SWEETIES UNDER STRAW/LEAVES #1

I need some advice from you experienced sweet potato growers, please. I've got slips going very well from an unknown red and a Korean Purple. I have seen them growing years ago and from what I remember they were in a wide raised row and the vines covered it.

I've grown their kin folks, morning glories, on a trellis. Somebody said something somewhere that gave me the impression that the potato vines can climb like morning glories. Is that true? I'm thinking if so that it opens up some more possibilities of where I could grow these things. I hate to reveal such ignorance but I'm having trouble believing they can climb like that and don't want to waste any space trying it if they can't.

They will climb. The vines will normally grow prolifically and cover the soil choking out any weeds. When I sprouted the slips, the vines wrapped around a rack and climbed about 4 feet before I took cuttings. They don't put out tendrils but wrap as they climb.

As the sweet potatoes grow under the soil, the only value of using a trellis IMO would be taking up less surface groundspace I guess.

It is not recommended to fertilize sweets as it will just encourage foliage rather than potatoes. Whatever you chose to interplant with them will compete for nutrients and moisture and all the reading I've done indicates the sweet potato requires no water during the last four weeks before harvesting. I am also not sure how shallowly the potatoes will develop. Worth the experiment, I think.

edited to ask what you had in mind for a companion?

This message was edited May 6, 2010 9:56 PM

Thanks pod. I will try some in ground and some more in pots with bamboo sticks. Purslane and Moss Rose don't use much fert so might be good groundcovers for staked ones. All my sweet potato endeavors are an experiment.

Ditto ~ I have seen small wading pools at the dollar store and wondered how deep these need to grow. Will yours be in water?

I'm still trying to decide. I think it would have to be shallow for sure. Probably a trial and error thing this year.

Moofiepoo ~ this link says 5 plants per person should be sufficient. http://www.veggieharvest.com/Vegetable-Growing-Information/sweet-potato-growing-and-harvest-information/

Most of the SP I harvested last year were fairly close to the surface. The older/larger ones were deeper but I would guess maybe a foot/foot and a half deep.

Do they grow vertically or horizontally?

LOL - they were growing mostly vertically. The newer ones forming were diagonal. I grew one plant per sq ft and that was plenty of space for the taters. The crazy vines were another story though. If you can train the vines vertically all the better as they spread far and wide and root wherever they touch the ground...

Thank you... I was curious how deeply they would grow as to how shallow a container might work for me.

I have read that they recommend not letting the plant vines roots. To mulch deeply to prevent that so they make potatoes rather than more plants. Appreciate that information.

I envision the potato slip planted in neat little Sq. Ft. sections. As the vines get "longer?" I envision them wrapped around tall bamboo poles next to each vine. The end in the ground is where the potatoes will form, right?

Is mine an accurate vision for how this process happens? If so, there will be a very shady, nitrogen-depleted area inbetween each pole. This is pretty challenging to grow something in-between...

Linda

5 plants per person? I grow 50 plants for the two of us, and it's not enough! Perhaps the type I grow don't produce as many sweets as others.

Ok...a friend and I are just going to order slips from Burpee rather than grow slips at this stage of the game. Since I'm a 1st-timer, I don't know what to expect when I receive my order. Will I receive the slips minus the sweet potato? Podster has a great photo earlier in this thread, so I am trying to envision what I will receive, lol!

John - your sweets should/will come with planting directions. I wrapped the root ends of mine in damp paper towels overnight and set them the next morning.

They will look like long, skinny pencil thick thingies, and you'll think "this can't be right" - but don't worry - they'll grow!

I purchased mine from New Hope Seed and they were 12 inches long. I ordered 50 slips, they sent 59 and so far only two have failed.

Thanks Honeybee, I appreciate the details. At least I now have a better idea of what I am dealing with as far as the slips go.

Just thought of something - be sure you know which end are the roots (if there are no leaves) with mine, the root ends were paler than the other end.

Finally recieved notice they've shipped my sweet potatoes, that may be a good thing since we have a possible frost warning for Sun, and Mon. night. Ric

Podster, I realy like that website, but I couldn't close or move the ad in the middle. It covers all the main vegetables.

Been lurking....Lots of good info here, but I've not seen anything on growing them in straw. Has anyone actually tried it yet?

This message was edited May 8, 2010 3:04 PM

So, how long does it take for the sweeties to be ready for harvest? I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and wonder if the "no water for the last 4 weeks" would hold true here as well as the other, cooler, more humid places?

Crista - days to maturity depends on the variety. I just grow ones I find at the farmer's market. In general, most need 120 days or longer for a full harvest. You can plant them here until mid-July I believe. I never stopped watering mine last year and they were fine. If you plan to store them you need to let them cure in a dry place for a week or so to let the skins harden. The skins are somewhat thin/soft when you dig them up...

