This is an update from “Rooting Sweet Potatoes” [tagged Sweet Potatoes].
The sweet potato sprouts and the cut sweet potatoes have been in water for six days. Since then, I have changed the water twice. Both the sprouts and the cut sweet potatoes have started developing roots.
The first picture shows the white sweet potato and its few small roots.
This photo shows the sprouts from the sweet potatoes.
This seems to be going well. I should be able to plant the sweet potato slips [plants] when the soil is consistently warm. I am considering growing each one under a cage so that the vines can grow vertically. Two years ago, I noticed that a bigger harvest was under the plants whose vines were never cut back by the mower.
Donna Young says
Our cat has nibbled on the sweet potato vines and that *made him sick for a few hours. Apparently the vines taste good to him since he will take them through the closed window blinds at night when everyone is asleep.
I’ve pulled the curtains over the closed blinds and closed the curtains together with clothespins. While I was away in TX, my daughter barricaded the window with a cookie sheet.
*sweet potato vines are toxic
Becca says
Hi Donna, just found this post from a search for sweet potatoes. Just wanted to mention that sweet potato leaves are not toxic, and are in fact eaten in many countries, especially Asia. You can search the web for recipes or methods for eating the leaves. They are very nutritious and supposedly delicious. We are growing sweet potatoes for the first time and look forward to trying the leaves.
Regular potato leaves are toxic, though. But sweet potatoes are not in the same family. Just fyi!
Donna Young says
Becca,
Thank you for that information about the leaves of the sweet potato being edible. I will have to try some the next time I grow sweet potatoes.