06/12/2022
Great tip for you 👇👇
Growing Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes
Soil or Land.
- A well-drained sandy loam is preferred.
- Heavy clay soils should be avoided.
- Sweet potatoes do well in temp between 21 and 29 C, minimum temp 18 0C and maximum is 35 0C.
- Sweet potato is grown on raised beds or mounds.
- Make sure ridges are 30 cm high and 40 cm wide at the base.
* Planting Materials (Seed/Vines)
- You need 80-100 bundles of vines/ acre which costs MK1, 500/ bundle.
- A bundle has 100 cuttings measuring 30cms, some sell in sacks at MK6, 000/sack.
* Planting sweet potatoes.
- Plants should be spaced 30 to 50 cm apart in rows that are 1m- 1.25m apart.
- At the recommended plant spacing, 330 vines are required for a 100 m row.
- For maximum yield, plant at onset of rainy season or immediately after the rainy season.
- Vines need to be watered before or immediately after planting or make sure soil is moist.
- Plant at 45 angle, burying half or 3-4 nodules of the vine in the soil.
- Fertilizers aren’t really necessary but commercial farmers do use them.
- Companies like ‘farmers world’ have specific fertilizers for sweet potatoes.
- Weeds are a problem early in crop growth before vine growth covers the ridges.
- Spraying with pre (before planting) or post (after planting) emergent herbicide also works.
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