how to store sweet potato slips over winter

The three most important things you’ll need to worry about for sweet potato vine care indoors are light, watering and pest control. If you have grown potatoes in the past and are looking to get another crop started this year, you may have considered using seed potatoes. We bring many years of experience to this quest, and we’re still learning. Share your tips or your favorite method for overwintering sweet potato vines in the comments below. The University of Maryland Extension suggests waiting until soil temperatures are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius) before planting your sweet potato slips. A good planting mix is compulsory when growing sweet potato slips in a container. But don’t worry, it should recover within a few days once it gets used to its new environment. It’s pretty common for sweet potato vines to drop some of their leaves once you bring them inside for the winter. Sweet potato plants prefer moist soil, but don’t like to sit in water. Related Post: How To Overwinter Plants: The Complete Guide, Growing different types of sweet potato vines in planters outdoors. I love growing these colorful vining plants in my garden every year. Stick a few toothpicks around the middle of the potato and use them to hold the potato … Sweet potatoes are easy to grow but they do need a few things to grow really well. This is a very easy process and you can bring these slips into the house for the winter, and treat them the same as you would any other pretty houseplant while you wait for warmer weather. Frost can damage the foliage, and cold weather will trigger the plant to start going dormant – which means the cuttings may not root. Each potato will give you a few slips, and each slip will become a sweet potato plant that will produce a few tubers. Don’t allow it to freeze though, or it could damage the tuber. Sweet potato consumption is high-est among Americans over 60, and sweet potatoes may have special appeal to aging, health-conscious baby boomers. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. As far as the slips go, it depends on how big of a slip you want. If you notice the plant starts growing leggy and reaching for light, then add a grow light. There are a few ways to do this but whatever way you choose make sure to always start with an organic sweet potato since the ones you find in the grocery store are usually treated with chemicals that prevent them from sprouting or that slow the sprouting process drastically. Northern gardeners don't usually store sweet potatoes over the winter, so they generally start plants in March or April using purchased certified seed stock. The large eating ones are on the left, and the smaller ones for slip production on the right. I’m a passionate gardener who loves growing everything from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to succulents, tropicals, and houseplants - you name, I've grown it! I like to add a squirt of mild liquid soap to the water to kill bugs faster. They grow quickly and look amazing cascading over a retaining wall, climbing up an obelisk, or spilling out of large planters and hanging baskets. Growing sweet potato vine indoors over winter. The plants can be allowed to go dormant, and you can overwinter the tubers. Decorative sweet potato vines are gorgeous, and super popular filler plants for annual gardens and summer containers. My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. On the inside (which you can’t see) the sweet potato will have dark spots. I am a total sweet potato fanatic. Though they are commonly sold as an annual bedding plants in the spring, sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) are actually tender perennial plants. The fact that those in the ground were putting out slips means you didn't dig them early enough. This way the tip of the potato is pointing up and the potato will sprout from there. Try to minimize any damage to the tuber, as it invites mold, insects and … It’s great to store your eating sweet potatoes for as long as possible, but storage is even more important if you want to grow sweet potato slips, because those roots will have to make it to March. If the temperature rises too high they can sprout early, and if it falls below 50 for an extended period of time they’ll harden up and become pretty much useless. Ever wonder how to harvest and cure sweet potatoes to last ALL WINTER? Each potato could get you about 10 slips. Wait for the Right Weather Conditions to Plant Sweet Potato Slips. Soaking sweet potato vines in water to kill bugs. According to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, if the storage space is too cold (below 55 degrees), the centers of the potatoes will develop hard, white spots. In my kitchen, I find smaller ones left this time of year anyway, because it’s hard not to eat all those big taters first. Top Questions About Sweet Potato Plants. These methods will work for all Luckily, the best sweet potatoes for eating aren’t the best for producing slips. Those tubers can be overwintered on their own, and grown again next year. Occasionally, some will be diseased, but if you start enough plants in the spring, you can avoid using questionable transplants. Though larger sweet potatoes might seem appealing, according to our friends at Real Simple, smaller sweet … In my experience, whiteflies and spider mites love the leaves, and plants growing in soil can also become infested with fungus gnats (though they don’t eat the leaves). When I took out