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applestar
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Sweet Potatoes last year grows good vegs this year

I'm noticing that where I grew Sweet Potatoes last year, the vegs are all growing exceptionally well. I'm guessing that any missed tubers as well as the deep ranging root system that all broke down over the winter have added to the soil. I had also stripped the SP leaves from the vines and left them in the beds as mulch, only composting the tough vines.

This year, I had to spread out the Sweet Potatoes and tuck a slip in wherever I could. But two of this year's larger areas with SPs are slated to grow tomatoes next year, and another is slated to grow corn. I could use the one spot in another bed to plant watermelons next year. This should be interesting. 8)

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engineeredgarden
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My only guess would be that you're experiencing the benefits of crop rotation, but the leaves left from last year might contribute to the soil nutrition as well.

EG

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I don't know much about sweet potatoes. All the hilling up and adding weeds, compost, grass clippings to regular potatoes, makes beautiful soil for the next crop.

Eric

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gixxerific
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That's good to know, I only had a few last year until I realized how great they were homegrown. So I went crazy this year so I will have a bunch of old SP real estate next year.

Could be the extra mulching with this and that and the root breakdown and the rotation. Who really cares what it is as long as it works. :)

garden5
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gixxerific wrote:That's good to know, I only had a few last year until I realized how great they were homegrown. So I went crazy this year so I will have a bunch of old SP real estate next year.

Could be the extra mulching with this and that and the root breakdown and the rotation. Who really cares what it is as long as it works. :)
It could be, too, that the roots store-up nutrients that are released as they break down over the fall and winter time.

Certainly something to keep in mind.

Gix, how did you get your sweet-potatoes started: slips or seed-chunks? Did you order them?

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soil
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in asia it is well known that for hard compacted soil a crop of sweet potatoes will make a world of a difference, I have a korean friend and she SWEARS by it.

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gixxerific
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soil wrote:in asia it is well known that for hard compacted soil a crop of sweet potatoes will make a world of a difference, I have a korean friend and she SWEARS by it.
As well good to know, the majority of my sweets are in a new bed I just got ready this year. They are doing great I can't wait.

Garden5 I bought some plants from lowes and I also put in my own slips. One of my plants is a whole sweet potato I put in the ground to start slips and forgot about. It is growing well.

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gixx - I have four large containers of SP growing this year, and will harvest in about 6 weeks. The foliage is going crazy, and it looks to be a promising year for them down here. We'll definitely have to start a SP thread later.....

EG

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gixxerific
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Sounds good EG mine are going nuts too at least one of the plots the other not so much same as last year.

:lol: I still have a small pot outside with a sweet in it that I was using to start slips, it's still somewhat growing but it is in a 4 inch pot. I ran out of room in the garden and have just been too lazy to toss the old girl in the compost. I just hate to cull plants. :cry:

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soil
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don't forget you can eat the leaves too as a summer salad green!

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engineeredgarden
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soil - really? Gosh, I've never heard that before. Convincing the wife to eat them would be interesting....sheesh.

EG

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engineeredgarden
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gixx - here's mine......

[img]https://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad41/engineeredgarden/P3270006.jpg[/img]

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I apologize if I am straying off topic too much, but... are there any "signs" when the sweet potatoes are ready to harvest?
Or, do you just have to dig a plant and have a look at the tubers?

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engineeredgarden
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farmerlon - it's best to count the days from transplanting slips, then harvest when maturity date has been reached. Typically, it's between 110-120 days.

EG

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What kind of a harvest do you get for the space they take up.

Also, how do you all cultivate them? Do you do any hilling, or just let them go wild?

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engineeredgarden
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garden5 - I generally get about 2 lbs./sqft - but that's in containers, of course. No hilling required for sweet potatoes.....

EG

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In my case, I plant the slips as early as I can, then harvest before the plants die. I've read that unlike regular potatoes, letting the vines die down can affect keeping quality of the tubers. So I let a couple of light frosts pass, protecting the vines with floating covers. Sometimes we get really warm~almost hot weather for a couple of weeks after the first frost.

When I know there's a frost coming that will be severe enough to do more than top-leaf damage, I dig them all up.

With sweet potatoes, you need to "cure" the tubers after harvest in a warm somewhat humid location. Last year, I tried plastic lined cardboard box with a few holes punched for ventilation and "hot water" soda bottles. The tubers themselves seem to generate some warmth as well. This year, I have the seed heating mat, so I might try using that.

