Unfortunately the sweet potato is only an annual. But getting a new plant every year? That doesn't have to be the case. With simple means and few accessories, you can grow your own sweet potato in no time. You even have several variants to choose from. In the following article you will read how a small offshoot or a single tuber can soon grow into a beautiful morning glory plant that will certainly enrich your garden.
How do I grow a sweet potato myself?
There are three methods to grow a sweet potato: in the ground, in a glass of water or with cuttings. These each require a tuber, a flower box (€15.00 on Amazon), potting soil, a glass of water or cuttings. It is best to start cultivation in winter.
Schedule for Growing a Sweet Potato
Ideally, you start growing a sweet potato in winter. Although it doesn't take long for the first roots to appear, at this point your batate still has enough time to develop sufficiently to be placed outside later. This is only possible after the last night frosts have subsided. Mid-May, after the Ice Saints, is a reliable time. Only in the greenhouse are there suitable conditions for planting the sweet potato in the ground earlier. The optimal temperature for cultivation is 17°C.
Instructions
You can grow a sweet potato without much effort using three different methods:
- in the earth
- in a water glass
- about cuttings
Materials needed
Depending on the procedure, you will need:
- a sweet potato tuber from the supermarket
- a flower box (€15.00 on Amazon)
- potting soil
- a glass of fresh water
- Cuttings that you either take from the mother plant or buy from a garden store
Growing in the soil
- fill a box with conventional soil or mix a substrate of compost and sand
- put the sweet potato tuber on top
- place the box in a bright place
- keep the substrate moist throughout
Growing in a water glass
- fill warm, fresh water into a glass
- cut off one end of a sweet potato tuber
- place the sweet potato cut side down in the water
- the sweet potato is too small and threatening. to sink, toothpicks help to fix them
- place the glass in a warm, bright place, for example on the windowsill
- change the water after a few days
Growing with cuttings
- remove about 10 cm long shoots from your existing sweet potato
- place these in a shallow bowl of water
- Here too, it only takes a few days until the first roots form