Summer/Fall Gardens 2015 Pt 5

well this is all of the sweet potatoes that im going to get this year despite having planted 3 vines. Its my own fault really, though, because i made a rather poor choice of location when i planted them. Next year the slips are going to be planted in some huge deep containers so i can have more control over their conditions.

Sweet potatoes are so simple to grow. I planted 500 slips. All I do is stick them into a plastic mulched row, 27" apart. Weed between rows & start digging them up now.
One row is just about all dug. Biggest tater so far, 4lb 4 oz.
Got about 6 tubs off that one row.

WOW, Bernie,
I can only PRAY for such a harvest from one row!

My sweetie bed is still very, very green. The leaves are just swaying peacefully in the wind, looking great. A very few right around the edges have started turning yellow, but the majority of the bed is still green. The pic below was taken on 09/04/15, and, the leaves have grown bigger since then.I should start digging them up when the majority of the leaves have turned yellow and/or have died back, yes? This is my first time growing them, so I'm not sure.

Also, our temps here are just showing signs of fall around the corner. Evenings and nights are averaging in the mid-70s to the high 60s. Very comfortable to be out in the evenings, but, no chill in the air just yet, so I imagine I have a ways to go. I'm thinking sometime around late November to mid-December before the temps drop to where it will kill the vines.

LMK.

Again, beautiful harvest! And, thank you for confirming that sweeties are so simple to grow! NEXT season (when can I start again?) I hope to grow TWO beds of sweeties!

Hugs!

yep, my plants pretty much sprawled around without much effort on my part as well, they were just very lacking as far as actual spuds go, it was mostly just all a network of spaghetti roots. Im thinking it was my planting them in partial shade (i didnt really have any other place left to put them)

Berni do you have a drip line under the row mulch or do tou drip from the top?

jmc1987,
I have the same situation as you do. I'm hoping the bed they're in is giving them adequate sunlight.

Holding my breath on that network of spaghetti roots I see!!!

I was very happy today when I harvested a full basket of long beans. This is the 3rd this week.
It has been very hot still and the long beans love it !
I will keep the plants until my kale are ready.

My pepper plants are taller than me. They are starting to produce tons of fruit. I will keep them in the ground until the freeze. I hope to have some colored peppers.
Lettuce is germinating really fast now and soon I will have a "lettuce forest"
Broccoli and cabbages are growing very well.
Today I direct seeded radishes.

On October 12 I will plant garlic.

had no idea that pepper plants could even get that big

Its under the plastic, but never used any this year. It rained perfectly all summer!

jmc1987
this is the first time that my pepper plants get so big !!!
It is a new area too !

Peppers are actually perennials. They are usually grown as annuals bc they will freeze. Many of the natives come back every year tho.

I've seen more really big pepper plants this year, I don't know what the difference is tho.

Hey, Bernie, et al!

Saturday I pulled back some of the leaves in the sweetie bed, and discovered several thumb-sized tubers were growing above ground. I also felt around one growing underground that was about 5" x 3-1/2". It's partially exposed, but I covered it back after I felt around it.

My question is this:

Should I attempt to cover the tubers growing above the ground at this point? Will they continue to grow and make a decent sized sweetie if I do, or should I just leave them alone?
Our weather here will be temperate until around mid-December. Not anticipating any "killing" freeze until the end of December or so.

Finally, how do I sneak a few out, without disturbing the growing vines? I've been told we can grow them practically year-round here.

Thanks!

i took one off of my vine prematurely by digging away some of the top soil with my hands, and just breaking it off of the root system, and pushed the soil back in.

Im no expert on it myself, but i imagine they will keep growing so long as they are attached?

OK, JMC1987.

Thanks!

One more question. Did you cook and eat your sweetie immediately? Do I have to cure the ones I rob here and there? I just want one or two for now.

You don't have to cure them, but older, cured sweet potatoes are sweeter and drier.

Thanks, NicoleC!

I put the one I robbed yesterday on the shelf in a dark, cool hallway (75°-85°). I think 5 days? oughtta do it?

I don't think 5 days will make a difference, taste-wise. It's kinda like winter squash: you cure them so they store longer, and the longer they store the drier they get. The drier they get, the sweeter they are.

from what i hear, sweets need curing in hot and humid

Oh, OK! Thanks!

Final question. Should I dump some more soil on top of the sweeties growing above ground? I believe I have approximately 90-110 days left before any killing frosts. I can always cover the beds with the perforated plastic hoop covers in the event of a freaky overnight frost.

LMK!

Thanks!

AFAIK the plants won't care. But hungry critters might (more easily) enjoy the buffet if you don't.

Going to take the sweet potato that was beaten up the most while i was digging it up, and bake it to go with dinner this evening. Check out that color on the inside!

I pulled three sweeties over the weekend. Total was 1.125 lbs. Nuked 'em and added a little butter.

Nice.

Been reading up on something called "scurf?" that can affect the crop. Haven't seen evidence of any abnormality in the bed, but, have observed the foliage has slowed down tremendously, and looks like it might just be starting to die down.

I'm thinking I can leave them in another 4-6 weeks at the most. So excited about what might be down there! Got a couple that are still above ground. Hoping they'll put on some heft.

Hugs!

Biggest one for me so far is 4Lb, 4 oz.
They have been selling like crazy.

I'm so happy with my helper at market this year, I had to get a picture of her.
She is a senior in collage. Hard worker & always on time.

Bernie,
I can only pray for a 4 pounder, LOL! But, you never know what's underground, till you dig 'em up, huh? It might be there!

Glad you've got a reliable helper. These days, that's PRICELESS!!!

first batch of turnip greens, had to pluck a few plants out to give the others room to grow some nice fat roots. Im thinking fried turnip greens and chicken are in my future some time soon ;) lol

This message was edited Oct 6, 2015 7:58 PM

We recently had fried turnips/onions & potatoes. My turnips are just getting the size to start harvesting. What a treat! Still finding a tomatoe now and again, plenty of peppers and the pole beans are still producing. Radishes are ready to pull and luckily I found a volunteer cucumber for the cole slaw for supper.

I'll hope to get stringing some cayenne peppers soon, and it's about time I make more end of the garden relish.

Will certainly miss running to the garden to get this veggie or that veggie. What a convenience.

The strawberry plants could use a little more compost and another watchful eye for any weeds that are lurking. Best I get busy....

Happy gardening..............

Brenda, what is the temperature in your area?

I might have harvested the last long beans ! They are so good!
Swiss Chard is starting to get bigger and the peppers to turn colors.
Pepper plants are just loaded with green peppers. The best plant this year was RED MARCONI.

I have never grown those long beans. Are they crisp to snap and cook and taste? like standard green beans like blue Lakes or Kentucky wonder.?

The long beans are not crispy to snap.
They are very tender and very sweet. They need to be harvested young.
They love the heat, hotter is better.
These are the only beans I grow because they are the only one I like.
Plus they are the only one I can see ... since they are red !
You should try the: RED NOODLE variety.

We may have had enough heat this year but usually the summer is in the high 60's low 70's. Think I will try it.

I think they like it hotter. Our summer is 90-100s

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FALL/WINTER GARDENS 2016 Pt 1
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1407044/

This message was edited Oct 7, 2015 9:38 AM