sweet potatoes 2011

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rainbow1

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2011, 22:20 »
Started mine today. I have five jars containing three different types of tuber, one from the co-op and the two I grew last year (Beauregard Improved and T65) from bought slips. Here's hoping for shoots!

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2011, 05:30 »
They will come, but if they were sprayed, they'll just be slower getting around to it.

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kari

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2011, 06:36 »
I've just started one, but think I will pop out & try to find an organic one to try as well, will be interesting to compare the two.

I've  placed it on the warmest sunniest windowsill, do you think its worth using an empty 2 ltr plastic bottle with the bottom cut off & placed over the jar to keep the heat in?

We dont have an allotment, so am hoping they will grow ok in either a potato sack, or an upturned bag of compost
New to gardening & growing my own, its a very steep learning curve!

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Kleftiwallah

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2011, 13:28 »
I'm perplexed!    :unsure:

It looks as though the potato I've got has a rott stub at each end !  I think I'll bung this one in the stew and look around down the greengrocers for one more recogniseable.    Cheers,   Tony.
I may be growing OLD, but I refuse to grow UP !

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #19 on: February 05, 2011, 15:45 »
I brought home a new one and someone (who shall remain nameless) at home promptly dropped it on one end. Mush. So I rushed out and bought another, this time making sure I was the only one to handle it  ::)

Sweet potatoes are very tough plants. I started 2 last year and took off many slips which I shared with friends. Then I forgot to water the tubers for months at a time. Completely forgot all winter and decided I'd best toss them, only to find several slips still green and growing. Tuber is quite shrunken so definitely it's last year, but amazing nonetheless.

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noshed

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #20 on: February 05, 2011, 22:40 »
I've still got some on a window sill from last year
Self-sufficient in rasberries and bindweed. Slug pellets can be handy.

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kari

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #21 on: February 07, 2011, 18:09 »
I wasnt able to find any organic sweet potatos, but I noticed today that my sweet potato has produced little roots under the water already, so looks like this one will be ok.   I wasnt expecting to see them so soon.

No sign of any slips yet, but wont expect them for a while, i'm just happy to know I had put the potato the right way up  ???

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #22 on: February 07, 2011, 22:00 »
In all honesty, I'm not sure you'll notice a difference in how it sprouts or grows as organic versus non organic, but you'll definitely notice in the taste of whatever you do grow.

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sarah f

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2011, 09:10 »
ive read this  and  ive been tempted to try sweet potatoes, just one thing though  if the chickens  have a go at the leaves will they poison them :blink:

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #24 on: February 09, 2011, 20:52 »
Here's a toxic list for poultry. It's a bit hard to read, but yes, sweet potato plants are toxic to poultry. If possible, grow the plant where the birds can't access it.


http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

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Trikidiki

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #25 on: February 10, 2011, 15:32 »
In all honesty, I'm not sure you'll notice a difference in how it sprouts or grows as organic versus non organic, but you'll definitely notice in the taste of whatever you do grow.

Surely its how its grown will determine how it tastes, not whether it comes from an organic parent tuber or not.

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #26 on: February 10, 2011, 17:17 »
 :D That's what I was actually trying to say but didn't quite manage. There might be some small added bonuses in organic seed/tubers regarding resistance and such, but the end flavour definitely depends on how your plant is fed and cared for by you.

If I was to taste two organically grown carrots, one from organically grown seed and one from chemically raised seed, I honestly don't believe I could tell the difference.

However, if I'm given one organic carrot and one chemically raised carrot to try (without knowing which is which) I can tell the difference 99% of the time.


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sarah f

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #27 on: February 11, 2011, 17:02 »
thankyou trillium

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dig4victory

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #28 on: February 14, 2011, 12:41 »
A very helpful thread!

We were going to send off for some tubers, but if I read right, can you start off using ones from supermarket?

...and how do you get 'slips' from them, do you slice off sections?

if anyone can be bothered to type up a really simple 1,2,3 style process that would be marv.

Thank'ee

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mumofstig

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