I wonder if it's edible?

**walshevak** 11/22/2011, 5:41 pm

Last spring I potted up some hanging baskets for color on my back deck. I used a "Blacky" sweet potato vine as the trailing portion of one basket. Since we had a frost last week, today I started clearing the plants out of the pots and into the compost pile. To my surprise, when I pulled up the sweet potato plant there were 2 potatoes in my potting soil, one about the size of a small baking potato and the other slightly bigger than a golf ball.

What do you think, unexpected bonus or don't take a chance.

Kay

**walshevak** 11/22/2011, 5:58 pm

internet search found this on the Proven Winners site.

the ornamental have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers,
though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no
sugar; making them a poor choice for eating. So yes you can eat the
tubers, but dont expect anyone to come back for seconds!

Another site said they can be cured and used as starts next spring the same as food sweet potatoes.

Kay

**camprn** 11/22/2011, 6:13 pm

walshevak wrote:internet search found this on the Proven Winners site.

the ornamental have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers,
though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no
sugar; making them a poor choice for eating. So yes you can eat the
tubers, but dont expect anyone to come back for seconds!

Another site said they can be cured and used as starts next spring the same as food sweet potatoes.

Kay

I echo this, cure them then store until they start to sprout and then grow your own slips for next spring planting! At least it's worth a try! Let us know how it goes. What a Face

I suggest double tag them so you know that those are the ornamental tubers.

Too Tall Tomatoes 11/22/2011, 8:51 pm

walshevak wrote:the ornamental have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers,
though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no
sugar; making them a poor choice for eating.

throw them in your washer when you do your whites. lol!

**walshevak** 11/22/2011, 9:51 pm

Too Tall Tomatoes wrote:
walshevak wrote:the ornamental have been bred to produce good leaves and no tubers,
though they do form, they are composed of almost pure starch and no
sugar; making them a poor choice for eating.

throw them in your washer when you do your whites.

I don't like starched clothes. They have to be ironed.

Kay

stripesmom 11/23/2011, 2:18 pm

Now I'm going to have to turn out the pot that I had a sweet potato vine growing in to see if I have any tubers, thanks!

**walshevak** 1/24/2012, 1:55 pm

Some of the tubers have started sprouting. Now what. Should I wait until the sprouts get a fair size and break off like regular sweet pototos. The tubers and just sitting in a baggie right now.

Kay

Sponsored content

I wonder if it's edible?

I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?

Re: I wonder if it's edible?


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.