A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Sweet potato vine

Hi
Would anyone know how to start a sweet potato vine? Do I need to plant the tubers in soil or root them in water first? I want to grow it for its foliage only.
Many Thanks

Preciousgreenfingers, my kids & I have been rooting Sweet potatoes for years, in the kitchen window (just for the vines)... they really take off, so we put tacks up, to support them as they trail above the window. We've just put them (pointy end down) in water, supported by toothpicks.

They only last a few months before they get water-logged & start to rot, so the next time we do it, I'm going to try putting them in a pot with soil in it, after they get some roots going & the leaves start growing. (I'm still going to start them in water, as I think they'd root slower in soil.)

Good luck with yours! (Come back & tell us how it went & what you did.)

preciousgreenfingers,
The sweetpotatoe vine you saw on the home made greenhouse (in frugal thread) is an ornamental plant. You can find them at garden centers & nurseries.

Thanks for all the info.I plan to start mine as an activity for my son.Buying it at the nursery wont be that much fun for him.Will keep you updated on the progress.

actually, a funny for you. one of our members, bought some of the nursery vines, and at the end of the season, she dumped out the window box that held the vines, and found ~ you guessed it ~ sweet potatoes!!! i'll have to get her to post the pictures here again for you!

the red s.p vine has dark purple red potatoes. I dont know if you can eat them though.

Jiffy asked me to post these pictures for you.

I believe the top ones were from a regular sweet potato that I bought at the grocery store, and the bottom ones were from the ornamentals that I got at the plant nursery.

Thanks again

I would like to start a vine, too. What does the foliage look like? Does anyone have any pics of the vines??

I RECEIVE SWEET POTATOS FROM ARKANSAS.
MINE I JUST PUT THEM ON TOP OF THE SOIL AND THEY GO.....FOLIAGE ON MINE GET DARK MAYBE BLACE LIKE
WILL GET A PHOTO LATER FOR YOU.
PRETTY FOLIAGE......

potatoes ON MINE WAS WHITE.

DODGE

rucrazy.
here is what my white sweet tator starts out like.. Gets darker and darker in the shade.
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b389/Racetowom/?action=view&current=DSCF2384.jpg

It is just starting out .. I put it right on top of the soil and just pushed it in a bit.


dodge ;o)

Hi there..I just love sw.pot.vine for my hanging baskets.I have never tried to grow them myself,so i have a few ?'s.
1)What kind of sweet potato do you use?
2)How longs does it usally take?
3)How do you think they'll manage indoors?
(I have plenty of natural light inside)
Just one more thing I really love the bright green one..Margarita (I think).Can you start them from a potato? I usally buy them,but I would love to start my own...That's one of the biggest thrills of gardening for me.(I'm pretty new to it)
I'm trying to learn as much as possible..as quickly as possible! So you will all be hearing from me quite a bit....

Great looking vine. I've planted mine too. Keeping fingers crossed!

RUCRAZY
go to the frugal gardener thread in there eclo posted his homemade greenhouse. Click onhis photobucket link. The light gren almost ivy looking plant is a s.p. vine.

Thanks for the photos, Dodge and Wrennie! Sorry it took so long to get back here. :rolleyes: Apparently I lost track of this post. I"m still trying to find my way around this forum plus I keep forgetting to check the box to get notification of the new posts and then I just lose track of them.
Anyway, thanks so much for the photos. So we are talking about the sweet potatoes that we buy at the grocery store? You plant those and they turn into such beautiful plants? Dang, I"m going to have to get several of them!

BTW, great greenhouse that eclo put together there, don't you think?