eileen
 Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18013
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| Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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If you wait awhile someone here will be able to help you out PGM. At week-ends most of us are out in our gardens so be patient with us and I'm sure you'll get the advice you need.
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11249
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| Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:31 am Post subject: |
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I do know that you need 100-120 days of warm growing weather...otherwise I think you grow them the same as regular potatoes.
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PeterGreenMan
Wales
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:43 am Post subject: Sweet Potatoes |
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Hi Toni, thanks for your reply. 100-120 warm days seems a long time for me in Wales! Do you think I should try and grow them in a greenhouse?
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Palm Tree
Cape Town
Posts: 1450
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:59 am Post subject: |
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Hi PGM
That could be a wise decision to grow them in a greenhouse since sweet potatoes are a warm weather crop and quite sensitive to low temperatures.
The growing season itself is about 4 to 5 months long and sweet potatoes require an average temp of 20 deg C. with enough sunlight and minimum cloudy days.
Use well-drained, deep sandy loam soil because heavy clay soil will prevent the formation of well formed tubers, while deep textured organic soil will promote the formation of top-growth with long stringy tubers. IMPORTANT - never add fresh compost or manure to the soil just before planting.
ANother tip - Sweet potatoes develop a better taste is the soil is allowed to dry out before they are lifted from the soil. You can possibly harvest your sweet potatoes about 3 to 5 months after planting - depending on the cultivar. Oh yes- only harvest as you need them because sweet potatoes do not store well.
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bunkie
eastern washington
Posts: 1439
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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excellent points palmtree! only thing i can add is that we mulch heavily with straw to keep the plants and ground moist...and to keep the weeds down.
we grow sweet potatoes here. some years are great, and others not so great. still working on mastering it.
http://monsterguide.net/how-to-grow-sweet-potatoes
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starface000
Western New York
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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Palmtree, is the advice on not adding fresh compost and manure right before planting for all vegetables and plants, or just for sweet potatoes?
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PeterGreenMan
Wales
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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I got the slips today, they might be DEAD!!!! | starface000 wrote: | | Palmtree, is the advice on not adding fresh compost and manure right before planting for all vegetables and plants, or just for sweet potatoes? |
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bunkie
eastern washington
Posts: 1439
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| Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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pgm, don't panic. ours used to look very wilted and sometimes dead-like when they arrived. we always put them in a glass with water, like your pics, and they perked up wonderfully. if there's a lot of time till you can plant them in the soil, just put them in some posts in potting soil temporarily.
one other thing, keep the plants in water in a partially shaded place...the darkness helps them recover, imo.
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PeterGreenMan
Wales
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Bunkie
I've either been clever or a silly boy, again. what I did was to make news paper tubes and pot the long sweet potato slips into them. They seem to have recovered from their death wish and are now sprouting new leaves. In a week or so I'll have to decide what to do with them.
News Paper Pots! ( photo / image / picture from PeterGreenMan's Garden )
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Palm Tree
Cape Town
Posts: 1450
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:32 am Post subject: |
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So sorry to catch this one only now. 
But the advice is sweet potato specific Starface. (My father loved growing them and I picked up these tips from him many years ago.)
My apologies Petergreenman and starface.
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