Knowledge from Olle Garden Bed: How To Plant Sweet Potatoes From Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato is a popular rhizome vegetable known for its gentleness, starch, sweetness, and orange color. Nevertheless, there are many varieties, each with a different color. They are a great holiday dish, although they can also be used as a side dish for chicken or even potato soup. Although labeled as "potato," sweet potatoes actually belong to the morning glory family and are an edible root rather than a tuber. The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.

You may have heard of using potatoes to grow potatoes, but if you are a delicious sweet potato enthusiast, you will be happy to hear that you can also use chips to grow them! Although the premise is the same, the steps for planting these types of potatoes are different.

The tools you need

Before starting to plant and grow sweet potatoes, you need to collect some tools.

Sweet potatoes or slippery strips

pot

Clean water

Toothpick

Hand trowel or shovel

High quality soil

Garden rake

Garden hoe

Gardening Glove

15 to 20 gallon container with drain hole (optional)

What is a document?

Unlike most other vegetables, sweet potatoes are not grown from seeds. On the contrary, they grow out of "slipping". Every sweet potato produces "smooth" buds. They are vine like stems that grow from the eyes of potatoes. You can purchase documents from many garden centers or nurseries, and even plant them yourself (learn how to operate below).

Some of the most common varieties include:

Beauregard ": The most widely cultivated variety with sweet orange flesh that matures within 90 to 100 days.

Gem: Copper skin and orange flesh, mature within 120 to 135 days.

Covington: Rose colored skin and light orange flesh, reaching maturity within 95 to 110 days.

Note: Before planting or purchasing documents, please consider whether there is sufficient time during the growing season of sweet potatoes, which usually takes 85 to 135 days to mature. These plants require soil temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so please consider the weather conditions in your area.

How to Plant Sweet Potatoes from Sweet Potatoes

With the right tools and knowledge, it's time to learn how to grow sweet potatoes with sweet potatoes.

Step 1: Smooth growth

To plant slippery strips, place healthy sweet potatoes in a wide mouthed jar or container filled with water, ensuring that any roots are facing downwards and the first third of the potatoes remain exposed. You can place the toothpick on the side of the mashed potato outside the jar to ensure it does not completely immerse.

Place the container in a warm place with bright indirect sunlight. Change water every week - otherwise, algae will grow and oxygen will be depleted, leading to growth failure. The green vine will sprout from the top of the potato in about two weeks.

Once the green bean sprouts reach a length of approximately 6 inches, you can remove them from the nodules by gently twisting them with your fingers at the connection point. Fill a clean jar with water, place the bean sprouts inside, immerse the cut ends, and expose the top two-thirds. They will grow their own roots in about 10 days. When the roots reach 3 inches, you can plant them.

Step 2: Planting List

If you purchase documents from the store, you can skip the first step and proceed with planting directly. That is to say, it is important to rinse the roots with water, as they may have undergone chemical treatment to prevent premature rooting.

It is best to plant these tats in spring because they grow slowly and require warm temperatures and sufficient sunlight to thrive. Ensure that the potatoes receive sufficient sunlight, the soil temperature is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and all opportunities for frost disappear.

Transplant the roots to a depth of 3 inches, with the stems and leaves still on the ground, either in a 15 to 20 gallon container or in a well drained sandy soil garden. Plants are 3 to 4 feet apart from each other, with rows spaced approximately 12 inches apart, or a single piece of paper is placed in a container to provide sufficient space for root growth and development.

Professional tip: If you start planting and slip early on, be sure to provide antifreeze protection, such as a canopy or cold stand.

Step 3: Sweet Potato Care

Newly planted landslides require a large amount of water to thrive. In the first week, keep the soil moist, but do not immerse yourself in water. Water it once a day. In the second week, water every other day. Afterwards, you can water the plants once a week to dry the top inch of soil, as sweet potatoes are drought resistant.

You can fertilize sweet potatoes, but avoid using nitrogen rich fertilizers as they can cause plants to focus on leaf development rather than root development. Apply 10-10-<>fertilizer in early May to achieve optimal growth and root development. Apply a covering around the grape vines to maintain moisture and prevent weed growth.

Step 4: Harvesting and Storage

If you plant sweet potatoes in spring after the last predicted frost, you can harvest them according to the variety, just in time for Thanksgiving. Yellowing of leaves and impending frost are usually signs of harvest time. The length of the root should be approximately 5 to 6 inches and the diameter should be 2 inches.

Carefully scoop out the roots with a shovel, and then cure them for 90 to 70 days at a temperature of 10 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 90% humidity. If the temperature drops below<>degrees Fahrenheit, curing will fail.

Then, store in a cool place, always above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, for three to six months.

One sweet potato, two sweet potatoes!

Planting sweet potatoes is a great way to save money and enjoy delicious roots. In fact, the leaves and buds of sweet potatoes are also edible! With the right tools and a little patience, you will immediately provide all types of sweet potatoes, whether baked with honey and cinnamon, roasted with garlic and Parmesan cheese, or mashed to perfection like cream.