The garden fever has broken out and infected you. You want to plant a sweet potato but don't quite know how? Then you've come to the right place!
What I have already put everything and that even though I have little space on the terrace. From melons (which did not work out so well), to runner beans, peppers, tomatoes and avocados.
Almost anything is possible in large flower pots, you can even plant a sweet potato in them and get a good harvest.
It's quite simple, isn't it? Just stick a potato in the ground and you're done.
Yes, it can succeed. But most of the time it does not.
Mainly because it simply takes too long for the batata to start sprouting.
Here in Europe, it's just too short warm for normal planting to work. By the time the potato really gets going, the summer is also already over.
But do not despair.
Therefore, there are a few little tricks that are guaranteed to succeed in growing sweet potatoes.
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Table of contents
3 methods to grow sweet potato plants
You are spoiled for choice :) There are 3 ways you can prefer the batata.
Planting sweet potatoes works best when you pull them from a tuber. As soon as it gets nice and warm, you can get to work.
You can grow sweet potatoes as early as January.
Sweet potato plants in the ground prepare
The most direct method is when you prepare yourself a pot with soil.
This works quite simply. The big disadvantage is that you can't see if anything is happening until the first germs are visible on the surface.
- To do this, cut the sweet potatoes into 4-5 equal parts. Let the cuts dry out for 2 days.
- Now place the pieces in a bucket or box with loose soil, keeping it slightly moist all the time.
- At 20-25 ° the tubers feel particularly well.
- Place the planter in a bright and warm place. After a few weeks you should see the first shoots.
Another disadvantage could be that you suddenly have black little mosquitoes in the house. This is called fungus gnats. They are a big nuisance and harm your plants.
It just does not work out at all? Then you can order already grown plants online.
This also makes sense if you have overlooked the time to pull them forward and it is simply too late. How about a rare purple sweet potato?
Put an end to the little black midges in the ground!
Pre-growing sweet potatoes on the windowsill
A little faster and without black mosquitoes can be done on the windowsill.
Important: You need a bright windowsill without too much direct sunlight.
Cut off the top 5 cm of the sweet potato.
- Place them cut-side down in a glass or Tupperware. Fill with enough water to cover half the potato.
- Leave the sweet potato in there until you see the first sprouts. Don't forget to keep adding water!
- When the potato has formed roots and shoots about 10 centimeters long, you can plant the sweet potato.
Then make sure that you do not bury the shoots in the soil. The tuber should stick out of the ground about halfway.
It's so easy to make your own greenhouse out of egg cartons!
With a toothpick and water plant the sweet potatoes
You can work on the same principle with this method.
The tubers begin to sprout faster when the cut surface is not directly in the glass, but virtually floating.
You can use a whole small tuber or cut a large one in half. It makes no difference.
- Grab a jar. Put three toothpicks on the sweet potato. They will serve as a prop.
- Put them in the jar and fill up with water until the bottom two centimeters of the tuber are in the water.
- After a few days you should already notice that something is happening.
There are tubers that form roots very quickly. And those for which it takes longer. It depends on the room temperature, water and variety.
You have to be patient and not let yourself get rattled.
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Why a potato tower on the balcony is useful
If you have little space on the balcony or terrace, it's worth the Acquisition of a potato tower. You can plant sweet potatoes in it, in addition to conventional potatoes.
A potato tower is 4 pots that you can stack on top of each other. You plant the tubers on all the floors.
This has the advantage that you can get a good harvest very space-saving.
You protect the plants from predators such as voles and can build the tower anywhere, guaranteed to find the right place in the sun.
Harvesting is very uncomplicated and quickly done.
Tip: With the Code WEGOWILD you get 10% Discount on your potato tower!
If you're interested in a potato tower, check out Gustagarden!
The tower is available in white and gray. I have opted for the gray version and now I'm just about to plant conventional potatoes. Let's see, maybe I'll leave a floor for my beloved sweet potatoes free. :)
What is the ideal location and soil for planting sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are not hardy. You plant them in the spring and harvest them in the fall.
Sweet potato plants love a loose and nutrient-rich soil. A good portion of nitrogen in the soil allows the orange tubers to grow really nicely.
If you want to plant a sweet potato, you need a sunny location. They come from the tropical regions of South America and love it nice and warm.
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This is also the reason why sweet potatoes are grown in raised beds, greenhouses or balcony pots. But if you wait until around the middle/end of May, you can also plant them in the garden.
Potatoes can be planted outdoors only from the middle of May, when the frosty days are over. After all, they do not cope at all with low temperatures.
The site should be sunny, warm and sheltered. If the potato is too often exposed to wind and cold rain, the harvest will be very poor.
The plants are very decorative. They form long above-ground tendrils and almost heart-shaped dark green leaves.
Important: If you want to plant a sweet potato, you can not forget about watering. The batata needs evenly moist soil. It does not like waterlogging and dryness.
That way you'll never run out of fresh basil plants!
Tip: You can find delicious recipes with sweet potatoes in the cookbook "Sweet potato vegetarian: casseroles, curries, stews, soups and salads", which you can order at Amazon.
Pests that could spoil your sweet potato planting
The good news first: Sweet potatoes are almost immune to typical plant diseases like powdery mildew or pests like aphids. They are very hardy if they have the right location.
Tip: A vegetable garden looks particularly good on the balcony. In a planter with a cover, so that your plants are always nice and warm. You'll find room for 52 liters of soil and can garden to your heart's content on the balcony. You can order it from Amazon.
The only thing that can become a problem in the garden are slugs. They love to make themselves over the plants and tubers.
The tubers are at least as likely to end up on the menu of voles.
If you rely on raised beds or pots when planting sweet potatoes, then you should have no problem.
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When you can harvest sweet potatoes
You can start harvesting the sweet potatoes in September. The leaves are a good indication that the tubers are ready. They turn a yellowish color.
The sweet potato plants should be harvested before the temperature drops below 10°. Because then the plants die completely.
If you think that the potatoes are not ready, you can apply a layer of mulch or cover the soil with straw. This way you can delay the time of harvest a little.
I harvested my potatoes in October. One small tuber became a large one, two medium ones and a few small ones. :)
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Brush the tubers and leave them in the air for two days. I just put them in the fruit bowl. After that, they are ready to be eaten. Your sweet potato planting project is then complete.
The small tubers you can put aside. A fruit bowl, which stands dark, fits as a location. It should be cool and dry. However, they usually do not keep too long. It may be that they begin to rot.
Our conclusion
Planting a sweet potato is really simple. Even beginners can do it. Provided that you do not forget to water. If you want to grow a sweet potato, you need a sunny and warm location.
Good luck! :)
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