| How to produce sweet potato slips indoors. Washington State University. | A background image of sweetpotato slips growing in trays of potting soil laid out on a meshed metal bench indoors and a logo of Washington State university and the title ‘How to produce sweetpotato slips indoors’ in the foreground. |
| Select healthy roots 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter. | A closeup of a hand selecting a sweetpotato root from a black basket full of healthy sweetpotato roots. A closeup of hand selecting another sweetpotato root from a black basket full of healthy sweetpotato roots. |
| Add water to potting mix and mix until moist. | A person picking up a clear plastic jug of water from a metal bench and pouring water into a clear plastic box that is three-fourths full of potting soil. The person uses their both hands to mix thoroughly the wet potting soil in the clear plastic box. |
| When you squeeze a handful of potting mix, a few drops of water should come out. | The person holding a handfull of wet potting soil and squeezing it firmly. Water droplets dripping from the hand full of wet potting soil.
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| Start with shallow trays with draining holes, such as plastic seed starting trays. | The person showing a black plastic shallow tray with drainage holes to be used as a seed starting tray. The person sets aside the clear plastic box with potting soil and places the seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors.
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| Fill trays about halfway with moist potting mix. | The person uses both hands to transfer wet potting soil from the clear plastic box into the black plastic seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors. The person spreads out the wet potting soil uniformly to cover the entire surface of the black plastic seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors. |
| Place roots into trays, leaving about 1 inch space between roots. | The person arranges five sweetpotato roots on top of the wet potting soil in the black plastic seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors. |
| Fill trays with more potting mix to partially cover roots. | The person takes out more wet potting soil from the clear plastic box and shoves it on top and sides of the sweetpotato roots that were laid out on the black plastic seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors. |
| Cover the trays with a plastic Dome to retain humidity, leaving a gap at the edge to allow airflow. | The person takes a clear plastic dome and places it on the black plastic seed starting tray on a metal bench indoors. The person carries the black plastic seed starting tray covered with a clear plastic dome. |
| Place trays in a warm location, such as in a heated greenhouse or on seeds starting heat mats. | The person places the black plastic seed starting tray covered with a clear plastic dome along with other trays on a metal bench indoors. |
| Roots typically start to sprout in one to three weeks, depending on variety and temperature. | A closeup of sweetpotato roots with emerging sprouts in potting soil. |
| Water whenever soil is dry, about every 1-3 days. | A hand holding a water hose and uniformly moving the black-green nozzle such that water is spread out all along the surface of the black plastic seed starting tray with sweetpotato roots and sprouts and dry potting soil. |
| Remove plastic domes when sprouts are pressing up against them. | The person removes the clear plastic dome from the black plastic seed starting tray with sweetpotato roots and sprouts in potting soil set on a meshed metal bench indoors. |
| Slips can be hardened off in a hoop house for one or more weeks before planting. | Three rows of sweetpotato slips in black plastic seed starting trays placed inside a white hoop house outdoors. |
| Slips are ready to cut when they have 5 to 8 nodes, about 6 to 10 weeks. | A close up of sweetpotato slips swaying in wind that are growing in a black plastic seed starting tray placed inside a white hoop house outdoors. |
| Cut slips 0.5 to 1 inch above soil or root to prevent soil borne disease and insect transfer. | A person’s hand holding a sweetpotato slip growing in a black plastic seed starting tray placed indoors and another hand holding a pair of blue scissors to cut the stem of the sweetpotato slip at the base of the sweetpotato root. A person repeating this procedure to cut another sweetpotato slip. A closeup shot showing where to cut the stem at the base of the sweetpotato root using scissors. |
| Long vines can be divided into multiple slips, each with 5 to 8 nodes. | A long vine of sweetpotato placed on a black plastic sheet placed on a meshed metal bench indoors. A person holding the long vine in one hand and using a pair of scissors in the second hand to cut the vine into half. |
| Slips can be placed in a cool, shady location for one to four days before planting. | A black plastic crate with cut sweetpotato slips placed on a wooden bench in shade outdoors. |
| Some wilting is okay. | A closeup of the black plastic crate with cut sweetpotato slips. Logos of Washington State University, Western SARE, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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