Sweet potatoes........................ GRRRRRR

Ridgerunner

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I’ve seen that for white potatoes, not sweet potatoes. From something @digitS' posted recently I think that only works with certain varieties of white potatoes. I’ve never tried it though.

It will be interesting how that works with sweet potatoes. Most will grow in a cluster right where the plant is set, but some of the vines will set roots wherever they touch the ground. Sometimes they produce a sweet potato under these spots, at times four of five feet from the center cluster. That can make digging them fun. The sweet potato “tubers” are really just swollen roots.

If I were going to try this, which I’m not, I’d not try all of them this way. It may be a huge success and make digging them quite easy, but I’m not sure how they will produce. Watering could be interesting too. You might want to try some the traditional way and do a side by side comparison?

@Smart Red how are your sweet potato starts going? I haven’t seen an update lately
DSCF2932.JPG
. I just took this photo of mine.
 

so lucky

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Mine are growing roots but not much leaves yet. Just small nubs. Would you believe I still have sweet potatoes left over from fall before last? Maybe I should try sprouting them.....
 

Smart Red

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Point and click = a photo shot of sweet tater.
sweet potato.JPG

Pointing and clicking = shooting a photo of the sweet tater sprouts.

Pointed and clicked = sweet potato photo was shot.

I am not usually that mean to my plants, but then I never figured a photo shoot was all that violent. Weeding, now that is a violent activity.

(See how sneakily) I managed to get my beautiful, blooming cyclamen into the tater shoot?

No plants were injured in any of the shots.
 

ninnymary

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Thanks goodness no one was hurt. Did you start that cycleman from seed? Or is it one you've managed to keep going or returning for more than one season? Looks very healthy!

Mary
 

ducks4you

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The ONLY thing I could come up with reviewing some of the files I've saved is your soil. The sources all say, "Loose, and WELL DRAINED". You said that you planted in wet soil. Did it puddle a lot? Maybe it was too wet?
"Loose soil is more critical than almost any other factor when it comes to growing sweet potatoes successfully."
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/how-to-plant-and-grow-sweet-potatoes
I transplanted Lily of the Valley from where it had outgrown the bed next to my house. The ground rises to my 100yo house, so ALL beds drain well. I put several to the north of my garage, where it doesn't dry out well, and they survived, but didn't look very healthy.
Maybe check your bed and mix it with about 1/2 aged manure/bedding from your chickens?
Good luck. I just LOVE sweet potatoes, but I've only grown them once.
 
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