How does one start an "Air Potato"?

I am wondering what the correct way to start an "Air Potato" (Dioscorea bulbifera) is?

I am not having any luck at all. To make matters worse, imagine how I feel when people are being infested by them, with their "near 100% germination" and "invasiveness", and I can't find any legitimate way to get them growing...

Do I completely bury the bulbils, or does the top need to be exposed...and what *IS* the top? I can't tell the difference on any of these.

I am keeping temperatures around 87f, with 80% or so humidity.

Please take a look at the picture, and let me know when I should plant this, and if it's upside-down or not. I think I see the starts of green shoots on the top, but I'm not sure.

How long do the bulbils take to start growing, with a typical day of 18h of light? Do they even NEED light?

I'd really like to enjoy these plants as an indoor oddity, should anyone be able to offer me some sound advice on how to get them started.

Thanks for reading.

I just read the comments in Plant Files but didn't find anything to help you. I was wondering if it sitting in all that water that it might rot it.

Im not sure about your area, but I know here in Florida the Air Potato is listed as an extremely invasive vine, on the same level as Kudzu. once it establishes, it quickly takes over everything , trees, plants, yards, small animals and children and can take years to get rid of if at all. I'd make sure that you wont have that problem before you try to root it and plant it.

Im aware that you wish to grow this indoors, but if you should ever want to get rid of it, its best to burn it.

This message was edited Apr 15, 2009 9:00 PM

This message was edited Apr 15, 2009 9:01 PM

pest here also...bad one..You can throw the tuber out into the yard and it will grow, lol..You can plant it, but don't have to.

Larkie

You definitely shouldn't start it in water. Just bury it in a pot and when the soil temperature gets above 60 degrees it should wake up.

X

Thanks for the advice! It's hard to find pictures of the bulbils growing. I didn't realize that all they needed to do was fall on damp earth without even being buried.

mine get covered if i mess with the pot. just put on soil or lightly cover and it will happen. too much water will rot it and then you wont have it. also if iut doesnt work plenty of people here have it. dont want it in most places but do have it. hehe
i love it though

Shoot. They can fall on concrete and root here! LOL

How very very true...LOL, there isnt a spot in Central Florida that those darn things wont grow

I've come to the conclusion that most plants are pretty forgiving .. we probably kill more by babying them than by neglect.

X

LOL, you've obviously never met any of MY plants...lol. they tend to hold grudges for a looong time.

Same here for south Louisiana, those things grow like crazy, I wouldn't think you'd have any trouble just sticking it in the ground in a sunny locataion and as soon as things warm up enough it will come up and grow and make you a real good vine and have potatoes late in the summer or early fall. They make real good screan coverage, and grow fast

Giftgas ~ any luck yet? I don't think you will suffer the invasive issue. In this zone, I don't have problems with it either. Definitely start it in soil (not water), I would cover it shallowly with soil and I believe it will take warm temps and longer days to sprout it. When planting, I would lay it horizontally. The sprouts will find their way to light. So sorry your air potato source didn't provide better planting information.

No, no luck yet...I moved them outside to see if the sun can do any better (still in containers). I am starting to think that they might have actually froze inside of the package during transit.

I have two kinds as well, one is an edible variety from South America, and the other is the round type that people allegedly have a problem with in Florida. The crop version has shown signs of life, but not the other ones. Sadly, the one I had growing in the picture in this thread was readily consumed by chipmunks the second I put them outside - I guess I need to stick with the poisonous invasive ornamental variety.

If someone has access to some bulbils that they KNOW to be good, please take a look at my trade list and let me know if we can work something out.

I don't have anything right now but grow a larger common one which rarely contributes taters... just comes back from in ground and a small one known as cinnamon vine. If you are interested in taters from the cinnamon vine, remind me a bit later in the summer. It has vined out well and should start producing soon. Now for me, the little one is a bit aggressive but the volunteer plants are easy to rip out of the ground and discard.

Ignore the blooms ~ they are from an Agastache but the vine in the background is the cinnamon vine.

I will, and thanks for the suggestion and photo...this is the first I've heard of the plant; I will defiantly look into it, and get back with you. :)

giftgas you are not the only one who has problems starting this vine I have tried several times and still have not had any luck.

The thing is, that I did everything INDOORS...germination mat, humidity dome, t5 grow light. I tried to create "Florida in summer", and nothing came of it.

I got mad at one, put a slash down the side, and gave it a 10 second dip in 15x dip-n-grow, and then planted it...that was the one that started growing that got ate my the chipmunk. I tried the same thing on the other ones and it didn't work. I am curious if they need some kind of stratification period where they are not allowed to get below freezing, but have to be wet and cold for "X" amount of time.

I know this thread is probably at least slightly irritating to those that are infested by this plant, but man...isn't it weird? Do I need a cigar and a chicken, and a little Santería under a Blue Moon to get these things to wake up?

I tried mine out doors and indoors and still managed to have no success....

In this zone, bulbs that are left in ground will volunteer in spring but taters that are harvested from the vines in fall can be kept indoors and planted in ground in the spring so I don't think they need stratification. The book Passalong Plants says that when stored indoors, they usually sprout thin shoots a few weeks before it's time to plant... They recommend ...waiting till the soil warms in spring, then bury the taters, sprout side up, an inch or two deep...

Size of the taters doesn't matter on the growth of the vine. I suspect it is day length and soil temps... it is apparently hard to fool Mother Nature... sorry!

I believe temps are the main factor in when the tubers sprout. They all do it at the same time whether in the ground or not, in the sunlight or shade.
You can go into any Winn Dixie down here and find "N'yahmay" or Yams the size of 2 fists. Funny thing is those cultivated varieties planted down here never make air potatoes. I have a more wild variety that will make air-sets but are rough, non-spherical and a bit hairy, or fibrous.
These are true yams!