Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet Potatoes

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bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 15 2:18 pm Post subject: Sweet Potatoes
Does anyone who has grown these know whether or not they need earthing up like potatoes? I thought not, but someone has put a doubt in my mind ta

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 15 2:41 pm Post subject:
I saw sweet potatoes used as ornamental bedding in Tenby the other week.

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 15 3:40 pm Post subject:
Apparently they look a bit like the dreaded bindweed But are quite pretty.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6620
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 15 5:30 pm Post subject:
No they don't need hilling. They are happy to creep along the surface of the soil, and the vines will re-root readily. Can be a pain for cultivation. Thrive on top of black plastic mulch (or IRT plastic mulch even more so)

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 15 7:13 am Post subject:
It was me who made Ali doubt . I have six slips in a four foot by three foot bed. Is that too dense? I just keep watering them and let them get on with it? Should I space them a bit more?

snowball
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 6246
Location: swindon

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 15 7:52 am Post subject:
Mine are in large pots in the polytunnel. I am pretty sure they don't need earthing up

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6620
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 15 10:58 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

It was me who made Ali doubt

. I have six slips in a four foot by three foot bed. Is that too dense? I just keep watering them and let them get on with it? Should I space them a bit more?

No, that should be enough room. If your season is long enough, they'll just keep filling whatever space they can find. They're just creepers.

Here our season is so short that we favor plastic mulch because it prevents them from rooting down again at least until they grow out between the rows. That way the primary tubers that get formed where the slip was planted get a bit more head start before the plant tries to send energy to other tubers where it has rooted down between rows.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 15 8:43 pm Post subject:
They climb well.This year ours are growing upwards.

tringle

Joined: 08 Jul 2015
Posts: 6

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 15 9:30 am Post subject:
I tried them last year but they did nothing, they may have got too dry.

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