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Allan Matthews 18-03-2004 03:29 AM

Sweet potato starting
 
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.

Ray Drouillard 18-03-2004 03:29 AM

Sweet potato starting
 

"Allan Matthews" wrote in message
...
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.

I recall reading that you aren't supposed to cut up the potatoes before
planting them, but I guess the potatoes didn't read that article :-)


Ray




Ray Drouillard 18-03-2004 05:14 AM

Sweet potato starting
 

"Allan Matthews" wrote in message
...
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.

I recall reading that you aren't supposed to cut up the potatoes before
planting them, but I guess the potatoes didn't read that article :-)


Ray




Ray Drouillard 18-03-2004 05:36 AM

Sweet potato starting
 

"Allan Matthews" wrote in message
...
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.

I recall reading that you aren't supposed to cut up the potatoes before
planting them, but I guess the potatoes didn't read that article :-)


Ray




FarmerDill 18-03-2004 06:10 PM

Sweet potato starting
 

I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


The easiest way fro just a few plants is to take a sweet potato, preferably one
that that sprouted and placed the root in down in a jar of water. The potato
needs to be a bout half submerged. Tooth picks can be used to stabilize the
potato. Allow about 4 weeks for the plant to reach transplant size. Placed in a
warm sunny window, sweet potatoes need heat.


Christopher Hamel 18-03-2004 07:39 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message ...
"Allan Matthews" wrote in message
...
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.

I recall reading that you aren't supposed to cut up the potatoes before
planting them, but I guess the potatoes didn't read that article :-)

I had a similar experience, for what it's worth. I had never planted
sweet potatoes and knew virtually nothing of the plant, but I had a
potato from the supermarket that was sprouting. I cut it up, planted
the eyes, and ended up with a pretty nice plant. I only got one
potato out of it all, but there were several reasons for that (planted
very late in the season, put the vines on a trellis, so they didn't
root, etc).
Ray


Christopher Hamel 18-03-2004 07:43 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message ...
"Allan Matthews" wrote in message
...
I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.

I recall reading that you aren't supposed to cut up the potatoes before
planting them, but I guess the potatoes didn't read that article :-)

I had a similar experience, for what it's worth. I had never planted
sweet potatoes and knew virtually nothing of the plant, but I had a
potato from the supermarket that was sprouting. I cut it up, planted
the eyes, and ended up with a pretty nice plant. I only got one
potato out of it all, but there were several reasons for that (planted
very late in the season, put the vines on a trellis, so they didn't
root, etc).
Ray


Dwayne 22-03-2004 05:59 AM

Sweet potato starting
 
You grow sweet potatoes from "slips". I have mine started already inside (I
live in Kansas). Down in Arkansas or zones 7 or above, they will be started
outside within another month or so. I started mine by putting the potatoes
that were starting to sprout, in a plastic tray that will hold water. I
then poured about a quart of water in it and put it on top of the freezer
where it would stay warm.

The sprouts have become plants ("slips") that are 2 to 6 inches tall. When
they get three or four more inches taller, or when it is safe to put them
outside, I will pull them off the sweet potatoes, and put them into water.
Make sure that the leaves aren't in the water, even if you have to strip off
some of them. I leave mine for two days or longer, until they have sprouted
a nice set of roots. Then I take them out and plant them.

About 20 potatoes should produce 60 to 120 slips, but not all at once. If
you are down in area 7 or warmer, put some manure on the ground and cover it
with about an inch of sand. Lay the sweet potatoes on the sand and cover
them with about an inch of sand. Then water them every few days until the
slips have reached 6 to 10 inches tall.

You can contact me direct if you need to.

Dwayne




"FarmerDill" wrote in message
...

I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


The easiest way fro just a few plants is to take a sweet potato,

preferably one
that that sprouted and placed the root in down in a jar of water. The

potato
needs to be a bout half submerged. Tooth picks can be used to stabilize

the
potato. Allow about 4 weeks for the plant to reach transplant size. Placed

in a
warm sunny window, sweet potatoes need heat.





Dwayne 22-03-2004 06:11 AM

Sweet potato starting
 
You grow sweet potatoes from "slips". I have mine started already inside (I
live in Kansas). Down in Arkansas or zones 7 or above, they will be started
outside within another month or so. I started mine by putting the potatoes
that were starting to sprout, in a plastic tray that will hold water. I
then poured about a quart of water in it and put it on top of the freezer
where it would stay warm.

The sprouts have become plants ("slips") that are 2 to 6 inches tall. When
they get three or four more inches taller, or when it is safe to put them
outside, I will pull them off the sweet potatoes, and put them into water.
Make sure that the leaves aren't in the water, even if you have to strip off
some of them. I leave mine for two days or longer, until they have sprouted
a nice set of roots. Then I take them out and plant them.

About 20 potatoes should produce 60 to 120 slips, but not all at once. If
you are down in area 7 or warmer, put some manure on the ground and cover it
with about an inch of sand. Lay the sweet potatoes on the sand and cover
them with about an inch of sand. Then water them every few days until the
slips have reached 6 to 10 inches tall.

You can contact me direct if you need to.

Dwayne




"FarmerDill" wrote in message
...

I want to plant a few sweet potato plants this year. I understand
that I have to start them from shoots. How far in advance do I have
to start with the sweet potato to get the shoots? Can I plant cut
sweet potatos instead, as you would plant irish potatos?Thanks for any
input.


