Your comments and tips

08 Oct 18, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Also you can use 50-60cm sections of the growing plants 6-8 week old and plant them along the ground with the tip out of the soil. Roots will grow from where each leaf joins the vine.

Reply or Post a new comment

01 Oct 18, Jeanette (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I'm in Ipswich Qld .I've planted a whole tubor of the purple sweet potato ( after it produced roots in water) and it's shooting up beautifully, do I break these off and plant separately? or try to grow roots in water first? I have had no luck at all with the orange sweet potato.

Reply or Post a new comment

02 Oct 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Cut it into 4-6 pieces and plant. Then when they have grown for about 2 mths take some of the vine about 5-600mm long and plant in the soil laying horizontal with just the end sticking out of the soil. Water well for week or so.

Reply or Post a new comment

19 Sep 18, Eddy (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Can they grow on canterbury christchurch

Reply or Post a new comment

06 Oct 18, denise (New Zealand - temperate climate)

i live in Kaiapoi and grow in tubs. the soil is warmer

Reply or Post a new comment

21 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Did you read the notes here. I suggest you do and pay attention to when to plant.

Reply or Post a new comment

16 Aug 18, Adrienne (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Can you please tell me what is the best type of fertiliser to prepare the soil for kumara?

Reply or Post a new comment

11 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Any general fertiliser - but probably something with a fair bit of P in it. N P K - something like 10 -14N, 6-10 P, 10-15 K.

Reply or Post a new comment

10 Jul 18, Cathy (Australia - temperate climate)

When my tomato bed finished i refilled the bed with conpost and the sweet potatos started growing. I got quite a few potatoes and pulled them out in September to replant tomatoes. I couldnt get tomatoes to grow that summer so i gave up and let the je sweet potatoes come back naturally. Should i try for tomatoes again in that same bed? If so do i need to help the soil in any way? Thanks!!

Reply or Post a new comment

13 Jul 18, Mike L (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been told sweet potatoes are a big consumer of nutrients from the soil - other words not much nutrient left in the soil after the crop Tomatoes would also take a lot from the soil. Did you add compost or totally refilled the bed with compost again. If the compost is not totally broken down then it will take N from the soil - therefore very little N for the intended crop. Look to the guide here for planting - although it has no planting time for sweet potatoes in temperate climates. After each crop you need to do one of two things - add completed compost, manures etc and make sure this is all broken down into the soil. Or you hit it up with some all round fertiliser. Also give your soil a rest for a few months and add compost and turn it in.

Reply or Post a new comment