None flowering sweet potato

[richardw]

Being chating with a gardener in the far north of NZ, he lives on Great Barrier Island www.google.co.nz/maps/place/Great+Barrier+Island/@-36.1995141,175.2884493,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x6d731298487b8da3:0xf00ef62249c4480!8m2!3d-36.1972824!4d175.4169211?hl=en which is frost free, fact it wouldn't even get close to freezing. Ive been asking around NZ looking for what strains of Kumara or sweet potato flower. Mike was saying it grows year around for him but only an orange skin clone grows flowers, but hasnt noticed any seed, he doesn't like its taste so its left to do its own thing in out of the way corners. But he has a red skin clone thats high in taste, vigorous and grows huge tubers, problem is its never had a flower in 30 years of growing it. Anyone have some ideas how to get it to grow a flower or two?

[reed]

I think there are various things that might help. Stresses like lack of water, growing in shade, nutrient deficiencies especially nitrogen have all been mentioned.

Page 26 of the sweet potato thread, I think this goes straight to it alanbishop.proboards.com/thread/7720/sweet-potato-breeding-project?page=26 has a list of most all the stuff I'v found on the topic, you should be able to find some info in there. 

[richardw]

Ive pasted that info on, he was saying he asked other gardeners on the island and no one has ever known flowers on the red skin clone, its said to be the best tasting out of all the colours we have have.