Properties of sweet potato - benefits, harm, use, dangerous properties and contraindications for use (100 photos)

The amazing plant morning glory sweet potato, which is used not only for decorative purposes, but also as an edible root crop, has only recently appeared in garden plots and in apartments of residents of the CIS countries. The flower has a very aesthetic appearance, which is important to maintain with proper care.

What is morning glory sweet potato?

The botanical description of morning glory sweet potato suggests that the plant belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. The appearance of the weaving culture is peculiar:

1. A low-growing plant up to 30 cm high, it has long vine-like shoots about 2 m, capable of both spreading along the ground and entwining supports.
2. The heart-shaped leaves, about 15 cm long, are especially decorative. Their color can vary from green to scarlet and yellow. There are variegated varieties.
3. In July, morning glory produces inflorescences of small white, lilac or pink flowers in the shape of gramophones. New selective varieties do not bloom.
4. Another distinctive feature of the morning glory sweet potato is the spindle-shaped tuberous root system, on the lateral shoots of which edible sweetish tubers are formed. At home, in Mexico and Central America, such tubers are eaten by the local population.

General description of the species

Ipomoea Sweet Potato is a perennial crop, but in home floriculture the plant is grown as an annual. The deciduous plant belongs to the Convolvulaceae family and grows up to 5 m. Botanical description:

• The root system is tuberous, spindle-shaped. The yellow-orange pulp contains antioxidants that reduce the likelihood of cancer cells forming.
• The shoot is smooth, liana-shaped.
• The leaf blade is heart-shaped with a pointed end, from 3 to 14 cm long. The color can be varied, from light yellow to red-purple.
• The flowers are funnel-shaped, of various colors, up to 5 cm in diameter, the inflorescences are formed by single buds, collected from 1-3 pieces.
• The seeds are elongated, reaching up to 6 mm in length. The seeds are in a flat, woody box, angular in shape. Seeds are located singly in each chamber.

There are more than 7,000 species, which are divided into decorative, fodder, dessert and vegetable.

1. Desserts taste like melon, pumpkin or banana. They are used to prepare fruit salads, jams and aromatic alcoholic drinks.
2. Vegetable – has a rich taste and aroma, easily replaces potatoes. It is used boiled, raw or baked. It is used to produce aromatic vegetable and meat broths.
3. Fodder - goes to feed livestock.
4. Ornamental varieties - morning glory Sweet potato is intended for cultivation in open ground, as a hanging and indoor plant.

As a food product, morning glory sweet potato brings great benefits to the body. The plant is low in calories and contains vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. Useful properties of morning glory Sweet potato:

• improves the functioning of internal organs;
• removes bad cholesterol, waste and toxins;
• stimulates the work of the heart muscle;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• strengthens the nervous system.

Important! Ipomoea Sweet Potato is not recommended for use by pregnant women or during lactation.

Ipomoea Sweet Potato is unpretentious in cultivation and care; it can grow on sandy or loamy soil with neutral acidity.

In most cases, morning glory sweet potatoes are grown outdoors. The place should be well lit and protected from gusty winds. After flowering, perennial varieties are transplanted into a pot and brought into a warm room. When growing morning glory Sweet Potato indoors, after flowering, the top is trimmed and placed closer to the window, making sure that there are no drafts or sudden changes in temperature.

Varieties of morning glory sweet potato

Among the decorative varieties, the most popular varieties can be distinguished:

1. Light Green
   . A decorative liana, distinguished by light green leaves that resemble elongated and pointed blades collected in a bouquet.
2. Sweet Caroline Bronze
   is a decorative variety similar to the previous one, the only difference is the bronze coloring of the leaf blades.
3. Sweet Caroline Purple
   is a purple sweet potato morning glory loved by many gardeners with rich lilac-purple leaves and a stem length of up to 8 m.
4. Indoor morning glory sweet potato Burgundy
   , which can be cared for in the summer on open terraces and balconies, is notable for the formation of large bright red tubers and fragrant flowers. At home it is cultivated as an annual.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins

Such rich health benefits of sweet potatoes are due to the fact that they contain many vitamins and microelements. The tubers contain vitamins C, A, PP, and group B.

