sweet potatoes

I would like to grow sweet potatoes, I prefer them to 'normal' potatoes.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of some?

Many Thanks in advance... This site is great.

 

Hi Sally, Have you got a green house? I haven't heard of any variety yet that will grow outdoors in UK. I found this on the BBC site:-

"Question from Anne Preston: I recently visited the Eden Project in Cornwall and was inspired to grow some more unusual kinds of vegetables. I'd like to grow sweet potatoes, can I grow them here in the UK and can I use sweet potatoes from the supermarket as seed potatoes?
Bob: You can grow them successfully here but you can't just plant them like you would an ordinary potato because they don't sprout in the same way. You have to put a sweet potato in really quite intense heat. Many of them from supermarkets are treated with an anti-sprouting agent, so it's a good idea to give it a good scrub and clean it first. I put mine into moist sand, and then, as soon as the sprouts have got two or three inches tall I bring them out into the light, detach them from the tuber, and I put them into an ordinary compost and grow them on in a propagator. Once they're growing strongly, I pot them up and I keep them in a greenhouse. You must train them up strings - to give them more light and stop them rooting everywhere. They do need quite a lot of water but they don't need a very rich soil. Take some cuttings in late summer, root them, keep them indoors on a sunny windowsill through the winter so next season you'll have an even better crop than if you'd grown them from tubers. "

They are a different plant to our potato. I tried growing some last year, when it was hot, they sprouted easily when planted in a seed tray [I picked small ones!], but of course I didn't get a crop as the season was too short. Like you I wondered if I could grow them in England as I really like them... sadly apparently the answer seems to be no, unless you have greenhouse- UNLESS ANYONE KNOWS BETTER... :(

 

I've not tried growing them myself, but have oftern been tempted to try, not so much for the potatos, because I dont think you'll get much, but maybe for the flowers.
The latin name is Ipomoea Batatas, which means its related to the morning glory plants that we grow in the summer.
Might give it a try this year.

 

Hi Marley, That link wouldn't work for me but I found them anyway in the catalogue. As the plain old supermarket ones were so easy to grow, and pretty flower [pale pink with pink middles, typical morning glory style], I think I'll try some of that variety this year and see if I get a crop!

 

Many thanks. I do have a greenhouse so I think I will try them, if I have no luck then its back to the supermarket!

Thanks for the link, it also did not work, but eventually I was able to find them.

 

What a great link...Thanks
:eek: :D