If anyone has a good proven curing method let us know. 8)

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engineeredgarden
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applestar - that's why I harvest mine during the last 2 weeks of September, so there's enough warm days left to properly cure them in the shade. We generally eat them all at thanksgiving (if not before)

EG

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applestar wrote:
If anyone has a good proven curing method let us know. 8)
I am new to Sweet potatoes, but my curing last year consisted of in the basement. They all lasted great and as I said I still have one that could be eaten on my table outside if you were to take off the slips. Mine kept very well without the high humidity and heat.

But as some of us know I don't follow the rules too much. I just do what feels good, mainly because I don't know any better or care one little bit what others have to say. :lol: (no offense)

I have been harvesting basil all year and the 1/3 harvesting rule, I am not following and never have I lost a plant. Case in point do what works for you.

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But as some of us know I don't follow the rules too much. I just do what feels good, mainly because I don't know any better or care one little bit what others have to say. (no offense)
:wink:

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Gixx -- OK, so don't stop there. What was the average temperature and humidity in your basement for the period of about 1 month after harvest. What did you keep them in, and where in the basement did you put them (on the floor near the water heater, near the ceiling on a shelf, near the washer/dryer...)

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engineeredgarden wrote:garden5... No hilling required for sweet potatoes.....
That's probably true for a lot of folks.

I do hill my Sweet Potatoes. My soil is heavy clay, and the Sweets do much better (for me) if I prepare a nice hill of loose soil for them to grow the tubers in.

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gixxerific
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applestar wrote:Gixx -- OK, so don't stop there. What was the average temperature and humidity in your basement for the period of about 1 month after harvest. What did you keep them in, and where in the basement did you put them (on the floor near the water heater, near the ceiling on a shelf, near the washer/dryer...)
Now that is a hard one. The temp was probably around 50-65 not so sure on the humidity but is rather humid here in the summer I guess in the fall it is about mid hundreds outside. I have no idea what it would be inside. I will tell you it gets very cold in the basement we only have one air duct and it is usually shut or pointed at the starters if they are going. I just put them in a cardboard box I believe I may have had a towel over them. That was placed on a table in the middle of my basement. Nothing special at all.

I didn't loos a single one to rot. They were all nice and hard this spring. Most of them were smaller, I ate the big ones. :lol: But I did save a few big ones for sprouting.

Here is the last one it has been sitting on my table outside mostly in the shade for a few months now being totally neglected for most of that time. You may be able to see in the middle where I cut out a few slips. This one here is still pretty solid just a touch of softness to it but not much. I have actually been thing of just throwing this in the ground either that or the compost. I thought it might be too late to grow any potatoes from it now.

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC04003.jpg[/img]

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At this point, you might consider potting up just a few (like 3 slips) to grow over the winter like a house plant (Put them in a hanging basket). Then you can just chop them up into little cuttings next spring. I think Ozark Lady mentioned doing this.

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gixxerific
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applestar wrote:At this point, you might consider potting up just a few (like 3 slips) to grow over the winter like a house plant (Put them in a hanging basket). Then you can just chop them up into little cuttings next spring. I think Ozark Lady mentioned doing this.
That is a great idea. Thanks :D

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Also, has anyone here found sweet potatoes difficult to grow? I've heard that they are one of the hardest vegetables to grow.

Also, what are you guys talking about with "curing"? That's a new one to me.

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garden5 wrote:Also, has anyone here found sweet potatoes difficult to grow? I've heard that they are one of the hardest vegetables to grow.

Also, what are you guys talking about with "curing"? That's a new one to me.
Here is one take on it [url=https://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/crops/sweet_potatoes/LSU+AgCenter+Horticulturist+Discusses+Curing+and+Storing+Sweet+Potatoes.htm]Curing Sweet potatoes[/url]. There are different ideas out some are pretty intense on the EXACT way it should be done.

I left mine in the garden for a few day's, than on a table for a day or 2 than in the basement they went.

I'm sure you know but the curing helps them store longer same thing for onions, garlic, irish potatoes etc.

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I think they're not hard to grow. The hard part for me is keeping them in the ground long enough to get them to grow worthwhile tubers.

This spring, I experimented with ways to grow sturdier slips earlier by taking advantage of spring sunshine.

Next year, I'm going to try to extend the early season and give the slips an earlier start in the ground.

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I think that is the key giving them time Apple. I couldn't get slips going this year till late. Now I know how I think. But some of my plants are from a nursery and they were late of course right about the time I started getting my own slips. Go figure, but they do need a lot of time in the ground.

I'm hoping for the best last year for some reason one of my plants dwarfed the yield from all of my other plants put together. Not sure what I did different. It would be nice to know.



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