About 6 weeks before transplant time. It is not necessary to do any cutting, just put the potato root in down so that it is about half submerged in water. One potato will give you a dozen or so plants. Easiest way is to stick tooth picks in the side of the potato and suspend it in a mayonaise jar. With even an average yield six plants should be enough to furnish 10 lbs. Under really good conditions you might get 10 lbs from one plant, but don't bet the farm on those types of yields.
{{gwi:9001}}

farmerdilla

I've never done this either. You'd need to cut the plants apart once they've sprouted from the mother-potato and let them develop their own roots, wouldn't you?

Sweet potato slips are almost indestructible. All you really need to do is let them get about six inches long, grasp between thumb and forefinger, pull off the potato, and stick them in the ground. You need to bury about half the plant. Some folks go to the trouble rooting them first, but I have never found it necessary. As long as the ground is moist, they will root right in the row. You can even cut long vines in pieces and stick them in the ground.
{{gwi:9003}}

g'day anney,

once you have shoots about 4"s long no need for roots just cut that section off and plant.

we have a presentation of how we commonly prepare sweet potato's.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: growing sweet potato's

For slips started in water I like to start them about March 10-15th. Larger plastic juice or pop bottles are larger than glass ones and are ideal. The jar method doesn't produce roots on the tator like the bury method does so I do root them for about a week before planting them. This method removes all wilty stress at planting time. I do peel a tad of flesh with them rather than breaking them off... heh heh!
One tator will produce from 5 to 10 slips if it doesn't rot.

Unless heat is provided, when you bury them outside [leaving the top sticking out a bit], they will not grow much here until the end of May. Then they will grow quickly and root terrifically, but it is a bit later than I want.

You all are Great! Thank You so much for the inforamtion and the pictures!!! I am so very excited about trying something completely new and store-able!!!
Maggie

I generally don't plant the slips until June in zone 5b.
One important thing to do is to plant them in late afternoon. That way they've had time to get set and ready for their first full day of sun. This way you won't have to go back and replace any that didn't make it.

Can you use sweet potatoes purchased from the grocery store? Or do I need to get a sweet potato from someone that grew it without any 'possible anti-sprouting' sprays?

I thought I would let you know about my recent experiences with rooting sweet potato. It worked great! Just like the above posts mentioned. My 4 or 5 starts really produced lots of rootlings. I planted 5 or 6 of them, as I happened to have some nice freshly screened compost and peat handy. They did well, and then I planted them outside in a spot that I had been preparing - lots of compost, chicken litter, etc., and it was a beauty of a spot - nice warm sunshine. I was so sure that I'd picked a winner spot.

All went well until one morning, I noticed all of my "tops" had disappeared. A ravenous vole/mole had completely ravished my sweet potato field - all in one night.

Soooo - back to the drawing board. I noticed this summer - someone had a blog about growing a large number of them in a big plastic (Home Depot-type) tub. It seems my best in-ground planting of edibles can only be grown that way.

Has anyone had success with the "big box" (no pun intended) method?

Bejay

Last year was my first year trying to grow sweet potatoes. I started rooting a grocery store SP in March and planted two, 3-inch slips in a large rubbermaid container. I was told the slips were short because of a lack of heat (unusually cool spring last year). In September I dug up 6 pretty skinny SP's - kind of along the line of a really fat carrot. I think they would have done better if we had better weather. We didn't see sun the entire month of June. I'm going to give 'em another try this year but I plan to put more slips in the container.

I have sources for store-bought and personal farmer grown sweet potatoes for slips, and I was wondering if anyone noticed a difference on the growing of slips from either or both.

How about a plastic barrel, instead of the 'big box'? I have a barrel that split after many years of rain water collecting.

I have had good luck, even with grocery store sweet potatoes, by half-burying a whole potato on its side in potting soil. Then, I put it on top of a heat source--pilot light or heating pad--and shine a light (florescent) on it. This only takes a few weeks, so just count back from your plant-out date. I think I have also cut the potato in half lengthwise and eaten one half and still had plenty of sprouts for a home garden.
Hepatica

thanks for all the great information!