Self-planting sweet potatoes - tips and step by step instructions

Because of its tropical origin, sweet potatoes are still considered exotic. However, he is able not only to supplement our usual diet, but also to replace the well-known potato.

They have similar taste, but sweet potatoes are endowed with a large number of useful substances. In addition, it is quite simple to grow.

In the article you will learn about the rules of growing yams, as well as consider all the difficulties and problems of growing and caring for vegetables.

Next to what and after which the sweet potato sits?

Best sweet potato adjacent to soyAnd tomatoes, onions and pumpkin cultures can be its predecessors.

How to choose the tubers and seeds?

To decide how to plant a sweet potato in open ground, you first need to choose quality material for planting and know how healthy tubers and quality seeds should look like.

The shape of tubers should be round, cylindrical, spindly or ribbed. Their color should be red, beige, orange or purple.

Seeds have a dense brown shell. Their length does not exceed 3.5 mm. When selecting seeds and tubers for planting, you must inspect them for defects. They should not be stained, mildew, damage and other defects.

Is it possible to use open ground or need a greenhouse?

The first difference in the cultivation of yams in the greenhouse and in the open field is of course the time of planting.

In greenhouse conditions, sweet potatoes are sown in March or April, but in the open ground - in the middle of May, after the earth warms up.

Same when grown in open ground with frost, from which no one is insured, the yam must be insulatedwhat not to do in greenhouse conditions.

How and when to plant sweet potatoes?

When you decide to grow sweet potatoes, the first thing to do is to choose the most suitable way for you, since you can plant this vegetable in many ways. Many resort to the rassadny method, cultivation by seeds and tubers is also popular. The choice of landing method depends entirely on your desire. If you do not want to mess with the seedlings, then you need to grow a tuber or seed.

Step-by-step instruction

Time

The yam belongs to very thermophilic plants. That is why the planting time comes in mid-May or early June, when there is no threat of frost, and the soil warms up to the required temperature of +15 degrees. Planting can be done earlier, but only in greenhouse conditions.

The soil

Preparation begin in the fall. The soil is dug up to a depth of 15-20 cm. To prepare a suitable soil mixture, it is necessary to take loose soil, humus and coarse sand in equal parts.

Next, nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers are introduced into it. This may be rotted manure or compost, superphosphate or potassium sulfate.

Inventory

For different ways of growing yams will need:

• a box or container for germination;
• glass containers;
• disposable cups.

All inventory in which the sweet potato will be germinated must be thoroughly washed, dried and disinfected. Boxes and plastic containers are treated with special solutions., and glass containers can be ignited in the oven.

Material

Yam is planted with cuttings, and for this they can be obtained in two ways:

• buy ready;
• grow from a tuber.

Before growing planting material must be pre-treated, disinfected. This will increase the yield and save you from possible diseases. To process the tubers, it is necessary to soak in a solution of a fungicide or biofungicide.

Choosing a place

The plot on which the sweet potatoes will be planted should be well lit and located on the south side. Best of all, if from the north side of the ridge will be closed buildings or a fence. This will give a good warm.

In no case can not plant a plant on the site, even with the smallest shading. Batat does not tolerate the shadow. Also the site should be protected from the winds.

Scheme

The plant has the ability to curl and climb, so it needs a wide distance between the rows. The best distance is 100 cm, with a tolerance of plus minus 25 cm. The distance between plants should be at least 30 cm, and best of all 40-50 cm. Compressed circuit 75 to 35 or 50 to 50.

The distance depends on the variety of the planted sweet potato. The optimal landing pattern is 75 by 50 and 100 by 35.

Tubers

This method of landing is used in January or February. Need to buy a few tubers. They will be enough for a small area. Disinfect tubers with a weak solution of copper sulfate. Next, prepare the box for the germination of tubers, at the bottom of which make drainage holes and set the pan. Then follow these steps:

1. Prepare the soil mixture and calcine it in the oven.
2. Fill the third of the box with soil, top with 3 cm of sand.
3. Disinfect the tubers and place them in the ground.
4. Squeeze the tubers into the ground and sprinkle with sand for 3-4 cm.
5. Water the soil regularly.
6. Keep the box at a temperature of +18 to +27 degrees.
7. After 30 days, there are 10 cm shoots that need to be separated and put water, before the roots.
8. After the appearance of the roots, plant shoots in separate containers (you can use glasses).
9. Sprouts removed up to 7 times, after 10 days.
10. In the spring you can land in open ground, provided that the temperature of the soil is +15, and air - +25.
11. On the site to prepare 15 cm of the hole and pour them. The planting pattern is 40 cm by 70 cm.
12. Deepen the seedlings into two internodes and warm with a bottle or glass jar.
13. After the appearance of new leaves, the insulation is removed.

Watch a video on planting yams using tubers:

Seeds

This method of planting begin in the month of February. Prepare a soil mixture. Seeds are disinfected in a manganese solution and dried. Next you need to perform the following steps:

1. Pour the soil into the seedling tanks and lower the seeds into it to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.
2. Cover the containers with a film and put them in a warm place.
3. Produce regular watering.
4. When the yam sprouts grow by 15-20 cm, they can be planted in open ground.
5. Two weeks before planting it is necessary to harden the sprouts. To do this, they are taken out every day for a couple of hours in the fresh air.

Sprouts

1. Rinse the tubers and cut them into several pieces. If the tuber is small enough to cut into two parts, larger ones cut into 3-4 parts.
2. Fill a small jar or other container with water. The top of the tank should correspond to the size of the portion of the sweet potato, which must be half-dipped in water.
3. Part of the tuber is placed cut off into the water, after fixing it with toothpicks from all sides.
4. Put the sweet potato in a well-lit place.
5. After 14-20 days, the first shoots will appear.
6. After the sprouts cover the entire surface of the yam, they must be carefully picked.
7. Place the sprouts in a container of water until the roots appear.
8. After 2-3 days, the roots will seem. After that, landing in open ground.

Without sprouts

This method of landing is not suitable for sweet potatoes. This is because if you put the tubers immediately in the ground, the shoots will have to wait a very long time.

Sweet potatoes have a very long growing season and because of the cold weather its fruits simply do not have time to form.

Further care

1. During rooting it is necessary to water the plant abundantly.
2. In the second half of the growing season, watering is carried out every 10 days.
3. Under the condition of frequent rains, watering is not carried out.
4. Three weeks before harvesting, they also do not irrigate.
5. From mid-August you need to make additional feeding.
6. Potassium fertilizers are applied once every 14 days. Wood ash is suitable for this. 1-2 cups of ash need 10 liters of water. Insist 2 weeks and then make a liter for each bush.

Possible problems and difficulties

1. Incorrectly selected soil.
2. Lack of lighting or landing in the shade.
3. Disease infection.
4. The appearance of pests.

Thanks to its healthy and nutritious fruit, sweet potatoes can replace usual potatoes in the diet. It is rich in protein, vitamins and trace elements, has an increased caloric content, and at the same time is able to be easily absorbed by the body. Having tried to grow a sweet potato once, you will surely love it and will grow it year after year.

Watch the video: 5 Tips How to Grow a Ton of Sweet Potato in One Container or Garden Bed (December 2024).