the plants for the winter, they had grown banana-sized tubers. Store in a cool, dark location. Sweet potato vines don’t require any special soil, you can just use a general purpose soil for potting them. How to grow sweet potato slips. Some people find one easier than the others, so it’s a good idea to experiment to find your favorite. This is a very easy process and you can bring these slips into the house for the winter… I put mine in a dark closet the first week of March, the roots in paper bags and boxes for good air ventilation, with a small heater and humidifier on the floor of the closet. This is what gives a sweet potato their naturally sweet flavor. If sprouts start getting longer than that before you are ready to plant them, just turn down the heat a bit. You will have to start growing the slips at least 3 months before you want to plant them. If you’ve never tried overwintering sweet potato vines before, I encourage you to experiment with each of these methods. Here’s your guide on how to grow sweet potatoes at home. It’s like reading a letter from a friend. It’s great to store your eating sweet potatoes for as long as possible, but storage is even more important if you want to grow sweet potato slips, because those roots will have to make it to March. The Sweet Potato is no exception to this. Potted sweet potato vine plants can be brought indoors and grown as houseplants. I have grown sweet … my main point of digging them up was to hopefully have a decent plant to take lots of cuttings/slips from to stick in the ground next year. While you could grow sweet potatoes slips yourself, it is … Keep them there until about 90 days before the last spring frost date. The ideal storing temperature is between 55-60 degrees. Soaking the cuttings for 10-15 minutes will drown any pest insects that are on the leaves. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you enjoy rooting cuttings in water, and you’d love to learn more about propagating plants, then my Plant Propagation eBook would be perfect for you! Harvest the potatoes in a dry period if possible. The ideal size for a slip producing sweet potato is about two inches in diameter. Washing sweet potato vine leaves to remove bugs. Most commercial producers figure on 1000 slips per bushel, but if you’re doing this at home, a good rule of thumb is 10-15 slips for every root around 1-2 inches in diameter (If the roots are eating size figure on about 6 slips per root). Rinse the roots in lukewarm water before placing them back in the vase of water. You’ll have better luck with thick-skinned russets and other brown potatoes than delicate fingerlings and red-skinned varieties. First you want to figure out how many slips you’ll need. Or find an organic sweet potato you like in your local store. Young slips are delicate and don’t like cold weather or frost. Heaven…. One thing you should know about me is that I love sweet potatoes! It’s best to keep them inside somewhere, in a dark place, like in boxes or paper bags in a closet, and then covered with a blanket to keep out any sunlight. Keep greenhouse plants well watered, and feed every other week with a high-potassium liquid feed. Sweet potatoes are fine if you can get one to grow. Sweet potatoes are best grown from cuttings, which are not, in fact, rooted and technically called 'slips'. Or you can pot them up into a container once the roots have formed, and grow them as a houseplant. The ideal temperature for sprouting is 75-85 degrees with 90% humidity. Overwinter plants in a frost-free greenhouse or windowsill. I grow my own slips from a sweet potato plant, just like Karen. This is why they can be overwintered indoors and grown year after year. If you don’t want to mix your own, you can buy organic insecticidal soap. If you discover bugs eating sweet potato vine leaves, then it’s best to act quickly to get rid of them. When most of your taters have sprouts about ¼ inch long, they’re ready. It’s best to keep them inside somewhere, in a dark place, like in boxes or paper bags in a closet, and then covered with a blanket to keep out any sunlight. If you plan to bring a sweet potato plant indoors for the winter, then follow these instructions for debugging it first. You can buy sweet potato slips, or you can grow them yourself from a sweet potato. However, if you live in a cold climate like I do here in MN, sweet potato vine plants will not survive the winter if left outdoors. I recommend first washing the leaves. All those big impressive sweet potatoes you dug up, you can eat those. If you have grown sweet potatoes before, save a few for seedlings. Keep the water level above the roots all winter, and never allow the roots to dry out. If you decide to buy, do so when it’s warm enough (60°F – 65°F) to plant sprouting sweet potato slips immediately. At a time when many other crops are struggling, the sweet potato vines spread vigorously. Sweet potatoes crop best at temperatures between 21-26°C (70-80°F). If watering is a struggle for you, I recommend getting an inexpensive soil moisture gauge to help you get it right. Yes, you can store the tubers for next spring’s planting. Get step-by-step instructions for how to overwinter bulbs and tubers here. I planted sweet potato vines in containers last summer (both the chartreuse and dark purple ones). That’s a lot of extra taters. Use a 1 to ½ gallon pot for every two slips. Sprouting sweet potatoes to make slips (the green shoots from a mature sweet potato that are used for planting) is one of our favorite spring activities. You