Kelly

Msrobin ~ I agree on that ad block but if you notice it doesn't cover the info. You can see what it covers at first and there is only the variety names.

When you asked if anyone had actually grown these in straw, I think not but by this time next year, may be a different story.

I'm curious anyone, how many taters can we expect from each plant?

All the need to know stuff is visable...I just want to know what's behind the box. LOL I flipped through some of the other vegetables. Pretty cool guide. I bookmarked it for later reference.

Ahhh... sorry ~ I'll bet you aren't on dial up. It gives me the full view till that ad loads. Another unbelieveable advantage to dial up. LOL

I wouldn't know how to act with high speed interent. lol! Nope, on wireless dial up and with that company that claims to have the most 3G coverage of all the companies. Well, we're so rural, that only 2G is available to us, so sometimes loading is really slow.

I found Beauregard sweet potato plants at Sothern States (a farm store) over a week ago and bought 3 nine packs. The ones I've been trying to root since early March finally have lots of little vines, but average only an inch long. have never had this much trouble rooting them before. Will be planting the big ones in the next few days.

I'm going to use that plastic netting fence around the other potatoes and start laying in the straw. Figured I'd try doing the same with the sweet potatoes after they grow a bit. They need to be fenced in anyway to keep the rabbits from eating them.

podster - I'm sorry about not answering Moofiepoos' question, but my answer would not have been helpful. I've never counted the number of sweets per plant, and it seems to vary from plant to plant.

I suspect growing conditions, the health of the individual plants, sunlight, water, fertilizer, etc., all play a part in the number and size of the sweets.

I only grow the "bush type" so perhaps they do not produce as many sweets as others.

I'm curious, when you said

podster - Hubby and I eat a sweet potato nearly every day, so I guess the answer is: "Close to 365". I don't eat white potatoes or rice as it elevates my blood sugar (I'm a type 2 diabetic) - and hubby gets stuck with eating what I eat because he's never learned how to cook :)

The sweets I grow don't last a full year, so I have to buy some, too.

I could eat a sweetie every day, too. they're really good for you...amazingly good for you!

Yes they certainly are! You got a sweet potato fries recipe you can share Linda?

We had sweet potato fries last Sunday but they were over-cooked a bit and so were a littled on the shriveled side. Since I was doing all the cooking for Mom Day I had too much going on (can't multi-task so well in the kitchen, LOL.)

I just covered them in olive oil, and then salt and pepper. Hopefully one of you has a good recipe.

Ronninger's has a yummy recipe for garlic fries, but I'm not sure how that would taste with Sweets.

I'm surprised the sweeties don't raise your sugar!
BTW, DON'T LET IT FROST ON YOUR VINES!!! That ruins the potatoes! When I was a jkid, we bought our slips and I had to help put them out. We used a hoe handle to make the hole they went in.
I like the very dark orange ones.

Doe41 - I'm glad the sweets don't raise my sugar - I eat a half one at a time, and the rest of my plate is covered with low-carb veggies and either chicken/fish/lean meat.

I grow Vardeman sweets and they are dark orange - I prepare them microwaved, then add a little salt and pepper.

Once fall rolls around, I keep a close eye on the weather report, and get the sweets out of the ground before they can be kissed by the first frost.

You have the right idea! My problem is I love butter on mine! I guess I could use Morton's Lite salt instead!

I just bought Vardeman sweets yesterday, Honeybee. A buddy of mine and I will split the 12 slips, and we chose Vardeman because it is a bush variety.

So, how long does the plant vine?

John - I have only grown the bush types: Vardeman and Puerto Rico. Of the two, I preferred the taste of Vardeman. They take up a lot of space! Goodness knows how much space the non-bush types take-up LOL

LOL - I had TWO plants try and take over a 4' x 4' bed last year. What fun trying to "train" the vines to grow this way or that way. Plus, they will root wherever they touch. The vines are light and airy though and I'm sure they could be trained upwards on a trellis to conserve space.

locakelly - you have probably read my posts regarding my battle to get rid of Burmuda grass... Last summer the Vardeman sweets fought the grass and WON!

As the season progressed, I found I had to step on the vines, there became no way to walk around them. I would let them grow up the fence, but I'm concerned that would encourage deer to jump into the garden. Why they haven't already done so, only they know.

I've read here on DG the leaves are edible - I'm waiting for them to get going, so I can try some.

Good to know, Honeybee/ loca. Here I was, thinking I would have a really compact plant! I will definately trellis the vines, which sound like they are easier to handle than squash vines which must be handled gingerly.