Yellow varieties can “boast” of beta-carotene, which is more concentrated than carrots. In turn, purple tubers contain anthocyanins, which are extremely useful as antioxidants.

Sweet potatoes also contain much-needed microelements for the body, such as iron, phosphorus, calcium and even progesterone.

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Conditions for growing morning glory sweet potato

In order for a garden plot to be decorated with climbing sweet potatoes, specific features of the area are not needed. Culture prefers:

1. Light and loose nutritious soils. It can also grow on poorer soil, but then flowering and other decorative properties will be less pronounced.
2. The culture is thermophilic. It develops well at temperatures from +20℃ in bright sunlight, protected from the midday summer heat.
3. The houseplant Ipomoea sweet potato does well on south-east and south-west windows. It is often planted in hanging pots and cache-pots as an hanging plant.
4. The flower does not like drafts. Perennial varieties require mandatory pruning and shelter for the winter.
5. The culture needs regular, but not abundant watering.
6. It blooms and bears fruit better if the gardener follows the fertilizer application schedule.

To the history of the issue

If we look at the history of the emergence and spread of sweet potatoes, then, according to the research of genetic scientists, this vegetable originated in prehistoric times, about 800 thousand years ago, on the territory of the modern states of Peru and Colombia.

And then, of course, still far before the era of Columbus, about a hundred thousand years, he ended up on the lands of New Zealand and Polynesia, and ended up in the West Indies. There are many hypotheses as to why this happened. But a fact is a fact.

And after the Spanish conquistadors brought it to them, to Spain and the Philippines, sweet potatoes began to be grown in the countries of the Mediterranean and the Far East.

Today, cultivated sweet potatoes are actively cultivated in China and Japan, India and Indonesia, and Africa.

Planting morning glory sweet potatoes

The rules for planting morning glory sweet potatoes often include the seed planting method, which is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Self-collected planting material is stratified in the refrigerator for several months, after which it remains viable for about 3-4 years.
2. For sowing seedlings, seeds are planted in separate pots in February-March. It is also possible to sow in open ground in May, when there is no threat of return night frosts.
3. Soil preparation consists of choosing a soil mixture or digging the plot and adding a small amount of humus to it.
4. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for about a day in warm water, after which they swell.
5. Each seed is placed at a distance of about 20 cm from each other, sprinkled with earth.
6. Plantings are watered regularly.
7. In the garden, many gardeners recommend immediately building supports so that young seedlings can climb along them.

Soil for morning glory sweet potato

It was already mentioned above that the morning glory sweet potato plant needs loose, well-drained and breathable soil of neutral acidity. To do this you can choose:

1. Universal soil
   for garden flower crops, sold in any specialized store.
2. Prepare your own soil mixture
   . To do this, you should mix garden soil disinfected in a microwave or oven with humus and a small amount of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. If the soil is too acidic, lime or crushed furnace ash is added to it.

Planting in open ground and care

It is most convenient to grow fruiting types of sweet potatoes in beds; they have room to grow quietly. Decorative varieties are most often planted as hanging crops; the shoots hang very beautifully from the flower pots. Seedlings can be planted in containers earlier because they can be brought indoors in case of unexpected weather surprises. But with planting in the ground you need to wait.

Morning glory sweet potato in open ground

Optimal planting dates

Plants are planted in open ground only when stable warm weather has established with a daytime temperature of at least 20 degrees. Morning glory is a very heat-loving plant and does not tolerate frost at all. Therefore, it is worth planting it in the garden only when the threat of frost has passed. Depending on the region, this could be mid-April or mid-May.

Since morning glory grows well and spreads its lashes two meters, it needs space to grow comfortably in the beds. Plant the bushes at a sufficient distance from each other, preferably in a checkerboard pattern.

