Sweet Potatoes - Which variety please ?

Posts

• BobTheGardener Posts: 11,385

  April 2019

  I tried Beauregard and Carolina Ruby (2 of the most common types offered for growing in the UK) in my old 2x4m green plastic polytunnel but although they grew lots of foliage (I have photo's somewhere if interested) and even flowered, crop was less than one decent tuber per plant on average.  I think they didn't get enough light.  The only real success I remember on this forum was someone who grew them under cloches on their allotment.  They are tender plants but also need a long growing season, so it's a challenge for most of us in the UK.
  

  A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  

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• fidgetbones Posts: 17,618

  April 2019

  Assuming FB is what I think it is, try total low carb.
  

  No pies, pastry, pasta, potatoes, rice. Nothing with flour or rice or potato in, or refined sugar.
  

  By September, you should be able to enjoy anything coming out of the garden.
  

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• Obelixx Posts: 30,090

  April 2019

  I grew sweet potatoes last year after some from the supermarket sprouted.    We get good heat here so I grew them outside, trained the foliage stems up obelisks and watered regularly.   Of the 3 plants, one produced enough sweet potatoes for 2 meals for the 2 of us.  One produced smaller, thinner tubers which were half rotted and the other produced very little and they were full of holes, presumably from slugs or some other beastie.
  
  Really not worth the bother given the price and availability in markets and supermarkets unless they're hard to find where you are and you can provide constant heat over several months, adequate moisture and protection from pests.

  Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
  

  "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."

  Plato
  

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