The easiest way fro just a few plants is to take a sweet potato,

preferably one
that that sprouted and placed the root in down in a jar of water. The

potato
needs to be a bout half submerged. Tooth picks can be used to stabilize

the
potato. Allow about 4 weeks for the plant to reach transplant size. Placed

in a
warm sunny window, sweet potatoes need heat.





John Savage 02-04-2004 04:36 AM

Sweet potato starting
 
"Ray Drouillard" writes:
I had some sweet potatoes that had started to sprout, so I cut the
sprouts out (along with a fairly generous amount of potato), put them in
some water to keep them alive until after frost, and planted them. They
grew fine, and produced a nice crop -- which is really amazing because I
live in Michigan.


I have some sweet potato shoots in water at this very moment. I prised
them off the tuber when the shoots were about 4"-8" long, but unlike your
example I took no potato at all, just gently bent each shoot back right at
the tuber until it came off. Standing in water on the windowsill the
shoots have developed dozens of 1" roots and have grown leaves and now
look for all the world like true water plants. They have been in water for
over 2 months now. As summer is coming to an end here in the southern
hemisphere I won't be planting these out. I'll discard them.

I once planted a sweet potato that had some healthy-looking shoots on it.
I just planted the whole thing as is. It grew vigorously, spreading to
occupy a large area with lush green foliage. In late summer I decided I'd
dig just a corner of it to see how big the potatoes underneath were. So
I started to dig, and dug and dug, until I eventually had the whole plant
up. All I harvested was the same old potato I'd planted! There wasn't a
single new one to be found. So sweet potatoes certainly have different
requirements from the South American spud.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)


Loki 06-04-2004 08:26 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
il Fri, 02 Apr 2004 01:07:13 GMT, John Savage ha scritto:
snip
I once planted a sweet potato that had some healthy-looking shoots on it.
I just planted the whole thing as is. It grew vigorously, spreading to
occupy a large area with lush green foliage. In late summer I decided I'd
dig just a corner of it to see how big the potatoes underneath were. So
I started to dig, and dug and dug, until I eventually had the whole plant
up. All I harvested was the same old potato I'd planted! There wasn't a
single new one to be found. So sweet potatoes certainly have different
requirements from the South American spud.


I don't know what sort of sweet potato you're referring to. But here
in New Zealand the kumera (purple skinned ) is planted in a J shape.
That is, you bend the roots when you plant them. We can buy the
seedlings which just seem to have a little purple root with hairs off
it and a few leaves. They like to have a hard pan underneath some
nice soil is what I've read. So some people put a sheet of iron
underneath the soil to encourage the roots and tubers to stay high.
Then you have to heap it I think but look under 'kumera growing' and
see what you find in Google.

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]


Loki 06-04-2004 08:35 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
il 03 Apr 2004 08:20:15 +1200, "Loki" ha scritto:
[snip]
Then you have to heap it I think but look under 'kumera growing' and
see what you find in Google.


uh, make that kumara ...

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=cac...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]


Loki 06-04-2004 09:58 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
il Fri, 02 Apr 2004 01:07:13 GMT, John Savage ha scritto:
snip
I once planted a sweet potato that had some healthy-looking shoots on it.
I just planted the whole thing as is. It grew vigorously, spreading to
occupy a large area with lush green foliage. In late summer I decided I'd
dig just a corner of it to see how big the potatoes underneath were. So
I started to dig, and dug and dug, until I eventually had the whole plant
up. All I harvested was the same old potato I'd planted! There wasn't a
single new one to be found. So sweet potatoes certainly have different
requirements from the South American spud.


I don't know what sort of sweet potato you're referring to. But here
in New Zealand the kumera (purple skinned ) is planted in a J shape.
That is, you bend the roots when you plant them. We can buy the
seedlings which just seem to have a little purple root with hairs off
it and a few leaves. They like to have a hard pan underneath some
nice soil is what I've read. So some people put a sheet of iron
underneath the soil to encourage the roots and tubers to stay high.
Then you have to heap it I think but look under 'kumera growing' and
see what you find in Google.

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]


Loki 06-04-2004 10:00 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
il 03 Apr 2004 08:20:15 +1200, "Loki" ha scritto:
[snip]
Then you have to heap it I think but look under 'kumera growing' and
see what you find in Google.


uh, make that kumara ...

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=cac...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]


Loki 06-04-2004 10:10 PM

Sweet potato starting
 
il Fri, 02 Apr 2004 01:07:13 GMT, John Savage ha scritto:
snip
I once planted a sweet potato that had some healthy-looking shoots on it.
I just planted the whole thing as is. It grew vigorously, spreading to
occupy a large area with lush green foliage. In late summer I decided I'd
dig just a corner of it to see how big the potatoes underneath were. So
I started to dig, and dug and dug, until I eventually had the whole plant
up. All I harvested was the same old potato I'd planted! There wasn't a
single new one to be found. So sweet potatoes certainly have different
requirements from the South American spud.


I don't know what sort of sweet potato you're referring to. But here
in New Zealand the kumera (purple skinned ) is planted in a J shape.
That is, you bend the roots when you plant them. We can buy the
seedlings which just seem to have a little purple root with hairs off
it and a few leaves. They like to have a hard pan underneath some
nice soil is what I've read. So some people put a sheet of iron
underneath the soil to encourage the roots and tubers to stay high.
Then you have to heap it I think but look under 'kumera growing' and
see what you find in Google.

--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]



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