[stompy]

Hi all,

Is anyone growing sweet potato's this year?

Andy

[harry]

Not this year, after several attempts with no success.

[mjg000]

I have tried several times... usually late in the season, I have really enjoyed harvesting what I've grown though think I need to give it a lot more thought early on to make the most of a short time scale.

[harry]

Do you grow them from slips bought from the seed companies, which are quite expensive,or is there a better way.
Which ones are best ?

[mjg000]

I didn't grow any last year but ordered slips from the year before. They arrived and looked as though they would never amount to much but I potted them on and they eventually came alive and I planted out in front of my dwarf beans.  Probably got 8 or 9 sweet potatoes from 3 slips though felt they were probably neglected and uncared for so pleased to get anything.  They are just a crop I hope to get to grips with one of these years, I like to grow something different and unusual each year and I will continue to stick a few bought in slips any year I think I've got the space - they do grow foliage vertically so not too much space needed, probably an expensive veg to be trying yourself if you are thinking about the money you are saving - you can get them pretty cheaply in store. 

Have just looked up 2015 diary... 3 Beauregard arrived on 20/5, potted up and then planted out 02/07.  Harvested 10 on 26/10

[stompy]

We dont't buy slips, we use a supermarket potato.
Just poke 3 cocktail sticks in at one third intervals around the potato just past midway on its length then suspend it in a glass full of water so that the bottom third is in the water, keep the water topped up.

It will "eventually put roots out into the water and "eventually" start growing shoots.
Once the shoots are 3 inch long just twist them off and pot them up, they will then put out roots and the tubers are swolen roots.
They do need a decent sized pot to grow in and probably better off under cover and you do only get an average crop for alot of effort, just something to tick off the i've grown myself list for me.

Andy

[mumofstig]

Plenty of advice about growing them here

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=50097.msg592911#msg592911
and here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=69949.msg799224#msg799224

[3759allen]

i've tried for 2 or 3 years and now given up. i can't justify the effort and space, too cheap in the shops for the space they take up.

all i would say is that i would try to grow one sweet potato per slip, rather than allowing them to trail and root themselves lots of slips. i found the runners only produced a very small potato that you can't do anything with. i just don't think our season is long enough or warm enough. if i were to do them again i would probably train them upwards rather than trail.