Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: casper on October 13, 2014, 19:54

Title: sweet potatoes
Post by: casper on October 13, 2014, 19:54

During the summer I had  some shop bought sweet potatoes that begun to grow leaves, so I chopped some of and continued to grown them in a tub of water, they have lots of roots and my tub is pot bound, I also planted some in garden pots, they are all still alive, I have no idea what to do with them now, i still have the original potatoes which continue to grow, any thoughts what i can do and anybody had any success with them  :)

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: mumofstig on October 13, 2014, 21:07

The 2013 sweet potato thread starts here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=101119.msg1125236#msg1125236

and carries on with this year's thread
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=111392.0

They explain the whole process better than I can in a reply  ;)

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: 3759allen on October 14, 2014, 22:03

you'll have to over winter them now. this way you should get a good start for next year.

i've tried some for the first time time this season, not dared to harvested any yet as the weathers still so mild.

i will post with how successful or disappointing the crop is.

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: ghost61 on October 15, 2014, 07:36

First time growing these for me too.  Have got them under plastic outdoors, outdoors not under plastic and in the polytunnel under cloches, just to see if there is any difference in the result.  I will admit to having had a furtle underground and there does seem to be some small tubers.  Can't wait!

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: SusieB on October 15, 2014, 21:06

Any tips on over-wintering the shoots?  I can never get them shoots going early enough in the spring, so I have grown some shoots to hopefully keep alive over winter.  (I have tried looking through the previous threads, but cannot find anything about overwintering the sprouting bits).

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: mumofstig on October 15, 2014, 21:15

Either pot them up
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=87463.msg1058878#msg1058878

or forget about them and leave them over water  :lol:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=69949.msg810218#msg810218

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: 3759allen on October 15, 2014, 21:26

i got them to shoot in january by sitting them on the mantle piece, these did die off for some reason when potted up (so started later than i wanted to).

i think heat is the main thing so i will be keeping my slips on the mantle piece and hoping they survive for an early start next season.

Title: Re: sweet potatoes
Post by: SusieB on October 15, 2014, 21:42

Thank you Mumofstig, just what I needed to know.  And thanks 3759allen, the heat thing a bit of a problem because my house is freezing, but I'll give it a go.