I have been trying to grow sweet potato sets for planting without luck
I have never tried to grow sweet potatoes, but several people do that post on the thread, so I hope they will respond.
My best crops that take the least effort are potatoes and garlic. This year I have russets, Dakota pearls, and Yukon Gold. I was a bit tired and run down last year, and did not put away the potatoes I wanted to use properly, so I don’t have as many Dakota Pearls as I would have liked.
The garlic I plant in the fall, and cover with straw, and give it a dose of compost or miracle grow in April. Usually it’s done by June.
Each year, I take several of the best bulbs, let them cure, and use those to plant for the next crop.
Most varieties of potato are treated to inhibit sprouting, especially during transport and ultimate sale to the consumer.
I recall a school science project with sweet potatoes , despite the anti-sprout treatment, which involved a drinking glass, water, three toothpicks, and a sweet potato.
The sweet potato is quite fibrous, and will take quite a bit of abuse before rotting; so impale the sweet potato with the three toothpicks, evenly spaced ,
preferably with a potato 'eye' on top. The 'eye' will determine where the sprout will occur .
Place the potato so that the toothpicks will support it on the rim of the drinking glass, and fill the glass with water, so that 2/3 of the potato is below the waterline.
Place in a sunny window and sprouts should form at an "eye" in about 2 weeks , depending on maintaining water level in the glass, and the amount of sunshine.
This is fine for just a couple of sweet potatoes, but what if you want many ? I would use a rubbermaid tray , or a baking sheet with water.
[[I have been trying to grow sweet potato sets for planting without luck ]]
If you are picking them up from the grocery store look for the medium to larger ones and try to pick them up from different places.
(better chances since some are sprayed and may or may not sprout ) All sizes from my garden sprout easily through (I leave a few in the garden over winter to dig up and sprout).
Stick them half in water holding them up with toothpicks and set them on the windowsill.
Some of them should sprout .
Once you get sprouts let them get a couple of leaves and break them off . Some people plant that straight in the garden , some soak them in water until they begin to get roots . I found that sticking them in peat pellets until they root up works better for me (my soil is really sandy and they take off much better for me if I put them in with some roots )
A few years ago I tried growing beauegard and puerto rico sweet potatoes. Supposedly, one grows like a vine, and one grows like a bush. Both of them ended up growing all over my garden and into my yard, and now pretty much grow wild. At this point, I’m not sure which is which.
I’ve seen sweet potatoes in the local store with small roots growing out of them. If you put one in a glass with just the root in water (changed every day or so) and exposure to sunlight, you’ll start to see purple shoots growing out of the potato. When the purple shoots get to about 4 inches, break them off and put them in another glass of water about 3/4” deep. After several days, you should see large amounts of roots, and you can move them to your garden.