thinking of growing sweet potatoes, could use some input

[the1honeycomb]

always get mine from the farmers market and the ones that start to sprout first are the ones that get planted!

 

[Just-Moxie]

 

[Ridgerunner]

I guess you’re looking for an update or something. I don’t have a lot of light at the top of my bookcase so mine were getting long and spindly enough that they were attacking anyone (read my wife) that got too close. So I gave them a haircut. This morning, I cut them back to maybe three good leaves on each start and threw the trimmings in the compost.


They are sending more starts out, but each one I cut back will send a sucker out at each leaf node. I’ll probably have to give it another haircut or two but maybe a couple of weeks before they are to go outside I’ll put those cuttings in water and root them, maybe one leaf node for roots and two nodes for suckers.


You don’t even need to root them before setting them out. Just cut them off and stick them in the ground. If you keep soil damp for a couple of weeks, most of them will root that way.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i'm curious about how many tubers are produced on average from each slip pulled from the mother 'spud'?

 

[Just-Moxie]

I tried to start slips last spring....but boy that water got disgusting. I ended up planing one, out of 75 slips. Oh well. I do know they grow well in our back garden. The more clay and nastier the soil, the better they grow.

 

[meatburner]

When growing slips, does it matter which end of the potato goes into the water and which end is sticking up if done in a vase of water?

 

[Ridgerunner]

No, does not matter at all.

 

[meatburner]

Thanks Ridgerunner. I started a big ol' honkin organic sweet potato about a week ago and it is just now starting to get some fuzzy little roots but no evidence of actual slips. Appreciate it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If it is rooting instead of rotting, sounds like you are on your way!!!

 

[catjac1975]

I am wondering if changing the water often, and adding a bit of hydrogen peroxide to the water would stop the rotting.