When planting ornamental species, choose a container with a capacity of at least 3 liters per bush. The liana grows very quickly and takes up a lot of space, and the more land there is, the more beautiful the bush will look.

The seedlings are planted in the holes, without deepening them, at the same level as they were in the containers. After planting, water the bushes with warm water. For the first time, you can make a greenhouse from covering material in case of cold weather and as protection from the winds. Choose the sunniest place for the plant, maybe light partial shade, but not shade. in the shade the plant will stretch and develop poorly. And decorative ones will lose their beautiful foliage color.

Morning glory sweet potato - a stylish beauty for the garden

Further care of the plant is not difficult, because this crop is completely unpretentious.

Watering and fertilizing

Growing sweet potatoes is not at all difficult. Even a novice gardener can handle it. The main thing is not to forget to take care of it on time. And sweet potatoes can easily tolerate flaws in agricultural technology.

When watering this crop, remember, it is better not to top up than to overfill. She doesn't like being overwatered. It is necessary to water as the top layer of soil dries. Of course, this needs to be done more often in pots and other confined spaces than in open ground. In the south, where it is very hot, more watering will be required than in cooler regions.

With a lack of watering, morning glory leaves droop and lose turgor, but after watering they quickly restore their shape. However, if you abuse your forgetfulness in watering, the vines may become bare. To restore the decorative appearance of the bush, the plant will need to be trimmed.

Morning glory sweet potato

If you overwater the plant, white water bubbles may appear on the leaves; in this case, place the bush in the full sun and everything will go away.

This crop can grow even in poor soils and without fertilizing. But in nutritious soil and fertilizing you will see all the beauty and power of the plant. She does not require any special feeding. Fruit species are fed with potassium fertilizers at the time of tuber formation. Ornamental plants need to be fed; if you see that the vine is not developing well and is growing poorly, then you can water the bush with complex fertilizer.

Weed removal

Morning glory sweet potato in the garden
The morning glory sweet potato plant is powerful and when the weeds grow it is no longer a hindrance. But when the bushes are small, you need to make sure that weeds do not interfere with the growth of the bushes. Weeding is carried out manually, carefully lifting the vines.

Sweet potato vines are capable of producing roots in internodes while lying on the ground. To prevent this from happening, lift the lashes and place boards under them or make some kind of support for them.

In a pot, if it is filled with purchased soil, problems with weeds usually do not arise, but in any case they are easy to remove manually. It is also easy to control morning glory pests and diseases.

Protection from pests and diseases, their control

It is difficult to find a more beneficial plant. Little of. that can grow almost anywhere, is still almost not damaged by diseases and pests. From my own experience, I will say that for several years of growing ornamental varieties of morning glory, I have never seen pests on it and it has never been sick with anything.

Although sweet potatoes are called “sweet potatoes,” they have nothing in common with regular potatoes. These are different plants and they do not have common pests. The Colorado potato beetle is completely indifferent to sweet potatoes.

Morning glory sweet potato in a flower bed

However, another pest loves him. Sweet potato tubers are very tasty and are liked by the larvae of the cockchafer. They love to gnaw passages in them. You won’t immediately understand that there is a problem with the plant until you dig up the crop. The larvae overwinter deep in the ground and in order to destroy them it is necessary to thoroughly dig up the soil in the beds. Therefore, soil preparation in autumn and spring is a mandatory procedure. In this way, these pests can be eliminated.

Sometimes slugs and spider mites can cause minor damage to plantings. In these cases, treat the plants with chemicals.

Diseases for this vegetable are also rare. Blackleg is sometimes possible, but if you use good quality soil rather than garden soil, this disease is unlikely to occur.

Morning glory sweet potato - care

An important feature of how to grow morning glory sweet potatoes is strict adherence to all the rules of agricultural technology for the crop. Although morning glory is considered unpretentious, its decorative effect directly depends on the efforts of the gardener. Care activities include:

1. Regular, but not frequent and not abundant watering.
2. Timely application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
3. Mulching and loosening the soil. Sanitary pruning of weak and diseased shoots or shaping of perennials.
4. Ipomoea sweet potato in compositions will look advantageous only in well-lit areas at temperatures above +20℃. If the temperature outside is lower, then it is better to keep hanging plants in the house, greenhouse or on a closed balcony.

