I've been growing my slips for the place 10 years. I've found that slips grow and transplant better when grown in a mix, even potting soil. I've made several videos over the years. It's best if they're covered about two inches deep, because the slip puts on roots on the area where it sprouts out of the potato. If the sprouts are out of the soil they don't form roots. They will still grow when they are transplanted, but not as fast as those with roots. I also recommend tasting the store bought sweet potatoes before using them to grow slips. Many store bought sweet potatoes aren't worth growing, so you can end up with a crop that isn't that great. Hope this helps.

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

Wow thanks for the suggestions. We have tasted the potatoes and they are delicious. But I will try completely covering them to see if that helps. As of now, they aren't sprouting. Could be they were sprayed, could be that it is hard to keep the soil from getting dry.

I've tried different sweet potato slip starting methods over the years. By far, I have the best results laying the sweet potatoes in plain sand! In soil, I have them rot, in water they just kinda sit there & look at me!! 😳 But in sand they really take off. Sometimes they take a couple weeks (& I was back to thinking they were just looking at me & laughing...) but when they started, WOW!! Starts & more starts!!! I had one sweet potato I kept taking the starts off of & putting them into water. After 2 months it was still putting out starts so i left it in a sunny window to see how long it would go on. In October I finally dug it up out of the sand & put it in a bucket of soil & let it grow by a kitchen window!! All these potatoes in the sand only got watered, no fertilizer of any kind. I'll be doing it that way again!! I'm eager to see your results! God bless!

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

Did you bury them in sand? Or keep them half exposed? What kind of sand?

@merryanneadair4451

4 ай бұрын

​@@bigbearhomesteadI just half buried them & used some play sand that I had from a craft project. I used the play sand because I had it & our ground was frozen at the time.

looking forward to an update 👍🌱

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

So far, nothing has sprouted. May consider burying them or getting organic potatoes.

I usually use sweet taters like you are doing...but wait and plant right into my beds after Mother's day. I also alternate year in which I grow them, because they do so well!!! I haven't been able to work my garden beds and preserve much do to my health the last couple years.

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

I can't risk putting them straight in the ground because we are in granite country. We grow stones in the soil better than potatoes 🤣

I like the soil method better. We were late last year and the slips weren't very big, some didn't have any roots. Planted anyway in tires. Worked out pretty good considering.

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

This is encouraging! How long did they take to break through?

Howdy doody Robyn!

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

Heylo Leslie!

I used to do water but now I bury the seed potatoes in dirt completely. When the slips get big enough to remove they often have already rooted so there's no need to put the slips in water to grow roots. Really cuts the time.

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for this! I think we will have to try burying them instead.

doesn’t light exposure play a role?

@bigbearhomestead

4 ай бұрын

I am not sure. I have had several people suggest that they put the potatoes fully in the dirt. I have watched others leave half the potato exposed. I have mine under lights in my grow room. They are finally starting to sprout.