Sweet Potato

A Sweet Potato Slip

I love vines, especially edible ones.

Leaves of the /pomoea batatas are tender and sweet when

young, but they do turn bitter if allowed to get much bigger

than these. The good news is that this vine will ot only keep

producing tender young edible leaves indefinitely, but

pinching them back will make the plant spread out and

become more attractive as well as more edible. The edible

leaves, moreover, are a rich source of lutein, as well as

Riboflavin and Vitamins A and C.

/pomoea plants are easily propagated by stem cuttings.

Extra nitrogen will encourage more leaves and discourage

the formation of tuberous roots. Red lines and/or yellowing

leaves indicate nitrogen deficiency, unless you are dirt

gardening and have tubers below the ground. Then, of

course, the yellowing leaves indicate they are ready for

harvest.