Ornamental Sweet Potatoes

As luck would have it, I just got a 5 pound bag of them yesterday in preparation for my containers. I can barely keep containers alive, much less hanging baskets, and hangng baskets made from moss would be dead inside a week.

I'm not going to get real fancy on my containers, I don't think. I think I am going to take every plastic pot I have that looks like clay, or tries to look like clay, and sow it with cool season annuals I got in swaps -- easy stuff like bachelor buttons, larkspur & calendulas.. Just empty the packages in each of the pots and put some press & seal over them to keep out the rabbits and birds and see what happens.

Want to make sure everybody sees the watersorb coop:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/697540/

(I got the same thing, but I got some crystals that Tammie had "in stock" cause I couldn't wait :)

Suzy

Suzy ~ Thanks for the compliments. I look at the ones in books/magazines/online/stores, get ideas from everywhere and then just wing it at the HD or wherever. I've been thinking of offering my services to our local businesses, still not sure how to go about that, LOL.

I use Miracle Gro, the one with slow release fertilizer and water-holding crystals already added, in all of my containers, and they get watered daily. I would never use it in the garden, but it really helps keep the baskets etc. from drying out too fast. I also think you should pick plants that will tolerate the conditions you have to offer.

I have made a few mistakes, particularly when I was working full-time, like putting a fuschia on a hot, windy porch and forgetting to water it every morning. Or putting a tuberous begonia in part sun, it needs full shade.

I used lots of SPV last summer, and other dark colored plants, as accents. I can't find the picture, but one had SPV, blood-red coleus and something yellow, can't remember now, but it got a lot of comments.

I used my Margarita SPV with my impatiens in my window boxes they looked beautiful until the SPV ate them. They just took over the whole box and you couldn't even see the other plants.

Yes, the SPVs will eat the world. Too bad I couldn't wait until the Black and Blue salvia bloomed to take this pic, it was "designed" to highlight the black SPV and the blue lobelia, but it didn't bloom until waaay later in the summer, so it was banished from the garden.

Here's the other side, the SPVs look nice and BIG.

Here we are, 30 days ago I washed off one of my OSP that had been sitting on a shelf all winter wrapped in newspaper. I put it in a plastic food container half filled with water and this is what I have 30 days later. 10 starters 6 in to 3 in long with roots in different stages some ready to pot and more comming

I've potted up 6 of the cuttings. I grew these from a potato that was given to me by a co-worker. She said they were Tri-color. They weren't what I was expecting to get. I need to look into the ID on these, does any one have an opinion?

I dug out my OSP Blackie & Margaritas today. Last fall I packed these in peat moss. I think the ones wrapped in newspaper did just as well if not better than the ones in peat. This is a picture of the Blackie, I put my hand in the picture so you could get an idea of the size. I have small tubers from the Blackie. They are a little soft and are more like large fibrous roots than actual potatoes. I have much larger more potato like tubers from the Margaritas. I think the Blackies will root just like the larger more potato tubers do, but just not sure. Guess I will find out.

I have also started the rest of the ???? Tri-color I got from my Co-worker. So I should be seeing soon if I get any different colors from them.
I really like all the pictures of plant combo and ideas for using the OSP's. Please continue to post your pictures. Holly

Looking through some of last year's pics, I found this one.

Here's the one with the red coleus, sort of. The grass died (too shady I think), so I had to plant something else, I plunked a small rudbeckia in there and put it in more sun. Does anyone have seeds for Rudbeckia 'Toto'?

HollyAnn,

I have an emergency question: How do you know which part of the potato is up and out of the water and which part of the potato goes underwater?

I just bought a couple of potatoes from the store and found my plastic container -- now I want to get these puppies started! But which end is up?

Suzy

I lay mine on their sides in a shallow long container. The eyes that are in water will grow roots and the eyes that are dry will grow starters. There is no up or down and you will get more eyes grow than you see at first.

Thank you so much, I was wondering how I was going to start these this spring. This picture is with caladiums, they were not named.

This picture is with Florida Sun Splash coleus.

My ghia girl, they are frothy! Like a little tutu.

Thanks, HollyAnn -- I think I put in too much water :)

Ghiagirl -- they are like a tutu! I hope mine look like that this summer!

Suzy

Holly thanks a bunch for the play by play instructions! I have some overwintering in the basement, I'll have to go and check on them. I had wondered how to root cuttings.

