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Growing sweet potato slips is a mystery to many people, and at one time, seemed to have "well guarded secret" status. Well, take it from an old farm boy, it isn't all that complicated, and it can be very rewarding, in many ways!
I. Materials:
A. A growing area. You will need a raised bed 4 to 6 feet wide, and a length that you will determine by the number of plants you want to produce. A bushel will need about 10 or 12 square feet of bed space. An acre of sweet potatoes can yield up to 300 bushels if properly fertilized and irrigated, which will probably be a little more than a home gardener will want to produce. It usually takes 5 or 6 bushels to produce slips for an acre of potatoes, so you will want to scale it down according to your needs.
B. Sweet potatoes 1 to 3 inches, and having no rotten or diseased areas on them.
C. Enough roofing felt or black plastic to cover the bed.
D. Enough sand to cover your entire bed about 2 inches deep.
II. Tools:
A. Whatever you want to use to cover and smooth the bed. A shovel and rake will work.
B. Whatever you choose to cut the felt or plastic to the proper dimensions. A knife or scissors will do the trick.
III. Method:
A. We will be laying the sweet potatoes out, keeping them separated by an inch or two.
B. The felt or black plastic is for providing top heat to encourage the plants to sprout.
IV. The Process: A. Lay the sweet potatoes out on the bed, separate from each other. space them evenly over the bed.
B. Cover them with about two inches of sand or good soil.
C. Water them moderately.
D. Cover them with the felt or plastic.
E. Anchor the plastic or felt along the edges and ends, and a few places in the center by using the sand, or you can use large grass staples if they will hold.
F. Water the plant bed periodically if needed, cover can be removed after the plants start to emerge, and if weather conditions allow. If you expect severe cold, leave it in place.
G. Plants should be pulled when the reach about 8 inches. By the time they reach that stage, they should have a pretty good compliment of roots. They will not all mature at the same time.
V. Follow Up Plant them out by hand, or ride on a potato setter. If you have never done this you should give it a try for a few days at a time!
Note: Digging the potatoes is the fun part, if you like back breaking labor, after you get them out of the ground, store them with lots of good ventilation for a while so they can "cure." Store them in a cool, dry well ventilated place.
Seed Potatoes: You can save seed potatoes from the crop for next years planting. Choose some from "hills" that have several high quality potatoes, and store in a well ventilated box or bag, in a dark room with moderate temperature. Do not wash before storage.
Window Sill Science: If you set a sweet potato in a glass of water, it will sprout at the eyes, and produce a nice decorative piece for your window sill. It is also a good way to show children a little something they don't get to see in nature. There are several varieties of sweet potatoes sold in the landscape business, as decorative vines.
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