Growing Sweet potatoes from tubers

[mothhawk]

Ease off chit. And plant. Actually earlier than much roots would form. A few leaflets are coming at this stage.

I get enough junk mail already. I don't want my veg to start sending me stuff too!

[mothhawk]

Don't know if this may be any help - I've just had a look in my American veg gardening book, and it says to set large firm sweet potatoes in sand in a warm sunny room, and shoots will begin to grow in a day or two. When they are about 4 inches long, gently twist them off and put them in a container of water until they begin to grow roots, then pot up.

Edit: TBH I can't see why you would want to make the whole potato sprout roots, by putting it in water, when it is chits or slips you want it to grow.

[Ananke]

I thought you had to grow the roots first before the slips would grow, I don't think its the same thing as chitting a spud (i've been really wrong about these sorta things in the past though so don't quote me )

Here is a pic of my wee root

[veggiechicken]

Thanks for looking it up - all contributions gratefully accepted!
There seem to be many variations on a theme with sweet potatoes. Maybe, if I'm lucky enough to get any shoots, I'll try a few in water as well as hacking off some bits with tuber attached.

[veggiechicken]

I thought you had to grow the roots first before the slips would grow, I don't think its the same thing as chitting a spud (i've been really wrong about these sorta things in the past though so don't quote me )

Here is a pic of my wee root

Thanks Ananke. I'm not sure how to comment on your photo -but it made me laugh!! At least you know something positive is happening. Fingers crossed that more roots grow.

[Nicos]

My sweet potatoes deffo had roots at the bottom and shoots at the top. Nothing like a 'normal' potato chitting....hence my allowing a foot or more of top growth!

[Tam]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...otatoes-3.html _ this has some useful information.

[veggiechicken]

Good link that, Tam, Thanks. Now, we need more people to tell us their cropping results - especially the positive ones. Anyone there????

[shona_b]

I tried and failed to sprout shop bought ones but did buy some plants last season. A neighbour said you could take cuttings of some of the "vines" from the plant and pop into water until roots formed. These could be planted out for next year - however having taken about 12 cuttings and successfully got them to root all that got planted into small pots and put into the greenhouse (this was autumn) have all died. There is one left in water which I didn't get round to planting and its on an indoor windowsill....and also looks dead! So the result is - no I have no good tips at growing sweet potatoes without buying them!! By the way those that did grow last year produced a carrier bag of spuds - if you could call them spuds - moe like finger sized swellings still they got chopped and are in the freezer for chucking into soups and stews across the winter.

[Ananke]

From what I understand, growing in containers will significantly affect the size of the tubers and we don't have the temperatures in this country to grow them outside in the ground (certainly not up here anyway).

If I do get any slips from this fine specimen, i'm going to plant them into the greenhouse border. Hopefully that will give them the heat and room they need to bulk up. Only time will tell I suppose but it's fun trying these things

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Shona. Another interesting take on the sweet potato saga! Success of sorts from bought plants.

[BarleySugar]

I planted up 5 very small tubers left from my Beauregard attempts last year. So far, 3 have sprouted roots and shoots, the other 2 have some roots only. It looks as if there may well be roots form at the bottom of each shoot in time, if that is the case, I'll be splitting them up to make more plants. I've potted the 3 most advanced ones into individual pots, the other 2 I've popped back into the heated propagator. I'm not sure how quickly they'll grow indoors, I just hope I have enough space to keep them frost free unitl May.
Based on the results from my bought plants last year I would not pay out again, but if I can get these going for free, that's another matter.

The tuber in the picture is probably 2-3 inches long

[veggiechicken]

Thanks BS. They look promising! No sign of any roots on my sweet potato halves yet but, never say Dai (as they say in Wales!).

[Ananke]

That looks great BarleySugar.

The tuber I have suspended in water has a few roots but it's taking it's time. Maybe too cold on the window ledge I have it on, i'm not sure which is more important, heat or light at this stage, any idea?

I have a few tubers in the veg drawer, I might try putting them in soil and see if they do better that way.

[BarleySugar]

I decided that as they are quite tropical plants that putting them in the heated propagator would encourage them to shoot rather than rot, especially after reading up some comments about the sulking if it is a bit chilly. I would think the heat to get them going, then light once you have actual shoots.

The ones that are growing strongly will spend time on the south windowsill, until they get too big. It is surprising to me how quickly the shoots have grown considering the plants put outside the end of May last year sat still for ages.