Lowdown on Sweet Potatoes. - Page 4

clkeiper · June 12, 2017

interesting Worth.

how much water? I put mine in the hightunnel and they are little bushes at this point but I think I need to put in a drip tape for them. probably too dry for them there.

Durgan, were they purple fleshed or just purple skinned?

Durgan · June 12, 2017

The skin was purple only. I don't see them often in the Supermarket. The common type is Beauregard.

I don't know the name of the purple skinned type that I am growing.

clkeiper · June 13, 2017

I haven't read every last post... I have a headache... it is too much to focus on right now, but do you pinch the vines to make them bushier or let them go? more foliage = more potatoes? bigger potatoes? I would speculate large croppers don't do a thing but does it make a difference?

Worth1 · June 13, 2017

I dont pitch vines but I have very little experience other than on the farm growing up.
Worth

Black Krim · February 28, 2018

Bumping.

Sandhill is giving me the courage to try sweet potatos. My kids love them--now. THey look easy to grow, just need enough heat.

I did the calculation and plan to try some of the early varieties to hedge my bet. Not sure the grocery varietes are early so dont want to waste my time.

Maine Potato Lady has just a few varieties listed.

GoDawgs · April 24, 2018

Last year was my first time growing sweet potatoes on a limited basis and they actually made! My sister brought home two organic 'Jewel' potatoes from Publix (to avoid any anti-sprouting stuff on them) and I did the toothpick/jar of water thing. One good thing I found out is that Jewel is nematode resistant. Yay!

The first three slips were planted in an unused half of a raised bed. I had read that if you keep the vines clipped to about 4' or so the energy will mainly go into growing the potatoes. So I did that to the raised bed potatoes. Besides, it kept them from running everywhere.

As more slips grew (eventually six more) they were planted where the Irish potatoes had grown. Hey, lots of loose soil and a different plant family so why not?

These vines were allowed to go everywhere they wanted. Eventually the sweet potato vines and the watermelon vines to the left of them introduced themselves, grew together and had a grand time.

I have since read on Sandhills' site that the vines need to be lifted now and then to keep them from rooting down. I'm going to try that this year with the ones I let run.

These were the first sweet potatoes dug from the raised bed. They were nicer than the later ones.

Right now I have three sweet potatoes doing the jar of water thing. The last two in the basket where they've been stored are sprouting on their own so I'll let them keep doing their thing. This year I'll do a whole raised bed of them (about 9 or 10 hills) and again follow the Irish spuds with about six hills.

June 12, 2017	#46
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	interesting Worth. how much water? I put mine in the hightunnel and they are little bushes at this point but I think I need to put in a drip tape for them. probably too dry for them there. Durgan, were they purple fleshed or just purple skinned? __________________ carolyn k

June 13, 2017	#48
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I haven't read every last post... I have a headache... it is too much to focus on right now, but do you pinch the vines to make them bushier or let them go? more foliage = more potatoes? bigger potatoes? I would speculate large croppers don't do a thing but does it make a difference? __________________ carolyn k

June 12, 2017	#47
Durgan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, ON, Canada Posts: 1,341	The skin was purple only. I don't see them often in the Supermarket. The common type is Beauregard. I don't know the name of the purple skinned type that I am growing.

June 13, 2017	#49
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I dont pitch vines but I have very little experience other than on the farm growing up. Worth

February 28, 2018	#50
Black Krim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: New England Posts: 661	Bumping. Sandhill is giving me the courage to try sweet potatos. My kids love them--now. THey look easy to grow, just need enough heat. I did the calculation and plan to try some of the early varieties to hedge my bet. Not sure the grocery varietes are early so dont want to waste my time. Maine Potato Lady has just a few varieties listed.

April 24, 2018	#51
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	Last year was my first time growing sweet potatoes on a limited basis and they actually made! My sister brought home two organic 'Jewel' potatoes from Publix (to avoid any anti-sprouting stuff on them) and I did the toothpick/jar of water thing. One good thing I found out is that Jewel is nematode resistant. Yay! The first three slips were planted in an unused half of a raised bed. I had read that if you keep the vines clipped to about 4' or so the energy will mainly go into growing the potatoes. So I did that to the raised bed potatoes. Besides, it kept them from running everywhere. As more slips grew (eventually six more) they were planted where the Irish potatoes had grown. Hey, lots of loose soil and a different plant family so why not? These vines were allowed to go everywhere they wanted. Eventually the sweet potato vines and the watermelon vines to the left of them introduced themselves, grew together and had a grand time. I have since read on Sandhills' site that the vines need to be lifted now and then to keep them from rooting down. I'm going to try that this year with the ones I let run. These were the first sweet potatoes dug from the raised bed. They were nicer than the later ones. Right now I have three sweet potatoes doing the jar of water thing. The last two in the basket where they've been stored are sprouting on their own so I'll let them keep doing their thing. This year I'll do a whole raised bed of them (about 9 or 10 hills) and again follow the Irish spuds with about six hills.