How to Grow sweet potatoes

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Growing sweet potatoes

Learn How to Grow sweet potatoes | Growing sweet potatoes, sweet potato vine, sweet potato plant problem, and many more about this vine. Sweet potato vines are not produced by seeds like other vegetables, they start with slips. These slips and shoots are available in a mature potato. Well, you can easily get it from the store selling seeds. If you are buying from the store, then be sure to find out whether it is Bush type or Vining type.

Sweet potato vines are very ornamental and attractive. Its plants are tropical and are very sensitive to cold. Sweet potatoes are more like cool soil than other potatoes. Many gardeners, after the frost of last spring, when the air and soil are both warm, this plant produces lush vines and becomes a cover of beautiful ground.

Classification

Scientific name Lpomoea batatas

Common name Sweet potatoes

Plant type Vegetable plant

Sun required Full Sun

Soil Loamy- well-drained

Soil pH 5.8-6.2

Zone 8-9 USDA Zone

Overview Sweet Potato plants

By growing sweet potato plants in the garden trail or container, you will find an extraordinary bonanza of delicious plants, flavors, and souvenir leaves along with its beautiful plants. Its plants grow well in your Sunny Vegetable Garden, you can also incorporate them into the landscape of your garden. This can increase the charm of your garden in the form of a temporary ground cover or trailing houseplant.

The sweet potato flavor has been classified as moist or dry. The most favorite varieties of home gardens are the damp type. These are very well developed in tropical areas and temperate climates. This hot season’s crop is particularly nutritious and versatile.

How to grow Sweet potatoes at home is easy, just follow the information given below.

Soil

Sweet potatoes love loamy, well-drained soil, which is not very rich. An ideal soil pH is between 5.8 -6.2. However, sweet potato tolerates acid pH over 5.0. Mix the compost before planting it, and wet the bed. If the soil used is too heavy, then you can amend it by mixing with sand and compost. Even before this, we have read about the soil amendment, that there should be a very good space to breathe in the soil so that the plant roots can expand their size. Due to its deficiency, many times potatoes appear in thin and weird shapes. If sand mixes with the soil, then it is an ideal crop. Cover it with black plastic to heat the soil in cold areas.

Temperature

The sweet potato vine does not tolerate frost, it grows very well at a temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. Its plants prefer abundant sunlight and warm nights. For this suitable rainfall is considered to be the most suitable 700-1000 millimeters. About 50-60 days after planting, they are sensitive to drought at the onset of tubers. Yes, but the plant should not have to waterlog. This increases the risk of rotting its tubers, and the increase in roots can be affected if air circulation is low.

Planting

To produce the right yield, make a 10-inch high, ridge space and a 3.5 ft space apart. A 10-foot line will produce about 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes.

Composting

Much organic matter works in sweet potato vine. But avoid nitrogen-rich organic materials that produce lush vines and stunted tubes.

Exposures

Its plants generally prefer full sun, but in the warm and dry areas, they tolerate some shade of the afternoon. Sweet potato vine loves warm temperatures.

Preparing slips

Sweet potatoes do not start with seeds like other vegetables, they are started by slips.

To prepare the slips, you need healthy and sweet potatoes, each potato makes about 50 slips. Wash your potatoes to prepare sprouts. After washing the potatoes, you immerse it in a glass of water or a jar filled with water. Keep in mind that more than half of the potato remained above the water. Use the toothpicks for the potatoes to remain stable in your place. (See picture sweet potato-nb-01)
Slips need heating and light, so keep a jar or glass near the window. Wait a few weeks, you will see leafy sprouts on the top of the potato and fine roots on the bottom. Read more.

Sweet potato slips

With the help of travel, you make 5 inches deep and 3 wide holes. Keep a slip in each hole in which the roots are downwards. Then cover it with the help of Dirt on the sides. The top of the potato begins to grow with new plants. When filling the dirt, keep in mind that sweet potato is not able to scratch. The sweet potato does not hurt, injury. When you cover it with soil, press the hand slightly on the sides, so that the soil becomes set. On the same side, remove all potatoes from the bottle or jar and plant them in the ground.

Growing sweet potatoes in pots

How to grow Sweet potatoes in the container are easy, if you are growing sweet potato in the container, First fill the container with the potting mix, and sand, and add about half a cup of granulated organic fertilizer.
Separate his shoots with the help of a sharp edge knife to apply sweet potato in the container.
Put these slips in the container, place the slips on the top, apply light water after planting. when they become 2 to 3 inches tall. Then plant them into a small container and put them into a compact and root them in a warm propagator. Treat other shoots as usual.
Do not use more nitrogen fertilizers, it will encourage leafy growth rather than large tubers. Read more.

Watering

When all the slips get planted then it needs water. Soak the ground completely. When the entire dirt surrounding becomes wet with water, turn off the water. New plants need water every day in the first week and in the second week every other day. After a few developments, give water once a week. If your area is dry or too heavy rain, then adjust your schedule to your garden. Sweet potatoes can tolerate dry, but in such a situation, they produce less. So if you live in warm areas, you will need regular water.

Pests problem sweet potato plant

The deer love tenderly, sweet potato leaves very much. You will need to arrange the floating row cover to avoid this. Japanese beetles and leaf-worm worms also cause slight damage to their plant, but their leaves get rid of pesticide problems. If insects attack the tubers then it can be dangerous because it destroys the entire crop. Wireworms and Nematodes also often attack it.
Fungus disease recovers due to the soil, it can be devastating for sweet potato. You can manage it before planting a potato. Therefore, always plant a certified seed and Disease-free plants.

Harvesting sweet potatoes

In tropical areas, tubers take 4 to 5 months to mature. The harvest is the best time when its leaves fall yellow and die. Pull back vines for harvesting and loosen the soil of the base. You can use the garden fork for this. Carefully harvest, at each planting, there are several tubers are ready.
In warmer areas, it can leave underground for many years.
Harvest the crop before the heavy winter in cooler areas.
You can store large tubers thoroughly, dry them, and store them in the refrigerator for a few days.

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