Jessica Syme lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland. She writes across a range of publications on Travel, Sustainable Architecture and Design. Jessica has a passionate interest in sustainable living and community gardens. Zea mays Is there anything sweeter than home grown corn? Corn on the cob, done on the barbie is a stunner, and adds some real height and interest to….
Read More. Megan Ambrus, one of SGA's subscribers has written this inspiring account of her gardening experience. Thank you, Megan! Growing up on a farm we…. In Edible Gardening , Vegetables.
By Jessica Syme. Varieties There are four main types grown in Australia and these are distinguished by their colour: Beauregard — a gold smooth skin with orange flesh — predominant in Australian production see picture at top of page Northern Star — purple skin with white flesh WSPF or White Skin Purple Flesh — attractive vegetable with soft purple rings of colour inside Kestle — white skin with white flesh.
Position Sweet potato vines love the sun. Soil This earthy vegetable likes crumbly, loose soil — well composted with organic matter, which helps create a loose, permeable, healthy bed. Little roots Organic fertilizer is best. Propagation From Slips Sweet potatoes are usually grown from slips, prepared from a mature plant. From Cuttings You can take cuttings from an established vine. Timing In warmer environments, sweet potatoes take approx. Pests and Disease Many insects will have a nibble on these nutritious leaves, especially grasshoppers, but unless they are stripping the vine, there is no cause for alarm.
Harvesting Pull off the covering vine, saving it to be dug back into the bed as a green manure. Storage It is best not to wash vegetables after harvesting but remove dirt with a dry brush.
Use Sweet potatoes have nutritional value protein, fiber, Vitamin C and calcium , and a low GI rating. Recipe Sweet potato pie has been a favourite in our family for many years.
Sweet Potato filling Peel and cut sweet potatoes into small chunks. Related Articles:. When your slips are ready to plant, prepare a large container with potting soil.
Plant each slip 10 to 12 inches apart. One slip can produce six to eight potatoes! Container-friendly varieties are Puerto Rico and Vardaman. Both have compact vining habits. Side note: It is hard to tell what variety of sweet potato you have if it was bought from the grocery store. Pictured above is a great choice for a container: an EarthBox. EarthBoxes are self-watering planters that make gardening easy!
Check out the Collier Greens page on our website for more information on EarthBoxes. They are in-fact members of the morning glory family and as a result have beautiful trumpet-like flowers. This makes sweet potatoes a great and productive addition to the flower border as well as the veg patch, which is not something that can be said for all productive crops.
While growing potatoes — the conventional type — is done from whole 'chitted' potatoes, sweet potatoes are grown from slips — the small shoots that grow out of the sweet potato. There are two methods to start off your sweet potato plants. The first is purchasing sweet potato slips — these are available both online and from most garden centers.
If they look withered on purchase, revive them by putting them in a glass of water overnight. Then the following morning plant in pots of peat-free soil and water well. Place these pots on the windowsill or in a greenhouse and keep watered until you're ready to plant out. The second way is to chit your own sweet potatoes and harvest your own slips. You can do this either with sweet potatoes that are bred for chitting — which will be available online or at a garden centre — or you can try your luck with a sweet potato bought from the grocery store.
No matter where you source your sweet potatoes from, the method is the same. Yes, you can grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato — even the sweet potatoes that you buy in the supermarket or grocery store can be used to start your crop. If you choose the grocery store route, you may have less success than with those from the garden centre as these have been bred for cooking rather than horticulture.
However, they are cheap so there is little to lose by giving it a go. Be sure to opt for an organic variety as these are less likely to have been sprayed with an anti-sprouting agent and will increase your chances of success.
While your slips are establishing in pots on the windowsill, it's time to prep your vegetable beds. It's important that the soil is warm and all risk of frost has passed before you plant the slips outside. Start by raking your vegetable bed to ensure that the soil is loose as this will aid with drainage and help your slips establish.
If you live in a cooler area, then consider covering your vegetable bed in black polythene or trash bags weighted down with large rocks. Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories.
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