Babat is very interesting plant which can diversify our diet. However still most of people have no information on this crop, including it kind of potatoes.
Sweet potato differs from potatoes not only sweetish taste, but also belongs to absolutely other family - morning-glory family In fact this plant is evergreen liana, but in agriculture it is grown up as one-year culture.
There is set of grades of sweet potato with multi-colored pulp and different tastes, from banana, carrot to taste, with nuts. But the majority nevertheless to taste and consistence reminds sweetish potatoes. Sweet potato is used for preparation of the first, second courses and as dessert.
When I have decided to try to grow up this culture at myself at the dacha, I had had question where to take seedling of this surprising plant. And here I have accidentally encountered it in Metro supermarket. I have bought one tuber as it more than is enough. I have placed this tuber in container with vermiculite and prikopat it on half. Here it is very important that the tuber has not decayed until germination. And really the root crop has begun to begin to rot with one edge. Then I had to cut off this part and to disinfect it.
To my great delight the tuber has sprouted from several parties. When sprouts were already to the middle of window, I cut shanks and have put them in water. The most good harvest turns out from tops, but it is possible to transplant also cores. After a while shanks have given backs and I have landed them in glasses with the earth. Of course, it is better to highlight sweet potato, otherwise many saplings perish. Here I have made mistake, landing shanks in March-April as I have lost the whole month which very strongly influences forming of tubers.
Sweet potato can be landed in soil when temperature of the soil gets warm to plus ten degrees. Therefore I have landed it in the greenhouse in the middle of May. This plant is normal land as potatoes, but I have decided to let it up rope as the real liana.
In July, sweet potato has blossomed beautiful golubenky florets, than has very strongly pleased me.
In the fall I have dug out the precious harvest, but it has not strongly pleased me. Two plants had had decent tubers, and three had very small rudiments. One month of delay has very strongly affected their sizes. Especially I could not define grade of the sweet potato. Perhaps, it was the late-ripening grade. Therefore if I find, then I will try to land early Taynung the next year.
But I can tell one that to grow up such plant – it is very fascinating, and I will try to learn as much as possible about this culture to grow up good harvest and to treat the acquaintances and close relatives.