:) Donna

Update: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly,
Ugly, The largest Margarita potato I stored and my hopes for the most plants rotted. "YUK"
It came out of storage nice and firm and in good shape, but I made a small tear in the skin while washing it before placing it in the container. I guess that was all it took.
Bad, I have not had any luck rooting the long thick fibrous roots in water. Some of them start to rot on the ends where then had been broken off and others just haven't done much. I will take some of the ones I haven't used yet and try planting them in pots and putting them on my seed table and see if I get anything from them.
The good, Here is a picture of my first starters there are 9 of them in this cell pack and they are doing wonderful. I have 8 more in my rooting jar several of those are ready to more to cell packs and that potato ( the Tri-color I started this thread with) is doing great, nice and firm, and still producing.

I have enjoyed reading this thread. I've tried Margarita a few years ago and was disappointed when it came time for storing I had no potatoes. Just thick roots, maybe 1/4" thick or so.

Do you all think it was lack of growing time for the potatoes to form? That may sound like such an obvious question/answer, but honestly I don't know if these are different from regular eating potatoes that do produce spuds with time.

I would love to try them again, they are soooooo pretty. But I want to save some too. What do you think?

HollyAnn, thank you again for your very good info. We appreciate this so much. One of my grocery store yams is getting soft and I was starting to wonder if I was going to lose it, it looks like I will. It has grown minimal roots compared to the others, and it has no starters on it at all.

Sue, I've been wondering the same thing about roots/tubers forming, so I don't think that question has an obvious answer...at least not to me. I'm wondering if some of the varieties of OSPV produce bigger tuber roots than others? I had a very nice sized M last year and it had only roots, no tuberous anything....however, it was packed (and I mean PACKED) into a hanging basket w/ a ton of other stuff. Maybe how much room the roots have to grow has a lot to do with it?

My understanding is the Ornamentals are grown for looks not potato production. You will not get as many or as large of a potato from them as you would from a variety that has been bred for eating. They can be eaten but they are not designed for taste either. Not sure you would want too. Most of mine were planted in window boxes last year and I did get a few nice size potatoes. May be a little more room than the pots. I am disappointed that so many of my potatoes / tubers rotted shortly after pulling them out of storage. Funny the ones that did well were laying out on a shelf loosely wrapped in newspaper. All the ones that I had so loving packed in peat moss and stored nicely went belly up.
If anyone out there has any suggestions or ideas please feel free to jump in. Also I sent several of my potatoes / tubers out last fall to other DG'ers and I wonder how they did with theirs. If any of you see this please let me know.

This might sound stupid, but on the other hand it may be useful info. Some old-timers that used to have fruit cellars told me that wrapping veggies in newspaper is how they used to store their fresh goods over winter. So, it makes sense that the tubers that were loosely wrapped in newspaper and sitting on the shelf did the best. Wrap loosely in newspaper and store in a dark, cool, dry place...try to make sure they don't touch each other. If one goes bad and they are touching they will all go bad.

heathrjoy, I think maybe that is the thing - I had mine in a large container, but, with a small pine tree - (Dwarf Alberta Spruce). Not much room for tubers to form maybe. It is a big big pot tho. Forgive me, but what is the definition of OSPV? Ornamental Spud Productive Variety? I took a stab in the dark :-D

I'll try again with the Margarita. These will be in a large container/full sun (no miniature tree) on a patio so I'm hoping for some potatoes this time!

I really like the Tri-Color. I'm wondering if it comes from a dark sweet potato or a "special" sweet potato that can only be purchased at nurseries. I don't even know if my grocer has sweet potatoes anymore.... :)

Well, it will be an interesting experiment for me anyway.

HollyAnnS & heathrjoy - I think the newspaper idea has merit. I often order Canna bulbs off-season. They come to me wrapped in newspaper and in a box pierced with holes. I put them on a shelf in my garage and I've never lost a Canna tuber. Yes some a rotted "a bit" but not completely. I've stored Dahlias in shredded newspaper, and it's 50/50 on those.

OSPV = Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine, but I like your definition better! LOL

I love the Tri-Color too, it's my favorite. I think you can probably only get it at a nursery. Growing anything from potatoes bought at a grocery store is really just for fun I think. I have no idea what I'll get, or how they'll perform. Anyone know? I'm using store bought taters because OSPVs aren't easily found in my area, and to buy them off of the Web just seems too pricey to me.

I was very surprised that my grocery store had sweet potatoes. I figured they'd have them for Thanksgiving and that was it. They actually had two different varieties! Anything called a "yam" or "sweet potato" will work...most yams in the US are actually sweet potatoes, according to some articles that I've read.

I'd still say to try a sweet potato or two, if you can find them. If nothing else it sure is fun to bring home a huge tater from the grocery store and grow a plant!!

Question friends: I found a giant pot of the lime green one.....picture doesn't show that it is a big hanging basket full of runners...Is it best to root in water or do I need to treat each cutting 3 sticks to a 3" pot and do it like everything else??? thanks

Sue, sorry, we cross posted. It takes me forever to post, lol.

