April 18, 2012

Sweet Potato Update


Since our last plant update, our sweet potato sprouts have really taken off...

Many of the sprouts, called slips, have grown tall enough (about 5 inches) to remove from the top of the sweet potato and begin developing into their own starter vines which will eventually be the vines we grow new sweet potatoes from.


To remove the slips, we gently twisted the longest and strongest sprouts where they met the base of the potato until they twisted out. By twisting off the slips, a hole is left in the potato flesh and a good base is left on the bottom of the slip.


Next up, we placed our newly detached slips in a shallow bowl of warm water, stem side down and leaves hanging off the rim.


Once again, we placed this bowl in our sunny window next to our main potato sprout plant and if all goes well, in a few days we should see the beginnings of roots growing from the base of these slips.

After this stage, we should be able to plant the rooted slips in soil so they can start growing bags full of sweet potatoes for the remainder of the season.


We left the shorter sprouts on the main sweet potato to keep growing to the right height until we eventually twist them off as well. From what we understand, new sprouts will continue to grow on this starter potato for quite a while, generating new slips.

We'll be sure to keep you posted!

P.S. Find our full tutorial and keep up with our progress for planting sweet potatoes here.

10 comments

  1. Ohhh! so that's how it works! I will go and twist off my very sturdy slips right now. :) I don't know how I thought the cut off sweet potato would grow new potatoes.... :'D How does it work with sprouting garlic and onions. How do they grow into new bulbs?

    http://munchtalk.blogspot.com

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    1. Hey Jasanna - hope it went well! with garlic, you simply plant the cloves pointy side up and over the course of the winter and fall months, new bulbs will form! See here for how we did it last fall: http://www.17apart.com/2011/09/planting-fall-garden-garlic.html

      Onions we have planted by seed and they just grow bulbs underneath the soil!

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  2. That's amazing! We're late on planting our garden this year, but this is such a cool way to get it started!

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    1. Yes! You could start these now and it would be fine since their season is SO long! Great to see you guys on Sunday and hope to see more of you soon.

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  3. This is a genius idea... you inspired us to try it! Hopefully we'll have as much success as you all.

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    1. Yay Emily! Hope it has been going well — come on sweet potatoes, grow grow grow!

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  4. I have just recently discovered the WONDERFUL diversity of the Sweet Potato !!! I always just thought of Thanksgiving YAMS, with marshmellows on top!!! WOW, I am starting 4 parts of a Sweet Potato RIGHT NOW!!! I can't wait to see how it goes, I will try and make sure I come back and give Y'all updates on (Hopefully) my success in growing an abundance of these wounderfully tasty and so versital, baked sweet potatos are my MOST favorite then next I am thinking the french fried sweet potato!! YUMMY!!!! I hope this goes well for us!!!

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    1. Dorinda,

      We couldn't agree more! Definitely give us updates since it's our first go at this too! Here's hoping for bags full of sweet potatoes come fall!

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  5. This is so exciting. Is it too late to start?

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    1. Hey there!

      We think it's fine to start now if you get them in pretty soon!

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