Am wondering which end you stick in the water? In the US, they are primarily grown for food in USDA Zones 9 to 11. Sweet potatoes make good aquarium plants. Pierce the sweet potato with four to five toothpicks equally spaced around the middle of the tuber. This is a GOOD sign! Trim back the vine as necessary. The United States Department of Agriculture allows sweet potato to carry the name of yam as long as it also contains the label sweet potato. Place the tuber in the jar, pointed end down, and insert toothpicks around its diameter to hold it in place. Fill a jar with water and place the sweet potato, pointed end down, so the toothpicks rest on the rim of the jar, and the bottom half of the sweet potato rests in water. The part under water will grow roots and the part above water will grow sprouts (known as sweet potato slips). Select a firm sweet potato with no signs of damage. Unrelated to the true yam, these morning glory relatives are sometimes called by the same name. Does it matter which half of the potato is submerged in water when making sweet potato slips? Sweet potatoes are a carbohydrate-rich source of food for millions of people in developing countries. The plants are grown in typical commercial hydroponic systems and the tubers can be harvested when ready. Here are a few ways to determine the difference between the rooting end and the sprouting end: Look for small thin roots on one end. You should not plant the vine until at least two weeks after the last expected frost. The slips take about eight weeks to mature, so you should be starting sweet potato slips about six weeks before your last frost date in the spring. If your sweet potato is too skinny you can use toothpicks to keep it from falling right down into the jar of water. Select a healthy sweet potato tuber and find a glass container slightly larger than the tuber. Place sweet potatoes in a glass jar of water. Their roots will take up nitrates and other waste products in the aquarium, helping to keep the water clean and fish healthier. It’s fairly simple, with a bit of knowledge and work, to produce your own sweet potato slips (sweet potato vines) for transplanting. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →. Outdoor sweet potatoes should be watered in the very early morning, right around dawn, so the water can soak in before the heat of the day begins. If either the roots or leaves get too long, you can always trim them back. The easiest way to grow lots of sweet potato slips is by submerging the sweet potato in a cup full of water. Although much of the US does not have a long enough growing season to produce mature sweet potatoes, they can be grown in water to create an interesting houseplant. In my zone of 6b I generally dig them up in the first 2 weeks of October. Transfer the sprouted sweet potato to a container filled with potting mix to grow as a houseplant. Nannette Richford is an avid gardener, teacher and nature enthusiast with more than four years' experience in online writing. Keep the top 1/3 of the potato exposed by placing toothpicks into the sides. Place on a sunny windowsill. The potatoes I'm working with have one rounded and one pointed end. I did notice what looked like root hairs, but not having had any of these wasn't sure how to proceed with them. One end may be larger with more eyes. In a few weeks a vine with several stems will begin to sprout. Transplant to a pot once roots are established and vigorous growth appears. To grow a healthy sweet potato vine, you need a healthy tuber. Although they produce better with regular water, they can handle dry periods. Most sweet potatoes need 90 to 120 days to produce a crop. This is the rooting end. The sweet potato produces vine-like stems that resemble the philodendron plant. You can also just place some rooted slips in a glass jar of water. Don’t water the sweet potatoes for 1 week prior to digging them up. Foliage appears in week or … All Rights Reserved. My question is does it matter which end is submerged. Am I over thinking this or does which way round matter? Fill the jar with enough water to cover the bottom three inches of the tuber. Change the water every few days or if it becomes cloudy. I've read sweet potato slips may be started by putting a sweet potato into a jar of water. The slips will grow fast and develop roots. Place the jar in a warm sunny area, and watch for roots to appear within a few days. Soils should be lose and friable. Yes, the rooting end should go in the water. Do not set the jar in southern window that receives direct light, as the water may overheat, damaging young roots or developing vines. Although this is probably not something the average gardener would want to tackle, sweet potatoes can also be grown hydroponically. The sweet potato or sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae.Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. Use a perforated basket or something similar to suspend the rooted slips several inches below water level. Pour cool tap water into the jar until the bottom one-third of the sweet potato is submerged. Place the jar in a warm sunny area, and watch for roots to appear within a few days. How to Grow Sweet Potato Vines as a Perennial. Follow the directions for starting slips noted above. TAMU Extension: What is the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam? or does it matter? How to Start a Sweet Potato Slip. Thank you. Fill a jar with water and place the sweet potato, pointed end down, so the toothpicks rest on the rim of the jar, and the bottom half of the sweet potato rests in water. The tubers are usually orange but may also be purple, yellow or white inside. I have looked at many YouTube videos showing various techniques, but all seem to overlook which end of the potato goes down (in the water) and which goes up (in the air). Ornamental varieties may also be grown in containers and taken indoors for the winter. They’re also an easy vegetable to seed-save and grow again each year. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens.The sweet potato is not closely related to the common potato (Solanum tuberosum). Growing sweet potatoes is a year-round adventure, with lots of activities to keep you busy even in the winter and spring. Near the end of their growing life sweet potato vines will start to yellow. Place the tuber in the jar, pointed end down, and insert toothpicks around its diameter to hold it in place. Insert three or four toothpicks at equal distance around the circumference of the potato, slightly above the midpoint. Richford holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from the University of Maine Orono and certifications in teaching 7-12 English, K-8 General Elementary and Birth to age 5. Examine it for soft spots, cuts or bruises, or areas of discoloration. Although many people use the word yam and sweet potato interchangeably, they are really two separate plants. Although many people use the word yam and sweet potato interchangeably, they are really two separate plants. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Foliage appears in week or two and grows into an attractive vine. Researchers began working on this issue a few years ago as sweet potatoes are rich in carotene and a good source of calories and fiber. Place the jar in a warm sunny area, and watch for roots to appear within a few days. Keep the water level consistent by adding fresh water as it evaporates. Since sweet potatoes rarely flower or produce seeds in temperate regions, they are grown from rooted cuttings called slips: In addition to starting sweet potatoes for slips, many people like to grow the vines as indoorplants. Hold the sweet potato with the pointed end down. I believe these are the Okinawan. Sweet potatoes are a traditional food in many countries because they will grow in poor soil. Any sweet potato that you have grown in water can also be planted outdoors at the right season. Select a healthy sweet potato tuber and find a glass container slightly larger than the tuber. The edible leaves can be harvested and eaten as you would other cooked greens like kale. Those labeled as yams in grocery stores across the US are almost certainly sweet potatoes. The end of the sweet potato that tapers is typically … They’re ready to harvest. Make sure at least two of the "eyes" are below the surface of the water. Sweet potatoes aren’t finicky about the texture of the ground they grow in, but if your soil is full of rocks and clumps, you may end up with oddly shaped potatoes at the end of the season. Water your sweet potato plant regularly to keep the leaves from wilting. Hold the sweet potato with the pointed end down. Use a clear glass jar to allow easy viewing of developing roots. The pointed end should be down in the water. This is the sprouting end. Orange sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae) are sweet and moist, while true yams (Dioscoreaceae ) are dry and starchy.