My first experiment with sweet potato true Seed
Feb 23, 2021 21:20:06 GMT
nancygreenthumb likes this
Post by macmex on Feb 23, 2021 21:20:06 GMT
About a year ago I was fascinated to read posts by Mike Jennings, over in the Kenosha Potato Project about how he was growing sweet potatoes from actual seed, produced in his garden. For years I knew that some did this, but I always assumed that one needed a greenhouse to do it. Gary Schaum, of Duck Creek Farms, has done some sweet potato breeding, and I understood he did most of it during the winter, in his greenhouse. But Mike got seed from his garden. I communicated a bit with him and made a phone call to Gary Schaum. Gary informed me that there have been years in which he had LOTS of sweet potatoes germinate from seed, as volunteers in his garden!
After growing sweet potatoes for about 40 years, it was only then that it occurred to me that I should look more closely at the vines, while harvesting and try to find some seed. I really wanted to try growing some from seed. I believe Mike also mentioned that sweet potatoes, when producing seed, always cross with another variety, so seed grown sweet potatoes have great potential for variation in their characteristics. I have about a dozen varieties, some of which vary greatly in flesh, skin color, texture and flavor, so the potential in growing from seed is great.
When I harvested last fall, I took the time to comb through the vines, looking for seed. I found some, though not much. Most vines seemed to be just warming up to the idea of seed production when frost was impending, but I did find about a dozen seeds. I tried to label them according to what variety they came off of, though it's possible that I may have gotten some mixed up in transit The seed pods look like morning glory seed pods, though attached to the sweet potato vine. They shatter easily, and when green, damage easily. I tried to shell one out of its pod while still green, and accidentally destroyed that seed.
This is what the seed pods look like on the vine. They are easy to miss.
The pods generally contain one seed each, maybe two, but so far I haven't seen any more than that in a pod.
I mainly found seed pods on Red Wine Velvet, Grand Asia and Becca's Purple.
With sweet potatoes, just as with Irish potatoes, a "variety" is not generally stabilized by growing it over generations by seed, selecting for a stable strain. No, the very first appearance of the desired qualities in a plant can be a new variety, as it is then propagated vegetatively from that point on.
On February 6, 2021 I decided to start just a few sweet potato seeds. It was mild and my greenhouse had maintained an acceptable temperature for several weeks (using a heater at night). Of course, after only a short while, the temperatures took an extreme plunge and I had to bring everything into the house. I had also started some true potato (Irish Potato) seed, which germinated very rapidly. The sweet potato seed hadn't germinated when, after a few days, I accidentally let its tray dry out. I was disappointed, but decided to water and maintain moisture levels, in case something might yet germinate.
Last night (February 22) I went to water my seedlings and discovered this little sweet potato plant starting to emerge!
What a thrill!
Eight hours later here's what it looked like. It looks very similar to a morning glory seedling. I wonder if I've weeded them out of the garden before without knowing what I was weeding?
My understanding is that this could be a cross between Red Wine Velvet and any of the eleven other varieties I had growing. The most likely candidates would be Becca's Purple or Grand Asia. Other varieties flowered, though I did note that Ginseng Orange did not flower. So, we'll see what comes of it. I'm sure there is much variation in seedlings and I only have one at this point. This little plant should be large enough to produce a decent crop this year, when I plant it out. I wonder if I might not even get another slip or two from it by that time.
I'd love to hear from others who have done this. How has growing from true seed worked for you?
After growing sweet potatoes for about 40 years, it was only then that it occurred to me that I should look more closely at the vines, while harvesting and try to find some seed. I really wanted to try growing some from seed. I believe Mike also mentioned that sweet potatoes, when producing seed, always cross with another variety, so seed grown sweet potatoes have great potential for variation in their characteristics. I have about a dozen varieties, some of which vary greatly in flesh, skin color, texture and flavor, so the potential in growing from seed is great.
When I harvested last fall, I took the time to comb through the vines, looking for seed. I found some, though not much. Most vines seemed to be just warming up to the idea of seed production when frost was impending, but I did find about a dozen seeds. I tried to label them according to what variety they came off of, though it's possible that I may have gotten some mixed up in transit The seed pods look like morning glory seed pods, though attached to the sweet potato vine. They shatter easily, and when green, damage easily. I tried to shell one out of its pod while still green, and accidentally destroyed that seed.
This is what the seed pods look like on the vine. They are easy to miss.
The pods generally contain one seed each, maybe two, but so far I haven't seen any more than that in a pod.
I mainly found seed pods on Red Wine Velvet, Grand Asia and Becca's Purple.
With sweet potatoes, just as with Irish potatoes, a "variety" is not generally stabilized by growing it over generations by seed, selecting for a stable strain. No, the very first appearance of the desired qualities in a plant can be a new variety, as it is then propagated vegetatively from that point on.
On February 6, 2021 I decided to start just a few sweet potato seeds. It was mild and my greenhouse had maintained an acceptable temperature for several weeks (using a heater at night). Of course, after only a short while, the temperatures took an extreme plunge and I had to bring everything into the house. I had also started some true potato (Irish Potato) seed, which germinated very rapidly. The sweet potato seed hadn't germinated when, after a few days, I accidentally let its tray dry out. I was disappointed, but decided to water and maintain moisture levels, in case something might yet germinate.
Last night (February 22) I went to water my seedlings and discovered this little sweet potato plant starting to emerge!
What a thrill!
Eight hours later here's what it looked like. It looks very similar to a morning glory seedling. I wonder if I've weeded them out of the garden before without knowing what I was weeding?
My understanding is that this could be a cross between Red Wine Velvet and any of the eleven other varieties I had growing. The most likely candidates would be Becca's Purple or Grand Asia. Other varieties flowered, though I did note that Ginseng Orange did not flower. So, we'll see what comes of it. I'm sure there is much variation in seedlings and I only have one at this point. This little plant should be large enough to produce a decent crop this year, when I plant it out. I wonder if I might not even get another slip or two from it by that time.
I'd love to hear from others who have done this. How has growing from true seed worked for you?
