Sweet Potato Question?

Hi All,This is my first year attempt as raising my own sweet potatoes.Georgia Jets The vines sure do make the garden pretty but boy do they vine out all over the garden!!.I have had people tell me to make sure the vines as they are spreading do not anchor into the ground as it makes them yield less?Is this true?I don't want to go in there and mess anything up.Any tricks or tips anyone can share?Thanks!! Cedar

I plant sweet potatoes on lists and never disturb the vines. However if grown flat, they will put dowm feeder roots from the vine and start little potatoes. Does not seem to affect the yield but it is inconvenient to have little potatoes spread over a 4 to six foot area. This what mine looks like this time of year.

Farmerdill,Now Those are sweet potatoes!!.They really look nice.I think I will just leave mine alone and see what I get.The worst senario would be I will need to dig a little more all over! Thanks for the advice! Cedar

I don't disturb the vines either and get very nice sized tubers. What a job that would be if you raise very many!!


I don't hunt or find potatoes out there in the vine area either.

This message was edited Aug 3, 2006 1:27 PM

Thanks Indy,I have 12 plants so I hope they produce good crop. People are depending on me to supply the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving Dinner! I am still not certain .... when is the time to dig them??Do they have any indication as to when they are ready??Thanks Again Indy!! Cedar

Wouldn't a paper or heavy straw mulch keep them from re-rooting?

Farmerdill said

cedar, They keep on growing, Perennial in frost free climates. I try to dig mine in October, but when I lived in Virginia, They were dug at first frost. Use to have to go out on a frosty morning and remove vines. Once the vines blacken it will affect the potatoes. Cut the frost bitten vines off immediately and you can did at a more leisurely pace.


Darius a list is a row about 12 inches wide and elevated about 4-6 inches above the surrounding soil. Used to make them by throwing 2 furrows together with a 2 horse plow. Today we use listers.

Thanks for the explanation! I hope to grow some sweet potatoes next year.

darius, I'm sure you already know about Sand Hill Preservation...? They have more old sweet potato cultivars than I've seen anywhere else. http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/sweet_potatoes.html

I've tried some of those old varieties. I love the yellow Nancy Hall. The white Ivis [I believe that is what I got] produces super well. The purple skinned Violeta is white inside but very long and skinny. I have tried some orange ones. Beauregard is the best of them so far although I don't like orange ones all that well.

Zeppy I did, then forgot LOL. Thanks for the link.

Thanks farmerdill,I will do just that.Thanks so much for being so helpful.I guess it helps to find someone experienced as you are.I certainly appreciate the advice.

Zeppy,I peeked at the site you told Darius about.They certainly do have a nice selection!Guess if I have good luck with the ones I have this year I will need to make my garden a whole lot bigger next year!Thanks!!

Cedar

Sweet Potato Question, Last year I planted ornamental sweet potatoes in my window boxes. When I cleaned them out I had potatoes. I kept a few over winter and used them to start new ones this year. Question is can I eat the potatoes?

Yes, they may be of poor quality but they certainly won't poison you. Ornamentals were not bred for quality or quantity of roots. That said some of the commercial cultivars have vines that could be considered ornamental.