet potatoes. Without warmth, they'll just sulk. The top can be poly film, glass or dual walled greenhouse plastic - whatever you can get/afford so long as you can enclose the growth and open slightly for air.  If your climate becomes a bit too cool in fall, you might want to bring that container inside to finish the growth (if that's possible).

Re: the growth of different varieties, I was referring to the way they'll produce for me outside, I assume the purple one, presumably a Chinese variety, is far less tolerant of my climate than e.g. Georgia Jet is.

The grow box sounds like a great idea, but unfortunately that's not an option on my allotment at the moment. I was thinking of trying a combination of a transparant plastic mulch and a floating row cover. We have about the same average temperatures as central UK here, so I'm hoping that will be sufficient to give them some warmth? Or am I being naive here?

[Trillium]

The floating row cover might not give enough warmth since sweet potatoes are tropical and like it as hot (and I mean over 80F) as they can get it. You'd probably do better with a poly sheeting propped up on hoops over the row than with the row cover. Row covers will keep out frost but they won't keep in warmth/heat.

The purple Chinese one will probably do fine in the UK. People don't realize how cool much of China's growing conditions are.

[sunshineband]

I'm all ready -- blue hoops and poly cover at the ready, plus some mintunnel space too. Space aloocated in the greenhouse at home for potted slips once they root

But ----- my slips haven't arrived yet, so will have the reign myself in {{{{{ deep sigh}}}}}

[Ema]

That's a great article Trillium thanks nice to read something positive for a change.

I've got a potato on top on my fridge 16-18c and am wondering if I should put it on top of my boiler what do you all think?

Also I have seen a lot of videos from the earlier links of potatos lying down rather than standing on en what do you think works best?

[Trillium]

If the boiler doesn't exceed 70F (21C)  your s.p. should be okay. You just want to encourage it, not cook it 

As for how best to get them slipping, they all work, but I think for most of us that are doing just a few slips on one potato, its probably better to have them upright in a glass so we can regularly check on it for slime problems, etc. You'll notice in the ones where the potatoes are lying down, that there are many of them and if one rots from too much water there's no real loss. But if you want to do it that way, by all means go for it. It will still work.