{"product_id":"sweet-potato-eclipse-tubers","title":"Sweet Potato - Eclipse Tubers","description":"\u003ch3\u003eSweet Potato - Eclipse Tubers\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIpomoea batatas\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eFoundation seed tubers for sprouting your own slips. Purple flesh, white skin. (NOT to WA, TAS)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical name\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIpomoea batatas\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWhite to cream skin, flesh marbled to solid purple, dense and drier than the orange types with a mild sweetness\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting stock\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFirst generation foundation seed, Australian grown, supplied clean with no post-harvest treatments\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePack sizes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2, 4 or 10 tubers, each about 220 g as a guide\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSlips per tuber\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUsually 8 to 10 over a few weeks, more from a large tuber\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting slips\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7 to 10 cm deep, laid at a slant, after the last frost\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e30 to 40 cm apart, 75 cm to 1 m between rows\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime to harvest\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAbout four to five months from planting slips, the same as the other varieties\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCannot be sent to WA or TAS\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color:#d0021b;\"\u003eImportant:\u003c\/strong\u003e These are live planting tubers sold for propagation, not dry seed and not eating potatoes. You sprout shoots (slips) from the tuber and plant the slips. Tubers may arrive dormant or with small shoots already showing. The depth of purple varies from tuber to tuber and the skin sometimes carries a pink tinge; both are normal for the variety and do not affect the plants it will grow. Please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.happyvalleyseeds.com.au\/blogs\/propagation\/how-to-grow-sweet-potato-slips\" title=\"How to sprout sweet potato slips from a tuber\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eread our guide to sprouting sweet potato slips\u003c\/a\u003e before ordering. The photos show the actual tubers from this season's stock, brushed rather than washed, which is how they are sent. Tuber weights are a guide only: this is a natural product and individual tubers vary above and below that figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEclipse is the purple-fleshed sweet potato with pale, creamy white skin, the type sometimes sold as Hawaiian. It is an Australian selection, identified in northern New South Wales and taken up through the industry's cultivar trials, where it out-yielded the older white-skinned purple type. The flesh is dense and drier than the orange varieties, with a mild rather than sugary sweetness, and steamed and mashed with coconut milk and lime it makes a deep violet dish. Like the other varieties it needs about four to five months of warm weather, and it has been trialled mainly in Queensland and northern New South Wales, so it crops best in the subtropics and tropics and in warm temperate gardens with a sheltered bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll three varieties are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.happyvalleyseeds.com.au\/collections\/sweet-potato-tubers\"\u003esweet potato tuber collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eHow it works: from tuber to slips\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSit the tuber half-buried in a tray of moist potting mix, or suspend it over a jar of water with toothpicks, and keep it warm and bright. Shoots appear in two to four weeks. Cut them off at 15 to 20 cm, stand them in water until roots form, then plant them out. A tuber kept warm will keep producing slips for several weeks, so two tubers are enough for a family bed and four will plant a larger patch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlanting\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChoose the sunniest, best drained bed you have and loosen the soil deeply. Sweet potatoes prefer a loose sandy loam with some compost; on heavy clay, plant into a raised mound or ridge. Go easy on nitrogen, because rich feeding gives vines at the expense of tubers. Plant rooted slips 30 to 40 cm apart with 75 cm to 1 m between rows, laid at a slant with two thirds of the stem buried, and water daily for the first week. Start Eclipse as early as your zone allows so it gets a full warm season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhen to plant in Australia\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCool and alpine regions (TAS highlands, VIC highlands, NSW tablelands):\u003c\/strong\u003e Eclipse has been trialled mainly in warm districts, so it has the weakest record here. If you try it, plant well rooted slips in November into the warmest, most sheltered bed and expect smaller tubers. Northern Star or Beauregard are the safer choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTemperate regions (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide):\u003c\/strong\u003e October to November, after the last frost, once the soil is warm. Start tubers sprouting in late August so the slips are ready early.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSubtropical regions (Brisbane, coastal NSW):\u003c\/strong\u003e September to November for the biggest crop, with later plantings to December on the coast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTropical and arid regions (far north QLD, NT, inland areas):\u003c\/strong\u003e Tropical gardens can plant most of the year; the usual practice is to plant as the wet season begins and lift in April or May, on mounds so the tubers do not sit in saturated ground. Arid gardens plant in October with deep mulch and steady water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eCare\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater deeply about once a week in dry weather and keep the bed mulched. Lift the runners off the soil every few weeks so they do not root along their length, which spreads the plant's energy into many tiny tubers. The young shoot tips can be picked for the kitchen and cooked like spinach. A light picking costs the crop very little, though stripping the vines hard will cut the tuber yield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eHarvesting and storage\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLift about four to five months after planting, when the leaves begin to yellow and always before the first frost. Fork gently from the edge of the bed, brush off the soil rather than washing, then cure the tubers for one to two weeks somewhere warm, humid and airy. Cured tubers store for several months in a cool, dark cupboard with some airflow, never in the fridge. Keep a few of the best to sprout next spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the purple only partial in some tubers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe depth of purple varies between tubers and between plantings. It is a known trait of Eclipse, it is cosmetic, and it does not change the crop the tuber will produce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow many plants will I get from one tuber?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsually eight to ten slips over a few weeks if the tuber is kept warm and moist, and each slip grows into a plant that can set several good sized tubers plus smaller ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre these pathogen tested or certified?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey are first generation foundation seed tubers from an Australian specialist sweet potato seed grower, supplied clean with no post-harvest treatments. They are not sold under a certification scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I keep the purple colour when cooking?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteam, roast or microwave rather than boil. The purple pigments dissolve into boiling water, and a squeeze of lime shifts the colour warmer, towards red violet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you ship sweet potato tubers to WA or TAS?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. Due to quarantine restrictions and our shipping policy, we cannot send sweet potato tubers to Western Australia or Tasmania. If you are unsure whether your address is affected, please contact us before ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Eclipse the same as Hawaiian?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEclipse belongs to the white skin, purple flesh type that is often marketed as Hawaiian in Australia. It was selected for Australian growing conditions and out-yielded the older stock of that type in industry trials. Like the whole type, the depth of purple varies from planting to planting.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Happy Valley Seeds","offers":[{"title":"2 Tubers","offer_id":52942755332408,"sku":"EDP-57_2T","price":14.29,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 Tubers","offer_id":52942755365176,"sku":"EDP-57_4T","price":26.39,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Tubers","offer_id":52942755397944,"sku":"EDP-57_10T","price":54.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0268\/5416\/2522\/files\/sweet-potato-eclipse-tubers-4457204.jpg?v=1789224256","url":"https:\/\/www.happyvalleyseeds.com.au\/products\/sweet-potato-eclipse-tubers","provider":"Happy Valley Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}