Time To Let Those Sweet Potato Soak Folks!

englishtchrivy (72)in #gardening • 6 years ago

Are you living in the EU and are you having the same weather as we are in NL right now? Is gardening also a hobby you have like I do, then just so you know, it's time to let those sweet potatoes soak!

I actually let them soak on these cups back in Feb 7 to be exact. A week later, some of the nodes started swelling, some were cracking open and some were already having roots. Four days later, I checked back and the first root was already hanging longer than it was.

I didn't really have to do much, just that I made sure they have enough sunlight so I placed them on the sink. They must have grown faster have I placed them on a board on top of the heating but we know what happens to water when placed on it so I didn't .

Every three days, I'd replace the water and I've always used lukewarm just to let them have a warm bath after all, they're really tropical plants. After 4 days, I moved them to the wine glass on the first pic cause the bottom started feeling sticky so I suspect yeast formation and am not sure that's healthy so almost every Saturday after that I'd brush them gently till that sticky feel goes away. I just used an old soft tooth brush.

I was supposed to post about it later but I've decided to do it now cause I realized what if you, too would like to grow one. It's time! Plus ... today, when I was replacing the water, I felt some soft spot on one of them and found out there's a rot so I scraped the whole rotting part off to avoid killing the whole root. Would the piece hold? I guess yes since the whole bottom is pretty much like that - all soaked.

Today, it's exactly a month and a week soaked and some baby plants are already sprouting. The white ones are ahead of that with an orange flesh which seems to be the slowest of them all and that's a bummer cause I'd really like to grow a lot of those since it's the sweetest of them all.

I can't wait till they start having real leaves like this one did last year. Unfortunately, I will have to grow them indoor because this part of the earth has suddenly switched on winter mode from "a pseudo spring spell". Btw, those pics of the sweet potato sprouting last year was taken in March 17 and 21 (respectively) so I can't wait for that day to come!

I'm growing them not just for roots but for the leaves. We eat them, too in the Philippines and one of my favorite Filipino dishes is Sinigang and the best vegetable to put in it is the sweet potato leaves. I wish I live in Spain or Portugal cause there, I could grow a farm of sweet potatoes there and perhaps if they thrive enough the whole EU won't have to import sweet potatoes anymore.

A kilo costs almost 3 euro here and for that price I could buy at least 15 kilos of organic sweet potatoes in the Philippines. This plant is very very easy to grow in a tropical country, it's almost like grass, you can even grow them in cuttings and just make sure to water them everyday, once they've grown roots, they've managed on their own and get invasive. Before you know it, you'll be having roots under the ground to harvest!

I saved the plants I've manged to grow from that one sweet potato root I grew last year just to experiment on it. I wanted to check whether they'd survive till it's okay to let them crawl outside this year. I saved five of them but only three survived and as you can see one of them have browning stems, too.

I haven't thinned their leaves at all because I think they need it much plus I don't think they look healthy. Fingers crossed they'd survive, thrive and grow me roots when its time.

' you planning to plant sweet potatoes this year, too? It's time to let them have their jacuzi bath but first, grab yourself a root or two and I wish you luck!

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6 years ago in #gardening by englishtchrivy (72)

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bawangmerah230 (57) 6 years ago

sweet potato plant one of the most easily grown plants. but what you do is really amazing. this may be the best research. in aceh, we planted sweet potatoes on the edge of another plant with a pattern surrounding the existing plant. aims for intercropping that will keep other plants from wild animals, one of which is a wild boar that often eat our precious crops. thank you for sharing valuable work ...

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boyasyie (59) 6 years ago

this is interesting. I talked a lot about agriculture. hopefully you do not mind your work I make my source later. if possible i will also use the drawing for tutorial explanation. hope you do not mind. thanks for sharing. i like you @englishtchrivy

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bleujay (71) 6 years ago

Thank you @englishtchrivy for this informative, colourful. and interesting post.

What fun to see the sweet potatoes in the wine glasses!

Really did not know the leaves are edible......will have to give it a go.

Wishing you all the best, mon ami.

Cheers.

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englishtchrivy (72) 6 years ago

thanks mon ami
sorry for the late reply
been busy lately
it's gardening season again

yes, the leaves are edible
if you eat spinach then you can also eat them
they smell like boiled sweet potato, too

I hope you had a great weekend

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life.story (44) 6 years ago

What an amazing work you do. My father like gardenig a lot as like as you and he plants a lot of fruits in his garden.
Wish you the best dear friend.

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goldendawne (69) 6 years ago

Love this experiment.
Personally I don't care for sweet potatoes and I never knew you could eat the leaves.

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englishtchrivy (72) 6 years ago

thanks
you can :D
you can even pluck them and just steam
a soy with lemon dip would come in handy

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azlicr (57) 6 years ago

awesome,, good job

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rehan12 (73) 6 years ago

My mom would sure love the idea !

she does have made some plants garden on top of the roof .While it was an interesting story though ,the lady who brought some plant seeds was not able to grow any in her roof top while she gave some to my mom and after few days they were grown in our roof top & now she has grown Potato, coriander,some vegetables that I do not know the names of ;)

I an thinking of making a post with those plants of hers ;)

All the very best to the plants growing out of them I do like the idea of yours !

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arii (41) 6 years ago

Very nice post, @englishtchrivy never get bored in teaching science that is useful for the people, because science is needed for people whose knowledge is still limited

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