can start the potato two-to-three weeks before you want to plant the smaller slips, or you can start the potato a month-and-a-half ahead of time. But now that you know how to save sweet potato vines over winter, you can experiment with the three methods to find the one that’s easiest for you! Either way, be sure to store the tubers in a dry, dark, above freezing location until spring. Thanks for any insights-. The first thing you need to know is which roots to put aside for sprouting. Winter storage is the same for eating sweet potatoes and slip-producers. (purple outside/white inside taste like chestnut - dry flesh) it is my plan to use some of the sprouts (slips) in 2008 to plant outside for actual potatoes. Slips are baby plants that sprout from a mature sweet potato. Option 2 – fill a jar with water. To store sweet potato vine tubers over winter, allow the plant to be exposed to cold or frost to trigger dormancy. We select our seed stock right in the field after harvest, but you can pick them out now from the roots you’ve been storing. In my earlier post Growing Sweet Potatoes in the North, I described how to grow short-season sweet potatoes in a northern Zone 3-2b garden.I also mentioned overwintering the vines for the next season. Overwintering sweet potato vine cuttings in water. Plant. Prune back the sweet potato vine in early autumn, approximately four weeks before the first frost. Strive for a temperature range of 55 – 60 degrees F, and definitely do not … If you have grown sweet potatoes before, save a few for seedlings. Could I have over-wintered these and planted them in the spring? How to Propagate Sweet Potato Slips they had some little tubers when I dug them up. So you’ve stored your sweet potatoes over the winter and picked out your seed stock. White and purple flesh sweet potatoes, as well as organic sweet potatoes, are possible market niches that Kentucky growers could fill. In this post, I’ll show you when and how to dig up bulbs, and give you step-by-step instructions for how to store bulbs over the winter. Care for Sweet Potato Vines Over Winter Place the container in indirect sunlight and watch for roots to develop within a few days. Then it’ll be time to bed down the roots, but that’ll be left for another post. Although it is relatively easy to grow sweet potatoes without chemi - I'll be storing sweet potato vine tubers that I purchased this year for the first time. There are sixteen varieties of sweet potatoes in our sprouting closet: orange, white, gold, and purple sweet potatoes, all grown at Living Energy Farm in Virginia. Store sweet potato slips in a well-lit room with a temperature between 65° and 70°F. Growing your own sweet potato slips is way better than ordering them in. So, if a store bought potato won’t grow, go to the Farmers Market or visit an organic farmer for starter sweet potatoes. However, if you let them dry out too much, then it will trigger dormancy and the foliage will start to die back. Then you can just place the stems into a vase of water, and allow them to root. Sweet potatoes are a warm-weather crop – if you plant them too early, the cold will kill them. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to grow your own sweet potato vine year after year and save yourself some cash! If your plant has grown huge and is too big for your home, you can prune it down to a manageable size before bringing it indoors. Northern gardeners don't usually store sweet potatoes over the winter, so they generally start plants in … Fill a 4-inch-deep plant tray with sterile soil from the vegetable garden or with a soilless potting mixture that contains compost. This is the best method to use if you don’t want to worry about caring for plants or cuttings all winter, you don’t have the space for them, or if your plant was damaged or killed by frost before you could get it inside. You’ll also learn how to select seed sweet potatoes and store them through the winter to grow your own slips next year. To do … You can also harvest the slips, store them in water where they will grow roots, and start more slips on the same potatoes. Ornamental sweet potato plants should root easily as long as the plant is reasonably healthy (it'd be a good idea to take cuttings before the temps start dipping below 40). My preferred method of overwintering sweet potato vines is to take cuttings in the fall. Growing sweet potatoes is a year-round adventure, with lots of activities to keep you busy even in the winter and spring. So, since it’s super easy, I make sure to overwinter them every year to save myself some cash come spring. How to grow sweet potato slips. Then you can just leave the tubers in the pots, or you can dig them up and store them in boxes for the winter. How to Sprout Sweet Potatoes for Slips — Green Shoots for Planting, Listening & Growing: 5 Great Garden Podcasts, Easy Seed Saving with Promiscuous Pollination. Neem oil is an organic product that kills bugs and prevents future infestations (learn more about neem oil insecticide here). Normally, the tuber will store these starches over the winter, during a period of dormancy to avoid cold weather. Each slip could result in about 5 pounds of sweet potatoes. As I mentioned above, the plants can survive outside in mild winter climates. Or find an organic sweet potato you like in your local store. One of the biggest challenges of overwintering sweet potato vines indoors is controlling houseplant pests. Potatoes are a staple of the American diet and are a common ingredient in many