[izzy]

Here's a question

Does any body out there in gardening land know where I can get sweet potatoes tubers.Would it be ok to use the ones from the supermarket if seed ones aren't available?

  :?
Izzy

[gobs]

T&M sells little shoots, called snips, you can order from them through this site.

[shaun]

have a look at this thread izzy,there were some realy good pics but they are not there now  :?

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=3037&start=0

[compostqueen]

I think they're quite rampant and can take up a lot of space in the polytunnel or greenhouse

Delicious though so worth it if you have space and can keep em warm   Do the Organic Gardening Catalogue do them ?

[Eristic]

I've started a page on my website for sweet potatoes and has a few pictures of slips and will be updated through the year as more photos become available.

Sweet potatoes will always be a risky crop in our climate unless you can dedicate greenhouse or polytunnel space to them, but they can be grown outside if the summer is good and sunny. I find the shop bought tubers work for me but always some will take their time making roots and shoots.

The orange coloured ones seem to start quickest and can produce 2 dozen slips or more.

Growing Sweet Potatos.

[Aunt Sally]

This is a bit from your blog Eristic

Select a good sweet potato and place it in a suitable pot or jar containing some water. Just enough water to keep the tuber at 100% humidity and placed somewhere cosy and warm.

Can you expand on this.  Do you mean the potato has to be in the water. touching the water or above the water ?

[Eristic]

I don't think it matters much as long as it is warm and damp. Sometimes when actually in the water they rot if there is any skin damage. I use cut down plastic milk bottles mostly and have 2" or so of water and drop a tuber in.

Must be kept warm. Warmer the better. Once they start, theres usually 3-4 slips per week for ages. So far I have 37 slips mostly rooted with 3 trying to survive under a water bottle cloche in the polytunnel.

Tubers can sprout in the kitchen cupboard so I doubt that the water is absolutely necessary.

[gobs]

Absolutely not, you can get them produce very good slips in damp sand or similar.

[izzy]

cheers everybody

Sounds worth a go .I'll try one along with another holder on our site .See what happens.

Izzy

[LadyPlod]

Izzy, I'm not far from you (Nantwich) so was wondering are you growing the sweet pots in a greenhouse or outside? Is it sunny enough here??? I was thinking of having a go this year too.
LadyPlod

[izzy]

Hi Ladypod.......I've never grown them before.I'll try and follow the advice from other members.I should imagine they will have to be kept warm as most of the ones you see in the shops come from Isreal. Could be an absolute failure but worth a try.Keeping them warm and humid could be the problem.Probably a crop in a greenhouse at home might be a better option.  

Izzy

[jacnal]

Absolutely not, you can get them produce very good slips in damp sand or similar.

Humidity, no?  

[gobs]

Yes, you can mimic a little quazi gh for them too, if needed, like your propagator lids or similar.

[littlelisa]

Apparently the leaves can be harvested and eaten like spinach (http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0507/sweetpotatoes.asp)

[jacnal]

Apparently the leaves can be harvested and eaten like spinach (http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0507/sweetpotatoes.asp)

Yep, my grandma cooks them too. I'll give them a try one day when I've mastered regular potatoes, carrots and tomatoes