Watering morning glory sweet potatoes

For many busy gardeners, the perennial morning glory sweet potato is a godsend because of its drought-tolerant traits:

1. Ipomoea sweet potato does not like excessive soil moisture. When there is an excess of moisture, whitish blisters appear on the leaves of the plant, which go away on their own after the watering regime is normalized.
2. It is recommended to water the flower outside about 1-2 times a week in hot climates.
3. Indoor flowers are watered mainly through a tray.
4. There is no need to spray morning glory, but indoor specimens are wiped with a damp cloth once a season to remove dust.

Feeding morning glory sweet potatoes

Like other garden crops, morning glory sweet potatoes in the garden require regular feeding to stimulate growth and flowering:

1. An affordable and budget option for spring fertilizer is wood ash, a glass of which is diluted in 10 liters of warm water and watered over the plantings.
2. Varieties that are valued for their beautiful decorative leaves can be fertilized with ammonium nitrate in the summer and before winter, the preparation and application of which is carried out according to the instructions supplied by the fertilizer manufacturer.
3. During the flowering period, experts do not recommend fertilizing morning glory sweet potatoes with nitrogen-containing additives, which reduce the number of discarded buds.

Crop care, flowering

Ipomoea agricultural technology is quite simple and includes the following rules:

• Watering should be done regularly and in moderation. The flower does not tolerate stagnant water. Since September, morning glory is watered only after the soil has dried.
• During the period of active growth of morning glory, additional feeding is needed. The first time it is ammonium nitrate, and then mineral complexes. For flowering varieties, it is important not to apply large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers during budding, otherwise the plant will devote all its energy to forming leaves.
• The bushes need to be cleaned - remove old dried leaves and shoots. Pruning is done in autumn and spring. Provided that the plant is cultivated as a perennial.

Perennial gypsophila: planting and care

The flower has a number of diseases and pests to which it is exposed if not properly cared for. If morning glory is watered too much, fungal diseases appear. To remove them, you need to treat the soil with a fungicide and remove the affected parts of the plant. In the case of soft rot or root rot, as well as in case of viral infection, morning glory cannot be saved. It must be destroyed so that the disease does not spread to healthy plantings.

With excessive watering and cool weather, white blisters may appear on the leaves. To avoid this, the flower is placed in bright areas heated by the sun.

Advice! In order for morning glory foliage to be thick and lush, the flower must be pinched.

Among the pests, morning glory is attacked by aphids and spider mites. A soap solution helps against aphids, and the mites are washed off with water. In case of severe damage, the flower can be treated with insecticides.

Morning glories make beautiful flower arrangements when combined with other plants. The best neighbors for her will be:

• petunia purple or pink;
• Europhobia;
• marine lobularia;
• purslane grandiflora;
• ornamental cereals.

Ipomoea sweet potato indoors

Unlike outdoor varieties grown as annuals, indoor sweet potato morning glory requires more careful care for about 5-7 years:

1. The culture is considered to have come from warm countries, and therefore loves sunshine and fresh air. In the summer months, it is better to place the flower pot in an open area: balcony, terrace, porch.
2. In winter, when the air in the room is very low, morning glory can shed all its leaves. Because of this, it is recommended to keep it in a warm room on a south or south-east window, where diffused sunlight is constantly present.
3. A strong draft in the room can harm the plant.
4. Water an indoor flower through a tray or using the usual method no more than once every 1-2 weeks, depending on the air temperature. Spraying is not carried out.

Sweet potato harvest

By the end of the first ten days of October, night temperatures near zero led to yellowing of some of the leaves, and we decided to dig up the sweet potatoes. We prepared buckets, a shovel, and a pitchfork. None of this list was needed! I used pruning shears to cut off the tops, leaving the stubs, so that I would know where to start looking for tubers. I tried to rake a little soil from the stem (well, not so much soil, but let’s say, the substrate), it was rake away easily, but the tubers were not visible in the visible space.