I don't know what it is about the newspaper, if it keeps the light out or what, but it works. I've been told by a lot of folks that this is how they stored all their fresh veggies for the winter...wrapping them individually. (I can't imagine how long that would take!!) The big problem is moisture. We tried this one year with 'maters and messed up really bad, LOL. All the 'maters were wrapped, but touching...one went bad and they all did. They still lasted quite some time before they went bad though. I imagine it would work much better for taters than maters. But, isn't it amazing the knowledge we've lost by having everyday conveniences?

heathrjoy - lol about OSPV, I just knew it would be something obvious. I've smacked my forehead in compliance! Ha ha! :-D

On the eating taters, we put them in brown sacks (after a drying spell - just a bit - not long) and put them in our garage. Sometimes we put in the fridge in the garage, but they always go bad first. We love potatoes so much in our family that they never seem to last but more that a couple of months. So for heavy duty storage of a LOT, I would stick with the bag method with shredded newspaper.

Oh and I know about the maters. Our first year growing them, 5 years ago, we had soooo many green ones at the end of the season. So we set up a make-do table in the garage. We let them ripen on the tables for use. It took a lot of room and we won't do it again, but the ones that touched, it was like a domino effect......yuk.

But back to our topic at hand.......OSPV. And I need to find tri-color now. :)

Bettygail, that is gorgeous. You just posted that pic to make us jealous and drool, didn't you??? I don't know for sure about what is the best way to root. I'd try water if it were me, but I like water rooting best whenever possible. I'm lazy!

I'm looking right now for someplace for Sue to get a tri-color. Do you want to buy one on-line?

But, guess what I found out?? Tri-colors can revert to a solid green color. So, HollyAnn, those tubers may actually be Tri-colors, but maybe they reverted. Hopefully all of them won't do that and you'll get some good coloring out of some of them.

BettyGail, I have pictures in Post # 3246658 that show the roots on several right before I potted them up. I potted the largest 3 in small cell packs and the roots weren't that big and they are doing wonderful. You probably have bigger roots than the ones in my picture. Your plant looks great.
I did this whole process last year with a Margarita potato from the year before I had tons of starters from just the one potato. That potato was sitting on a shelf in my laundry room and I didn’t do anything to it brought it in from the yard with the best of intensions and then just left it sit in a back corner of the shelf all winter. See that’s what I get from trying to take good care of my plants. Benign neglect works every time. LOL. I was thinking about putting one plant of each color in a corner of my yard somewhere just to see what type of potatoes they produce with no barriers. I have plenty of room to try something like that.

heathrjoy! How sweet for you to seek out a place for me to order online! I buy A LOT online. Love the net. I have already checked eBay, but that was because I happened to be there. Natha on that front. I am going to google. Did you find anything interesting?

About tri-colors reverting, I would be glad to have the tri-color just for one season. Like an annual. We all plan for that, yes?

HollyAnn, I wasn't thinking about disturbing the existing room system...just wanted to take advantage of all those long 'trimmings' as they will grow back so quickly...I think i will do the easy thing and do what heathrjoy does.............when in doubt, put in water.....heathrjoy, as long as you dmail me for records, I will roots some tri-colors for you....I get so many trades going I can't forget....have to refer back to my dmail or trade tracker (when i get around to it!!) LOL
Just dmail me with your address and i will start cuttings tomorrow...
gail

OK....I may not get my garden planted this year (LOL) but dmail me Sue with your address and I will start some tri-colors for you, too, if you wish....
gail

HollyannS - this is great! A Laundry Room is wonderful for humidity! I love finding plants that defy me. LOL!! The last two years I have found tomato plants growing from the compost that I laid in a perennial bed. I just stuck a tomato cage around it and was happy with the excess!

Survival at it's best! Another good one is when I sow in the greenhouse, and I find plants growing under the bench from seed I dropped! Just yesterday, while re-arranging, I found Alpine Strawberries. I thought they were gone last year. Nice surprise!

bettygail - no, no, no! I'll find some on my own. But THANK-YOU for the offer! I appreciate it!

Okay, I tried cutting a grocery store sweet potato in half just to see if I could get slips on it. WOOO HOOO! It worked. Now what?? LOL. How do I get the slips off? Do I cut a little piece of the potato with it? Do I slice it off cleanly? I'm clueless...

Michelle

This message was edited Mar 20, 2007 6:02 PM

Let them get around 3 inches long and gently pull them loose. Think of it like a loose tooth, wiggle it a little and gently pull. Then put them in a rooting jar and it will grow roots and then plant in something like a 3 or 4 inch pot. Until your ready to put them outside. Your hooked now. I love growing these things.

HollyAnn, your are the greatest at explaining gardening tips. Are you a school teacher by chance?