Tropicals: Sweet potato Blackie is sprouting, help

I saved my potatoes, and now they've started sprouting. Had them in a cold room. I sure don't want to lose them, but am hesitant to go ahead and start them. What should I do?

I don't think it will hurt them to leave just like they are for a while. They might sprout, like you say, but I don't think they will start vining until you decide to put the potato into water. I haven't checked mine. They are out in the shop (Jim's) and may be doing the same thing. I did discover last year that sweet potatoes don't like to get too cold. Mine in the garage last year, spoiled. In the house, they kept fine. Go figure!!

S.

This is the first year I've kept mine over winter. Do I just replant as normal in the spring? Do you start your's in water?
Thanks

I have instructions in an email, I'll forward to you!

tig:
I think you should relive yourself of the stress and you should send them right on here to me. LOL

Lost all 3 varities in the move in June. Lousy rotten movers with big feet crushed 'em.

Still trying to get more, so I will be happy to, as I said, relieve you stress and take them off your hands.

Anyway, if you have the room start em. I would be afraid of loosing em but I'm no expert.
Carol

I forgot this thread was here, I never could find those wonderful directions, I deleted by accident:(
I've started one in water, but am moving it to dirt tomorrow. All I remember was take cuttings wherever there was a sprout, and I thought she said put in water. But I'm looking at mine, and though they are growing, the potato is getting mushy looking, that's why I'm moving them to dirt. Still hoping the genius of the potato will stop in here and give better directions. Carol, if I can get them going, and get you some rooted, you're welcome to them. Write me in the spring and we'll see how they're doing!!

i do not know what u meant by Blackie. i can only associate black potato as taro root. here is a url that give some info on taro or Colocasia esculenta, http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/taro.htm http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/V1-424.html#Edible Aroids .. HTH!

She was talking about sweet potato vine!Blackie has the black leaves

No never water dear......you should would have lost it. Sorry I didn't read the water post. Put it on top of your tv or somewhere for bottom heat. If I remember correctly that what I did. I can't find my instrux either. Oh and keep it on the dry side till it establishes or you will again loose it.
Sorry I coulnd't be of further help.
Carol
Oh, and thanks for the offer. When I spoke to majic gardens this AM they said they are adding that to their site. They will have Blackie and the tri color available for shipment. It seems these guys are constantly adding new stuff to their greenhouse but sometimes it doesn't make the website. Sneaky little bugger
Check them out here:
http://www.magicgardenplants.com/html/annual6.html
Carol

haven't lost them yet, putting in soil, thanks!

Thanks CC... there are numerous varieties of sweet potato i have encountered from the old country... some meat are white, lavender, yellow etc... i am specifically well verse with their name or variety. only thing i can recall is... each potatoe have specific ways of raising or cooking them. sweet potatoe do tribe on warm soil if i recall right.

TIG you've got mail

Please send me your addy so I can forward the info. Looks like It may work on the scanner
Carol

if you didn't get my mail, addy is missytig2@yahoo.com

TIG
#$@#$*& darn scanner. I'm doing something wrong but you will get it even if I have to retype it.
#$@#*&^ "now that says alot"
;-)

computers!!! hpmh!

Just wanted to say that my mother owned and operated a greenhouse for years and always started sweet potatoes in a jar of water. I've been doing it for years and will usually get dozens of plants from one sweet potato tuber. Have two of them that I just started yesterday. I have found that the ornamental potatoes do not like to be stored cool. Some people plant the eyes, like we do regular potatoes, but for me that takes too long. Hope you saved your potato, Bonnie. Two of my ornamentals didn't make tubers last year. Think the pots were too small for them.

okay, I started mine in water, how do I get more, from cuttings? I didn't have any luck with cuttings last year

tiG, Each time I get a shoot from the tuber that is about 3 inches long, I break it off at the place it started growing from, eye, whatever. Then I put them in water and in just a few days they are loaded with roots. Never give up on the tuber, it will shoot new ones for quite a while. I usually take some cuttings too and again, just put them in a glass of water. One easy plant to propagate.

tiG, I should have told you that when I put the tuber in water, I put toothpicks into three places to hold it up out of the water. Just enough water in the glass to come up on the tuber about a half inch. It should start rooting within a week or two.

do you take the sprouts off while it's still in the water, or after you pot it up?

