Sweet potatoes are roots, not tubers. The potatoes are just fleshy roots and grow downward from the plant. They are planted from root sprouts called slips. You can start them from sweet potatoes by half sumerging the potato in a glass or jar of water in a warm environment. The sprouts when they get six inches or so are pulled off and planted. Easier for many folks just to buy the plants (slips). Sweet potatoes are members of the morning glory group and no kin at all to Irish potatoes.

I have been researching this and have found a lot of information on it. There are a few, fairly new, short season varieties developed for northern growers. I want to get a few of these, root them in water, take cuttings of the vines it grows and root those in water to, or root them directly in the small pots of soil in the cold frame. When it is almost warm enough, I will start them in small pots in the cold frame and plant into the garden in the first week of June. Has anyone done this? How did it turn out? Do they root well in water or soil? Is it necessary to plant them in mounds or can I just plant them in rows in the garden? I have read that covering the ground in that area with black plastic to heat it up first helps. I'm going to see if I can get some large black plastic pieces that come on the wood shipments to Rona, etc. I believe they throw those out. Now to find some short season sweet potatoes? Does anyone know where I can get a few of those? I want to grow my own slips and not order them from a catalogue. Is there anyone in the Barrie area that grew the short season variety this year and would part with a few of these in trade? Do they sell these varieties in the grocery stores?

Sweet potatoes are morning glory relatives, unrelated to potatoes or to true "yams", which are tropical. I have grown them several times in Winnebago County, with mixed results. One of the varieties is an Asian type grown for its edible _leaves_ (quite good, nutritious, and very prolific). I have also tried several others for their roots, that I bought through the mail. In cold, wet years, you won't get much, especially further north. And some varieties will play hide-and-seek, with tubers that wander up to 2 feet from the plant, or 8" or more below the surface (that was the Asian variety). In my hard clay, that was an experience... plenty of tubers, and most rotted because I did not have time for the _excavation_ needed to find them!! Sweet potatoes are generally planted (and sold) as "slips", which are the sprouts (sometimes rooted, sometimes not) that grow from the tubers. If you receive them unrooted, place them in a vase or glass of water for several days, and roots will form. It is best to plant them rooted; but you can also pinch off the lower leaves, and bury the lower half directly in the ground, if you keep them moist. Regardless of how you do it, get them in the ground quickly. Because sweet potatoes need warmth, they will benefit from covering the soil around them with a solar mulch to hold heat, such as black perforated plastic, or black landscape cloth (which will also hold down the weeds). You will have the best luck with "bush" varieties, and those bred for the North. If you are unable to find any locally, Sand Hill Preservation Center (in Iowa) has an extensive collection. They start shipping the end of May, however, so you would need to contact them soon. Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet potatoes

Not exactly a classic Turkey Day sweet potato recipe, but you might want to try it now that sweet potatoes are plentiful! Take care to keep your "fries" uniform in size. Small ones will burn before larger ones get done, otherwise. I like the seasonings in this recipe! Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe by Our Best Bites 1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4" match-sticks 2 T extra virgin olive oil 1/2 t cumin 1/2 t oregano 1/2 t coriander 1 t kosher salt 1 t parsley 1/8 tsp black pepper *you want 1lb sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. If you weigh them at the store make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling, and tossing of small pieces. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper. Place sweet potatoes in a pile directly on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use hands to toss until all pieces are well coated. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with hands to coat. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other. Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp. Remove pan from oven and cool 5 minutes. Serve immediately.