It was rightly said about digging up sweet potatoes - it is similar to archaeological excavations. Carefully, moving the substrate from place to place with my hands, under the caustic remarks of my husband, I got to the bottom of the first tuber - almost near the side of the bed. The tuber had a diameter of 8 cm, a total length of approximately 30 cm and was bent, since there was nowhere for it to grow there; it rested against the side. It didn't fit into the bucket because of its clumsiness.

Features of growing morning glory.

Further extraction of sweet potato tubers proceeded manually. The tubers, apparently, tried to spread as far as possible from the stem, but they were limited on one side by the edge of the bed, and on the other by oncoming tubers (I planted 2 rows). In the center of the bed there was a real crowd of tubers of different colors, shapes and sizes.

The yield of sweet potatoes not only pleased us, but delighted us. But “Manchurian” let us down. However, when I cut the tops, I counted only 10 bushes, and 2 probably died somehow in the process, but it was impossible to see anything in this green heap.

Reproduction of morning glory sweet potato

In order for morning glory sweet potatoes to grow on a plot or in a room, you can use one of two methods of propagating the plant:

1. The seed method is considered the most labor-intensive and time-consuming. It is often used only for breeding purposes to develop a new variety. However, many gardeners successfully use the seed propagation method. The planting material is first soaked for a day in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, pierced on one side and planted in light, loose soil consisting of turf soil, river sand and vermiculite in a ratio of 2:1:1. The seeds are laid out on moist soil and sprinkled with earth, covered with film. After 2 weeks, seedlings appear, which after another month can be planted in a permanent place.
2. Growing morning glory sweet potatoes is also possible using vegetative methods. In this case, both cuttings of old shoots and obtaining young shoots from tubers are used.

Cuttings of morning glory sweet potato

The simplest method is the propagation of morning glory sweet potatoes by cuttings:

1. Cuttings 10-15 cm long are separated from the mother plant using a clean, sterile pruner, with the obligatory presence of several leaf nodes.
2. Planting material is placed in a container with water in a warm and bright place. After about a week, the cuttings form developed roots.
3. Cuttings with sprouted roots are planted in prepared pots. When the seedlings become even more elongated, they are pruned again to stimulate branching.
4. Ready seedlings can be planted in open ground at the beginning of summer.

Reproduction of morning glory sweet potato tubers

Many gardeners wonder how to grow morning glory sweet potatoes from a tuber, considering the method complex and time-consuming. However, experienced breeders claim that the procedure consists of several simple steps:

1. After wintering, healthy and strong tubers are selected.
2. Each of them is placed in a light soil mixture, similar in composition to the seed propagation method, and sprinkled on top with a layer of earth of about 1-2 cm.
3. Young shoots that have hatched and become stronger are carefully cut off and placed in a container with a weak Kornevin solution.
4. When young roots form, the seedlings can be planted in pots or in a permanent place of growth in open ground if the weather is warm outside.

Where to get sweet potato planting material

But in order to grow sweet potatoes, you must first find planting material, and this turned out to be not so easy. At that time, Sweet Potato Bushes did not have the varieties I needed, and besides them there was only one farm in the Tuapse region - Vitaly Lutsan, where there was a good selection.

Surprisingly, it seemed to me that such a wonderful root crop in the Kuban should be grown by everyone, but it turns out that conservatism is deeply ingrained in the minds of most gardeners.

Vitaly Lutsan confirmed my guesses when I came to him for planting material. The promotion of new food plants, which he is interested in, is proceeding with difficulty - there are few experimenters.

Natalya (Vitaliy’s wife) treated me to baked sweet potatoes of various varieties. I looked at how it was growing - both at the tops and at the roots, since it was October, digging season. The tops wildly braid and cover everything around within a radius of 1-1.5 meters, but you still need to look for the roots, they don’t sit still (however, this depends on the variety).

