Sprouting Potatoes

debodun said:
I remember my mom sprouting sweet potatoes. She stuck toothpicks around the middle and suspended it over a glass of water. But that was long ago - probably before the practice of treating the taters was instituted.
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I remember my mother trying to grow an avocado tree that way. Never even a hint of success.
 
@StarSong
I have never lived in your climate, but I would guess and think that Sweet potatoes might grow well there, either as ornamental vines, with their lovely foliage, or for the eatable tubers.

They need a long warm growing season, unlike the regular types (not "sweet")
of potatoes that grow well in the chilly shorter growing seasons in the Northern USA areas.
 
Kaila said:
@StarSong
I have never lived in your climate, but I would guess and think that Sweet potatoes might grow well there, either as ornamental vines, with their lovely foliage, or for the eatable tubers.

They need a long warm growing season, unlike the regular types (not "sweet")
of potatoes that grow well in the chilly shorter growing seasons in the Northern USA areas.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll look into growing the golden/orange variety. I'm not a fan of white sweet potatoes.
 
Possibly the origin of term salt potatoes:

Pocket a dinner fork and salt shaker. Sneak out to Grandma's garden and use the fork to gravel around under the potato vine and locate tiny potatoes.

Wipe soil off on jeans, salt liberally and eat. Cover disturbed soil so Gma doesn't know or else it's h@ll to pay. "Who's been gravelling my salt potatoes?" Switch in hand for my skinny 10 year old legs.
 
Sweet potatoes are actually a tropical plant, they prefer hot and long. I grow them here in MI with some planning. With potatoes, you can just plant a quarter of a 'tater in the ground. Sweet potatoes are better if you treat them like that old science project. Stick some toothpicks in and suspend it about 2/3 in water. Keep the water fresh. It will grow shoots. I usually start 2 sweet potatoes and will get at least a dozen good shoots off them, usually more.

There are varieties better suited to shorter growing seasons, and you can buy the shoots for them from seed supply warehouses. When I start them from whole tubers it happens in the middle of February as it takes about 12 weeks to grow good shoots. I buy them from Whole Foods, because as someone previously mentioned, non-organic are sprayed to prevent sprouting.

Because of my shorter growing season I plant them in 55 gallon drums cut in half and painted dark green to absorb the heat of the sun and keep the roots warm. I have harvested as much as 25 lbs. from 4 half barrels, each with 3 plants. They're a good root cellar crop and will keep until well into spring.

Once harvested they need to be properly cured to develop the sugars. You probably wouldn't like one fresh dug up, or if you do, you'd like them much better after curing. Curing also heals wounds from digging them up or breaking them off. It protects them from disease and rotting. You can put them in a warm humid spot for a few weeks, about 80-85 degrees and 85% humidity. I use a storage tub, some heat mats, and water. You can also let them cure in regular temps and humidity as long as there's air flow but it will take a lot longer.

I can tell you there is nothing like your own homegrown mashed sweet potatoes on your Thanksgiving table, the flavor far exceeds anything in the store without question. So much so that I told my wife if she wanted to candy some, used canned or store bought. The homegrown are for mashing, baking, and pies!
 

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