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Post by Looking for seed on Aug 12, 2008 20:36:03 GMT -8
I know this is technically off topic, but I figure if anyone has the answer to this question, someone on this board will have it.
Does anyone know of a source for true sweet potato seed?
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Post by tatermater on Aug 13, 2008 6:48:52 GMT -8
True Sweet Potato seed, supposedly it would be called TSPS to differentiate it from TPS, is an oddity.
Sweet potatoes are self incompatible with themselves, and breeders now interplant 15 -20 varieties and allow the bumblebees to cross pollinate the flowers. You may get one or two seeds per capsule pod.
If you read anything about S. Potato breeding you will note that such and such variety is from X variety and an unknown male parent. It used to be that breeders would pair two varieties and allow natural crossing, but they find more potential varieties from a mix of daddies.
Over 98% of seedlings grown form true seed (Sweet Potatoes) are plain junk. Obviously this is not a good thing for a novice who wants to grow their own tubers to eat, unless you find that one in a million variety!!
There are some crosses that produce almost 100% junk. I could probably send some seed out on those.
I think I will start a nuclear project on Sweet Potato breeding next year. I will put the slips into a greenhouse and keep it warm enough when the days get shorter in the early fall to get some seed set. I am in the PNW, and to grow them outdoors here would be not so good.
Most people only grow one variety at a time, therefore no seed set.
I will add more info if anyone wants it.
Tom Wagner
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Post by grungy on Aug 13, 2008 15:25:18 GMT -8
Yes, please, Tom. And would you know a variety that might produce here. We have warm to very warm days (70-90F with low humidity) and cool nights(mid 50's-65F). Frost free from May 4th - Oct. 4 most years.
Thanks and cheers,
Val / grungy
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Post by tatermater on Aug 13, 2008 15:55:16 GMT -8
Well, beings you're in the Creston area....I will submit the following information. If this doesn't help, knock me down a few notches. Sweet Potato - Varieties Sold in Canada B 18 The only surviving product of a Canadian breeding program at Simcoe in the 1960s. Orange skin and flesh. Large number of small to medium sized roots with an occasional jumbo. May be more resistant to chilling injury than most varieties. Flavour excellent—one of the best immediately after curing. Long vines Available from: Allan, Ken Ken Allan 61 South Bartlett St Kingston Ont K7K 1X3 home.cogeco.ca/~allan/sweet_potatoes.htmlCarver Mapple Farm Frazier White Mapple Farm Georgia Jet Most productive variety for northern gardens. Very moist flesh. In borderline areas, this may be the only variety that will produce baking-sized roots. Georgia Jet is more sensitive than most to chilling injury so it has a reputation in professional circles as a poor keeper, but my experience is that if it is properly cured and not exposed to temperatures below 52 F it is one of the best keepers—by June it starts to lose quality but we continue to eat Georgia Jets into August. Georgia Jet is slow to develop its flavour, so before Christmas some of the other varieties are superior; after Christmas they are all very close. Special note: my strain of Georgia Jet is different than that available in the USA—mine is moister, more productive and less prone to cracking. Allan, Ken, Mapple Farm Georgia Jet Semi Bush Allan, Ken Japanese Yam Mapple Farm Korean Purple Mapple Farm Owairaka Red (Kumara) Allan, Ken Regal Mapple Farm Superior Mapple Farm Tainung 65 Allan, Ken, Mapple Farm Toka Toka Gold (Golden Kumara) Allan, Ken I would suggest the K 18 and Georgia Jet from my experience. I want to plant these two together someplace to get the hybrid seed that can be produced from the reciprocal crosses. GA Jet has pretty flowers. Tom (tatermater) Wagner |
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canadamike
Full Member
GARDENER FOR THE MOUTH
Posts: 186
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Post by canadamike on Aug 13, 2008 17:30:50 GMT -8
Grungy, Ken Allen sent me some Georgia Jet and G.S. BUsh and Toka Toka Gold this spring/summer. The GJ were sent to a friend, he was down to his last one, the TTG is the one growing the most in my garden, although it was maybe planted too late for big roots. I had to wait for the watertable to go down in the planting area.
It produces a jungle of vines from the roots in water, it is impressive , with a bonzai look. I would say 25-30 slips per tubers. I put them in Sonic Bloom water though, it might very well have helped. The GS Bush is much slower to produce them and not in these numbers. another one, Kumera, with white flesh, never did produce any slips. It did not look that healthy, mind you...
My buddy had GJ, and although they were more prolific in slips than GS Bush, it was nothing compared to Toka Toka Gold. Bluelacedredhead says TTG's taste is to die for.... I'll send you roots of course if I get any, if not I plan to transplant slips as interior plants, as many do...
Ken, in his book, says growing a 12-24 feet long vine in the winter is the key to 3 feet long fleshy roots...
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Post by grungy on Aug 14, 2008 7:13:46 GMT -8
Keep me mind Mike. Will get back in the swing once school starts and my nieces have to go home.
Cheers,
Val
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Post by Tom Wagner on Aug 14, 2008 22:06:12 GMT -8
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canadamike
Full Member
GARDENER FOR THE MOUTH
Posts: 186
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Post by canadamike on Aug 14, 2008 22:59:01 GMT -8
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Post by bunkie on Nov 30, 2010 12:53:28 GMT -8
I think I will start a nuclear project on Sweet Potato breeding next year. I will put the slips into a greenhouse and keep it warm enough when the days get shorter in the early fall to get some seed set. I am in the PNW, and to grow them outdoors here would be not so good...... what were your results tom? is your project still ongoing? |
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Post by Sweet Potato King on May 22, 2018 1:38:30 GMT -8
Is this post still active? If so I will post some info for you guys that you might find interesting.
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Post by dib on Aug 3, 2018 0:29:53 GMT -8
i think it would be cool to grow sweet potatoes from seed i think it like apple they say you wont get any thing good but you get good quilty maybe not perfect but really rather good
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Post by Garnet Northey on Dec 4, 2020 20:29:16 GMT -8
I have been producing My own sweet potato seeds in Ontario for 4 years. This year's seedlings were from natural crosses among: Evangeline, Burgundy, Bellevue and a seedling of my own. The results are amazing with perhaps only 80% junk. Evangeline flowers and sets seed freely for me.
I grow in a tight clay soil. In 2019 Evangeline produced the biggest root weighing 3.1 Kilograms. In my experience, having tried all cultivars people mentioned above, I would not give space for any of them as long as I have access to any of Covington, Orleans, Beauregard, Evangeline, Burgundy, and Bellevue. Burgundy is the best tasting to my buds but it is difficult to grow sprouts from it.
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