Topic: Sweet Potato

[Common_Clay]

Has anyone tried growing this, and if so with or without success? I've read you can use them as seed from the supermarket and that they need intense heat to germinate, but wonder if anyone has experience with this vegetable? Thanks!

[Sarah-b]

My friend is growing these - I'll ask her how they are getting on.
But what she did tell me was that she didn't get seeds, but 'slips' from the Organic Catalogue. Seemed to be some sort of sprouting stick?

sb

[MonsterMum]

I think it's the wrong time of year but you can make your own sweet potato slips with ordinary sweet potatoes.  Just use the "search" function and you should find the know how, this is what I will be trying next year

[Truffle]

I'm growing a few of these on the allotment with 'slips' made from supermarket potatoes.

They're growing pretty slowly at the mo, but I'm hoping they'll pick up soon.

I'll let you know how we get on!

Truffle

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd be interested to know how much foliage they end up with, since my wife qwants me to grow them for the leaves, which are edible and horrendously expensive to buy in the UK. If you can find them at all that is.

[tilts]

Mine have been in the ground for about 2.5 months now, if not a bit longer, they look reasonably established and starting to climb the wigwam, but the proof will be in the ground later on in the year. 
BTW my sweet potato is still producing slips which i will continue to plant on, i bought it in March for about 70 pence in Waitrose!!
Never heard of eating the leaves ...... enlighten me!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Namissa uses them for potato leaf soup, which is a sort of stew made with meat, fish, dried fish, chili, palm oil and potato leaves. It's not quite as nice as a similar dish made with cassava leaf.

[mc55]

I planted mine at the end of May - slips from T&M.  They look pretty established now with lots of foliage - v scary as it is so similar to bindweed.  They are under black fabric to help keep them nice and hot.  Not sure whether I'll have any success as I'm quite far north (Sheffield).

The sweet potato that I originally bought with the intention of making my own slips (but didn't have time in the end) has sat on my window sill at home for months and has suddenly started to produce slips.

[Common_Clay]

They look pretty established now with lots of foliage - v scary as it is so similar to bindweed

It's from the bindweed family, not the potato funnily enough!
 ::)

[Common_Clay]

Thanks for all replies to my message, please keep us posted in the months to come of whether it was worth all the effort?!  :)