Sweet potato

hello!

Am i too late to grow sweet potato's?? If not, where best to get them, and what is best way to grow them? Are they as easy as normal spuds?

Hope you can help!!

 

Hello!

Just to let you know that I have found the information i needed.

 

Are you going to have a go? I thought about them but was put off :( They drink too much for a start!

 

Could you share the info with us please BigBird? I quite like the sound of those and forgot about sweet potatoes. I love making shepards pie topping with them, and roasts from them! :D

 

My random collection of notes (and from which I concluded I wouldn't bother :( ) includes:

Get a variety bred for short UK Season

Have to make Slips to start with (seems a bit of a palaver!) Start very early in the year - January or February.

Don't plant out until after last frost. (Planting half of the plants a bit earlier and having the luck of no late frosts doesn't actually make any difference to tuber size, so might as well plant them all a bit later)

May need black plastic mulch to help raise the soil temperature - either way they should be in the warmest, sunniest, position in the plot

Needs lots of space (trailer) and assuming planted on 1st June (i.e. after last frost) earliest they will be ready is mid September - and leaving longer benefits from bulking up the tubers

Need frequent watering, and moisture must be kept even during growing season

Lift just before first frost. Skins are soft, so care needed during lifting, and then the tubers have to be "cured" by storing in a warm room. Then they need to be stored in a cool room !

 

Hello!!

Sorry for late reply. Been away. I found that you can actually grow sweet spuds in bags. Just like you would grow normal spuds in bags or large pots. Yes you do have to get slips & start them off, but its quite straight forward if you have the time. And yes you do have to start them early!!

I have found a supplier that sells a Caribbean Sweet Potato called Beauregard Improved that specifically grows in potato bags now. So will give it a go. And its gua

 

Hello!

Just to let you know about the progress of my sweet potato's!!

I have had the slips planted in toilet roll tubes full of moist compost for 3 weeks in a warm window sill. They are due to go out in potato bags this weekend. They have rooted really well & look alot healthier than when I got the slips!!!

They are going in potato bags just like normal potato's. As they grow, I have to top up the compost as you do normal spuds. Plus the great thing at the moment is that the weather is hot, so hopefully (subject to weather) I should get a good crop.

I will keep you informed as to the progress!!!:D

 

Where do you get the "slips" from, may I ask?