To begin with, I bought four varieties of sweet potato tubers: “Pobeda 100”, “Vinnitsky pink”, “Manchzhursky” and “Garnet”.

The sweet potato sprouts are very young, but they take root and grow like big ones.

Natalia and Vitaly instructed me about storage and germination; together we carefully wrapped each tuber in newspaper - sweet potatoes are sensitive to damage and may not be stored well after that.

While I was driving home, hugging the purchased sweet potato, I thought with horror that, having planted the sweet potato in the heavy and dense clay that forms the basis of our new plot, I wouldn’t be able to get it from there! Its tubers are huge and fragile. The tendency to spread away from the stem will not allow us to determine at least approximately where they are. A standard fenced bed is unlikely to help - the tubers will pass under the fence and then catch them around the site!

This is where the idea of ​​a trap bed was born - fenced, high, with a relatively closed base.

Ipomoea sweet potato - diseases and pests

By its nature, the morning glory sweet potato flower has a very strong immune system, so it rarely gets sick or is attacked by pests. Infection from neighboring plants can only occur:

1. Root rot
   . This is a dangerous disease that affects the root system and leads to the death of the plant. To combat it, damaged morning glory is dug up, the root system is washed and all diseased roots are cut off. Healthy residues must be treated with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, or the drug “Cytoflavin”.
2. Spider mites
   , passing from neighboring plants with less stable immunity. To combat such a pest, spraying with any available insecticide, for example, Actellik or Envidor, is used.

What does sweet potato taste like?

Fans of the overseas vegetable note that sweet potato is a mixture between potatoes and carrots. So, if you cook a vegetable, it tastes very much like potatoes that were kept at sub-zero temperatures. It is in this state that potatoes give off a slight sweetish taste, just like sweet potatoes. And in its raw form, this culture is very similar to carrots.

In countries where sweet potato is a common dish on the table, you can often see a whole collection of dishes: from first courses to desserts and snacks.

Why doesn't morning glory sweet potato bloom?

There are several reasons why the sweet potato vine does not bloom:

1. A non-flowering variety was selected. Modern selective varieties are notable only for their ornamental foliage.
2. Landed in an inappropriate place. The plant may be located in a draft or in deep shade, as a result of which it lacks warmth and sunlight.
3. The agricultural technology for growing the flower has been disrupted. For example, morning glory does not like excessive soil moisture, but it will survive short-term drought without losing its decorative properties.
4. The flower may be affected by root rot or spider mites, measures to combat which were written above.

How to properly store sweet potatoes in winter

To understand how to properly preserve sweet potatoes in winter, you need to remember again about the southern origin of the plants, and under no circumstances try to send the root crops to the cellar, like ordinary potatoes. In a typical basement, sweet potatoes quickly become slimy and moldy. But an ordinary city apartment will be quite to the liking of the “sweet potato”.

It is better to choose the coolest corners of the premises for these purposes, since the optimal storage temperature for sweet potatoes is from +15 to +20 degrees. At higher temperatures, certain varieties may begin to germinate over time. However, this usually happens closer to spring and is not as intense as in potatoes.

Don't be so quick to give up on sweet potatoes if you're not impressed with the taste of freshly dug tubers. The fact is that over time, starch, which sweet root varieties are rich in, gradually turns into sugar. In order for the harvest to acquire a richer taste, it is recommended to eat “sweet potatoes” after waiting at least a month after digging. And the flavor palette of the exotic vegetable becomes richest around the New Year.

Morning glory sweet potato in landscape design

Gardeners use morning glory in various forms of home and garden decoration:

1. The most popular method is hanging flowers. Compositions with morning glory sweet potatoes can consist of different varieties that differ in the shades of the leaf blades, or be combined with pelargonium, Coleus Blume, ampelous petunia, loosestrife and other crops.
2. In its homeland, morning glory is often used as a ground cover plant in rocky and mixed gardens and on alpine hills. It grows quickly in the area due to its ability to take root in internodes.
3. If desired, the gardener can easily lift the vine from the ground and tie it to a support. Braided arches, gazebos or canopies look impressive.

