Supermarket sweet potatoes are often sprayed with a chemical called “BudNip” that stops slips from sprouting.
Old jam jars are a perfect size for most potatoes.
To keep the temperature regular, you may need to place the jar in a sunny window and replace cooler water with warm water 2 times every day.
Be careful not to cut or knick the stem of the slip while you’re trimming the leaves, as this can cause the potato to sprout from an undesirable spot on the slip.
If you don’t have a drill, you can use a sharp knife to cut holes into the bottom of the bucket, but be very careful not to cut yourself.
Avoid compost that’s rich in nitrogen fertilizer. This type of soil will increase the growth of the leaves, but stunt the growth of the potato.
If you don’t want to use your hand, you can also use a small garden spade to dig the holes.
Use a pair of gardening gloves to avoid getting soil under your fingertips.
The temperature must stay above {[convert|50|F|C}} if you’re leaving the bucket outside. Check with local agricultural groups for their planting calendars to get a good idea when to plant the potato slips.
Some potatoes may have grown more than others. This is natural. Sunlight and water are difficult to spread evenly between all 6 of the slips.
This process causes a thin protective layer to form on the outer skin of the potato known as suberin The sweet potatoes will remain unspoiled at room temperature for up to a year if you’ve given them time to form a suberin coat.