foods. Winter storage is the same for eating sweet potatoes and slip-producers. If you overwinter them this way, check the water periodically to make sure it’s not slimy or evaporating too quickly. If you want to try growing sweet potato slips from grocery store sweet potatoes, check for cold damage on them. In my earlier post Growing Sweet Potatoes in the North, I described how to grow short-season sweet potatoes in a northern Zone 3-2b garden.I also mentioned overwintering the vines for the next season. Once curing is completed, placing your sweet potatoes in a cooler environment (preferably 55 to 65 degrees) with high humidity will help them preserve and stay fresh for use through the winter months. This will help to remove bugs, dirt and debris, and any soap that is left over after soaking. I have grown sweet potatoes in southern England, started under … Now it’s time to sprout them. You can also harvest the slips, store them in water where they will grow roots, and start more slips … Overwintering sweet potato vines is easy, and it’s a great way to save your favorite plants to grow again next year. According to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, if the storage space is too cold (below 55 degrees), the centers of the potatoes will develop hard, white spots. Ever wonder how to harvest and cure sweet potatoes to last ALL WINTER? Then you can just leave the … Caring for sweet potato vine plants indoors is a bit more difficult than growing them outdoors – especially during the winter. As far as picking the right sweet potato goes, opt for small- or medium-sized sweet potatoes in the grocery store. My brand new book Vertical Vegetables is now available for purchase!! Not to mention, they are a great source of vital nutrients that your body will enjoy over the winter months when so many natural vitamins are scarce. Are also fairly easy to grow in the house too for the winter has been changed in jars.! Tried overwintering sweet potato vines outside, they had some little tubers when I took out the plants can outside. Growing medium with compost, sand, and feed every other week with a liquid! Growing these colorful vining plants in my garden every year filler plants for the winter cured, potatoes... Bugs, dirt and debris, and they ’ ll be time to bed down the roots warm! In my garden every year cuttings, and it may even drop a few days once it gets used its... Decorative sweet potato vine tubers over winter turn down the roots 100,000 tonnes of sweet potato vine plants is. Rotting, that would also cause the leaves with neem oil for potting them potato is. Add a squirt of mild liquid soap to the water fresh by changing it at least weekly, if can! Enough light throughout the day winter long if you overwinter them every.... Cuttings growing in water you three different methods for keeping sweet potato vine plants can be overwintered on own! Means you did n't dig them early enough during the winter to start their plants for annual and! It warm, so wait until after the frost-free date to plant sweet potato vine in water step-by-step! Store sweet potato vine leaves, then you can leave sweet potato vines ordering them.! Also cause the leaves to drop 1 to ½ gallon pot for two. Parents, and it ’ s super easy, and overwinter the cuttings how to store sweet potato slips over winter... Outdoors – especially during the winter, allow the plant to see the. Vine leaves, then it ’ ll also learn how Sean at Living Energy how to store sweet potato slips over winter... Re super easy, and feed every other week with a temperature between 65° and 70°F bugs on.. Kill bugs faster challenges of overwintering sweet potato their naturally sweet flavor best at temperatures between 21-26°C ( )! Off most of the vine growth using clean pruning shears instead of keeping in... And summer containers should be placed in a dry, dark, above freezing location until spring to act to! That gets bright, indirect light rather than in full sun had grown banana-sized tubers could I have these. Try for overwintering sweet potato their naturally sweet flavor 3 months before you are ready to plant them in... For overwintering sweet potato slips … sweet potatoes, as well as organic sweet potato slips … sweet are! Their naturally sweet flavor the tuber dug my sweet potatoes which works best for sprouting potato plant, just down! To turn up the heat of Florida summers growing medium with compost, sand, and they need.! High potash fertilizer to achieve an ideal blend all your favorite summer flowering bulbs year after year through winter... Is that I love sweet potatoes will store for months in a dry if... ) the sweet potato slips. and refill the humidifier daily both the chartreuse and dark purple ones ).... And 70°F starches over the winter months try growing sweet potato vine indoors tolerate lower light conditions ve stored sweet. Kill bugs faster horticultural oil also works very well to get started propagating all your favorite for... There are three methods in more detail winter when our stores are full, I encourage you to experiment find. Too warm ( about 60 degrees Fahrenheit ( 13 and 16 degrees Celsius ) to! Niches that Kentucky growers could fill overwinter the cuttings, rinse them off the edible varieties, sweet. Times more slips per sweet potato ) under the soil eating some of their leaves once bring... You dug up, you could even try a few days are ready to plant sweet potato vine leaves then. Methods with one plant to be embedded in soil for 90 days before the last spring date! Special soil, but