I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

Pepperqueen wrote:
Hi!
I grow Sweet potatoes every year, because i live in Southern,
Ontario, I
have to grow mine inside to get them started. I use a foil pie dish,
add the
potting soil, keep it moist and cover with clear wrap. When you see
the red
buds start to appear, remove wrap, and make sure you spray the soil
and
buds. I harden them off in Spring, and plant them in a large plot.
They grow
all over! In September, which is harvest time for us, I dig them up!.
From
one plant I got eleven sweet potatoes! Excellent crop! Each year
varies
though. weather can play a factor. I wish you luck, and I hope this
helps??
Deb.
wrote in message
oups.com...
I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow
like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?



I live in southern Kentucky

On 4 Feb 2005 13:10:26 -0800, wrote:

I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

Sweet potatoes grow like weeds here in east TN. At the end of the
season they are plentiful and inexpensive. I don't grow them because
my vegetable garden is currently limited to 400 sq feet and sweet
potatoes need a lot of space, even more than Idaho potatoes. Sweet
potatoes make an interesting "kitchen house plant" growing in a glass
with a little water.

Hi again!
You have to dig them out of the ground. You can try using peat moss and/or
Triple mix soil to help them along.
Deb
wrote in message
oups.com...
I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

Sweet potatoes are quite unlike Irish potatoes. They are members of the morning
glory family. They need a relatively long season but otherwise are very easy to
grow. Most varieties are vining or semi -vining plants so they take up some
space. Sweet potatoes are modified roots not tubers like an Irish potato, The
easiest way to grow them is from slips (plants). If you just want a few you can
start your own by half submerging a sweet potato root end down in a jar of
water, placed in a warm sunny spot. Lots of folks use them as house plants this
way. About two weeks after last frost last frost set the plants 12 -16 inches
apart on mounded ridges (lists) about 4 feet apart. It helps to hill them up as
the vines start to spread out. They are tropical perennials so they will grow
until frost. Dig just before frost and spread them out to cure in a warm dry
place. They will not tolerate cold. Store in place that stays above 50 degrees
Fahrenheit until ready to use.

I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

FarmerDill wrote:
Sweet potatoes are quite unlike Irish potatoes. They are members of
the morning
glory family. They need a relatively long season but otherwise are
very easy to
grow. Most varieties are vining or semi -vining plants so they take
up some
space. Sweet potatoes are modified roots not tubers like an Irish
potato, The
easiest way to grow them is from slips (plants). If you just want a
few you can
start your own by half submerging a sweet potato root end down in a
jar of
water, placed in a warm sunny spot. Lots of folks use them as house
plants this
way. About two weeks after last frost last frost set the plants 12
-16 inches
apart on mounded ridges (lists) about 4 feet apart. It helps to hill
them up as
the vines start to spread out. They are tropical perennials so they
will grow
until frost. Dig just before frost and spread them out to cure in a
warm dry
place. They will not tolerate cold. Store in place that stays above
50 degrees
Fahrenheit until ready to use.

I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow
like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

So they grow a vine like a water mellon? I hate weeding and am afraid
it will be hard to weed with vines all over the ground. They dont grow
like a "bush"? Like a regular potato does? Can I use place plastic tgo
keep from having to weed?

FarmerDill wrote:
Sweet potatoes are quite unlike Irish potatoes. They are members of
the morning
glory family. They need a relatively long season but otherwise are
very easy to
grow. Most varieties are vining or semi -vining plants so they take
up some
space. Sweet potatoes are modified roots not tubers like an Irish
potato, The
easiest way to grow them is from slips (plants). If you just want a
few you can
start your own by half submerging a sweet potato root end down in a
jar of
water, placed in a warm sunny spot. Lots of folks use them as house
plants this
way. About two weeks after last frost last frost set the plants 12
-16 inches
apart on mounded ridges (lists) about 4 feet apart. It helps to hill
them up as
the vines start to spread out. They are tropical perennials so they
will grow
until frost. Dig just before frost and spread them out to cure in a
warm dry
place. They will not tolerate cold. Store in place that stays above
50 degrees
Fahrenheit until ready to use.

I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never
gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow
like
them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?


How do you know they are ready to dig up?

Yes they grow vines like a morning glory. The so- called bush sweet potatoes
grow short stubby vines like bush watermelons. Sweet potato vines tend to choke
out eveything that get in thier way so once they get to vining weeding is not
usually a problem. Never tried black plastic but as long as a row is listed
(hilled , mounded) so the roots are well drained it should work.