Alternatively, you can cut the section containing the slip away from the sweet potato and plant both the slip and a piece of the sweet potatoes directly into the soil. There are several different options to propagate sweet potatoes, but we are focusing on the easiest option to help new gardeners to get going.
Place the sweet potato in a container of water. Keep the top 1/3 of the potato exposed by placing toothpicks into the sides. The pointed end should be down in the water. In a few weeks a vine with several stems will begin to sprout.
Put your slips into a glass or bowl of water with the roots submerged and leaves kept above the glass edge. New roots will emerge from each slip within a few days. When the roots are about an inch long, they are ready to plant!
One sweet potato, cut in half lengthwise (producing two halves each with a round base) will sprout slips. These roots, once planted in deep trenches or raised rows of soil, will each yield several sweet potatoes.
If you have a sweet potato sprouting in the cupboard, it might be too far gone for dinner. However, if you plant the sprouting section, called a slip, you can grow your own sweet potatoes in just a few months time.
Sweetpotato is cultivated by vegetative propagation. Growers take stem cuttings from the vines, which then root and form new storage roots. In some colder climates, where vines do not develop well, producers will plant roots. Botanical seed is used in breeding programs.
Plant Sweet Potato Vine
Place the rooted cutting into the pot and fill it within 1/2 inch of the top of the pot with soil. Water well. If the rooted cutting is top-heavy then prune it back as needed. If planting outdoors in the garden there is no need to prune, just water well and give a bit of feed.
Will sweet potatoes come back next year? They can live through the winter in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11. So, if the roots survive the winter, they'll regrow. But if you live in a zone colder than 9, you'll need to either give them significant protection over the winter or plan to replant them every year.
If your sweet potato is oozing, soft and squishy, discolored, smelly, or have a bunch of sprouts, it's time to toss. If there are only a few sprouts and the sweet potato is still firm you can cut the sprouted portion off, cook and eat right away, or you can plant it!
In about a week, if you wiggle the sweet potato, you will feel that roots are forming in the soil. Within another week or two, small sprouts will begin to grow from the top of the sweet potato. Once several sprouts have grown to 5-6 inches long, you are ready for the next step.
Place the sweet potato into the jar. Fill the jar with water leaving about 1-inch space between the water and the top of the jar. Keep the sweet potato plant in moderate to full sunlight at room temperature or above 65 degrees. Check the water levels and add more water when needed.
Potted sweet potato vines can be brought indoors and kept as houseplants. They can be allowed to go dormant, and you can store the tubers. You can take cuttings, and bring those indoors for the winter.
You can buy slips or grow your own by placing a sweet potato in a tray filled with potting mix. Half bury the tuber in the mix and mist or water regularly to keep the soil moist. Sprouts will grow and root over the next couple of weeks.
Is a sweet potato vine an annual or perennial? Hardy in USDA zones 9-11, sweet potato vine is perennial in warmer climates, but is most often grown as an annual.
You can propagate sweet potato vine in either water or soil, both are great methods to use.
Sweet potato slips root effortlessly in both water and soil, producing a transplantable vine in just a few weeks.
The greens are edible raw, but are a bit strong in flavor. Try sautéing them in the place of spinach, adding them to stir-fries, or chopping them finely and adding them to salads. The sweet potato dates back to prehistoric times, likely originating in the tropical climates of Peru and Ecuador.
Sweet potatoes (Impomoea batatas) are a vine related to morning glories that produce edible underground tubers.
Can you leave sweet potatoes in the ground too long? Once they're ready to harvest, sweet potatoes can remain in the ground a few weeks longer and will continue growing larger but be sure to lift them before the frosts arrive otherwise the tubers are likely to be damaged.
Uncured root tubers have fragile skin sensitive to bruising, disease, and rot. So it is important to handle them with care to avoid damage. Select a location that is shaded, warm, and has high humidity. An ideal temperature range for curing sweet potatoes is between 80 to 85˚F with a relative humidity of 90 to 95%.
After harvest, the sweet potatoes should be cured. This involves placing the potatoes in a warm (85 degrees) humid (90 percent) environment for about 4 to 6 days to increase sugar content, heal nicks and bruises incurred during harvest, and increase flesh color.
Are sweet potatoes easy to grow? Sweet potatoes are surprisingly easy to grow. Since the vines root wherever they touch the ground, a few plants can easily produce a generous harvest.