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Post by castanea on May 26, 2011 23:51:56 GMT -5
Does anyone know of a US source for slips of this sweet potato?
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Post by atash on May 27, 2011 13:36:11 GMT -5
As you are probably aware, more than just a relatively few sweet potato varieties are devilishly hard to find in the USA. Sweet Potato cultivation has plunged down to only a few common varieties like Beauregard, Jewell, Centennial, and Georgia Jets.
Glenn Drowns is the only source I know for very many. First problem is he doesn't have it. Second, he sells sweet potatoes like Tater Mater sells potatoes--as mixes--and probably for the same reason (extremely lopsided demand--one variety will make a book or magazine article and then you get hundreds of orders for that one and not for others, including even comparable varieties).
The next biggest source I am aware of is Mericlone Labs, whose website has disappeared. Bad sign. Anyway, they didn't have it either, or I would remember it.
Toka Toka Gold is from New Zealand, but it might be in cultivation in Canada, and that is where I would start. You'll need a permit to import it, and it will take some phytosanitary documentation.
Sorry not to have better ideas.
We will work on sweet potatoes some time in the future, when we have a real greenhouse to work with. We can grow them in the field with transparent plastic mulch most years, and probably could this year with a combination of the mulch AND a row cover, but it would take at least that as this year is still cold and wintery up here due to an extreme La Nina event. At this point I'm just trying to keep them alive at all.
If you clean sweet potatoes up from viruses and other diseases, they turn much more vigorous and easier to grow than most commercial varieties now are. The other trick is learning how to store them. In commerce they are apparently kept too cold, which degrades their quality. I suspect too they are harvested too young, like potatoes now usually are too--that's what makes them soft and prone to falling apart when cooked.
If you grow plenty of extras you can raid them for greens too.
I'll add another comment offline.
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Post by 12540dumont on May 27, 2011 13:51:18 GMT -5
MeriClone Labs, 3144 North G Street, Suite 125 P.M.B. #254, Merced, CA 95340, (209) 489-6176 or (209) 658-4713, mericlonelabs@sbcglobal.net (e-mail). MeriClone provides clean, meristemmed and virus-tested plant and seed stock. Varieties (available from mid April through August, 08) include: Beauregard, Diane, O'Henry, Golden Sweet, 8633 and Koto Buki. The Oriental Violet and Purple Okinawa are available from late June through August (08). No minimum order. I don't know what else they have. I heard their website was hijacked, but you can still call them.
I spoke to Debbie, she says that the price is 99 cents a cutting
20 stems - $20 Plus 5.50 shipping. No Toka Toka. Sorry
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Post by 12540dumont on May 27, 2011 13:57:37 GMT -5
Contact: Roy Shackleton Email: roy@seedsavers.org.nz Phone: 0-27-415 2559 This guy may be able to give you a lead. I know you're looking for a U.S. source, maybe someone in NZ can help. Also try looking under Kumara - the name for Sweet taters. in NZ This is a list of all the seed savers I could find in NZ www.seedsavers.org.nz/groups/groups.html |
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Post by castanea on May 27, 2011 19:03:38 GMT -5
As you are probably aware, more than just a relatively few sweet potato varieties are devilishly hard to find in the USA. Sweet Potato cultivation has plunged down to only a few common varieties like Beauregard, Jewell, Centennial, and Georgia Jets. Glenn Drowns is the only source I know for very many. First problem is he doesn't have it. Second, he sells sweet potatoes like Tater Mater sells potatoes--as mixes--and probably for the same reason (extremely lopsided demand--one variety will make a book or magazine article and then you get hundreds of orders for that one and not for others, including even comparable varieties). The next biggest source I am aware of is Mericlone Labs, whose website has disappeared. Bad sign. Anyway, they didn't have it either, or I would remember it. Toka Toka Gold is from New Zealand, but it might be in cultivation in Canada, and that is where I would start. You'll need a permit to import it, and it will take some phytosanitary documentation. Sorry not to have better ideas. We will work on sweet potatoes some time in the future, when we have a real greenhouse to work with. We can grow them in the field with transparent plastic mulch most years, and probably could this year with a combination of the mulch AND a row cover, but it would take at least that as this year is still cold and wintery up here due to an extreme La Nina event. At this point I'm just trying to keep them alive at all. If you clean sweet potatoes up from viruses and other diseases, they turn much more vigorous and easier to grow than most commercial varieties now are. The other trick is learning how to store them. In commerce they are apparently kept too cold, which degrades their quality. I suspect too they are harvested too young, like potatoes now usually are too--that's what makes them soft and prone to falling apart when cooked. If you grow plenty of extras you can raid them for greens too. I'll add another comment offline. The problem with the common commercial cultivars is that they are "wet type" sweet potatoes and I can barely eat them. Quite a few people in Canada do have Toka Toka Gold so I guess I will have to follow up with them. |
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Post by castanea on May 27, 2011 19:07:52 GMT -5
MeriClone Labs, 3144 North G Street, Suite 125 P.M.B. #254, Merced, CA 95340, (209) 489-6176 or (209) 658-4713, mericlonelabs@sbcglobal.net (e-mail). MeriClone provides clean, meristemmed and virus-tested plant and seed stock. Varieties (available from mid April through August, 08) include: Beauregard, Diane, O'Henry, Golden Sweet, 8633 and Koto Buki. The Oriental Violet and Purple Okinawa are available from late June through August (08). No minimum order. I don't know what else they have. I heard their website was hijacked, but you can still call them. I spoke to Debbie, she says that the price is 99 cents a cutting 20 stems - $20 Plus 5.50 shipping. No Toka Toka. Sorry Great news that mericlone still exists. Their web site went down months ago and I assumed they went with it. Very nice to know they're still around. |
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Post by atash on May 27, 2011 23:07:16 GMT -5
Yes, that is good news, but they need to get that website up again before they lose business.
