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Post by Tig on Jul 10, 2008 23:12:11 GMT
Thought I'd share a last picture of the Mother spud - still producing after all this time - I have 14 plants in situ that she has delivered over the months, the amazing thing is that they all look about the same stage of growth! As the weather has got warmer (and wetter!) they are all starting to look more vigorous, fingers crossed for something to harvest come September More photos of the sprogs are on my garden page as per earlier post x Tig
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Post by Tig on Aug 16, 2008 23:07:20 GMT
They have been out for an age .. but they don't seem to be doing much! Yes they have grown, but not up, they have just got bushier ?? A couple have bulged under the weed suppressant sheet .. whether they will produce any sweet potatoes is another matter entirely I will report back when I unearth them in September (unless there is a major change in their behaviour) x Tig
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Post by jean on Aug 20, 2008 20:00:18 GMT
Hi Tig I'm not doing much better, a couple have started growing up their supports in the GH but they are very slow to get moving. I think September might be too early
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Post by Tig on Aug 20, 2008 22:43:03 GMT
According to the information I can find they need to have a period of dry weather before they are lifted, if I leave them after September they can forget that in my neck of the woods Jlottie! But ;D I have grown them in a frame of 3' fence, so I could cover them with clear waterproof sheeting (sneaky person who planned ahead for a wet autumn ) It is all an adventure after all - I have enjoyed the learning experience But it would be great to harvest something bigger than a marble! x Tig x Tig
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Post by Tig on Sept 20, 2008 22:41:43 GMT
I saw Joe Swifts on Gardeners World last night - his were growing upward! I have a sneaky feeling mine will be a bit of a 'well I tried' venture Maybe I should have a firtle under the weed suppressant?
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Post by Tig on Sept 25, 2008 14:43:43 GMT
Curiosity got the better of me - I've been firtling There were a couple of spares I threw in at the last minute so I thought I would lift one not-very-big one. Low and behold a miracle ;D One (just one mind you) sweet potato!!! About 5" long and an inch wide, I managed to snap it - they are very brittle, and something had been having a nibble at the bottom end I am more hopeful now that I shall get something worthwhile from the others. I'll let you know x Tig
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 25, 2008 12:35:46 GMT
Well back in June I posted about the one good slip I'd got going and 2 weedy ones that I'd try and keep going. Thought I'd posted to say I'd not had any success with the best plant obviously I must have dreamt that one. Anyhow, been clearing pots of stuff out today that I'd chucked out and found this strange looking plant little plant pulled it out the pot and look I grew a Sweet Potato ;D We are definately trying this again next year aren't we ;D Tig, JLottie anyone ;D
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Post by Tig on Oct 25, 2008 13:48:51 GMT
Well done Chuckles These were the results of my efforts (posted previously on my garden thread) ... I was pleased to see that the RHS trials on GW last night had not done any better with some of their varieties, although the best ones were Georgia Jet and T65, which produced some decent sized roots. I learned that the those which had been in the pots longests had tangled contorted tubers, so they obviously need teasing out when transplanted! I may be tempted to have another go ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 28, 2008 9:11:58 GMT
I watched GW last night Tig and they did have some failures didn't they, I reckon we did better than they did not counting there Georgia jet and T65 sweet tats, even me with my one finger sized one ;D
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Post by jean on Oct 28, 2008 21:03:26 GMT
I'll have a look tomorrow, but I'm not holding out much hope as I was far to late in planting. The slips were still growing away on the original sweet potato last week. If anyone wants to try next year, the slips are very easy to grow, the sweet potato just needs half burying in a well drained compost mixed with gravel or perlite, they seem to look after themselves
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Post by Tig on Oct 29, 2008 0:06:38 GMT
They do indeed Jlottie - and my 'mummy' sweet spud is still growing slips! I believe if her bring it indoors now I could continue to get useable slips from it for next season x Tig
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Post by jean on Nov 11, 2008 20:49:48 GMT
Tig, mine were pathetic it hasn't put me off trying them again next year, I just need to get sorted a lot earlier
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Post by Tig on Nov 11, 2008 22:53:05 GMT
Shall we all be starting one off in January then ladies? (and any gents who fancy the challenge of course ) x Tig
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Post by purplejulia on Nov 11, 2008 23:04:03 GMT
Can I join in laydees. I don't have any slips (must confess don't know how to get hold of them.) PJ
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Post by Tig on Nov 11, 2008 23:11:12 GMT
We grow our own PJ - if you go back to the start of this thread you can read all about it ;D It has been an enjoyable experiment for me, even if I didn't get a bumper harvest, we still ate the little ones which were big enough to peel and roast x Tig
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Post by purplejulia on Nov 11, 2008 23:23:59 GMT
Tig, I have just read first page of this thread and I am so impressed with your perserverance. Should I wait until January to start getting my slips?
