[Alice]

It all depended on whether our warped senses of humour were on the same wavelength, John!
It has been great fun and an excellent exercise in detail observation.
By the way, do sweet potatoes grow well in your neck of the woods?

[Jill S]

And, being a totally greedy omnivor, can you eat whatever the beautiful black leafed one produces?

[John J]

Actually this is the first year that we have tried to grow them, purely as an experiment. Some we put into the ground and others into a large pot. The ones in the ground have struggled, probably due to getting too much sun and not enough water. They have remained small and pathetic looking. The ones in the pot have fared much better. They are in a more shaded area and are kept moist. The leaf in the photo is from one of these plants. It remains to be seen if they produce anything edible.

[David Bracey]

John, you said that you grew some ..........from what tubers?  I used to grow sweet potatoes in middle Florida and then we planted small tubers.  Florida is semi-tropical with lots (and lots) of water. If you wish to grow sweet potatoes try planting pieces with an eye cut from tubers bought in the local supermarket, they should work.   

[John J]

David, the ones we are trying to grow are from pieces cut from sweet potatoes that we have bought for eating (our 1 year old granddaughter is particularly fond of them). As I said the ones in the ground are not faring very well due, I'm sure, to insufficient water. The ones we planted in a large pot and keep permanently moist look much healthier but it remains to be seen if they will produce anything edible.