By Valdemir Mota de Menezes
Climate
The sweet potato grows best in tropical or subtropical climate, with temperatures above 20 ° C, and the temperature for the cultivation lies between 24 ° C and 26 ° C. In places with low temperatures to sweet potatoes can be grown in greenhouses, but the tubers obtained usually minor.
Sweet potato grown in a pot.
Sweet potatoes need good light to grow well, with at least a few hours of direct sunlight daily.
Most cultivars is adapted to short-day photoperiod, as is the case of the days in the tropics, and rarely flowers in regions where the day is over 12 hours of sunlight.
Soil
Plant sweet potatoes in well-drained soil, no rocks and other debris, fertile and rich in organic matter. The ideal soil pH is between 5.5 and 6.5, but the sweet potato is quite tolerant to soil, should be avoided only stony soils, soils subject to waterlogging and compacted soils.
Irrigation
Flush so as to always keep the soil moist without becoming soggy.
Plantation
Sweet potatoes can be grown from detached branches of mature plants, from their own or sweet potatoes sprouted from its seeds.
The method used by those who already have plants of sweet potatoes in the garden and live in tropical or subtropical regions, is planting branches taken from their adult plants more vigorous, with eight to ten internodes (internodes each have a sheet, so each foliage must have 8-10 leaves already well developed). About half of the cuttings should be covered with earth, and the other half exposed. The branches root easily in moist soil.
The planting done using the sweet potato is usually done in cold winter regions, where plants do not survive the winter, and people who are starting their crops and have no way to get branches for planting. Normally they are used for small sweet potato planting, which are buried to about 5 cm. Optionally, sweet potatoes can be left in a container partially covered with water to sprout before planting.
Planting a seed is less common, but also gives good results. Plant seeds in small pots, plastic bags suitable for seedlings or cups made of paper towels 10 cm high and 5 cm in diameter, and when transplanting the seedlings reach 10 to 15 cm.
Sweet potatoes can be grown in pots, bags and other containers, provided that they have at least 35 cm in diameter and depth.
Cultivation
The sweet potato is a hardy plant and vigorous growth, and does not require specific cultural practices.
Harvest sweet potatoes.
The harvest can occur 100 days to over 180 days after planting, depending on the cultivar, the form of planting and cultivation conditions. In regions with tropical or subtropical tubers can remain on earth until the moment when they become necessary, since the plant is perennial. In colder weather, the harvest must occur before the arrival of winter temperatures.
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