Sweet potatoes and Kiwi-fruits

 Has anyone tried growing sweet potatoes here....also, I do know Italy produces the most kiwi-fruit in the world...some 40 something %....where abouts in Italy do they grow and has anyone successfully grown them in Marche at 600m high ???? 

 Kiwis grow around here (Northern Tuscany) in abundance and in places around 600asl. So one would suppose they will grow in the Marche (similar terrain). Re sweet potatoes not sure as not been able to find seed to plant but assuming you can find them in seed I should think they would be easy to grow. Just not very popular with Italians hence lack of them for sale..

 A long time ago, I used to grow the slips of sweet potatoes for decoration purposes only. It is very easy to grow those slips which are required to grow the plant. Just a bit of water.... and bingo! It is a good idea to try to get "organic" sweet potatoes if you can. Perhaps the little fruit shop downtown at Bagni di Lucca may have some, Gromit. Sorry, cannot help in your area Dylano.

 like it Andrew only Wiremu sounds like he's from Cape Province.....sure it wasn't for the Boks game..?

Andrew thanks very much for the invite, but (you're not going to like this) I have tickets with my son in law to see the match at Twickers, so I shall be watching it live over there so to speak....sorry....!! but maybe a rain check and if we ever get over to your neck of the woods would love to meet up.....  

 I have to disagree with you, Fillide, sweet potatoes are not too difficult to peel. A sharp peeler is all what you need. They discolour very quickly, so peel them at the last minute. They are absolutely delicious roasted particularly with lamb or turkey, but basically with any roast, adding lots a flavour. Sweet-potatoes are extremely rich in beta-carotene and excellent for nutrition. There are more recipes, including a delicious pudding that can be made and preserved in sirop they taste like "marron-glacé" or glazed chestnuts. It is a plant related to the "morning glory" family, so it is extremely easy to grow. The only problem is to find some good source of organic sweet-potatoes to start the slips.

  I can get hold of Organic Sweet potatoesin a few places; but what is this SLIPS..? Can you enlighten me as I would like to grow them here; do you shave a bit off, cut the top off and put in water? Guidance would be very much appreciated. I agree with Gala; they are easy to peel, sharp peeler or or one of those things to get thin shavings of Parmesan. Use them as often as we can; great source of vitamins, great in soups, mash, roasted, chipped.........

By leaving a few clean sweet potatoes in a container of peat, kept damp and left in the warm in March April, "slips" will emerge from the surface. When they are over 20cm from the soil, trim them off and pot into 1 litre pots and allow to grow on. In late May, after the last frost has finished, remove the potted plants and place them rooted into the soil. Being a semi tropical plants they require at least 110 days to mature. They are vigorous, and once they start growing, will readily spread. They are hardy and unlikely to suffer any foliar problems and should out compete any weeds, once the soil has initially been made weed free. In late September, carefully dig them up. Once dug, you will need to leave them to mature a further week in the warmest area you have in the house, this allows the skins to set and the flavour to sweeten and become true to type.

      Footnote - I've just got back from Christmas in East Africa - where sweet potatoes are a staple part  of the diet.  Over there, once planted and growing, the plants spread out over the soil, and where they touch the ground they tend to form new roots - these rooted bits are what they re-plant for the next crop - but I don't know if things are right for sucha propogation method in Italy

  Many thanks for info and advice, will give it a go and report back.  I too love sweet potatoes and was interested to hear once slips are established they provide attractive foliage which makes good ground cover supressing any weeds (once initially dealt with)...a winner for me, am planting some fruit trees in a not easy to access for strimming part of the garden so thought I'd try sweet potatoes as ground cover... Will get male and female kiwi-fruit plants and give them a go too.   Cheers all Mrs D PS Ummmmm rugby, prefer ski-sunday myself....

 Even if you grow the sweet potatoes in just some water to get roots and foliage it will be easy to obtain slips. They grow very well indoors during winter and the foliage is beautiful. You can do hanging plants with them as I used to do. Everyone was very surprised when they were told that they were sweet potatoes.....

  I have come rather late to this thread, but just a note for Dylano, as I dont think they are far from us in Marche, as you are driving down from S Vittoria into Servigliano, on the last stretch on the left there is a field that is planted with kiwis, only just above the valley floor, worth a look if you are passing. A

 Great.....Now equipped with that valable info, It's off to my potting shed (Orto Rustica) to get me pots and peat sorted. Thanks again Alan.

  Gala, why organic sweet potato........sure, organic always better but is there another reason........dont know if I can get them around here..... Also, how do you do 'hanging plants'...are they just decorative or are they productive too....could be another thing to grow in the 'bidet'!!!..... Thanks too Angie for telling me where I can find a field of kiwi ' growing  locally,...will need to buy plants...  Saw on TV they are difficult to pollinate and commercially they collect the pollen and use gun to disperse...titter titter say no more,....all jolly interesting stuff and better than horrid 'Community Spirit'????( NOT)  thread. Mrs D 

I'd rather have a furry kiwi than a hairy Australian.

Dont know what you are doing wrong, but you can buy a replacement sweet potato at Oasi, on the roundabout below Fermo and continue with your experiment!

Well Dylano, it must be a mystery as you have done all the right things... Simply, the sweet potato does not want to cooperate..... which is rather strange.

I don't know about sweet potatoes, but I believe that the ordinary potatoes you get in supermarkets are usually sprayed with a chemical which inhibits sprouting. If your experimental subject isn't looking too shrivelled, mouldy or generally sorry for itself, perhaps you might try giving it a good wash before returning it to its little damp perch and waiting a bit longer. Al

 they were irradiated as with many supermarket foods these days...

Great explanation, Allan, I did not think of that, but it makes a lot of sense. The mystery of the non-sprouting sweet potato is solved! I would replace the old sweet potato by one that has been organically grown. God knows what those sprays can do to the poor thing! Dylano may end up with a mutant.

I cultivate sweet potato here in India. You may not be familiar with a fact that a sweet potato is also used as offering to the mightiest God, Shiva in India...... When the date comes to celebrate Shiva's birth date, sweet potatoes sell at good price.

We also eat sweet potatoes as a form of snack in evening as well as afternoon just by boiling it.

The sweet potato tastes good when you eat it with milk and a little sugar. Though sugar is already present in a sweet potato.