The sweet potato inspires in many ways. Your advantages go far beyond the versatile processing options in the kitchen. For example, the batata also impresses with its exotic flowers as an ornamental plant. What makes them so popular, especially among hobby gardeners, is their fast growth and the easy way of propagation. Find out here how you can grow your own sweet potato in no time at all.
Sweet potatoes quickly form roots in a glass of water
Bring the sweet potatoes to sprout
There are two different methods you can use to germinate a sweet potato for propagation. Below are the instructions for each procedure.
Start early
You will be amazed at how quickly sweet potatoes start to sprout. But before you can put the new shoots outside in the ground, they should have formed enough roots. Since planting outdoors is only possible when the temperature is frost-free, May is considered the right time. Nevertheless, it is advisable to start germinating as early as January.
germination in a water bath
- Cut off the end of a sweet potato tuber
- fill a glass with fresh, warm water
- place the sweet potato cut-side down
- if necessary, fix the tuber with toothpicks
- change the water regularly
- do not wait too long before removing the batata from the water bath. Otherwise their growth stagnates
germination in potting soil
- fill a box with conventional potting soil
- plant a tuber in it
- water the substrate sufficiently
- put the box in a warm, bright place (windowsill)
With both methods, the first new shoots appear within a few days. Until you plant the sprouted sweet potatoes in the garden, it is best to repot them in growing containers.
Re-germination during storage
Sweet potatoes also sprout again during storage in the cellar, similar to normal potatoes. Nevertheless, the tubers are still edible. However, you should carefully remove the new shoots before eating, as they taste bitter. If you want to prevent renewed sprouting, place an apple with the sweet potatoes.