Hard to grow sweet potatos

I love baked sweet potatoes. Is it hard to grow these? I have never gron them before. I have grown regular potaos before. DO they grow like them? Into a bush that you pull up when they are ready to harvest?

Reply to
stryped
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Reply to
Pepperqueen

Ontario, I

I live in southern Kentucky

Reply to
stryped

Sweet potatoes grow like weeds here in east TN. At the end of the season they are plentiful and inexpensive. I don't grow them because my vegetable garden is currently limited to 400 sq feet and sweet potatoes need a lot of space, even more than Idaho potatoes. Sweet potatoes make an interesting "kitchen house plant" growing in a glass with a little water.

Reply to
Phisherman

Reply to
Pepperqueen

Sweet potatoes are quite unlike Irish potatoes. They are members of the morning glory family. They need a relatively long season but otherwise are very easy to grow. Most varieties are vining or semi -vining plants so they take up some space. Sweet potatoes are modified roots not tubers like an Irish potato, The easiest way to grow them is from slips (plants). If you just want a few you can start your own by half submerging a sweet potato root end down in a jar of water, placed in a warm sunny spot. Lots of folks use them as house plants this way. About two weeks after last frost last frost set the plants 12 -16 inches apart on mounded ridges (lists) about 4 feet apart. It helps to hill them up as the vines start to spread out. They are tropical perennials so they will grow until frost. Dig just before frost and spread them out to cure in a warm dry place. They will not tolerate cold. Store in place that stays above 50 degrees Fahrenheit until ready to use.

Reply to
FarmerDill

I'm in South Ontario, too. I've wanted to grow sweet potatoes for a long time but was afraid our season is too short. Now I'm going to give it a try. Do you get your sweet potatoes from a supplier or at the grocery store?

Pen :)

Reply to
Pen

So they grow a vine like a water mellon? I hate weeding and am afraid it will be hard to weed with vines all over the ground. They dont grow like a "bush"? Like a regular potato does? Can I use place plastic tgo keep from having to weed?

Reply to
stryped

How do you know they are ready to dig up?

Reply to
stryped

Yes they grow vines like a morning glory. The so- called bush sweet potatoes grow short stubby vines like bush watermelons. Sweet potato vines tend to choke out eveything that get in thier way so once they get to vining weeding is not usually a problem. Never tried black plastic but as long as a row is listed (hilled , mounded) so the roots are well drained it should work.

Reply to
FarmerDill

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