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Post by imgrimmer on Sept 9, 2018 7:12:19 GMT -5
as long as they don't freeze they won't die quickly but consistent or repeated spells much below 50 F will be pretty hard on them. Yesterday I found some forgotten sweet potatoes in my fridge, they started to sprout at a temparature of constantly 9°C (48°F). It was a common variety from the grocery store. Any one seen something like it? I was thinking sweet potatoes doesn`t like it cool. I put them out side in the ground. There are 4 weeks left before autumn this will show if they are more cool tolerant than others. |
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Post by walt on Sept 9, 2018 13:54:48 GMT -5
I'd say they don't like it cool. But they are tough plants and will put up with conditions they don't like for some time. For crops or seeds, they need warm or hot. I think for long life they need warm or hot. But they have spread widely over the Earth because they are tough and adaptable.
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Post by richardw on Sept 9, 2018 15:33:33 GMT -5
Noticed yesterday a seed that had broken the surface was not making any more progress so i lifted it out to see why, it had a root of about 10mm long but it was all black, the little bugger had kicked the bucket.
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Post by reed on Sept 9, 2018 18:22:04 GMT -5
Noticed yesterday a seed that had broken the surface was not making any more progress so i lifted it out to see why, it had a root of about 10mm long but it was all black, the little bugger had kicked the bucket. I don't like the sound of that. Hopefully you won't see any more of it. The only ones I ever had croak after sprouting are the occasional ones that apparently don't know how to make chlorophyll. I'v had half a dozen of those over last seasons. They come up with white seed leaves and don't go much farther, only one survived and grew true leaves. I still have it as a clone just for curiosity. It has yellowish gold leaves and is extremely dwarf. I'v kept it two years now but it doesn't make any large roots at all and has to be kept in shade. I though it might be a good ornamental but with it's poor vigor and aversion to sun light I'm not gonna mess with it anymore. We just had a rapid change from dry high 90s to wet mid 60s. When this happened less extremely a couple seasons ago it caused 1/2 or more developing seed capsules to promptly drop off. I have't been able to get in the patch for three days. When it dries up I'll assess the situation but I may call the end of season early this year. I don't have as many seeds as I wanted and expected but I have plenty, plus I can keep clones of the best seeders. |
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Post by steev on Sept 10, 2018 21:27:38 GMT -5
With its aversion to sunlight, maybe it wants some blood meal.
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Post by richardw on Sept 12, 2018 14:49:07 GMT -5
A question to panel - does Ipomoea batatas grow best in soil that has a clay layer/pan?, i was always lead to believe that it needed to so as to stop roots from going too deep. I dont have clay below my soil but instead its free running shingle. So the last growing season i prepared a bed by laying a sheet of plastic down after i had moved the soil to one side, then mounded it back on top and planted my two Kumara cuttings that i had wintered over. I wouldn't imagine there would be anyone here who has ground like mine though, so yer... thoughts?
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Post by reed on Sept 13, 2018 7:07:33 GMT -5
I never heard that before but I know that how deep and how spread out the roots are can vary genetically. It is mentioned in the descriptions sometimes of all the different ones on Sandhill's website. When I grow them in deep pots with good loose soil seems like mostly the ones with storage roots all the way to the bottom are those with the little stringy roots. Those with good roots are generally higher up. Little feeder roots will go on for who knows haw far.
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Post by walt on Sept 13, 2018 12:29:58 GMT -5
I always thought sweet potatoes did best on sandy soil. But perhaps what I call sandy soil wouldn't seem sandy to others.
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Post by richardw on Sept 13, 2018 14:02:59 GMT -5
Its commonly recommended that that's how they should be grown. Right, well there's only one way to know for sure.
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Post by reed on Sept 14, 2018 16:34:19 GMT -5
I am much happier in my gardening since I started almost completely ignoring recommendations, they are over rated. The soil and conditions in my garden are the soil and conditions I have. Stuff I plant will grow or not, up to it. Most stuff does and since I mostly don't care about the first, the biggest, or the most perfect anyway, it works out fine.
Sweet potatoes are very diverse genetically and they can spontaneously mutate, just because they feel like it I guess. No telling what conditions they might take to if grown from seeds and given a chance. I don't want to purposely or inadvertently select for what's recommended.
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Post by richardw on Sept 14, 2018 17:35:04 GMT -5
Found another dead germinated seedling, so total of seven in first leaf, one looking very purple. Given the genetic diversity even if i dont get a strong seed producer from these first clones maybe I'll found better seed producers in the second generation.? reed So do most clones produce at least some seed and how many dont at all? |
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Post by reed on Sept 14, 2018 19:20:51 GMT -5
Found another dead germinated seedling, so total of seven in first leaf, one looking very purple. Given the genetic diversity even if i dont get a strong seed producer from these first clones maybe I'll found better seed producers in the second generation.? reed So do most clones produce at least some seed and how many dont at all? You mean seed grown, not clone I suspect  . But unfortunately no, not all seed grown plants produce seeds themselves. This is a wild guess cause I never carefully tracked it and I cull some for lack of vigor before they even have a chance but I guess 1/3 make no seeds, 1/3 enough and 1/3 lots. That's why I hope you get at least twenty to sprout and make it. That would give you a good start. Most of my seed this year has come from maybe 12 new ones and clones of last year's BB and FBFS. Out of those 12 new ones, five are hopeful of having big roots and being added to the collection of nice rooted, good seeders. One exceptional seeder will probably be cloned even if it doesn't have nice roots. I'v already culled out most of the others. Why do you think your having problem with some dying? Only thing I can think is it's not warm enough. Does first leaf mean first true leaves, not seed leaves? I don't know what mutation could lead too but I'v read that it can happen anytime and is very common in first few seasons from seed. |
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Post by diane on Sept 14, 2018 20:03:03 GMT -5
It's the season for sweet potatoes so I check for them in every grocery store I go to.
I just bought one imported from Japan. It has a dark pink skin and pale yellow flesh. I'm having a piece for
dinner, and I'll sprout the rest of it.
Odd - I baked a piece, and the pale yellow turned to olive green.
Which end sprouts the best? or does anywhere along the whole root work well?
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Post by steev on Sept 14, 2018 20:23:21 GMT -5
The end away from the vine scar is what sprouts.
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Post by richardw on Sept 14, 2018 20:25:27 GMT -5
Found another dead germinated seedling, so total of seven in first leaf, one looking very purple. Given the genetic diversity even if i dont get a strong seed producer from these first clones maybe I'll found better seed producers in the second generation.? reed So do most clones produce at least some seed and how many dont at all? Why do you think your having problem with some dying? Only thing I can think is it's not warm enough. No well past being cold now, the stone work inside is warming a lot now so even the nights are 16Cdeg, daytime high 20Cdeg, another week and the door will need to be open during the dayDoes first leaf mean first true leaves, not seed leaves? Yep, first true leaves sorry. I |
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. But unfortunately no, not all seed grown plants produce seeds themselves. This is a wild guess cause I never carefully tracked it and I cull some for lack of vigor before they even have a chance but I guess 1/3 make no seeds, 1/3 enough and 1/3 lots. That's why I hope you get at least twenty to sprout and make it. That would give you a good start. 