sweet potatoes

libran · Post: # 8003Post **libran** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:21 pm

just had a seed catalogue sent through from my brother in law so I can start planning next years allotment. It has a selection of potatoes that you can buy in kilo bags so I can try different varieties which sounds a good idea. It DOES NOT mention sweet potatoes and I have been searching the site to find any info. It looks like some of you were trying sweet potatoes but what was the final outcome? If I take a sweet potato from the supermarket and grow the slips HOW MUCH ROOM do I need to allow for them and when will harvest be the right time. Will I dig up like potatoes after flowers or what else do I do?

Hope someone can help and Happy new Year to everyone.

Libran

ina · Post: # 8007Post **ina** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:53 pm

There was a thread in June/July - half way down the second page of this forum.

Ina

Wombat · Post: # 8473Post **Wombat** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 9:40 am

"I am growing kumara (sweet potato) in a white 50 litre bucket this year. I just planted it in good quality potting mix enriched with worm casings and compost. It took a while to come up but is now quite bushy and starting to send out vines. A friend of mine in Qld says that you can prune the vines down to keep them manageable so that is what I am going to try this year. I will let you know what the harvest is like."

That was my previous post - I wound up harvesting about 10 kg of small to medium tubers (mostly small) and am trying the same stunt this year. They survived my trip away! The small ones were wonderful roasted whole with a baked dinner!

Nev

Andy Hamilton · Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:52 pm

And here is the thread that Ina was talking about http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... .php?t=146

ina · Post: # 8493Post **ina** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:54 pm

Thanks, Andy - I was just too lazy to copy that out!

Wombat · Post: # 8545Post **Wombat** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:14 pm

And I don't know how to link to it!

Tigerhair · Post: # 8707Post **Tigerhair** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:03 pm

Reading about these delicious creatures today and they are not a potato but a member of the bindweed family!!!!!!!!!!!

Wombat · Post: # 8721Post **Wombat** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:39 am

I really like them sliced thinly and then done tempura style!

Nev

Tigerhair · Post: # 8896Post **Tigerhair** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:57 am

Has anyone found seeds for them? Because I would LOVE to try them..........................???

Wombat · Post: # 8929Post **Wombat** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:32 pm

Sorry mate, they are like normal potatoes and grow from the tuber!

Nev

Tigerhair · Post: # 8934Post **Tigerhair** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:45 pm

Nev, they aren't potatos tho' so I thought there might be seeds... - anyway - can't find those either! :)

Wombat · Post: # 8952Post **Wombat** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:50 pm

I know, I know, they are not solanum but even so I have never seen seeds!

Nev

Shirley · Post: # 10772Post **Shirley** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:48 pm

http://www.barfoots.co.uk/sweet_potatoes.html

Maybe this will help.

Andy Hamilton · Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:48 pm

You can grow potatos from seeds. I had a load a couple of years ago, when the plant flowers some will then fruit and they will look like small tomatoes. Inside each fruit is a bunch of seeds - they will be cross breeds of other spud plants - this is how new strains are made. I did not get round to replanting them though as it is difficult to seperate the seeds from the fruit.

Not sure if it the same with sweet pots though.

Wombat · Post: # 10837Post **Wombat** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:53 am

Mine have not flowered since I have been growing them....................yet!

Nev