When the first new shoots gradually appear, you've made it. Germinating a sweet potato isn't always successful, but it can be done with the right method. The work is always worthwhile, because the orange-red tuber is not only culinary versatile and a real treat for the palate, but also forms a decorative plant if you don't harvest it.

Sweet potatoes rarely germinate just like that

Sweet potatoes rarely germinate

Unfortunately, a very hard shell encloses the seed of a sweet potato. The resulting poor supply of water and oxygen makes it difficult for the tuber to germinate. Therefore, you should use for propagation instead of seeds whenever possible

  • cuttings
  • or a sweet potato from the supermarket

put in the ground. But even the latter possibility does not always end in new shoots. The sweet potato comes from the tropics, which is why the European climate is too cold for some varieties. If you buy a sweet potato in the grocery store, you often don't know what variety it is.

Bring the sweet potatoes to sprout

To germinate a sweet potato, all you need is a tuber from the supermarket. You now have two options:

The germination in the glass

  • cut off one end of a sweet potato
  • place the sweet potato, cut side down, in a glass of fresh, warm water
  • after a few days, the first shoots will appear

The germination in the soil

You can also sprout your sweet potato in a box filled with potting soil. You should store them in a bright place and keep the soil moist at all times.

Are Sprouting Sweet Potatoes Still Edible?

If stored for a long time, sweet potatoes tend to sprout again. If your batata does not show any other bruises or mold and is otherwise not shriveled, it is still suitable for consumption. However, you should carefully remove the new shoots before processing.

Category:

Vegetable garden