Since I'm not confident of success I didn't want to spend much on my initial stock, so I am using some Sweet Potato tubers left over from a bag we bought from a supermarket some weeks ago. For some reason we have never got round to using them, and I recently noticed that they were beginning to sprout. Ideal for my needs!
Having learned that the usual way to prepare them is to sprout them in water, I carefully selected glass jars of just the right size for each tuber, so that their bottoms would be able to sit in water without submerging the whole tuber.
They are now sitting on the windowsill of our spare bedroom (with a lovely view out over the garden, you will notice!). Within a few days they had started to produce roots. Not many yet, but growing rapidly:-
At the other end, the leaf sprouts are looking very strong. They are just like the "chits" on a conventional potato at this point. Eventually these will go green and start to produce leaves. These long slim shoots (aka "slips") are what you plant.
My plan is to plant them into a very big tub of compost and then just let them do their own thing. I expect their foliage will trail all over the place, but I believe it can be quite attractive, so that's no bad thing.
Since Sweet Potatoes are really warm-weather plants, I suppose that success depends mostly on what the weather is like this year. If we get a warm sunny Summer then they will probably do well. Otherwise not.... Anyone else in the UK growing (or has grown) these things?
Thompson and Morgan have a good basic guide to growing Sweet Potatoes here.
I grew some last year. Decent crop from 5 slips. Wonderfully sweet mellow tubers.
ReplyDeleteTrying to grow my own slips from my homegrown tubers this year in same way. Plenty of bits sprouting now
The variety of sweet potato is important in the UK. Most in supermarkets probably won't do well. Find the warmest place you can. Mine did great in a black plastic dustbin in full sun
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember reading about yours. That is why I plan to use a big tub - like your dustbin. What's wrong with the supermarket ones?
DeleteIt's fun having a go at something new. I don't know the first thing about growing sweet potatoes so I look forward to following along.
ReplyDeleteI grew our slips from tubers grown from slips received the previous year from T & M, Beauregard was the variety and it's supposed to be good for UK conditions. Potted the tubers up in trays of shallow compost and broke the slips off as they got big enough and had roots and potted them up individually. Plants need a deep and light compost (double dug). our heavy clay/silt does not seem to be to their liking. Given enough water/feed plants grow like bindweed on steroids so they need room. Very prone to ground slug damage, much worse than normal spuds.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob. Since I am going to grow mine in a container I will be able to control the growing-medium, but thanks for the warning about slugs.
DeleteIf you are planning to grow Sweet Potatoes from supermarket-bought stock (like me), you should perhaps research "Chlorpropham" aka Bud Nip, a growth-inhibitor.
ReplyDeleteFor your climate I'd suggest a nice big black pot in full sun. BTW an unnamed sweet potato in the US is typically Beauregard. If you get the same kinds there it ought to be a good variety for you. Though I wish I could find a way to get the Purple slips to you (I'm sure transporting slips into the UK is probably against the law). The Purple variety is great for cooler conditions.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that gesture, Daphne, but please don't send any - we don't want you to be prosecuted! What colour is the flesh of Beauregard - is it orange or white? The ones I am attempting to grow are orange inside their red skins.
Deleteorange. Beauregard is the most common one in UK. Yams are white not sweet potatoes, they are 2 different species.
DeleteSorry, but I disagree. There are white Sweet Potatoes, and there are orange Yams. They are two different things, but they both come in a range of colours.
DeleteYup Beauregard is orange.
DeleteWe once tried bit the tubers were very small
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try sweet potatoes for the first time this summer as well. I don't have a spot allocated to them in the garden, but Daphne's success in growing potatoes in a front porch planter last year inspired me. I'm also going to be using supermarket tubers as the cost of getting proper slips from named varieties for my little experiment was a bit too high.
ReplyDeleteWe did our first last year. Grew them in large metal trashcans. They do LOVE the heat. And yes, vines everywhere. But in the trashcans, they trailed down the sides and into the yard. It was lovely. Our soil was a bit too compact I'm afraid and they were long and slender. I would recommend a very loose soil and a black container will give you the heat they need.
ReplyDeleteWe currently have some rooting on top of the fridge. Can't wait to see how yours do!! Fingers crossed for you!
Daphne also inspired me to try sweet potatoes in containers. Not sure I'm going to pull it off. I'll be following your trial with interest.
ReplyDeleteBeauregard seems to be 'the' sweet potato variety the world over. From my experience, admittedly limited, the length of the hot period seems to have as much of an impact as how hot the summer gets. They seem to bulk up during Autumn so if you have another nice long Indian summer you will hopefully get some nice tubers. Always fun to try.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea, I have the time to start something new so I might have a go too. I have a spare dustbin for them. Hope they do well for you.
ReplyDeleteGrew some last year, they did OK, not great. May not try again until I have more room. I'll watch your efforts with interest!
ReplyDeleteI'll echo what Daphne said about Beauregard doing well there in your climate. It is typically one that does better in areas with cool summers, though it doesn't seem to mind our heat and humidity either. I hope you have success with whatever variety you wind up planting.
ReplyDeleteI too will watch your progress with interest. I have seen many pictures on pinterest rooting them in jars and wondered what they would be like to grow.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
I tried to grow Beauregard variety last summer in central north Pennsylvania without much success, but we really didn't have a warm summer, so maybe I'll try again this year if it does ever get warm! Good luck with yours!
ReplyDeleteSweet potato leaves are edible! I didn't get around to eating any of mine last year, but I understand they taste similar to spinach or collard greens. I am going to try making a Southern USA style dolma this summer using the sweet potato leaves in place of grape leaves.
ReplyDeleteIn the tropics, just the tendrils suffice.
ReplyDeleteVery good for grrand kids. Thank you. Annette
ReplyDelete