Sweet potato slips, rooted. ‘Northern Star’ – Ipomoea batatas

Description

Supplied: 3 rooted cuttings

Description

This variety has reddish – orange skin and creamy white flesh. It is both sweeter and drier than orange varieties, and is excellent for baking. Vigorous vines and wide, spade – shaped leaves make this an excellent variety to grow as a groundcover, as long as it has a reasonably sunny position and consistent watering during dry weather. Sweet potato leaves are edible, with a taste similar to spinach.

Care
Select a sunny position. Plant runners in a trench so that as much of the stem is covered with soil as possible, with leaves above the soil level. This will facilitate the development of extra roots.

Water daily for the first two weeks, after which water during dry periods. Sweet potatoes are not particularly heavy feeders but will benefit from a top dressing of compost. Thick mulch such as woodchips or straw is recommended around the base of the plant to keep soil moisture and temperatures consistent. Tubers are most commonly harvested in Autumn.

If grown in an area with ‘hard frosts’, some tubers should be reserved over Winter from which to grow new plants the following Spring. This can be done by burying the tuber in well – draining soil. Provided it does not get too waterlogged, slips should eventually emerge.

If growing in areas that are less frost – prone, new plants can be started by simply cutting a section of vine and standing in a glass of water until roots develop.

For other sweet potato varieties, try the Okinawan sweet potato, with a deliciously sweet and vibrant purple flesh, or the All Purple sweet potato with it’s deep purple skin and flesh.