Starting sweet potaotes... Slips? Whole root?

13 years ago

Ok, I saw all those ornamental sweet potatoes around, and thought they looked nice. Then I saw picks of normal sweet potatoes, and thought, that they where also attractive. -And since I can't find any ornamental ones, I decided to grow a normal sweet potato from the grocery section.
I've washed it several times over several days, to get the anti-growth hormone off (couldn't find any organic ones).
Everywhere I've looked it says to make it sprout by:
A: submerge it half in water, top end up. -Then break off and root slips.
B: Cut it in half, and grow the top section in a pot. -Then break off and root slips.
C: Cut it lengthwise, and bury both halves in a pot, cut-side down. -Then break off and root slips.

Now my question is: Do I HAVE to make slips? -Why not just put the whole thing in soil? -It seems to me, that by removing the slips from the potato, you have also taken away their "lunchpack". Why do people first make it sprout, then remove the slips etc.? Is it simply to make one potato become many plants instead of just the one? -Or does it have to do with yields? -Disease prevention?

Is there any reason why I should not just put the whole thing in a pot, and keep it there, and thereby having a chance to catch up for a late start?

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Comments (5)

chloeasha
13 years ago
I think it is just a matter of making several plants from one, but I am not 100% sure on that. I've planted a whole sweet potato before-- and it worked out fine.
VGtar
Original Author
13 years ago
Brilliant! -That's what I'll do then!
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Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
13 years ago
When it really starts kickin' you can take cuttings as fast as it can grow, which is about weekly for the chartreuse one I have. That may be what the directions mean. Cuttings take root within days. With one plant, or potato, whichever you start with, by the end of summer can be allllll over in pots and in the ground.

What's cool is that it's easy to save the potatoes, pull them up and defoliate them, which I usually let the frost do. Throw 'em in a pot, they won't grow much inside, then back outside next spring. They can also be stored like Cannas or elephant ears, in a basement. Foliage that gets frosted dies back but the potatoes are hardy here.

I planted sweet potatoes from the grocery store, whole and cut in pieces, and they make cool plants too. A darker green leaf, purple flowers in the morning, then of course you can dig up and eat the potatoes when frost kills the foliage. Very easy, attractive edible plant.

*** Edited to fix awkward phrasing, vagueness, poor grammar, and the dumb auto-link added to one of my words.

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Tue, Mar 19, 13 at 10:02
VGtar
Original Author
13 years ago
Still no shoots, so I guess I didn't get rid of all the anti-rooting stuff. However, I'll keep the pot around, and just see what happens. If nothing else, it will be a reminder to get some organic ones in the fall ;o)
poncirusguy6b452xx
13 years ago
I went to the garden store and bought slips, grew them, harvest the sweet potato and grew my own slips. Ive been doing this for 5 years. When your potato sprouts, each sprout is an individual plant needing its own space to produce. If you plant the potato you will have a bunch of plant competing for the same space and all will probably produce less than one individual slip will produce.

The link shows what one potato grows if you plant each slip separately, 22 plants and 96 lb of harvest. click link then use keyboard arrow keys to navigate pics

Here is a link that might be useful: https://plus.google.com/photos/111099372377958308731/albums/5864651368775846321/5864659094183804274?banner=pwa&authkey=CI763rvAj8eLAg