Post by macmex on Mar 21, 2022 18:12:01 GMT
I bedded our first tray of sweet potato roots on March 15 but it took another five days before I really got going on this project. Yesterday (March 20) I bedded about half of the roots I need to do this year. Here's a picture of a new one, Korean Pink, which Alex Brown, a sweet potato friend in Michigan sent me last fall. This one is supposed to be bicolor on the inside and have a similar taste to Okinawa.
Notice How I stood the roots up, instead of laying them on their sides. I did this last year with some and had excellent results, fitting more roots into a smaller receptacle, yet without reducing slip production at all. I'm going to experiment more with this way of doing things. The above picture is how I started out. Here's a photo of the pot, all finished.
Here's a picture of my first tray of Red Wine Velvet. I'm trying the same approach, only on a much larger scale. This one tray has 3 to 4 times as many roots in it as it would have if done in the normal manner (laying the roots on their sides).
This is how I started. The next photo shows the tray about half way finished. I first put in enough potting soil to stand the roots in. Then, as I placed the roots I sifted potting soil between them, so they were not touching.
Will have to get a picture of the finished tray. I ran out of time and light.
Remember, if you start your own slips, the first requirement is WARMTH. A tray doesn't even need light until sprouts appear. It does help to water/moisten the potting mix. Don't let the roots get chilled (below 50 F). To get sprouts started I'd say it's best to maintain a temperature between 75-100 F.
Notice How I stood the roots up, instead of laying them on their sides. I did this last year with some and had excellent results, fitting more roots into a smaller receptacle, yet without reducing slip production at all. I'm going to experiment more with this way of doing things. The above picture is how I started out. Here's a photo of the pot, all finished.
Here's a picture of my first tray of Red Wine Velvet. I'm trying the same approach, only on a much larger scale. This one tray has 3 to 4 times as many roots in it as it would have if done in the normal manner (laying the roots on their sides).
This is how I started. The next photo shows the tray about half way finished. I first put in enough potting soil to stand the roots in. Then, as I placed the roots I sifted potting soil between them, so they were not touching.
Will have to get a picture of the finished tray. I ran out of time and light.
Remember, if you start your own slips, the first requirement is WARMTH. A tray doesn't even need light until sprouts appear. It does help to water/moisten the potting mix. Don't let the roots get chilled (below 50 F). To get sprouts started I'd say it's best to maintain a temperature between 75-100 F.
