DL - I grew some in containers that were made from the scrap material with my earthtainer construction. They grew very well in them! You can see the video of one of my container harvests below.

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: My sweet potatoes in containers

Hi, Lemons! Those HD utility tubs are the cat's meow. I even grow fruit trees in them--mostly dwarf pollinators that are easily wheeled around the yard where needed so the bees always have a layup. I paint the containers white to keep the roots cooler. And then affix colorful stickers for that "hardscape" effect. You may wish to consider a drip irrigation system with a timer. They're cheap, easy to install, and will greatly improve your parenting behavior without reminder. Congrats on your nice harvest. Misterbaby.

Dancinglemons, please let us know the results of your taste test.

Misterbaby, nice video. What is the variety of sweet potato?

Ourhappyhome, thanks for the compliment on the video. It should, however, be directed to engineeredgarden. I'm gonna guess that he's grown Georgia Jets, as that's mostly what they grow down in Russelville. Misterbaby

EG, How many slips did you plant in each container? I 'experimented' with two slips grown from a store bought potato in a similar size container. Total yield: 5 'taters. Disappointing, yes, but I really wasn't expecting much as we had a cold, wet summer this year. My foliage looked nothing like yours - just two stringy vines.

bumble doodle - I think 4....In all, I got 18 lbs. from just over 8.5 square feet of space. Not bad, as i'll do it again next year.

EG

oops, my mistake. Great job engineeredgarden. Were those actually Georgia Jets?

I've been reading so many sweet potato posts that I can't remember where I heard what. Is it possible to root the slips by breaking the vines at the joints and planting them directly into the soil? Great video EG. I think I could grow some good container SP's down here if I could just get the slip production and planting clear in my head. Long hot summers we got plenty of. I have an abundance of black and white feed buckets that are just a little smaller than whiskey barrels. Should I use the black or the white? Summer highs will be 95 to 100F.

ourhappyhome - that's ok. The harvest from the container in the video is of some slips I started from a sweet potato purchased at the grocery store. I don't know what kind they are. Sorry!

snappybob - thanks, I'm glad you liked it. You're gonna want to use the white containers, probably. Starting your own slips is very easy. Just suspend the top 2/3 of a sweet potato above a glass of water, by skewering it with a small diameter rod of some kind - and letting the stick rest on the rim of the glass. Make sure the pointy part of the potato is pointing down, and just change the water weekly. In 2-3 weeks, sprouts should start appearing. When they get about 3" long, break them off at the potato, then place the stems in a dish of water. they will grow their own roots, then transplant into the garden.

EG

Thanks for the info, EG. I'll give it another try next year -hopefully we'll have better weather. I should have some extra containers since I've already decided not to try brussels sprouts again - too buggy - yuk!

I agree. Sweet potatoe slips are just about the easiest things I've every grown. I save my small potatoes from year to year. In early March, I bury 5 or 6 of them in a pot filled with soil/compost - nothing special. I just leave the pot out in the garden with no special treatment. If it gets too dry, I water it, but nothing else. In 4 weeks, the pot is overflowing with vines. I pull up a handful with the tiniest bit of root attached and plant. A friend once gave me a handful of slips, about 5. On his advice, I stuck them in a plastic cup with soaking wet newspaper. After a week on my deck, they had all rooted nicely. A piece of a piece will root in less than a week. Very easy!

bumble,last year i also tried s.p.'s in containers (16" diameter by 12-15" deep). glenn from sandhill preservation (they grow over 100 varieties)says ivy-leaf types grow best in pots. but none of mine were ivies. 20 plants gave 80 pounds, but 4 of those plants were less than 1.5 pounds each. so i was very happy. i also wicked each pot into the ground ( see Tapla on the container forum) and added a tsp. of borax to each pot. i think also the container soil warmed up faster than the ground did. don't know if these things helped, just know i'll do the same next year!

I'm converted! Got a ton of SP's from two plants in my front yard, but will certainly add container grown as I try to find sunshine my yard bordered with too many trees and houses.

Wow, Pattypan - you've just inspired me to try again! How many plants did you have in each container?

engineered garden, thanks for that video. I have slips growing right now from a sweet potato that sprouted on me. What are those containers made from in your video? I am sure that information is on your page somewhere, I am just not finding it. Are they 18 gallon rubbermaid bins? Did you prep them any special way or are they sunk into the ground?
Awesome! I look forward to my harvest in the fall now!!

Interesting reading. I need to grow a couple of SPs in a clear container this year so hopefully people can see the tubers growing in the dirt. I've never tried them in the past so about how far in advance should I start trying to get roots from a whole potato (if that's how it's done!)? It looks like 5-6 weeks before planting?

Mike

Hello all,

I forgot to come back with the taste test :-((

Well the Korean Purple won hands down. The Violetta were supposed to be dry flesh but they were too moist for DH and me. We will stick with Korean Purple for this year.

Thanks for the tip about painting the outside of the container to keep the heat down. I will surely get DH to do that.

DL

EngineeredGarden, wow, i enjoy seeing your harvest.
Can you tell what mix have you used? Did you add fertilizer when you planted SW? How much?
Containers: are they just boxes without bottom that stay just on soil or something engineered?
How many slips did you plant in each?
What temp should be outside to plant slips if i grow them now inside?
I have never grew SW and my plan for this year two new veggies, i think they will be SW and okra.

briergardener - I'm glad you enjoyed it. The mix was nothing but homemade manure compost, and worked well. No synthetic fertilizer, as it's not recommended. Any kind of box with landscaping fabric on the bottom will work just fine.

