Many people engage in gardening as a hobby, mainly because they need a relaxing activity to start or end their day. One of everyone’s favorites is growing sweet potatoes at home, normally, you see these vegetables growing in the fields, but when you find a little space in the house, glass jars are the best solution for our passion.
While it may sound complicated, growing and caring for these plants at home is pretty straightforward. Here is an in-depth, beginner-friendly guide to growing sweet potatoes in pots, so having the necessary materials and tools in advance is vital.
Materials-wise you will need:
Sweet potatoes SIPO
Toothpick
Waterfall
Topsoil
Potting soil
Slow release fertilizer
As for tools and equipment, you will only need:
Knife
Shallow dish
Glass containers (one for each tuber)
STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO GROW SWEET POTATOES AT HOME
STEP 1: PREPARE THE SWEET POTATOES
First, look for the Sweet Potatoes Sapori del Mio Orto. Use the knife to cut the tubers into pieces a little smaller than the opening of your glass jar.
Next, find the center of each potato and stick three toothpicks into it and try to go about 2-3 centimeters deep.
STEP 2: PLACE THE SWEET POTATOES IN THE WATER
Place each tuber so that the toothpicks rest on the edge of the glass container. The pointed end of the tuber should look down into the container. Then, add enough water to cover the bottom half of the tuber. Then, put the pot in a sunny spot and change the water every two days. It may take up to a month for the tuber to sprout from above. These are known as “slips” and are what you will use to grow your sweet potatoes.
STEP 3: SEPARATE THE SWEET POTATO SPROUTS
Once the sweet potato tuber has produced the sprouts, you need to carefully separate them from the tuber one by one by gently twisting them to release them.
Then, take a deep plate filled with water and lay each slip inside. Make sure that the water covers the bottom of the stem and that the leaves hang over the edge. After a few days, you will see new roots grow and as soon as they have reached a length of about 3 centimeters, you can plant them in the potting soil.
STEP 4: PLANT THE SPROUTS INTO POTS
Your next step will be filling a pot with potting soil, then, mix in some slow release fertilizer as this will give the plant the boost it needs to grow. With your fingers, make a hole in the middle of the soil deep enough to cover the roots. Place a sprout or two and gently close the surrounding soil.
STEP 5: WATER YOUR PLANT
Finally, for the first two days, lightly water the plant twice a day. Keep it out of direct sunlight to avoid transplant shock. After a couple of days, place the pot in a sunny spot. Make sure the soil is moist but don’t overwater it. To understand whether or not you need to water your plant, put your finger in the ground up to the first knuckle if, when you remove it, the tip of your finger is wet, it means that the plant is still sufficiently wet. If it’s dry, it means it’s time to water it.
STEP 6: MOVE YOUR PLANTS OUTSIDE
If you want to keep your sweet potato plants outside, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, they love heat, so before moving them, make sure there is no risk of frost, as sweet potatoes are extremely sensitive to frost. The optimal temperature is between 20º 28ºC, in this way they gradually acclimatize to the outside climate.
