peas planted!

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Sunday, December 20, 2015

potting up a sprouted sweet potato

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My mom gave me this nice sweet potato. From the super market. I find it really hard to get these to sprout. I love to grab one that is sprouted. I put it in a pot. It'll go on the kitchen window sill. They grow slow, then fast.

I've heard of gardeners who start their own sweets having the kitchen window covered with vines by planting season. Well, that would be fun. Last year I bought 12 slips and they weren't cheap (though I forget how much they were - $25 maybe). Maybe some of mine will sprout, at least they weren't treated with sprout inhibitor like the supermarket ones are. I'll watch them.
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4 comments:

  1. pam_chesbayJanuary 07, 2016 10:45 PM

    In general (though you should ask), organic sweet potatoes are not treated with an inhibiting agent - I suspect that's why your sweets are slow to develop.

    I often get regular and sweet potatoes from WF or similar source so can get them going early. In 2012, I ordered sweets from Gary at Duck Creek Farms in OK - he has great plants: http://www.duckcreekfarms.com/
    I was able to keep those plants going for 3 yrs but I got too busy last year and didn't save tubers. I'll order new plants from him this year.

    Sweet potatoes are drop-dead beautiful in early fall, especially when covered with dew on a misty morning. I'd grow them for their loveliness alone. Eating a fresh baked sweet potato after it's been cured is a memorable experience. And they are so good for you!

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  2. pam_chesbayJanuary 07, 2016 10:47 PM

    BTW: When you start sweet potatoes, give them heat - bottom heat is good but any kind of heat works.

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  3. kathyJanuary 07, 2016 11:18 PM

    Good to know organic sweets aren't treated. My mom must have bought an organic one! It's growing like crazy. Nice tall shoots. I'll take another picture soon. It's on my windowsill, which has sun-heat if that counts. Soon it will.

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  4. pam_chesbayJanuary 09, 2016 1:15 PM

    Kathy, Same with organic potatoes - red, yellow, blue, bakers. Not treated with inhibitor so you can get a good variety of potatoes at your local organic grocery store.

    RE: potatoes - I planted them a couple of years ago, but was overwhelmed with Colorado Potato beetles. Picked them off the potato plants for weeks, lost that battle and the war.

    Any strategies for dealing with CPBs - besides hand picking and dropping carcases in a bottle of water?

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