Secrets of harvesting and storing sweet potatoes from the founders of the Sweet Potato Farm

Many people would like to know when the cherished time comes to begin harvesting the long-awaited root crops? And most importantly, how to preserve sweet potatoes in winter? My husband and I have been successfully growing “sweet potatoes” in a temperate climate (Voronezh region) for five years, having founded the “Sweet Potato Farm”. Therefore, the recommendations below are based solely on our personal practical experience.

Secrets of harvesting and storing sweet potatoes.

Winter-hardy vines

Almost all climbing plants are winter-hardy. Popular perennials: wild grapes, campsis, clematis, wisteria and other varieties.

Special websites on this topic contain a huge number of photographs of plants entwining, writhing, and trembling. Having seen the unearthly beauty, you can easily find information about any specimen you like.

Breaking out of the bustle of the city, boxes - many floors, you dream of merging with nature, of peace and comfort. That is why any summer cottage or territory of a country house is a virgin land for realizing the most incredible fantasies in their improvement. Climbing plants will help transform the site with the help of various supports, arches, and structures.

Varieties for indoor growing: margarita

This species has light green leaves. They are shaped like a heart.

Kumara Red

This plant is lush and has large leaves. The variety prefers bright light, so it should be placed closer to the window.

Purple

The foliage of this variety of morning glory is characterized by dark emerald leaves. The plant is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests.

Types and varieties of plants

Several dozen species and varieties of this beautiful flowering loach are used in gardening. The most popular are:

1. Ipomoea Kvamoklit is a vine with light green dissected openwork leaves and small pink, white or red flowers up to one and a half centimeters in diameter. It blooms from mid-summer until autumn and loves moisture. Insufficient watering can lead to a delay in the development of the plant and the crushing of its buds. The most common varieties are Fire Red, Lobed, Variegated and Slaughter's Kvamoklit.
2. Ipomoea moonflower - the loach is distinguished by shoots up to six meters long and a stem up to three meters high. It has large heart-shaped leaves and large, fragrant, white buds up to ten centimeters in diameter. Flowering begins in July and continues until mid-autumn.
3. Ipomoea purpurea is a plant with a long pubescent stem, opposite, lanceolate or oval bare leaves and single flowers up to seven centimeters in diameter. Gramophone flowers can be pink, white, blue, purple, dark purple or red.
4. Ipomoea "flying saucer" is an annual plant distinguished by large variegated flowers, the diameter of which can reach fifteen centimeters. The petals of the flower have lilac-blue and white stripes. Blooms all summer until frost. When planted in a pot and provided with support, this species can be grown as an indoor morning glory.
5. Blue morning glory is a powerful plant with a thick stem from which shoots grow, forming a spreading bush. The plant blooms only after it has gained the required mass of foliage. Under favorable conditions, blue flowers on the bush bloom in mid-July. Flowering continues until frost.
6. Ipomoea Batata is a herbaceous plant up to thirty centimeters high. The overgrown bush reaches one to two meters in diameter. Depending on the variety, the leaves of this variety may have a light green, purple, bronze or green-purple color. Ipomoea Sweet Potato can be propagated by cuttings or tubers. The low plant can be planted in pots and grown as an indoor plant.
7. Ipomoea terry Serenade is a vine with a stem up to three meters long, rich green leaves and seemingly corrugated buds from pale to deep red. The plant requires good lighting, otherwise it will lose its decorative qualities.
8. Morning glory Nile is a highly branched vine with a stem up to three meters in length, dark green, broadly oval large leaves and funnel-shaped flowers up to ten centimeters in diameter. Semi-double buds come in a variety of colors and can be purple, dark blue, blue or red. The variety blooms from mid-summer and with good care, flowering stops only with the onset of frost.

