Sweet potato, sweet plant

It was a picture in The Thrifty Gardener that convinced me that I wanted to grow sweet potatoes. Not for food, I doubt I could scrounge up both space and perfect conditions for that endeavour, but for the beautiful cascading foliage.

However I had only the beautiful picture to look at. Amongst the many 'grocery-store' plants discussed there was nothing on the sweet potato. Turn to The Window-box Allotment page 18. "sweet potatoes... can be started off indoors in water or suspended just above it, with its base touching but not submerged"

So I filled a giant jar with water and suspended the sweet potato above it. I didn't know quite what I was waiting for but eventually, and I mean eventually - it was a sweet potato I bought when I made these - I decided that the little sprout was enough and planted the bugger.


That was about three weeks ago and since then the little sprouts have got bigger, grown leaves got roots. I figured that was the end of it and I'd just leave it in that pot. The two little shoots growing together and playing together or whatever sweet potatoes do. But then I found a more comprehensive guide in this book and although the advice is for growing to eat I thought I'd take it.

After two weeks it recommends taking the babies from the mother tuber, keeping a little bit on the new plant, and popping them in six inch pots. So that is what I did. I now have two baby sweet potatoes.