We stuck toothpicks ina sweet potatoe and stuck it in a glass of water. It now has sprouts about 1 1/2' long with leaves. What can we do with this? Can it be planted in dirt? Can you create slips from this?

-- Emil in TN (eprisco@usit.net), March 18, 2002

Answers

I break the sprouts off and put them in water until they get roots on them. These can then be planted in the garden. Some people put them in wet sand instead of in water.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 18, 2002.

Melissa is right... you have a bountiful crop sitting in your window... congrats...

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 18, 2002.

Be sure and wait until the weather warms before planting them in the garden. Sweet potatoes don't like cold weather. Enjoy!

-- Sharon (chessyemailaddy@notreal.com), March 18, 2002.

It will also make one of the best looking house plants if you just let them grow. A while after the danger of frost has passed just break the runners off and plsnt them. They'll take root in no time at all. I usually start 2 or 3 this way. We plant about 25 hills. Sweet potatoes are a lot easier to give away than squash.

-- charlieS (charliesap@pldi.net), March 18, 2002.

Hey people, how long does it take to place a sweet potato in water and have slips ready to plant in the garden? I use to buy my slips from a fruit and vegetable stand but they went out of business about two years ago and I have not been able to find any since.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), March 18, 2002.

We had some left over in the root seller and one started to sprout so my wife put it in a dish of water and it is growing like Jack's Bean Stalk. We are moving so I won't be planting cuttings but there may still be time to get a few in.

-- hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), March 21, 2002.