Sweet Potato Northern Star – Tuber

Sweet Potato Northern Star is has reddish-purple skin and nutty tasting white flesh. Very fast maturing and good for baking and frying. Most sweet potatoes are a great source of high yield produce, with each plant (cutting) if looked after producing a minimum of 3 to 4 large tubers. With the main tuber continuing to grow shoots many plants can be acquired. A perennial root that can continue to grow for years if not affected by frosts or by pulling out and will still produce tubers although they may not retain the best of quality. Red tubers have a higher vitamin A content and you can also eat the shoots and leaves (like spinach).

Potatoes need to be planted in soil that has been frost-free for at least 5 months to ensure there are proper nutrients ready for the plant. The soil should be friable (loose), with plenty of space for the plant to expand.

For the best results:

• Use a good quality potting mix and a large black pot (if planting in a pot)
• Plant tubers at a depth of 7cm and in a warm sunny sheltered position free from frost
• After a few weeks, shoots will appear, when they are at least 30cm long cut off at 25mm above ground
• Remove all leaves but a few at the tip
• Cover at least three nodes with soil
• You can space shoots at 30cm apart and, if in rows, 3-4 feet between rows
• Cut a few shoots and plant every few weeks to obtain longer harvest