What is sweet potato and how to grow it in the middle lane

Sweet potato is popularly referred to as "sweet potato". However, this vegetable has nothing to do with potatoes. This name appeared due to the visual similarity of the tubers.

Sweet potatoes taste more like pumpkin. The culture tubers are used in cooking. Compared to potato tubers, they have much more nutrients, therefore, they are used not only for food, but also for medicinal purposes. In China, he was even called "the fruit of longevity."

What is sweet potato? Simple and indoor morning glory

Plant from the Ipomoeev family. In decorative floriculture, a crop such as a flower is often grown with which is called morning glory... In this genus, there is also a sweet potato morning glory. Ornamental varieties are usually used in floriculture, but their potato fruits are also edible and can be eaten.

A native of the tropical regions of America. For the first time, the culture began to grow in Colombia, Peru and Chile. And today it is usually grown in tropical and subtropical regions of America, as well as in India, China, New Zealand.

Morning glory is a herbaceous vine. The length of the lashes can be up to 2 meters. Previously, Ipomoea sweet potato was grown exclusively for food purposes, but today it is grown for indoor, outdoor and urban landscaping. However, decorative varieties of morning glory are used for design, which were bred specifically for these purposes.

The length of the stems can reach 5 meters... In indoor floriculture, it rarely exceeds 3 meters. The height of the culture rarely exceeds 20 cm... The leaves are large enough.

The leaves are usually heart-shaped. The color of the leaves can be green or almost purple.

Sweet potatoes can have completely different colors: pink, cream, orange and white. The taste of the fruit is also different, but they are all sweet. Fruit weight can reach 3 kilograms... The weight of the smallest tubers is about 200 grams.

Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

The composition includes many vitamins and useful microelements... These are vitamins PP, F, C, as well as vitamins of group B. Among the elements found in sweet potatoes, one should highlight:

• Calcium;
• Potassium;
• Magnesium;
• Iron;
• Phosphorus.

The chemical composition determines the beneficial properties. Sweet potatoes are recommended to be consumed:

1. With cardiovascular diseases;
2. In order to cancer prevention;
3. For weight loss;
4. For the treatment of insomnia, neuroses, depression and chronic fatigue;
5. To strengthen the walls of the stomach and prevent gastritis, stomach ulcers;
6. To improve immunity.

Contraindications when eating a vegetable

Not recommended use in the presence of the following diseases:

• Ulcerative colitis;
• Stomach ulcer;
• Individual intolerance;
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is also not recommended to use the tubers of this culture for women who are in a state pregnancy and lactation.

Interesting Facts

1. Sweet potato tubers may have different flavors... The taste of the tubers can resemble a banana, nuts, melon, pumpkin, squash, or chestnut;
2. In America, tubers with orange pulp are more often grown. In Asia, batan is preferred with purple or cream-colored flesh;
3. Alcohol, sugar, and molasses can be obtained from the fruit. In addition, cooking uses stems and leaves culture. However, they must first be soaked in water to destroy the bitterness.

Popular varieties

Popular varieties include the following:

• Nancy Hall Is the most popular variety. It was withdrawn at the beginning of the 20th century. From the moment of planting to the moment of harvesting, about 100 days pass. The skin of the tubers is light in color. The pulp is yellow with orange specks. Can be eaten raw after several months of storage;
• Ginseng red - a high-yielding varietal variety of "sweet potatoes". The tubers taste sweet. The taste is reminiscent of that of chestnut fruit. From the moment of planting to the moment of digging, at least 100 days pass. The variety is well kept;
• Betty Is another popular variety with good yields. Batty can also be consumed raw. Raw is reminiscent of carrots with nut flavors. The rind has a reddish tint. The varietal variety practically does not bloom and is very well stored.

Sweet potato recipes

A variety of dishes are prepared from sweet potatoes.

Chips

You can make delicious chips. For cooking you will need:

1. Cut into thin circles;
2. Pre-drylaying out on a paper towel;
3. Then put the circles on a baking sheet, which you must first grease with vegetable oil;
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian herbs on top;
5. Bake in the oven within half an hour.

