gtarman Posted August 31, 2013 Hey guys. So I was trying to get Google to enlighten me on this, but all the results were to do with ornamental foliage varieties. Can you propagate sweet potato for eating from sections of vine? Or will they not produce tubers if it's just vine? Anyone who wants to share their experiences and/or how they go about it is most welcome :-] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted August 31, 2013 you should always propagate from vine only, this ensures you do not pass on shit things like sweet potato weevil etc. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted September 1, 2013 ^^ nice, I hadn't thought about that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ernie Posted September 1, 2013 What if you don't have a vine to start with? I've got a bought sweet tata sitting in potting mix hoping it throws a few shoots. I don't know if it's gonna work, but how else do I grow sweet tatas from scratch? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted September 1, 2013 (edited) ^ welcome to the forums! Yep, that will grow shoots as the weather warms up, which could be a while yet for you EDIT: hopefully anyway. If it's organic you should be fine...the standard ones at Coleworths tend to be sprayed with shit to prevent them from sprouting and prolong shelf-life. Edited September 1, 2013 by gtarman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted September 1, 2013 they will all sprout eventually. you can plant it in a pot and make cuttings from the vine called "slips" this way you won't end up with nasties in your soil. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ernie Posted September 2, 2013 What I did was buy a sweet tata from "IGA", then covered it in potting mix in a plastic bag, which I keep moist, (the tata not the bag, ha ha), then put it in a box, then covered the box in a sheet of glass which was exposed to a nice warm sunny spot. I presume when (if) I get a few shoots I just put them in the ground and wait for my sweet tatas to grow? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ernie Posted October 2, 2013 I got about 4 shoots from the store bought sweet potato, using the above method, after about 3 weeks. They are now sitting in a jar of water sprouting roots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halcyon Daze Posted October 2, 2013 Cuttings do well in full sun with plenty of water in the first week or 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtarman Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Anybody have any experience with eating the vine shoots and leaves? I've heard you can cook them up in stir fries and things but I've never tried it or seen it done. Any cooking tips? I got a few sweet taters at the store the other day and they started throwing out shoots all over the place about 3 days later. So I decided to heed their call and plant them out. Will have lots of shoots to practice on anyway. Edited November 13, 2013 by gtarman 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stillman Posted November 13, 2013 depending on the cultivar the leaves can be used like baby spinach in salads or steamed. I have a really awesome cultivar with soft salad green leaves that produces small yellow/white tubers that or steam well. You can have a some cuttings if you like? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