I should contact Debbie and ask her if she needs help getting it back up.
You mean too watery? Fall apart when you cook them? They've been bred to bulk up fast.
Probably yet another reason for their decline in popularity.
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Post by castanea on May 29, 2011 0:12:45 GMT -5
Yes, that is good news, but they need to get that website up again before they lose business. I should contact Debbie and ask her if she needs help getting it back up. You mean too watery? Fall apart when you cook them? They've been bred to bulk up fast. Probably yet another reason for their decline in popularity. Yes, too watery. And for some reason the watery ones also have an almost insipid sweetness. I always thought I wasn't a sweet potato fan until I ran across the dry ones which are wonderful. |
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Post by duckcreekfarms on May 30, 2011 6:41:35 GMT -5
I'm trying to track down Toka Toka gold to add to my collection, but all I can find is Canada Sources at this point, but If there is a demand, I will find it. I have over 150 varietes in my collection and it's growing. each year.
duckcreekfarms.com
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Post by 12540dumont on May 30, 2011 17:55:02 GMT -5
Good God DuckCreek, how the heck do you get them all harvested? I put in two rows and they almost ate the squash. I was only able to dig out one before the frost. (I was preoccupied with squash and dried corn and beans). Holly Attachments:
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Post by castanea on May 30, 2011 19:21:17 GMT -5
I'm trying to track down Toka Toka gold to add to my collection, but all I can find is Canada Sources at this point, but If there is a demand, I will find it. I have over 150 varietes in my collection and it's growing. each year. duckcreekfarms.com Who grows the most sweet potatoes, other than the large commercial growers? Most Americans seem to prefer the wet varieties although the large Asian population here in California seems to prefer the dry varieties. I would love to have Toka Toka and I imagine others here in Calfiornia would also. |
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Post by wildseed57 on Jun 1, 2011 12:47:14 GMT -5
I get a bit tired of the standard wet type sweet potato but there isn't much of a choice, Sand Hill might have a few types. I looked over what the USDA had which made my mouth water, I've been pulled from their list of people they would send to, even though I have answered all their questions and offered to send any info they might want from me, I might have gotten some one mad there, as I once called the USDA a "lap dog for Monsanto" after getting a not so nice letter from them. At any rate they have quite a few varieties of both Yams and Sweet potatoes, so if you can get plant material from them, you might want to see what they have. I would love some of their really old varieties that they have almost as much as I would love to get some of there fruit tree scion wood and cuttings, I wonder if there is any one here that is getting material from them?
George W.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jun 1, 2011 13:32:51 GMT -5
George, I'm doing an Italian Heirloom bean trial in cooperation with the USDA and the Instituto di Genetica Vegetale in Bari, Italy. They have both released rare Italian Bean Seeds to me (I have also received many from Great Italian Farmers and seed collectors.) As a result of this project, I was also able to get corn. If the trial goes well, I might be able to get other seeds from them or even plants. Let me know what sweets you are interested in, and next year, I will put them on my list. That is, if the trial goes well. I can't do sweets this year. There's no room at the inn. Seriously, I just kicked the chickens out of their run and planted that too. Now they are traveling the fringe section. Holly Attachments:
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Post by castanea on Jun 2, 2011 0:16:21 GMT -5
I get a bit tired of the standard wet type sweet potato but there isn't much of a choice, Sand Hill might have a few types. I looked over what the USDA had which made my mouth water, I've been pulled from their list of people they would send to, even though I have answered all their questions and offered to send any info they might want from me, I might have gotten some one mad there, as I once called the USDA a "lap dog for Monsanto" after getting a not so nice letter from them. At any rate they have quite a few varieties of both Yams and Sweet potatoes, so if you can get plant material from them, you might want to see what they have. I would love some of their really old varieties that they have almost as much as I would love to get some of there fruit tree scion wood and cuttings, I wonder if there is any one here that is getting material from them? George W. The problem with the Sandhill list is that it usually doesn't tell you which are dry varieties and which are wets. |
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