Take the sprouts off and root them. Each sprout will make a huge plant. You aren't going to pot up the tubor. It is just your source for the plants. When it is through throwing off sprouts, just toss it.

hmmmmm I just got a tuber in a trade and was wondering what to do with it....thanks for the tips brugie, I will place mine in water this afternoon!

brugie, no one ever told me not to pot the tuber!! LOL!

tiG,I was going to plant the tubers too,glad I read this.Mine don't seem to have any eyes showing,does that make a difference?

brugie, one more question :) root the sprouts in water or soil?

Root them in water. Will root in 3-5 days probably. Then I pot them into small pots and let them get rooted well in the soil before I set them out in their final homes. Just don't put the shoots into deep water. Maybe an inch at most or they can rot. Should work great for you. I keep looking at mine watching for those first roots on the tuber. Think no sun, zero degrees, and a blizzard might not be helping. :-)

I forgot to mention that when you break the shoot off the tuber, you will probably get a tiny bit of the tuber with it and that should happen.

Oh Rats - I wish I had read this sooner too! This is the first year I even thought of saving tubers, and I had some nice ones - Blackie & Margurita. I just potted them all up last week!! I hope they have not rotted, will jerk them out of the dirt tomorrow to check and stick them in water if it's not too late!

Well, I jerked them out of the pot and could just kick myself. I had six nice tubers and now about half of each one is rotted!! Now I just left them out to dry til I can think how to save them. I am tempted to just lay them in a shallow dish of water covering not quite half of them. I know, I am supposed to stick toothpicks in them and suspend them in a jar, but now I am not sure which end is up!! Does it make a difference?? Help!! Save them taters!!

PJ, I think if you would do just as you were thinking, you would be okay. Can't see why there would be any difference in the rooting of the tuber, except that the roots couldn't hang down. Give it a shot. I hope that the potatoes don't continue to rot. Like you say, it might be important that they dry for a while to see if they continue to rot. It might be wise too, if you can keep the rotted part from being in water once you are able to try rooting them again. These tubers seem to be a lot more picky than the regular old sweet potatoes. I have a spot of rot on my Blackie, but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Good luck.

PJ, if you don't get anything going, I will have a blackie you can take, and then take cuttings from it. Surely I can keep at least one of these alive:) I've got about 10 cuttings so far, I'm going to use this as a ground cover under my brugs!!

tiG... list of ground cover... http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/grdcover.html

thanks MV, I'm really going for more of a look, than a real ground cover. But I did notice on your link that chamomile is used as a groundcover. How tall does the chamomile you sent me grow??

Chamomile is grow to about 3" off the ground. the same size u have rcvd. it does not grow any taller, unless it creeps into something else. consider a ground cover that will not take energy or nutrient from the plant u are trying to protect. Creeping or lawn Chamomile is ur best bet if i am not mistaken... for the low growth, fragrance and thickness and quick growing growth!

thanks hon!! now to find some seeds:)

no need to find seeds... as much as they grow so fast, so are they prolific bloomers!!! once the weather warms up u will be trimming them like mad!. btw they do grow outside, withstanding 10 deg.F temperature.

so these are the ones you sent me??

yes!!!! having problems with server email.

haven't used the digital camera for so long, am charging the batteries. will send u pic of vial container as promised later in the day. am sure u could use it as pollen or flower container.

lawn chamomile... they do not grow any bigger. they creeps thru their underground roots.

thank you!!!!! you always seem to know what I need before I do:)

u're welcome :)! that is the maternal feelings w/in me. LOL!