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Sweet pots, anyone else tried growing them?

 
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RichardW



Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 13 1:06 pm    Post subject: Sweet pots, anyone else tried growing them? Reply with quote
    

For the first time we have tried growing sweet potatoes.

We did not use slips instead we had a tuber that had started to sprout about this time last year which we planted in a large pot & kept inside near a window.

Once the plant started to get big we fitted some trellis for it to grow up. As soon as the new poly tunnel was up we moved it to it after transplanting it in to a small potato planter sack. Initially the sudden extra heat knocked it back but it soon recovered & started to grow like mad.



Yesterday I harvested the tubers.



Not to bad for a first go & the investment of one tuber. Looking at all the small ones we should have left them a bit longer & had it in a bigger container by about 2 or 3 times.

We already have 2 more tubers starting to sprout & have leaves on them. At the min they are still in the tunnel but will soon be brought inside to repeat the method we used this time.

Piggyphile



Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia
PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 13 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They look great, I really fancy growing them but hard to get hold of out here because supermarket ones are treated to stop sprouting. I also have neat polytunnel envy. A polytunnel is top of my list to build but your pic makes yours look very well organised. My gardening is very haphazard.

RichardW



Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 13 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That pic was just after it was built. Now it looks like a jungle & you have to fight you way down the paths.

Our original tuber was a shop bought one, as are the two that are sprouting this year.

Green Rosie



Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France
PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 13 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm growing 2 for the fist time this year - I bought them as plants and have let them ramble round the back of the tomatoes in the polytunnel. With no frost forecast I am planning to leave them a bit longer before harvesting.

RichardW



Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 13 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Green Rosie wrote:
I'm growing 2 for the fist time this year - I bought them as plants and have let them ramble round the back of the tomatoes in the polytunnel. With no frost forecast I am planning to leave them a bit longer before harvesting.


So were we,

I just could not resist seeing how well they were doing & that developed into harvesting them. To be honest I dont think they would have got much bigger anyway due to lack of room in the bag.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 13 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We grew three types from slips last year and managed to produce a few tubers with the plants just growing outside. The most productive by far was T65 and it even tasted good despite the slightly unusual colour. We overwintered a tuber that sprouted in the spring and that's still growing. I'd recommend getting hold of a T65 tuber if you can.

Green Rosie



Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France
PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 13 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'll look at the label later and see what they are!

I'm hoping I get as good a crop as you RichardW

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8577
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 13 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I bought two plants in a builders merchant plant sale for 10 p each....they took over a quarter of the greenhouse!! I'll be lifting them next week

roobarb



Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire
PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 15 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've had a go this year at growing sweet potatoes (Beauregard variety), with varying success. I had 6 plants in the polytunnel - some tubers swelled up nicely, others are a bit weedy looking, but will still be useable. I'm quite pleased with the harvest given the poor summer we've had, and there are some there that I'll be able to create "slips" from for next year. Anyone else had any success this year with sweet potatoes? Any tips on getting consistently large tubers, or should I be pleased with this result? I tied the vines up, so they didn't re-root, and cut off the growing tips once they had reached the roof, hoping the energy would go into swelling the tubers. I didn't give them any extra feed, just what was in the soil, and they got watered twice a week. Can't wait to taste them, but the instructions say they need to cure for a couple of weeks.

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