I planted 4-5 slips in each one. You're gonna want to plant slips out into the garden anytime during the month of May. (early May is best)

EG

thank you, engineeredgardener.
Last question: when should i start my slips if they supposed to be ready to go outside in May?

During the first 2 weeks of March

EG

Great thread. I noticed that most of the people here who have had success with SPs are living in zones 7 and 8. How long does it take for them to mature? Is there any hope for us northerners? I am thinking about starting them a covered raised bed - cold frame style. Any suggestions for somebody who can expect night time freezes well into the end of May? Thanks.

kay . zone 5 -- I did a google search on 'growing sweet potatoes in short season' and got quite a few hits.

This one is hopeful for you
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2007-04-01/The-Sweetest-Potato.aspx
////...snip...."Short season varieties have extended the sweet potatoÂs growing range significantly northward, even into Canada. "Word is getting out...garden centers are now stocking plants regularly, while market growers and community supported agriculture (CSA) participants tell me sweets have become established as customer favorites," says Greg Wingate, owner of Mapple Farm in Weldon, New Brunswick, Canada, a certified organic supplier of sweet potato plants. "This was unheard of two decades ago!"

//// http://www.harvestwizard.com/2009/05/sweet_potatoes_short-summer_va.html
....snip...."Short-season sweet potato varieties include 'Beauregard', 'Centennial', and 'Georgia Jet.' These three planted from slips will be ready for harvest in 80 to 90 days.
Varieties that can be harvested or lifted in about 100 to 110 days are 'Bush Porto Rico', 'Jewel', and 'Vardaman', again when planted from slips.

hope this helps ... SPs are fun and EASY and delicious!

This is a fun post -

Thought I'd add my 2 c's - as I have recently planted 20 slips of the red yam type. I think it's Beauregard.

The slips were started about a couple of months ago in my sunny kitchen window - producing an enormous number of slips from only 4 starters. I used the toothpick in the glass method. I purchased the yams in a store shortly after their harvest date - and they were very fresh looking.

I had hoped to plant them in a container, but as they were "pushing on the window" had to make other arrangements. (now I know how folks feel in cold climates when they can't wait to start their spring plants - and wind up having seedlings that need to be out in the real world).

Anyway, I decided to plant them in an empty planter box - that the strawberries recently evacuated. They seem to be rooting OK, but look a bit yellowish - which I assume to be their rebellion from our cold (for us) night time temps.

I'm hoping they survive - and I think they will - but wondering if the depth of soil is enough for proper root development. I would guess that the soil level is 12 inch inside the box frame, then a piece of hardware cloth (gopher proofing) then about 12 inches of top soil, on top of our native hard pan. (the typical raised bed over good soil on top of clay - that a lot of us are familiar with).

I could add "side boards" to raise the frame, building up soil as they grow, if that would be helpful. That would give the roots a bit more room before hitting the wire netting (hardware cloth).

Bejay

I was amazed when my sister-in-law sent me some sweet potato starts from Territorial Seed Company here in Oregon. I had always considered them a southern vegetable, not suitable for this region. Grew them in a "muck bucket" (rope-handled tub) and even though the deer nibbled the vines incessantly we still got 5 nice sized potatos and a handful of smaller ones. I cut them in small pieces and roasted them until crunchy on the outside -- delicious! These were Georgia Jets.

bumbledoodle, sorry it's taken so long to reply. sometimes i forget where i post ! but each container had one plant. this year they will go in the garden, and most of them will be whites. sandhill preservation (they have great instructions) says heat units determine how well they grow. i am in chester, ct and the 1200 units that early varieties need they will get by mid august. i figure mid varieties can be dug by late sept. all mine last year were "emptied" out of the pots the first week of oct. some had slips forming, which glenn at sandhill says can affect storage life. so this year i'll follow the heat units to determine when to harvest.
by the way, young leaves and shoots can be steeped for tea, then sauteed as greens !! 3 for 1, what more can you ask of an edible plant ?

Question, can sweet potatoes be put into a bed that regular potatoes just came out of? That is, do they share enough of the same diseases that sweets can't be planted in soil regular potatoes were grown in without crop rotation?

I have found that most varieties of Sweetpotatoes will grow easily in containers if it is large enough and you keep the soil evenly moist and not allowed to get too dry. My "Purple" cracked when it got to dry. I have grown Dianne, Bradshaw, and White Triumph and dozens of others. I think any of the bush varieties would be great for most gardeners such as "8633", Cordner's Red, Jewel, Red Yam, Pumpkin Yam et.....Georgia Jet is bush growing, but is very prone to cracking.

I grew Georgia Jets & Porto Rico last year in containers at my sister's house. That was so much fun & so easy!!! None of the Centennial slips grew. So sad, to bad! But none of my Georgia Jets cracked for me. I will try to grow Georgia Jets this year if I can get a few of the tubers to sprout with the information on this thread. Thank you for that!! The Porta Rico were a lot smaller of tubers. They were more shaped like a small banana. The local feed store will have Beauregard slips, so I'll try them!!! Now if I can find other varierties to try locally, I'm up for it. My sister even offered another container for this year.