What kind of plant is this

Sweet potato (or, as it is also popularly called, sweet potato) is a perennial plant with long stems, the height of which is no more than 17 cm. Sweet potato leaves are heart-shaped and sometimes petiolate. The flowers of the plant are usually lilac or white and funnel-shaped.

Sweet potatoes (yam)

Interesting facts about sweet potatoes

In the lateral roots of sweet potatoes, elongated and rather large tubers are formed, the weight of which can reach 3.5 kg. The color of the fruit pulp can be different - red, orange, yellow or white. It depends on the variety or type. The same applies to the shape of the tubers, which varies, from ribbed to round. Like the flesh, sweet potato skins come in a variety of colors. Most varieties have a pleasant sweet taste. This is explained by the fact that sweet potato pulp contains a lot of glucose.

How to grow sweet potatoes correctly

Sweet potatoes were brought to Russia by residents of Spain, but currently the plant is successfully grown in many countries (Indonesia, China, Russia, Ukraine, and so on). Sweet potatoes can be used for food in dried, baked, fried or boiled form. It is the main ingredient in the production of sweet flour used in confectionery.

On a note! The above-ground part of the plant is very nutritious, so it is often given to livestock as food. This part is in no way inferior to alfalfa or clover in its nutritional value.

Content:

• A little botany
• Harvest
• Affordable beauty
• Examples of decorative varieties
• Easy to grow!

The name of the amazing tuber Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) comes from the language of the Indian peoples. This is a tuber-bearing plant from the Convolvulaceae family, belonging to the genus Ipomoea. In central Russia it is grown as an annual crop.

Composition and beneficial properties

Beneficial properties of sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain the following minerals: phosphorus, iron, calcium, which have a positive effect on the human body and strengthen the immune system. The root vegetable also contains vitamins A, C and beta-carotene.

Interesting fact : the calorie content of sweet potato root vegetables per 100 grams of product is on average 61 kcal.

The pulp of sweet potatoes contains fibers that the stomach is not able to digest. They leave the body gradually, along with toxins and waste. Sweet potatoes also contain starch in large quantities, which is why they are recommended for people with digestive tract diseases.

It is also recommended for people with diabetes to eat root vegetables. After digestion, the pulp slows down the penetration of glucose into the veins and blood vessels. Due to the presence of complex carbohydrates, sweet potatoes are recommended for athletes. It reduces muscle pain after workouts.

How to care for seedlings

The main thing in growing sweet potato seedlings is to create an optimal temperature regime for the sprouts and not to forget about watering. “Sweet potatoes” come from tropical countries, so for proper growth and development of seedlings it is necessary to keep the air temperature within +20-30 degrees.

Watering should be regular but moderate. Sweet potatoes love moisture, but do not tolerate waterlogging of the soil, so they should be watered only when the top layer of the substrate begins to dry out. It is also necessary to regularly ventilate the room, preferably immediately after watering.

Sweet potato seedlings are considered ready for transplanting into open ground when they reach 15 cm in height and 4-5 internodes are formed on the sprouts. Before “relocating” to the beds, seedlings must be hardened off in order to accustom them to the effects of natural factors and to prevent burns on the leaves from direct sunlight. Hardening should begin 2 weeks before planting: during this period, containers with plants should be taken out into the open air for several hours every day.

You can plant seedlings in the beds only if the temperature outside does not drop below +20 degrees, and the ground has warmed up to +15 degrees.

Usage

Since sweet potato has a pleasant taste and contains many useful substances, it is used as food. The tubers are boiled, fried, baked and eaten raw. Sweet potatoes are used in many dishes; chips, marshmallows, jam and soufflé are also made from it.

Cooked Sweet Potato Dish

Fun fact : Sweet potatoes are used for more than just cooking. Starch, sugar and flour are also obtained from it.

Lianas and leaves are used as an ingredient for salads. However, they must first be boiled to remove the bitter substances. The entire plant is also used to feed livestock. Sweet potato starch is used in medicine for its softening and enveloping properties. In South America, people can make paint using the juice of tubers and limes. This combination in different proportions helps to obtain shades from pink to black.

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