[sunshineband]

I am browsing catalogues and have just read that there are now varieteis of sweet potato that crop reliably in this country.

Has anyone grown any this year , either from slips of from supermarket ones?

[A19_GRAHAM]

I'd love to know also, I love sweet potatoes. Mmmmmmm

[Oliveview]

Could I just plant up some sweet potatoes from the potatoes sold in the supermarket?  You donīt see seed sweet potato here.
Pamela

[noshed]

I grew some this year and they were surprisingly successful. You get a sweet potato from the shop and put it in a jar of water so about half of it is sticking out. Then you wait for it to sprout. Then you pull the sprouts off and pot them up.
Then you plant the sprouts out in late spring.
They grow like vines, or bindweed, all over the surface of the soil. I only got one to grow on this year and I was staring at it this Sunday, wondering where the sweet potatoes were. So I had a rootle around with the fork and found about 5 big ones!
So we ate them for tea.
You would need to grow three or four to be worthwhile and they do take up quite a lot of space. But fun nonetheless.

[Snap Dragon]

Didn't Joe Swift grow them on his lottie?

I seem to remember he grew them up wig wams (or am I thinking of something else? )... if so it might take up less space.

I might give 'em a go next year.

[noshed]

Apparently you can also slice one in half and put it in some damp compost and wait for that to sprout.

[sunshineband]

Were these the normal orange fleshed ones you can buy? f so, I shall save the money and not buy 'named' slips and grow these instead.. probably with the leaves up the fence 

[gypsy]

I planted the ones from the supermarket and they did not grow. A chap who is a commercial gardener told me it was because they are treated to extend the shelf life and that prevented it from growing. cc

[nickthegreek]

Might try it myself I love to eat them best way is to microwave for 5 mins take it out be carefull its hot then rub in olive oil and sea salt and cracked pepper and bake in the oven ..

Very good

[Clover]

Didn't Joe Swift grow them on his lottie?

I seem to remember he grew them up wig wams (or am I thinking of something else? )... if so it might take up less space.

I might give 'em a go next year.

It was him, I remember it distinctly, but that's probably why he didn't get a crop!  I've got a book with a diagram of how they grow and it says definitely don't let them climb.  The vines need access to the earth which is where they root and develop tubers.

[sunshineband]

Aaah I didn't know that's how they grew Clover. Thank you!

She quickjly revises the plan to grow them up the fence 

[Clover]

Well, I suppose the book is right, though I've no experience of growing them myself.

(It's Growing Unusual Vegetables by Simon Hickmott and he seems to know what he's talking about.)

If you grow them up a trellis I imagine you'd just get less tubers because you'll still get some at the base.

I came across this UK site with photos which I always find helpful.
http://downtheplot.com/batatas.php

[karooba007]

seems like a lot of effort. some winter squashes taste like sweet potato.

[Beetroot queen]

Yay I want to try hubby loves them and they are great for his low GI diet 

[Chuffy]

It was him, I remember it distinctly, but that's probably why he didn't get a crop!  I've got a book with a diagram of how they grow and it says definitely don't let them climb.  The vines need access to the earth which is where they root and develop tubers.

What? 

I've got half a dozen plants which have been growing on a lovingly prepared raised bed since May. Through weed control fabric. Do the trailing vines sprout and 'set' themselves then? If so I'm due for a bumper crop of b*gger all....