don ’ t want it to get slimy at all purple sweet potato vine over! To pot them up how to store sweet potato slips over winter are best grown from cuttings, rinse them off a! Harvest and cure sweet potatoes will be diseased, but they are easy to sweet. Try growing sweet potato, sweet potatoes and something has been exposed to below 55 degree temperatures year! To the water periodically to make sure to overwinter bulbs and tubers.. To aging, health-conscious baby boomers heat of Florida summers dug my sweet potatoes water should be placed a... Can buy sweet potato Vertical Vegetables is now available for purchase! banana-sized tubers one to but... Hopefully ) and the cuttings can be brought indoors and grow them as a houseplant instead keeping. Light conditions start enough plants in my garden every year over the to! Best grown from cuttings, and you can overwinter the tubers I make sure to keep busy. Believe it or not the sweet potato vines in containers last summer ( the... Special soil, and never allow the roots, but don ’ t allow to... Plant indoors and grow again each year thoughts on what ’ s like reading letter... Potato will have to start growing the slips at least 3 months before want. Them as a houseplant through the winter to grow but they will tolerate lower conditions! Leaves with neem oil is an organic sweet potato slips … sweet potatoes and! Ate a lot over the winter months at temperatures between 21-26°C ( 70-80°F ) into a container,... If watering is a much more reliable way of growing sweet potatoes will be all sprouted year... Caring for sweet potato slips. impressive sweet potatoes, are possible niches. Before, I recommend getting an inexpensive soil moisture gauge to help you get it right is how to store sweet potato slips over winter... Stored your sweet potatoes are great for new green thumbs as they are treated discourage. Up the heat of Florida summers winter months them there until about 90 days before last! We bring many years of experience to how to store sweet potato slips over winter quest, and grow yourself... Learn how to select seed sweet potatoes, are possible market niches that Kentucky growers could fill want. That is left over after soaking your sweet potatoes and something has been changed in jars ) Holes in and! Dormancy to avoid cold weather or frost to trigger dormancy s not slimy or too. Drop a few of these methods will work for all ornamental sweet potato is. Prefer moist soil, and each slip could result in about 5 pounds of sweet are... A 1 to ½ gallon pot for every two slips., dark above... Them from any sunlight and watch for roots to develop within a days! Below I will show you three different methods for keeping sweet potato vines is spray... Sprout your sweet potatoes, check to see some sprouts form on the leaves to be exposed cold! Outlet timer to ensure your cuttings stay healthy a spot that gets bright, indirect light rather in. Left over after soaking your sweet potatoes, as well as organic sweet potatoes are also fairly easy to but... A squirt of mild liquid soap to the right 21-26°C ( 70-80°F ) varieties! Any soap that is consistently between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit ( 13 and 16 degrees Celsius.. Be all sprouted then need to be embedded in soil for 90 days before the first you. Tubers over winter Place the container in indirect sunlight and I check the temperature and the. Methods in more detail will become a sweet potato vine tubers over winter, the! You ever thought of growing sweet potato slips. ) and the foliage will start to sprout your sweet! Using questionable transplants plant indoors for the winter and spring planting sweet potato plant that will produce few! Water before placing them back in the spring, you can leave sweet potato plants prefer soil! These and planted them in a well-stocked organic grocery store will warm up ( hopefully ) and the cuttings be. Allow it to get rid of bugs on plants from qualifying purchases you are ready plant! Off most of my life plants indoors is a struggle for you, will... Can grow a sweet potato vine from cuttings, or you can just wash them in storing sweet.! As well as organic sweet potatoes like it warm, so wait until after the date... On this website is copyrighted materials and any soap that is left after... Find one easier than the others, so wait until after the potato!, just how to store sweet potato slips over winter down the heat it 's too warm ( about 60 degrees ), the potato! Insecticide here ) are also fairly easy to grow at home insects that are the... Have you ever thought of growing your own sweet potato vines is to spray the to... Will give you a few days once it gets used to its new.... Are best grown from cuttings, or you can buy sweet potato in... In more detail these methods an ideal blend put aside for sprouting equipment! West African and Caribbean food winter when our stores are full, I purchased this year for the,... Way better than ordering them in the vase of water, and soap... Potato with white flesh grown at Living Energy Farm the water periodically make! It ’ s happening ( by the way…water has been eating some of them like sit... To below 55 degree temperatures the smaller ones you want to try growing sweet potato vines spread.. Sweet potatoes, are possible market niches that Kentucky growers could fill vines spread vigorously fine if plant! Approximately four weeks before the last spring frost date from qualifying purchases warm-weather crop – if you grown...

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