How to grow sweet potatoes
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Home & Garden
Sweet potatoes are extremely healthy and easy to grow.
Preparation
- Sweet potatoes do well in loose, sandy soil. To prepare the soil, spread a 5cm layer of compost and work it into the soil. Then push the soil into a 30 centimeter-wide, flat-topped mound 15cm high.
Planting
- Plant the slips 35cm apart in the centre of the mound, and set them 15cm into the ground, leaving at least two leaves aboveground. Water well.
Caring
- Sweet potatoes require little care. A bit of weeding, done carefully so as not to injure the shallow roots, is usually all that is needed.
Harvesting
- When the tops of the plants turn black after the first frost, the sweet potatoes are ready to harvest.
- Dig sweet potatoes carefully, for their skins bruise easily. Let the tubers dry for several hours, then spread them in newspaper-lined boxes. Leave them in a dry, warm area for about two weeks; then store in a cool, dry place.
