Lowdown on Sweet Potatoes.

Worth1 · February 26, 2016

While on a fruitless search to compare sweet potato leaves with varieties I ran across a good site for you folks up north on growing sweet potatoes.
It is very informative by a guy I highly respect.
Glenn Drowns of Sand Hill preservation.

Other than me ramble on I will send you directly to his information on how he managed to grow them in places we were all told you cant.
If you haven't been to his site before it is a clean site with no pop ups and animated garbage to slow your computer down.

Well worth the read.

Worth
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...bqxrB-T6bIFYVQ

crazyoldgooseman · February 27, 2016

Thanks Worth.

Good ideas in there. I have been wondering how I will start my slips from potatoes from last year. I tried using a chicken incubator on low last year but they all rotted. I only got slips from the ones I did in the glass of water with toothpicks that we learned in school. I think I will use the trench and tent of plastic or a homemade cold frame. We have lots of old windows in the barn that were here when we bought our farm so I'd like to do the cold frame thing anyway.
Thanks

PhilaGardener · February 28, 2016

Thanks Worth! Glenn's site is a trove of useful information on many crops including sweet potatoes. I've had good luck with sweets here in SE PA. They are of the few plants that really like the hot and humid months!

matereater · February 28, 2016

great info, thanks !

Worth1 · February 28, 2016

Thanks guys where I live they are about as easy to grow as falling off a log.
I put it up for the folks like some of you all that live up north.

As for my slips I am growing I just stuck the end of the sweet potato in a container of soil and let it be.
After awhile the sweet potato sprouts roots but long after the slips started sprouting.

KayJay · July 28, 2016

Thanks for this link. I tried SPs from a grocery store 'tater last year, and they rooted but formed no slips, probably because they were sprayed with something. This year, I finally found organic SPs, but it was already mid-May. I was worried it would be way too late. I planted the slips in mid June. That guy seems to be reassuring me that they'll be fine, it's better than planting them too early. They've grown quite well so far, totally loving our hot and humid summer. Can't wait to see if I'll get any taters when it's time to dig them up.

Worth1 · July 28, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by KayJay

Thanks for this link. I tried SPs from a grocery store 'tater last year, and they rooted but formed no slips, probably because they were sprayed with something. This year, I finally found organic SPs, but it was already mid-May. I was worried it would be way too late. I planted the slips in mid June. That guy seems to be reassuring me that they'll be fine, it's better than planting them too early. They've grown quite well so far, totally loving our hot and humid summer. Can't wait to see if I'll get any taters when it's time to dig them up.

Glenn is an absolute master at what he does for sure and the reason I used him here.
I dont try to root the potatoes and just put them in a dark place in the house soon they will start putting out eyes.
This is when I plant them in the soil.
I tried the jar of glass and found it to be a waste of time.
The plant in the pictuer is still going strong and outside with vines growing from it.
Only because the deer haven found it.

Worth

CassInVic · November 6, 2016

Very interesting Worth, thanks for posting. Useful advice for those of us with slightly shorter but hot summers.

Durgan · November 6, 2016

http://durgan.org/2016/September%202...0Harvest/HTML/ 15 September 2016 Sweet Potato Harvest
My ten sweet potato plants were harvested. This is my first attempt at growing sweet potatoes under reasonable conditions. Eight of the plants were from slips purchased from a site on the internet. Two purple ones were from slips from a supermarket grown by myself. The supermarket slips were longer growing hence accounts for their larger production. The total weight was 31.5 pounds from ten plants or an average of 3.15 pounds per plant. With good growing conditions extrapolating my results an expectation from each plant would be about 6 pounds in a home garden. All the new tubers were centered around the planted slip in a diameter of about 12 inches. The vegetation covered a very large area and was very healthy. It was removed before digging the tubers. Some of the tubers were disfigured by an insect or rodent. This was simply cut away. The tubers were placed in a hot greenhouse and will be allowed to cure or condition for about ten days, then stored in my root cellar. One tuber was baked and is shown with these pictures. It was most pleasant to eat.

Rajun Gardener · November 6, 2016

I've read that link a few times and he knows what he's doing. I tried something new last year and it worked great, keep them inside till they start sprouting and then set them in a pan of shallow water and they will grow. Similar to the jar method. You can also plant the potatoes whole in a tub of potting soil and then start clipping off slips as they grow.

PaulF · November 6, 2016

Glenn's information and knowledge is exceptional. I have grown sweet potatoes from Sand Hill several times.

I remember another sweet potato seller from Oklahoma...I think Duck Creek Farms. He seemed to have pretty good knowledge and a nice variety as well. Is this place still in business?

I like to support Sand Hill and Glenn's hard work as much as I can.

Cole_Robbie · November 6, 2016

My family has always grown Beauregard. There is a new variety called Covington. It is patented and quite expensive, but it is resistant to nematodes and fusarium wilt.

Tracydr · March 2, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

Glenn's information and knowledge is exceptional. I have grown sweet potatoes from Sand Hill several times.

I remember another sweet potato seller from Oklahoma...I think Duck Creek Farms. He seemed to have pretty good knowledge and a nice variety as well. Is this place still in business?

I like to support Sand Hill and Glenn's hard work as much as I can.

I've ordered from him before and have an order with him this year. Excellent slips,great selection!
It's still in business.

