Your comments and tips

05 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Someone recently told me sweet potatoes take a lot out of the soil - NPK and trace elements etc. A general all round fert should have about 10-14 N 3-10 P and 12-15 K with 1-2 S. You can then up grade to a fert with trace elements. I buy from a farmers fert depot. 25Kg bags cost $20-25 and $30-35 with elements in it. You can buy stuff from supermarkets or Bunnings but you pay 2-4 times the price for smaller 2-5kg bags. Or you can go the organic way with manures et.

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19 Oct 17, Allan (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Do you progressively mound up Kumara like growing potatoes?

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25 Sep 17, Kathy charles (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Where do you buy sweet potato tubers in Toowoomba - can you grow them but cutting up a sweet potato and planting them. Only eat sweet potatos now do would dearly love to grow some. Planted some last year but only got 2 small ones. What am I doing wrong? Please help!!!!!!!!

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15 Jun 19, Chris Herden (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hello Kathy. I live in Lismore and Hunter Valley, NSW. I have sweet potato cuttings available of NZ Kumara. I can send photos.Cuttings will be ready in Late Winter/Spring.

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26 Sep 17, Kerry (Australia - temperate climate)

Kathy if you buy a sweet potato from the supermarket place it on a pot of potting mix keep it moist but not wet and it will throw shoots. Coff the shoots as they reach about 100mm without disturbing the tuba and plant the shoot in its growing position in suitable soil or potting mix and keep moist. The tuber will continue to throw new shoots and you continue to harvest and replant the shoots as above, From a single tuba you may harvest a dozen or more shoots. Best wishes and good luck.

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26 Sep 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Buy some sweet potatoes and plant them in the ground about 4-6" in the ground. In about 6-8 weeks you should have plants about 4-6" high. Pull these stems out (slips) and plant about 30-40cm or so apart. Plant them in a hilled up (about 12-18" high) row. Or cut the ends off the sweet potatoes and put some wooden skewers in them and have them half in a glass of water. Look up how to grow sweet potatoes on the internet.

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09 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have just talked to a person who commercially grows sweet potatoes. Some backpackers were in the field and I went and asked them about picking slips. The owner came over and told me what they do. After a sweet potato crop has been growing for about 8-10 weeks, people go along and break off some of the runners (vines) and they take the 15-20" (450-500mm) end section - it has to have at least 3 places where the roots will come down from the vine into the soil. This is then planted into the soil - it and the soil has to be kept watered. The vine will send down roots and the sweet potato plant will grow. The tubers will develop where the roots develop. Plant in a hilled up garden bed.

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18 Nov 17, Gary (Australia - arid climate)

Thanks for that, MIke...I'm now keen to give that a try. Cheers.

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25 Sep 17, Joss Roberts (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Is it possible for Kumara to be grown in Christchurch, New Zealand.

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26 Sep 17, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Kumara needs a long summer/autumn before frosts start. Your microclimate might suit it. It's probably worth a try. One kumara used to produce growing shoots would not be very expensive.

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