PJ
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Post by Tig on Nov 11, 2008 23:35:30 GMT
I would PJ - it takes a while for the mother spud to get going, but once she does the slips grow quite quickly, and I found from my experience that the earlier ones I potted up must have started to become pot-bound by the time it was warm enough to plant them out. Next time I will keep potting them on into bigger pots as they grow - I might risk putting them in the mini-growhouse around March time if I have space - or maybe make a cold-frame x Tig
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Post by Tig on Jan 9, 2009 23:50:45 GMT
If anyone is thinking of growing their own slips from a mother sweet potato - this is a reminder to shift your butts and get one in a pot of compost sometime soon Follow the advice .. and good luck ;D x Tig
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 19, 2009 13:37:05 GMT
If anyone is thinking of growing their own slips from a mother sweet potato - this is a reminder to shift your butts and get one in a pot of compost sometime soon Follow the advice .. and good luck ;D x Tig Damm I meant to ask OH to get one on saturday. Ok, it's on the shopping list next time we supermarket shop. I'm going to succeed this year, anyone else having a go
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Post by carolann on Jan 19, 2009 15:12:49 GMT
Well ladies I have just come back from shopping and have bought a Sweet Pot and I will go down to the GH and pot it up. I shall be growing mine in the GH bed just incase we have a very wet Summer again. Does the mother spud have to be kept warm or do you keep it in a cool place? Think I will have to go to the beginning of the thread and have another read. Good luck everyone.
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Post by purplejulia on Jan 20, 2009 20:47:49 GMT
I potted up a sweet potato yesterday which I am keeping by the french window in my back room which is a sunny spot. I noticed that they are from US - hope that doesn't mean it is full of chemicals and won't grow any slips. Help Tig, do I need to buy an organic one? PJ
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Post by carolann on Jan 22, 2009 20:22:29 GMT
I potted my spud up on the 19th and put a 3lt pop bottle over the top and wrapped it in newspaper and stuck it all down, it is now on the living room window sill which faces West so I hope it is warm enough for it.
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Post by Tig on Jan 23, 2009 19:35:45 GMT
I think the one I used last year was from the US PJ, so just wait and see, they are slow to get going, but once they do there is no stopping them ;D OK you have convinced me - I will pot one up tomorrow! Just popped to have a look - mine is from Israel, type Carmy?? Never heard of it so another experiment in growing them You have only half buried them haven't you? Mine did better last year when I didn't exclude light and it wasn't just kept wet, it was nearly swimming! Water got a bit stinky and needed emptying out regularly, but it seemed happier in a swamp Don't know if that was the right thing to do, but it worked for me? x Tig
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Post by carolann on Jan 24, 2009 9:15:31 GMT
Thanks Tig for the tip on the water, I will fill the dish up and see what happens. I may just put the paper bottle cover on over night as it does get cooler then. Yes I only covered the spud half way up. Not sure what its called as I forgot to have a look
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Post by Tig on Jan 24, 2009 14:27:18 GMT
Mine is now sitting in a mini-sauna covered with half a lemonade bottle! ;D
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Post by purplejulia on Jan 24, 2009 20:53:33 GMT
Thanks for your advice Tig. I will find an old bottle to carve up to make a sauna. Will take a pic if there is any action!
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Post by carolann on Jan 26, 2009 10:14:13 GMT
My spud is from Isreal like yours Tig but it didnt have a name on. I dont think the bed in GH is deep enough so I will plant it in a large tub at the back end with lots of netting for it to grow up. Tig should I (when the time comes) fill half of the tub with compost then earth it up to the top when the slips start growing?
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 26, 2009 10:22:16 GMT
Not got mine yet Carolann, the slips grow their own root and you detach them from mother and plant them seperately, can't remember all the detail without lookng back on the thread, there are pics from last year
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Post by carolann on Jan 26, 2009 10:42:41 GMT
Thanks Chuckles but I didnt explain myself clearly, I meant when the slips have rooted, not sure about earthing them you see. But then again they dont grow like a normal seed spud do they, so they could be OK just planted on the top of the soil and leave a little space just in case they need earthing. What do you think?
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Post by Tig on Jan 26, 2009 10:46:27 GMT
Don't decide yet where to grow them, how deep is the GH bed? As Chuckles says, once we start to get shoots on the mother spud we detach them and pot them on separately until it is warm enough to plant them out (or 'in' in your case . They like warm soil, but don't need earthing up as such, I excluded light by planting mine under weed suppressant matting, and this stops the plants from sprawling along the ground and rooting (which reduces the yield evidently ) Patience is the name of game x Tig
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