Sweet potato - help!

[annie8]

For some reason I can't imagine, I decided one of my experimental crops this year would be sweet potatoes. I ordered some slips last week and they arrived really quickly. Now concerned that the instructions for growing seem complicated and i don't think my soil is warm enough. I have put the slips in water and asked the hubby to put some black plastic on the bed today. He did but on the wrong bed. Should I leave in water for longer until i can try and heat the soil a bit - its currently going between 8-15 degrees in the beds.

[nickdub]

Could you start them in pots, then plant out later ?

[annie8]

I could if that was an option. Have only ever grown normal potatoes so this feels different.

[Vince G]

They're absolutely fine in pots. I bought some slips last year and kept them in pots in the polytunnel until it was warm enough for them to go in the ground.

The ones in the picture I've attached are slips taken from last years potatoes. You basically find an eye in one and cut it out with a little chunk of the flesh, put it in a jar of water til it sprouts roots then put it in soil and keep warm. These ones have been in their pots since about November!

Might pot them on into a bigger pot, but they'll be fine until mid-May when I'll plant them out

[annie8]

Great. Just in multi purpose compost?

[bikermike]

yeah, start them in pots and don't pot them out for a while yet.

I'll be honest and say I a got small crop first year and a non-crop last year, so I hope you do better.

[lottieguy]

Hi Ya, Vince G, hope you are ok I garden and not far from your area. You say about the sweet spuds have you had much success? I have tried for 3 years with very limited results. I am trying again this season but not sure what to do now. I have tried in the greenhouse border, under black plastic down the plot and in tubs all with limited results. How do you grow yours? It would be appreciated for any additional advice. I could try in pots in the greenhouse as I konw they need warmth. I am trying beauregard again but what variety do you use? cheers

[Small pumpkin]

I'm trying sweet potato for the first time this year. I cheated and got a plant from a garden centre. It was an impulse buy! I've never tried growing them before because apparently they don't like our cold wet weather up here! So it's getting grown in a 100+lt tub in the smaller & cooler polytunnel.
So it's fingers crossed for any sort of crop.
Good luck with yours Annie.

[Vince G]

Hi Ya, Vince G, hope you are ok I garden and not far from your area. You say about the sweet spuds have you had much success? I have tried for 3 years with very limited results. I am trying again this season but not sure what to do now. I have tried in the greenhouse border, under black plastic down the plot and in tubs all with limited results. How do you grow yours? It would be appreciated for any additional advice. I could try in pots in the greenhouse as I konw they need warmth. I am trying beauregard again but what variety do you use? cheers

Hi lottieguy, not far from me at all! Used to go to Great Bricett occasionally as I knew someone with their own snooker table out there, not been for many years though.

As regards the sweet potatoes, I got 6 beauregard slips from (I think) Dobies. 1 died before it went in the ground, 1 died after being planted and 1 produced no potatoes at all. The other 3 produced plenty though, and the pic attached was the pots from the best plant. So it was far from plain sailing, but I got enough.



I planted mine in a sunny spot in the lottie, no black plastic or anything. Watered regularly as the soil at the lottie is quite sandy, so maybe your soil is a bit heavy? Other than that it doesn't sound as though you're doing much wrong, but they're not easy.

[veggiechicken]

They look like a plate of entrails.
I'd be chuffed if I grew those.

[Vince G]

ha ha ha, you're right VC. I could've arrange those a little better on the tray.

Apparently they get sweeter if you store them a while, but with Mrs G about they didn't get the chance!

[annie8]

Have planted the slips in pots. Should I leave them inside rather than putting in the greenhouse during the day? It does get really hot in there. I could leave inside although the pots are too big for the windowsill so wouldn’t be getting direct sun. Am hoping once we get past this weekend it might be warm enough to get them out. Have got the black plastic down on the bed.

[nickdub]

I'd vote for keeping the slips inside in the warm for now - the fist priority is to get some roots established, constantly warm compost is going to be the best way to do that.

[annie8]

Oh dear the slips are not looking happy. Hoping they will perk up but at moment are wilting and leaves are curling up.

[annie8]

So update from the April post. 4 of the 5 slips slowly died having never grown any roots. One survived and I planted it out after much coddling. It is looking very healthy I think although very low to the ground. Says on the advice I got with the slips that it would be ready in about 120 days which would take me til the end of this month. I have no idea though if there are signs I should be looking for that it’s ready though. I only know about normal potatoes and it seems so different. Any advice ?