Sweet potatoesare a popularroot veggie , known for their mild , starchy , sweet flavor and orange colouring . With that read , there are many varieties , each with unlike colouring . They make a great holiday dish , though they also do well as a side to volaille and even in potato soups . Though label a " potato , " the perfumed Solanum tuberosum is actually in themorning glory familyand it is an edible root , not a tuber .

You might have learn that you cangrow potatoes from potatoes , but if you are a lover of the scrumptious sweet potato , you will be felicitous to hear you’re able to alsogrow them from scrap ! While the premise is the same , the steps for grow these types of potato are different .

With just a few tools and sweet murphy plant , you’re able to savor a hearty harvest time of this fresh - taste theme veggie . Learn how you’re able to plant , manage for , and harvest this spectacular tater .

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Tools You’ll Need

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Before you get to planting and farm your sweet potatoes , there are a few tools you ’ll necessitate to gather .

What Are Slips?

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Unlike most other veg , sweet potatoes are not grown from seed . Instead , they are grown from " berth . " Each sweet white potato produces " slip " sprout . They are the vine - like stems that grow from the eye of the spuds . you could purchase slips from many garden centers or nursery , or even develop them yourself ( learn how below ) .

Some of the most common cultivar admit :

Forget-me-nots in a rainy garden

Note : Before growing or purchasing slips , consider if there is enough sentence leave behind in the growing season for the sweet potatoes , which generally take between 85 to 135 days to reach maturity . The plants call for soil temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit , so view the atmospheric condition conditions of your area .

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes From Sweet Potatoes

With the right tools and knowledge under your belt , it is time to find out how you’re able to grow odorous potatoes from mellisonant potatoes .

Step 1: Growing Slips

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To grow slips , pose your goodish sweet white potato vine in a wide mouth jarful or container full of pee , assure any source are facing down and the top third of the potato remains exposed . you could place toothpicks in the side of the tater outside of the jar to check that it does not become fully submerged .

Keep the container in a warm location with shiny , indirect sunlight . Change the piss weekly– otherwise , algae will grow and O will deplete , resulting in a nonstarter to grow . Green vining stems will begin to burgeon forth from the top of the Solanum tuberosum within about two week .

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Once the green sprout reach about 6 inches in length , you’re able to remove them from the spud by gently twisting them at the connexion point with your fingers . fill up a clean shock with water and localise the sprouts deep down , with the severed ends overwhelm and the top two third base exposed . They will grow their own roots in about 10 days . When the roots hit 3 in , you may plant them .

Step 2: Planting Slips

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If you buy your slips from the computer memory , you could hop step one and move directly to planting . That said , be trusted to rinse the origin with water as they may have been chemically treated to prevent premature rooting .

It is best to grow these potato in the spring since they are slow - growing and need ardent temperatures and passel of sun to thrive . Ensure the potatoes receive full Lord’s Day and the soil temperature is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit with all chance of frost gone .

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Transplant the rootsat a depth of 3 inches with the stem leaves still above basis , eitherin a 15 to 20 gallon containeror in your garden withwell - draining , sandy soil . works slips in rows 3 to 4 foot from one another , each row spaced about 12 inches apart , or a single slip in a container , for slew of room for root outgrowth and maturation .

Pro Tip : If you do plant slips early , be sure to provide frost protective cover , such asrow coversor acold frame .

Step 3: Sweet Potato Care

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freshly planted slips will require mass of urine to flourish . In the first week , keep the soil moistbut not waterlogged and weewee once day by day . In the second workweek , water every other Clarence Day . After that , you could water the plant about once a workweek , reserve the top in of land to dry out out as fresh tater are drouth tolerant .

You canfertilize sweet potatoes , but avoid nitrogen - fertile fertilizers as they will cause the plants to focus on leafage development over root development . Apply a 5 - 10 - 10 plant food in early July for optimum growth and root development . Apply mulcharound the vine to conserve moisture and prevent skunk growth .

sweet potato seedlings in containers on a wooden table close-up in the garden are a selective focus.

Step 4: Harvesting and Storage

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If you plant in spring after the last predicted frost , you canharvest your sweet potatoesdepending on the variety , just in time for Thanksgiving . The leafage turning yellow and frost come near are generally house it is clock time to reap . The roots should be about 5 to 6 inches in length and 2 inches in diam .

Carefully utilise a shovel to toil up the root and then cure them for five to 10 days in temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 percent humidity . If temperature sink below 70 degrees Fahrenheit , cure will fail .

sweet potatoes in a box

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

One Sweet Potato, Two Sweet Potato!

Growing sweet tater from sweet potatoes is a swell way to save money and enjoy the pleasant-tasting root . In fact , seraphic white potato vine leaf and shoots are also comestible ! With the right tools and a little solitaire , you ’ll be service all types of odorous tater in no meter , whether they are roasted in love and cinnamon , baked in garlic and parmesan , or mash to creamy ne plus ultra .

Sprouting sweet potatoes on window sill

hand showing how to grow sweet potato

a group of rooted sprouting sweet potato slips, a dicotyledonous plant Convolvulaceae related to the bindweed or morning glory family, gardening background copy space above

Harvesting sweet potatoes