Growing Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are members of the Convolvulaceae family, the same family and genus (Ipomoea) as morning glory, which explains their similar flowers. They are native to the tropics of the New World and the east Indies, being widely grown in warm and temperate regions for their edible tuberous roots.
Sweet potatoes can be boiled, baked, grilled or added to soups, stews and casseroles. They have about twenty five percent more energy by weight than potatoes. The two common types are the orange skinned, orange fleshed type and the purple skinned, white fleshed "kumera" grown by the Maoris of New Zealand or the "cow cow" when grown in the highlands of New Guinea.
Both the Orange fleshed and white fleshed sweet potatoes have been grown at Briagolong in central Gippsland for a number of years successfully. Growing the orange fleshed ones has proved very successful and the white fleshed one s moderately successful.
The white fleshed variety may do better with a longer, hotter growing season. The Maoris extended the area of its cultivation to cooler parts by selecting north facing slopes and black rocks amongst the plants in early spring which reduced the effects of the later light frosts. The rocks absorbed heat from the sun and acted as a heat bank. This allowed them to extend their growing season and extend their cultivation into areas where the number of frost free days would have otherwise prevented them from being grown.
Growing method Tubers should be purchased from a number of places to increase the genetic diversity or try to get your initial stock from someone growing them locally.
Put them in either a wax treated cardboard box or a square polystyrene fruit box. Just cover the tubers with a mixture of 1/4 compost and 3/4 river sand. Cover the box with clear plastic and leave it in the sun. Ideally this should be started in early-mid July. Keep moist but not too wet. The tubers should put up shoots which can be broken off when they get to about 50mm high.
To do this the tuber is gently dug up and the shoots broken off with roots if possible. These shoots are then transplanted like tomato seedlings with a spacing of about 400mm.
The orange fleshed type have good roots on the shoots and transplant easily. The white fleshed type generally don't roots as well but can still be transplanted. It may be an advantage to put the shoots of the white fleshed type in potting mix for three weeks or so before transplanting.
The plants of both are very frost sensitive and it is either necessary to wait till the last frost or to protect the young plants if transplanted. Once established the plant don't have a high water requirement, particularly near the end of their growing season. In fact they seem one of the most trouble free plants grown in the garden.
Tubers should be saved from your best plants each year for next seasons crop and these should be stored in dry sawdust or a well ventilated place. It is not necessary to store the tubers in a cool place such as a refrigerator and this may even be a disadvantage.
Select for greatest producers and the tendency to form tubers in a clump at the base of the plant. Some form clumps at the base others set tubers up to 600mm away making harvesting labour intensive.
Non-profit groups such as garden groups, organic groups, permaculture groups or similar are encouraged to distribute this material by computer printouts or photostatting. Groups are encouraged to make their own pamphlets to photocopy and sell for profits for their group.
It is asked that anyone intending to use this information in commercially published form ask the permission of Neil Barraclough RMB 1477, Stratford 3862
Copyright 19/5/2001 14/08/08
Sweet potatoes are members of the Convolvulaceae family, the same family and genus (Ipomoea) as morning glory, which explains their similar flowers. They are native to the tropics of the New World and the east Indies, being widely grown in warm and temperate regions for their edible tuberous roots.
Sweet potatoes can be boiled, baked, grilled or added to soups, stews and casseroles. They have about twenty five percent more energy by weight than potatoes. The two common types are the orange skinned, orange fleshed type and the purple skinned, white fleshed "kumera" grown by the Maoris of New Zealand or the "cow cow" when grown in the highlands of New Guinea.
Both the Orange fleshed and white fleshed sweet potatoes have been grown at Briagolong in central Gippsland for a number of years successfully. Growing the orange fleshed ones has proved very successful and the white fleshed one s moderately successful.
The white fleshed variety may do better with a longer, hotter growing season. The Maoris extended the area of its cultivation to cooler parts by selecting north facing slopes and black rocks amongst the plants in early spring which reduced the effects of the later light frosts. The rocks absorbed heat from the sun and acted as a heat bank. This allowed them to extend their growing season and extend their cultivation into areas where the number of frost free days would have otherwise prevented them from being grown.
Growing method Tubers should be purchased from a number of places to increase the genetic diversity or try to get your initial stock from someone growing them locally.
Put them in either a wax treated cardboard box or a square polystyrene fruit box. Just cover the tubers with a mixture of 1/4 compost and 3/4 river sand. Cover the box with clear plastic and leave it in the sun. Ideally this should be started in early-mid July. Keep moist but not too wet. The tubers should put up shoots which can be broken off when they get to about 50mm high.
To do this the tuber is gently dug up and the shoots broken off with roots if possible. These shoots are then transplanted like tomato seedlings with a spacing of about 400mm.
The orange fleshed type have good roots on the shoots and transplant easily. The white fleshed type generally don't roots as well but can still be transplanted. It may be an advantage to put the shoots of the white fleshed type in potting mix for three weeks or so before transplanting.
The plants of both are very frost sensitive and it is either necessary to wait till the last frost or to protect the young plants if transplanted. Once established the plant don't have a high water requirement, particularly near the end of their growing season. In fact they seem one of the most trouble free plants grown in the garden.
Tubers should be saved from your best plants each year for next seasons crop and these should be stored in dry sawdust or a well ventilated place. It is not necessary to store the tubers in a cool place such as a refrigerator and this may even be a disadvantage.
Select for greatest producers and the tendency to form tubers in a clump at the base of the plant. Some form clumps at the base others set tubers up to 600mm away making harvesting labour intensive.
Non-profit groups such as garden groups, organic groups, permaculture groups or similar are encouraged to distribute this material by computer printouts or photostatting. Groups are encouraged to make their own pamphlets to photocopy and sell for profits for their group.
It is asked that anyone intending to use this information in commercially published form ask the permission of Neil Barraclough RMB 1477, Stratford 3862
Copyright 19/5/2001 14/08/08