Puree

You can also prepare delicious dishes from the tubers of the culture. sweet-tasting pureeperfect for baby food. To do this, you need to put the peeled tubers in boiling water and cook for 20 minutes in salted water.

Boiled sweet potatoes must be wiped with a sieve or meat grinder.

Soup-puree

To prepare the puree soup you will need:

• Sweet potato;
• Carrot;
• Onion;
• Meat or chicken broth;
• Spices.

Other ingredients can be used, such as rice, noodles, peas. In the boiling broth, you need to put sweet potato slices, and then chopped onions and carrots. They can be initially overcook in a pan with the addition of sunflower oil. Finally, add salt, pepper and herbs.

Sweet potato salad

Sweet potatoes are a good option for a variety of salads. Can be used in salad boiled or fried.

Casserole

To prepare a delicious casserole, you will need the following ingredients:

• Sweet potato;
• Sugar;
• Butter;
• Milk;
• Egg.

All ingredients beat until smooth... The sweet potato must be pre-baked to whisk well. Put the prepared mass on a greased baking sheet. You can add flakes and marshmallows.

Growing and propagating a plant

Since sweet potatoes are native to the subtropics, they need to create the necessary conditions when growing.

Peculiarities

For growing in the middle lane and in the suburbs, you will need initially germinate tubers... To do this, it is recommended to keep the planting material in water or in a soil mixture before planting.

You can already start sprouting tubers in March... It is required to plant them in the ground after the formation of shoots with a length of at least 10 cm.

It is recommended to cover the soil with a film before planting. It is advisable not to remove the film during the growing season. It is required to remove it only in the case of watering and loosening the soil.

Before planting, the soil must be dug up or plowed up. It is also advisable to add phosphorus and potash fertilizers, as well as humus. During the growing season, it is required to feed the crop with potash fertilizers. Also a good fertilizer - wood ash.

Planting depth of seed - about 15 cm... The distance between the bushes should be not less than 30 cm... The vegetable needs watering, but moisture stagnation in the soil cannot be allowed.

The temperature of the culture should not drop below 10 degrees. The optimum temperature for the content is within 30 degrees.

Growing in Ukraine

However, to grow and plant it there easier, since the land there is more nutritious and the temperature is warmer than in the middle lane and in the Moscow region.

Care rules remain the same:

• Regularly required loosen the soil and irrigateavoiding overflows;
• Maintain the temperature at 30 degrees;
• Feed the culture with humus and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

In the open field

To grow a vegetable from a tuber in the open field, it is recommended to germinate the tubers first. You can already start germination early spring... It is recommended to do this in a vessel with water or in a soil mixture.

Usually, the halves of the tubers are germinated, lowering the cut into the water by about a couple of centimeters.

For planting in the ground, cuttings are used that are formed on the tubers. Their length should be not less than 10 cm... These cuttings are the seedlings. You can buy them in specialized stores and plant them in the ground at the end of spring.

Harvesting

It is recommended to dig up the tubers not earlier and not later than mid-autumn... Do not wait for frost. In this case, the vegetable will not survive well. It is also not recommended to dig up tubers in bad weather.

It is required to store tubers at a temperature about 10 degrees... There must be good ventilation in the room where the tubers are stored.

The approximate shelf life of sweet potatoes is about six months.

Application in decorative and landscape design

Liana is ideal for indoor, outdoor and urban landscaping. For this, landscape design uses spectacular decorative varieties morning glory sweet potato.

Ipomoea partners can be:

• Petunia;
• Lobularia;
• Chlorophytum;
• Cereals.

Culture can decorate gazebos, shop windows, verandas, as well as flower beds and flower beds.

Sweet potato or sweet potato is a tasty and healthy product that is grown in all regions under certain conditions of care. This is the culture of the Ipomoeev family. Morning glory sweet potato is a popular crop in indoor floriculture.