Tue 6 Jan 2009
This plant of tropical origin likes long, hot summers. Sweet potatoes also demand lots of space and welldrained soil, preferably sandy loam.
How to Plant
Start sweet potatoes from nursery plants or from slips. To get slips, plant the whole tuber of the variety you like in water or in sand. Use toothpicks to suspend them in water if you are just planting a few. Otherwise, plant the tubers in a deep bed of sand kept at a temperature of 70 to 75° in a hotbed or coldframe. When sprouts reach 9 inches, cut them off and plant these slips in sandy soil. Allow at least one foot between plants. Vines will spread 6 feet or more across.
Care
Water frequently but don’t feed with too much nitrogen or you will find all vine and no potatoes. Normal vine growth is usually lush enough to overpower weeds. Cover newly-planted slips if the temperature dips.
Harvesting
In the fall before frost arrives, dig the tubers, being careful not to bruise the roots. If you are going to store the potatoes, don’t wash them. Dry them at 80 to 85″ for two or three weeks before storing them for the winter.
