Sweet taters

[skeets]

OK guys now never having been able to grow to maturity any sweet taters, but have some really fine looking slips,, the Question is this,,
If I take the slips now and pot them instead of just letting them sit in water to root would they have a better chance of growing,,, Now I know up here in the north the growing season is not as long as down south so I want to give these little guys every chance I can, even to the point of fencing them off to keep out the freekin deer. So any advice from Y'all down South???

 

[sheepfarmer]

I got lucky up here one year but all the other times I've tried the vine grew but no taters. I am thinking that it wouldn't hurt to put some of them into something like cow pots and keep them warm and with lots of light, and then transplant when it is warm out. Maybe put down some black plastic on the part of the garden you were going to put them to heat up the soil. We had a cool summer up here last year so no luck, but I just stuck a couple in from the nursery that were in pots.

The Noaa website has soil temps for each area on it, takes me a while to find it. Worked like a champ last year my corn all germinated as planned. Too cold and it rots.

 

[Diydave]

pH is important , normal range is 5.8-6.2. Also they grow best in well draining soil, with less than 2% O.M. Don't over fertilize them, or all you'll get is vines...

 

[Daren Todd]

My grandfather had sweet potatoes down to a science. Had good luck year after year in vermont. Now, wife and I tried them and failed miserably should have paid attention to what he did all those years ago I can get you a bumper crop of 'maters and melons, but not much else

 

[Fastest1]

Get on Youtube and check out "Mel Bartholomew's SFG potatoes" incredible results. I just started some seed potatoes that way, so far it is going as planned.

 

[skeets]

Yeah the square foot guy,, yes I have watched his stuff and there was a series on PBS about SFG as well, lots of good info no doubt,. thanks