Rank: Newbie
Joined: 7/28/2009
Posts: 7
Location: near Cadillac MI
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I know all about starting the sweet potato and getting the shoots and that I can keep it in water but I would like to plant it and no where do I see how to. My daughter planted the whole darned potato and she has a lovely plant but putting the whole potato in dirt sounds weird. Won't the potato rot?
There's about 100 articles on the web to get the shoots but no where does it mention the actual planting.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 1/20/2009
Posts: 53
Location: Cape York QUEENSLAND
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If you would like an edible crop of sweet potato, take the cue from your daughter and plant the potato ,with or without shoots, when the leaves appear keep hilling the soil up so that only the leaves are protruding from the soil, when the leaves start dying off in months ahead start digging potatoes out.I take out only what I need and the rest keep well in the soil.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 2/20/2010
Posts: 1
Location: NE Wisconsin
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If you just want to grow the sweet potato vine as an indoor plant, simply pull one shoot off the potato and put it in a small jar with fresh water. Change the water every few days, especially if it gets gunky and gross. It will sprout roots within about 5 - 7 days. Once rooted, simply plant it in a 3 inch pot with good potting soil (any commercial potting soil will probably work well). Keep moist by placing pot in a small saucer and watering through the saucer. You can start 3 - 5 shoots in this manner and then put them in a planter outside once danger of frost is past. To grow more sweet potatoes in the garden, start from growing shoots as above, once rooted, plant the rooted shoots directly in the garden.
If you can get a purple leaved sweet potato, it makes a beautiful planter addition especially when planted with other plants having complimentary coloring.
Enjoy!
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