Ok, I'm here for some updates. How are the slips doing?
What is the average number of slips one gets from a sweet potato?
Do you change out the water while sprouting.
A week for roots to show and another week for slips?
Eric
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DoubleDogFarm
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DoubleDogFarm
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I was sure I had a thread or a post detailing what I did last year but can't find it at the moment. I briefly referenced it in this post with a photo of my window box covered in black trash bag then a clear one. 1/3 each sand, soil, compost mix. Grew ridiculous number of well-rooted slips.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=139237#139237
The missing post explained how the water method worked well the year before but I thought this way would be even better.
Found the post I was thinking of in this thread. It"s a good one with all kinds of helpful contributions by everybody.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21912
(I wonder if it should it be a sticky...?)
Oh yeah, go with what I said then, not what I remembered.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=139237#139237
The missing post explained how the water method worked well the year before but I thought this way would be even better.
Found the post I was thinking of in this thread. It"s a good one with all kinds of helpful contributions by everybody.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21912
(I wonder if it should it be a sticky...?)
Oh yeah, go with what I said then, not what I remembered.
Tutorial:
Place a sweet potato halfway submerged into a glass of water and leave it on top of your fridge until you start to see sprouts. (better to use untreated potatoes) As shown below;
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02241342.jpg[/img]
Now, when the slips or shoots have reached a length of 10"-14" break them off at the base. Now is where you can make a personal choice. You can put the shoots in another jar or cup with the bases of the slips in an couple of inches of water, or you can plant them directly into thoroughly moist soil. As shown below.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02241341.jpg[/img]
Clearly, neither method is more effective. The slips in the pot on the left (white pot) were rooted in water for about two weeks and had roots that were about 3" coming from at least the bottom 2" of the slip.
The slips on the right (purple pot) were planted directly into the soil after being removed from the potato.
Both are doing great.
Note: when the slips are removed from the potato, if the potato is left in the water, it will grow more slips. Even in the same spots where you broke off previous ones. Good luck with your sweet potatoes!
Place a sweet potato halfway submerged into a glass of water and leave it on top of your fridge until you start to see sprouts. (better to use untreated potatoes) As shown below;
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02241342.jpg[/img]
Now, when the slips or shoots have reached a length of 10"-14" break them off at the base. Now is where you can make a personal choice. You can put the shoots in another jar or cup with the bases of the slips in an couple of inches of water, or you can plant them directly into thoroughly moist soil. As shown below.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02241341.jpg[/img]
Clearly, neither method is more effective. The slips in the pot on the left (white pot) were rooted in water for about two weeks and had roots that were about 3" coming from at least the bottom 2" of the slip.
The slips on the right (purple pot) were planted directly into the soil after being removed from the potato.
Both are doing great.
Note: when the slips are removed from the potato, if the potato is left in the water, it will grow more slips. Even in the same spots where you broke off previous ones. Good luck with your sweet potatoes!
Can't vouch for or against cutting it in half. I have seen videos of people that do it that way. This is the first time I have one sweet potatoes. I did watch nearly every video on youtube on starting sweet potatoes.
Large scale slip producers basically lay down a road of sweet potatoes! Then they cover it with soil and when the slips are long enough, they get laborers to go out and they basically just grab a handful and cut them off at ground level, band them together, and send 'em off. It's not a delicate process.
Cutting it in half may work, it also may make the potato more susceptible to rotting. I just don't know.
Large scale slip producers basically lay down a road of sweet potatoes! Then they cover it with soil and when the slips are long enough, they get laborers to go out and they basically just grab a handful and cut them off at ground level, band them together, and send 'em off. It's not a delicate process.
Cutting it in half may work, it also may make the potato more susceptible to rotting. I just don't know.
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gixxerific
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applestar
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I really think heat is the key. I had started a white sweet potato end of the year and it had started to root and sprout, then the coldest weather arrived with negative single digits and hardly out of the teens and the heater cranking 24/7 trying to keep the inside temp warm, and failing. The silly thing rotted even though it was on the heating mat. 
I probably won't even try to start the sweet potato slips until April... 1st year, I started trying to grow them around 3rd week of March or so but they sat like lumps until the 4 day heatwave in late April.
They can't be planted out until it gets hot for good anyway, though I plan to use cloches and low poly tunnels to get the ground warmed up earlier like I did last year.
I probably won't even try to start the sweet potato slips until April... 1st year, I started trying to grow them around 3rd week of March or so but they sat like lumps until the 4 day heatwave in late April.
They can't be planted out until it gets hot for good anyway, though I plan to use cloches and low poly tunnels to get the ground warmed up earlier like I did last year.
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gixxerific
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Yea Apple heat is the key I believe. I tried all winter and spring with nothing. When it got warm that is when I tried mine outside and the started grwoing almost immediately.
But starting early isn't bad either if you can get them to go. Since they can be potted up and will grow for while and get strong. I am going to move my little experiment upstairs on the fridge right now actually it's too cool in the basement. The one in the soil has some tiny growth the one in water has nothing.
But starting early isn't bad either if you can get them to go. Since they can be potted up and will grow for while and get strong. I am going to move my little experiment upstairs on the fridge right now actually it's too cool in the basement. The one in the soil has some tiny growth the one in water has nothing.
I've heard the same thing that store potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting. Well, I've got about 4-5 with eyes all over them (whites, not sweets) and I think that this really shoots down that theory.
Oh, and this isn't the first time. I've had just about every bag of potatoes sprout if it sat around long enough. Warmth does help I've noticed.
Oh, and this isn't the first time. I've had just about every bag of potatoes sprout if it sat around long enough. Warmth does help I've noticed.
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gixxerific
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My wife said she wanted red potatoes this year well guess what the reds in the fridge are sprouting so there you go. We will have reds this year.garden5 wrote:I've heard the same thing that store potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting. Well, I've got about 4-5 with eyes all over them (whites, not sweets) and I think that this really shoots down that theory.
Oh, and this isn't the first time. I've had just about every bag of potatoes sprout if it sat around long enough. Warmth does help I've noticed.
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