Your comments and tips

15 Mar 22, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

In sub tropical Australia where I live, they grow them in rows. The rows are hilled up about 1/2m high and the slips are planted in the top of the hill. A slip is the last 200-300mm of the vine when they are about 10 weeks old. Plant the slip with the top part out of the ground, Keep soil moist until they start to grow. Your problem is you probably have over fertilised with nitrogen. Go by the time to harvest guide here if you don't have a crop by say 4mths then you probably won't. The potatoes will be around where you planted the tube or runner not along the vines.

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04 Dec 20, Brian (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

My first attempt of growing Kumara was in heavy duty cardboard box, with a rigid base to stop the runner escaping. 1.5 kg tuber was harvested from one slip, I was impressed. Second year was in an old bath in full sun, 5 slips, harvest revealed a lot of small tubers. 3 kg. This year, 2020, I will combine my efforts in cardboard boxes again and the another bath. Layers of cardboard in the bottom of bath with mixture of compost, vermicast, gritty sand, soil and pea straw to preserve the slips from being removed by Wekas and or Pukekos. Liqiud fertilizer will be added to the new beds before planting, Intend to harvest before May 2012.

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21 Nov 20, Len Lind (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I would like to try growing kumera here on Stewart Island in a tunnelhouse. Is there anywhere I can buy sprouts, slips?

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18 Nov 20, Aitaua (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Hi.. Can these sweet potatoes useful for planting here in Samoa?

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19 Nov 20, (New Zealand - temperate climate)

They should be.

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17 Nov 20, Henk Stengs (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I have experimented with kumara for several years in Greymouth with mixed success so last summer tried growing them in old car tyres. Their black colour absorbs heat thereby increasing soil temperature. Three sets of tyres were used, each stacked two high. These were placed inside our tunnel house on the surface in a sunny position and filled with soil, with one slip allowed to grow from each central position from late November. Harvesting took place in early April, producing a total yield of 9 kg, with about 60% of shop quality, my best result yet. When I harvested the tubers I saw that they were confined to centres of potential growth areas, with no root development at their circumferences inside the tyre rims. Therefore over half of the volume of soil in each pair of tyres was not utilised. This year I will plant 2 sllps per tyre pair, positioned diametrically opposite, with root ends inside the rims to see if this will give a better result. I am interested in hearing from anyone else who has tried growing kumara in tyres. .

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18 Nov 20, (New Zealand - temperate climate)

They grow sweet potato/kumara where I live (Qld Australia) by the thousands of acres. They hill the soil up into rows about .5m high with a base probably .7m wide. They take pieces of vine (called a slip) about .4m long, strip most of the leaves off. Keep the growing tip on it. They place the whole slip just under the soil horizontally with the growing tip sticking out of the soil. Where each set of leaves were on the slip, roots will grow and potatoes will form. Water each day for the first 2-3 weeks. Just a side issue, tires may not be the best thing to grow vegetables in. Rubber compound/chemicals could leach into the soil.

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20 Feb 21, Jay (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Hi could you provide time of year for this method thanks

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10 Aug 20, Nicky Holmes (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi can you please tell me if Dunedin is the right temperature to grow Kumars outdoors or is it to cold? Thanks.

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11 Aug 20, Anon (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Go to Sweet potatoes/ Kumara page, temperate climate zone and check the planting calendar.

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