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Sweet Potatos

HarrersHarrers Posts: 48
in Fruit & veg

Hi

I have 6 sweet potato plants in  large tub in the greenhouse, they are still growing well, but are no longer flowering( they flowered in august). I know I have to wait until the foliage dies back in October/ November before harvesting them and then curing them in a warm place.

My question is should I still be feeding them? and if so what should i be feeding them, through summer it was a mix of seaweed and mircle grow.

Thanks

 

Posts

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    Go to web almanac. com it will tell youimage
  • Amanda206Amanda206 Posts: 1
    Last year I tried to grow sweet potatoes in my green house.They were planted in the ground among the tomatoes were well fed & watered all summer , looked really healthy, had hundreds of flowers but when I dug them up in Oct ,there was not a single sweet potato, just 1 root which was 1/4 " thick on 1 plant out of 5.
    What did I do wrong ? Should I have removed all the flowers?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066
    I have 3 plants growing at the moment, just from some shop bought tubers that sprouted and a first time experiment.

    I found this info on the RHS site which simply mentions yellowing leaves and nothing about flowers but does say they need warmth and lots of feeding - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/sweet-potatoes

    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
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I've toyed with the idea of growing sweet potatoes, as I like eating them, but I don't have a greenhouse. I live in Llandudno which has the second mildest climate in the UK. Do you think it's possible? And how much space would they need? I've never seen them growing, and I imagine they're big plants.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Forget it, I've just checked out Obelix' link to the RHS, too much coddling by far.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066
    Mine are in the ground as it's a warm climate here and are just taking off in terms of leaf production.  They look like Morning Glory on steroids - same leaf but much bushier and I'm about to give the two larger ones an obelisk each.  Still have to do a repair on the obelisk for the third one.

    I planted them in a warm spell in late March in ground which had been cultivated the year before and given loads of compost.  I planted them within a rectangular cloche and poured on a whole bag of compost to keep them warm then watered well and left them covered for weeks.  One came through very quickly and the other two took their time but we did have a very cold and wet spell for several weeks after an initial burst of warm spring weather.   

    You could try a similar process in Llandudno but maybe a bit late for this year unless you gamble on a long, warm Indian summer.
    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
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Thanks but no thanks.  I'll stick with the greengrocer's.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066
    I tend to agree Jo but these sprouted in the pantry and I have the space to experiment.
    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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