The sweet potato plant inspires many gardeners with its climbing shoots. They like to use the wind plant in raised beds or as a tendril on house walls or walls. In addition, the sweet potato forms a beautiful flower. However, the shoots can be used for other purposes. Find out what uses there are and how to properly care for sweet potato shoots.
The sprouts on a sweet potato should not be eaten
Propagating sweet potatoes by shoots
Use the shoots to obtain cuttings and propagate your sweet potato in this way.
- cut a shoot 10 cm long from the mother plant
- place it in a water bath or in a wooden box with moist soil
- the first shoots form after just a few days
- if frost is no longer to be expected outside, you can plant the young shoot outdoors
Note: The shoots must not remain in the water bath for too long. Otherwise growth stagnates.
Climbing aid for the shoots
Sweet potato shoots can grow up to 3 meters long. Therefore, the Batate is ideal for climbing a house wall. It is also beautiful when wrapped around a garden fence or railing. A climbing aid is always an advantage. Use a metal or bamboo pole for this.
Do the shoots have to be cut?
The sweet potato does not need to be cut. Actually, it is the long shoots that give the plant its charm. If you still find them annoying, you can cut them off without hesitation. Withered shoots, on the other hand, must be removed.
Remove shoots before consumption
If stored for a long time, the tubers of the sweet potato will sprout again. However, they are still edible. However, you should definitely remove the shoots beforehand. They also remove nutrients and water from the vegetables, so you should use up the tubers as soon as they sprout.
An apple that you put next to the stored sweet potatoes protects them from renewed growth.