Sweet potatoes

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I would like to try my hand at growing sweet potatoes next year in 2015
What I am hoping that someone on here is from the east coast
If there is and you could have access to the sprouts I will pay for the sprouts and shipping
I know I need roughly 120 days to maturity so that would mean I have to plant them in early May being from Manitoba
I will build a box and start them under glass as I have no guarantee of being frost free till about June 10th
I know freight will be expensive but everyone tells me they can't be grown in a Manitoba garden and that is a challenge that I just have to try

[Chickenlady]

You might be able to just grow them yourself, but you have to find a potato who is not treated against sprouting.
Best is to find an organic sweet potato and let him sprout..there is lots to be found on internet how to do that.
I have done it once...it works..but nobody in our family but me likes sweet potatoes so I decided it was to much work for one person..I now buy the occasional potato.

[niglefritz]

We tried it, but didn't plant early. We got wonderfully large plants, but very small tubers. They were not big enough to eat.

If you look for tubers, make sure that they don't have cauterized eyes. These are the ones that are going to give you sprouts. When you grow them, make sure that you trim back the vines fairly often as you would pumpkin and watermelon. Also, make sure that you do protect them from frost in the fall as well. They can't handle any.

So, Chickenlady...how large did your tubers get and when did you first start them? I imagine that you transplanted them...how did that work for you? I hear that they are not very transplant-friendly.

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