PhilaGardener · March 3, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I've ordered from him before and have an order with him this year. Excellent slips,great selection!
It's still in business.

Duck Creek Farms posted #14 in this thread, no less

Farmette · November 6, 2016

I've ordered slips from Sandhill and Duck Creek in the past. This year I grew my own slips from saved potatoes. I cut the potatoes, put them in water and once the sprouts developed, I pulled the sprouts, which I then later planted.

I also ordered tubers of Orleans, a variety from Fedco said to be as good or better than Beauregard. I the planted them, cutting off slips from the vines and later planting them. Seems like these are both methods Worth and some others have used. By the way, we have grown Beauregard, but we can say that Orleans yielded a great crop of sweet potatoes for us.

February 27, 2016	#2
crazyoldgooseman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Maryland 7a Posts: 200	Thanks Worth. Good ideas in there. I have been wondering how I will start my slips from potatoes from last year. I tried using a chicken incubator on low last year but they all rotted. I only got slips from the ones I did in the glass of water with toothpicks that we learned in school. I think I will use the trench and tent of plastic or a homemade cold frame. We have lots of old windows in the barn that were here when we bought our farm so I'd like to do the cold frame thing anyway. Thanks __________________ Anybody see where I sat my beer? -crazyoldgooseman

February 28, 2016	#4
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	great info, thanks ! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

July 28, 2016	#6
KayJay Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Toronto 'Burbs Posts: 25	Thanks for this link. I tried SPs from a grocery store 'tater last year, and they rooted but formed no slips, probably because they were sprayed with something. This year, I finally found organic SPs, but it was already mid-May. I was worried it would be way too late. I planted the slips in mid June. That guy seems to be reassuring me that they'll be fine, it's better than planting them too early. They've grown quite well so far, totally loving our hot and humid summer. Can't wait to see if I'll get any taters when it's time to dig them up. __________________ KayJay Toronto-ish Zone 5b

November 6, 2016	#11
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,295	Glenn's information and knowledge is exceptional. I have grown sweet potatoes from Sand Hill several times. I remember another sweet potato seller from Oklahoma...I think Duck Creek Farms. He seemed to have pretty good knowledge and a nice variety as well. Is this place still in business? I like to support Sand Hill and Glenn's hard work as much as I can. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 26, 2016	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Lowdown on Sweet Potatoes. While on a fruitless search to compare sweet potato leaves with varieties I ran across a good site for you folks up north on growing sweet potatoes. It is very informative by a guy I highly respect. Glenn Drowns of Sand Hill preservation. Other than me ramble on I will send you directly to his information on how he managed to grow them in places we were all told you cant. If you haven't been to his site before it is a clean site with no pop ups and animated garbage to slow your computer down. Well worth the read. Worth https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...bqxrB-T6bIFYVQ

February 28, 2016	#3
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Thanks Worth! Glenn's site is a trove of useful information on many crops including sweet potatoes. I've had good luck with sweets here in SE PA. They are of the few plants that really like the hot and humid months!

November 6, 2016	#8
CassInVic Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Macedon Ranges, Australia Posts: 21	Very interesting Worth, thanks for posting. Useful advice for those of us with slightly shorter but hot summers.

November 6, 2016	#9
Durgan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, ON, Canada Posts: 1,341	http://durgan.org/2016/September%202...0Harvest/HTML/ 15 September 2016 Sweet Potato Harvest My ten sweet potato plants were harvested. This is my first attempt at growing sweet potatoes under reasonable conditions. Eight of the plants were from slips purchased from a site on the internet. Two purple ones were from slips from a supermarket grown by myself. The supermarket slips were longer growing hence accounts for their larger production. The total weight was 31.5 pounds from ten plants or an average of 3.15 pounds per plant. With good growing conditions extrapolating my results an expectation from each plant would be about 6 pounds in a home garden. All the new tubers were centered around the planted slip in a diameter of about 12 inches. The vegetation covered a very large area and was very healthy. It was removed before digging the tubers. Some of the tubers were disfigured by an insect or rodent. This was simply cut away. The tubers were placed in a hot greenhouse and will be allowed to cure or condition for about ten days, then stored in my root cellar. One tuber was baked and is shown with these pictures. It was most pleasant to eat.

November 6, 2016	#10
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I've read that link a few times and he knows what he's doing. I tried something new last year and it worked great, keep them inside till they start sprouting and then set them in a pan of shallow water and they will grow. Similar to the jar method. You can also plant the potatoes whole in a tub of potting soil and then start clipping off slips as they grow.

November 6, 2016	#12
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	My family has always grown Beauregard. There is a new variety called Covington. It is patented and quite expensive, but it is resistant to nematodes and fusarium wilt.

November 6, 2016	#15
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	I've ordered slips from Sandhill and Duck Creek in the past. This year I grew my own slips from saved potatoes. I cut the potatoes, put them in water and once the sprouts developed, I pulled the sprouts, which I then later planted. I also ordered tubers of Orleans, a variety from Fedco said to be as good or better than Beauregard. I the planted them, cutting off slips from the vines and later planting them. Seems like these are both methods Worth and some others have used. By the way, we have grown Beauregard, but we can say that Orleans yielded a great crop of sweet potatoes for us.