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What I found about sweet potato(e) culture

Offline TWP

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What I found about sweet potato(e) culture
« on: July 12, 2015, 01:37:48 PM »
Just a note. 

Our bag of sweet potatoes started to sprout, so I put one in a jar of water and let it go.

That was about a year ago.  It is not only still alive, it is taking over the bedroom window.

The original tuber produced a very attractive climbing vine and it now resides in a small plastic dish with about
an inch of good soil under it.  It stays submerged in water.  If it drys out the leaves start to yellow and drop.

I have to water it daily, it soaks up a lot of water.  It is very happy to have the tuber/roots submerged in water.

The vines will run unless trained up.

The running vines will root and sprout if given more damp soil.  I have planted six inch long cuttings which are now rooted and growing new leaf.  Rooting occurred within a week of potting in very wet soil.  Leaves sprouted within two weeks.

This appears to be a perennial plant.  Which means I don't need to buy more seed or starter tubers each year.
I don't know how it would respond if allowed (encouraged) to set seed.

The plant did try to set seed, flowers appeared but lacking the attention of bees, no seeds were
produced and the seed pods fell off.  I could have hand pollinated them with a q-tip or small paint brush.

The tuber is both tasty and nutritious, which is the reason I list it's features above. Good Food! Better than potato(es).

If you have garden space or even a large enough window ledge, you can grow food year-round.

If you've planted these outdoors, plan on taking cuttings and starting them indoors over the winter. 

My plants did very well over the winter, in a cool, south facing, bedroom window with direct sunlight.
They were ready to be moved outdoors after "last" frost dates.
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Offline Jerry D Young

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Re: What I found about sweet potato(e) culture
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2015, 09:59:48 AM »
I am not 100% sure. The plants are producing new tubers, correct?

If so, Amazing! I like this. Thanks TWP.

Jerry
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Jerry D Young

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and always remember TANSTAAFL

(TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - Robert A. Heinlein)

Offline TWP

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Re: What I found about sweet potato(e) culture
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2015, 10:52:45 AM »
No, no tubers being produced.  That is probably because they don't have room to put out runners.  Plenty of root structure, but the container is very limiting.  I'll need to test this by transplanting to a deeper soil bed and we can't do too much in a apartment window...
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Offline Jerry D Young

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Re: What I found about sweet potato(e) culture
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2015, 11:12:58 AM »
Yeah. I know the feeling.

Jerry
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Jerry D Young

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and always remember TANSTAAFL

(TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - Robert A. Heinlein)