How to grow sweet potatoes? The growing environment of sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a very common food in our daily lives. Not only are they delicious, but they are also nutritious and are known as "longevity food." Sweet potatoes have many nutritional values ​​and health benefits. Today we share with you the types of sweet potatoes so that you can enjoy the food and learn more about them.

Contents of this article

1. How to plant sweet potatoes

2. The growing environment of sweet potatoes

3. Sweet potato varieties include these

How to grow sweet potatoes

1. Horizontal planting method. The seedlings are 20-30 cm long, and the nodes are distributed in the shallow soil layer about 5 cm below the soil surface. The conditions for tuber formation in this method are basically the same. Most nodes can take root and form tubers, with few empty nodes. The tubers are more and more uniform. It is suitable for plots with good water and fertilizer conditions. This method is often used in large-scale high-yield fields in various places. However, its drought resistance is poor. In case of adverse environmental conditions such as high temperature, drought, and poor soil, it is easy to have missing plants or weak seedlings. In addition, due to the large number of tubers, it is difficult to ensure that each tuber has sufficient nutrition, resulting in many small tubers and affecting the yield. If fresh potatoes are produced for consumption, more small tubers will be easier to sell.

2. Oblique insertion method. Suitable for short seedlings, with a seedling length of 15-20 cm, the seedlings are planted about 10 cm into the soil, 5-10 cm of seedlings are left on the ground, and the slope of the potato seedlings is about 45 degrees. The characteristics are simple planting, more and larger potatoes at the upper nodes of the potato seedlings, fewer and smaller potatoes at the lower nodes, and uneven potato sizes. The advantages are good drought resistance, high survival rate, fewer and concentrated potatoes per plant, suitable for mountainous areas and dry land with water shortages. Appropriate dense planting and strengthened fertilizer and water management can be used to achieve large potatoes and high yields.

3. Boat-bottom planting method. The base of the seedling is 2-3 cm in the shallow soil layer, and the middle sections are slightly deeper, in the 4-6 cm soil layer. Suitable for fertile soil, deep soil layer, good water and fertilizer conditions.

The plots. Because there are many nodes in the soil, it has the advantages of horizontal and oblique insertion. The disadvantage is that the nodes that are inserted deeper in the soil are easy to become empty nodes without tubers due to improper management or heavy soil. Therefore, pay attention to the middle nodes not being inserted too deep. Sandy soil can be deeper, and clay soil should be shallower.

4. Direct planting method. Most short seedlings are directly inserted into the soil, 2 to 4 nodes deep. The advantages are high rate of large tubers, drought resistance, fast seedling growth, and suitable for hillsides and arid and barren land. The disadvantage is that the number of tubers is small, and dense planting should be used to ensure yield.

5. Pressing vines. Press all the topped potato seedlings into the soil, leaving the potato leaves exposed. After planting, compact the soil and water. The advantage is that the tip is removed before planting, destroying the apical dominance, which can make the axillary buds of the cuttings sprout early, the nodes sprout and branch, and root and form potatoes. Because the stems are more and more leaves, the potatoes are more and larger, and not easy to grow too long. The disadvantage is that the drought resistance is poor, it is labor-intensive, and it is only suitable for small-scale planting.

Sweet potato growing environment

It is best to plant sweet potato seedlings on a cloudy day when the soil is neither dry nor wet. It is suitable to plant in the afternoon when the temperature is high on sunny days. It is not suitable to plant sweet potatoes after a heavy rain, which will easily form firewood roots. It should be planted when the rain stops and the soil moisture is suitable. It is also not suitable to irrigate after planting. Irrigation after planting or planting after a heavy rain has a higher survival rate, but the potato seedlings often do not grow well for a long time. The reason is that the soil is saturated with water and the soil temperature is cold. At the same time, the soil becomes more compact, and the oxygen content in the soil decreases, which hinders the development of the root system and grows slowly. If there is a long drought and lack of rain, drought-resistant planting can be considered. Dig holes and water them. After the water dries, cover them with thin soil. After planting the seedlings, tamp them down to make the roots closely contact with the soil and survive early. If water is sprinkled after planting the seedlings, dry soil needs to be covered on the surface to keep them moist.

Sweet potato varieties include these

Yellow sweet potato:

The yellow skin and yellow flesh are the most productive varieties, with the peak production period in autumn, mainly in the central and southern parts of the country. The taste is dense and soft, and people in the south prefer this variety.

Suitable for cooking: steaming, boiling, frying or baking, and used in making pastries and desserts.

Sweet potatoes:

The red-skinned and red-fleshed sweet potatoes are in season in spring and summer. They are soft and tender, sweet, high in carotene and water content, and are preferred by people in central and northern Taiwan.

Suitable for cooking: boiling, steaming, baking and food processing.

The sweet potato has yellow skin and red flesh, and its aroma, taste and sweetness are moderate.

Suitable for cooking: cooking porridge.

Purple sweet potato:

The skin and flesh are bright purple, and it is also called taro sweet potato. It is rich in anthocyanins and dietary fiber. It is mostly used in food processing and coloring. The taste and flavor are not as good as the above varieties and it has a stronger chewiness.

Suitable for cooking: Grind into puree and make pancakes, sweet potato puree, often used as a raw material for food processing.