Ornamental Sweet Potatoes

I know, I'm going to try and save what I can too. It's better than nothing. I can't get over how much they are and how easy they are to grow.

I have new starts in a lot of styrofoam cups. They do start easy in water and potting mix both. As house plants. I got one very small tuber on one of mine. The rest were a lot of fiberous roots. I have some I am trying to keep in dormancy and then a lot in the kitchen.

Jeanette

I didn't have a very good year either.
I did get enough tubers from my Blackies the White tubers but only one tiny root from the ones that were to be red.
There is still next year. The Lord willing, it will be a much nicer spring.
No matter that I didn't get any tubers from those. I still want to thank you; Holly. For the trade.
I will have to buy some new, sweet caroline's and a couple others,
I will also be making some planters so I can control the weeds better. That way I can concentrate more time on other projects.
Jeanette; Glad to hear that you got some ornamental tubers.
I hope that you too have a much better spring in 09.
Russ

Russ, Yes I too enjoyed the trade even though the ground hog got all my SP and OSP that were planted in the garden. Only a few in the deck boxes and pots escaped and they didn't produce much.

Holly; On my regular SPs, I did get a crop. They weren't as big as I had hoped but the bad year and late planting was probably the cause.
I raised 4 different kinds. The newest kind to my garden was the bush type, Vardaman. It's not totally vine less, but they don't get as long.
I had the rows about 3 ' apart and the plants about 1-1/2' to 2' apart.
Couldn't really see the space between each plant but I could see a divide between the rows.
I will try them again, in hopes of a good year and check again for size.
Some were fine but we have a lot that are like mini carrots.
The number of taders per hill was really good. Just the size is all I wasn't thrilled about.
Oh just have to tell you guys, I tried a varied recipe on them.
Improvised a little, might be more like it.
I put them in a cake pan lined with aluminum foil, put some butter on them and a few shakes of ground ginger and1 or 2 shakes of ground cloves. covered every thing with the foil and kind of sealed the edges. Baked them at 375 degrees untill they were tender. Barb even agreed that they were just the best ever. Nearly broke my arm, patting my own back, lol
It is one way I will repeat often

I guess I am going to have to try that one Russ. Sounds odd tho. LOL

Jeanette

That sounds very good guess I'll have to "buy" my SP. LOL

Mmmm... got some in the drawer that I'll have to try *that* on!

I'm surprised others didn't have a good OSP year - this was my first in the ground and they did great (I'm not boasting, honest - more surprised!). So, the big vine out front got frosted already, so I cut off the leaves and covered the area with a bunch of straw.

Whaddya think, will any make it?

Sheryl; You would have a better chance of the tubers surviving over winter that way than I would here in zone 4. This spring I did have 2 S/Ps come up as volunteers. Evidently a couple good roots or tubers that were deep enough, and that I missed. So no guarantees, but possible.

We had a very late and wet spring, which delayed planting. Our good warm weather was below normal. That combined with a shorter time between when we could plant and the first frost, really cut into the number of days needed for good uniformed tubers.
The Centenials must not need quite as many days as the Vardaman, which says they should have 110 days.
I am happy with I did get, as the little ones don't need to be cut down to size to fit in the pan. LOL
I had about 70 plants, so we have plenty. We gave some to the Gospel Mission, some to older folks than us, who can no longer garden and some just to share with friends. We are taking some to our daughter in Ohio this next week, as they have just decided that they now like sweet potatoes. This is after nearly 40 years of not liking veggies. ( I'm chuckling to myself again ) Amazing, they are starting to eat what we tried to feed them all along.
Here we are with our 17th great grandchild.

Look at you!!! Seventeen? Congratulations!

Pagancat, I'm Zone 6 and have never tried to overwinter OSP in the ground I wouldn't think they would make it but have never tried and with a good heavy layer of mulch over them????
Russ I think that is the first picture of you and Barb I've ever seen. Such a nice picture and with a new great grandbaby. WOW #17. Ric and I have 2 grandchildren and another one due next month.

Best wishes on your new one, Holly!

I can't remember if it was this thread or somewhere else (this is a llllooooooonnnng thread!) but someone in Georgia or NC (I think) said their's overwintered in the ground.

We kinda go between 6b and 7a, depending on the winter, I guess ... but with as many as I have in the basement under lights right now, it's worth the chance.

Maybe I should add another layer....

Yes I remember that someone did last year I think, they may have been Zone 7. But you never know and Micro-climes can give you a boost as well. Certainly worth a try. Let me know how you do.

Will do!

After talking with Jeanett ( zone 5 in Wa ) I think we put too much emphasis on the zone number. I think it would be a better choice if the planting zones included the length of growing season and the depth of winter frost. Also how often bad weather interferes with growing tender plants.
It seemed as though the weather here ( zone 4 ) was better than
(zone 5) in WA. But I still thought it was lousy compared to other years.
That is of course for growing things that need 100 days or more to mature. Such as water melons and sweet potatoes. We even had trouble with tomatoes, because of a very cool & wet spring. and not the normal several weeks of 90 + temps.
Mind you I'm not complaining about it. It is just that we have to get used to our own location in a zone, and go with that knowledge.
We spent about 9 Months in Phoenix I tried to grow my own tomatoes , on an Iowa schedule. I still laugh at that attempt.
I grew some vines LOL

What a great picture Russ!! Boy, I can see why you can plant such a big garden. It is really keeping you fit. Barb is really looking good too. I don't know how long ago the first picture of you guys was taken but she hasn't changed a bit. How is she doing anyway? Any more problems with her health? Back wasn't it? How is Connie? You haven't said any lately about any trouble so am assuming she is about the same?

You talking about the weather here must have jinxed us Russ. That is why I haven't been on earlier. It snowed most of the day here so the computer has been down. Ever since I got this satellite system it goes down at the drop of a hat. errrr snowflake.

I don't think the snow is going to hang around long, but then it was 24 degrees last night, so it might be ready to do just that.

Jeanette

I also think that in some cases it is more of the winter wet than the winter cold that kills some types of plants. I took a good look at the back yard last winter all the little dips and valleys where the water stands. One of them was the little flower bed right next to the gazebo.

I think you're absolutely correct about that one, Holly.

Well it got down to 32 here, don't expect it to go above 38 today.
Barb has a bad cough yet. I think it was set off with some of the medication and the Drs. are finally coming around to that now to.
I don't doubt that an alergy of some kind is still prompting it to hang on this long but we are trying our best to beat it.
Connie is about the same. She has gone out to live with her sister, in Ohio.

You know Russ, years ago I had that danged cough, just a little one with the throat tickle, that hung on and hung on. Couldn't get rid of it for anything. Finally the dr. gave me an anti-biotic and that took care of it.

I am sure Barb has had anti-biotics for one thing or the other, maybe not the right one for that. I know how frustrating it is to not be able to get rid of it.

Jeanette

She has tried three different antibiotics three different inhalers, chest
X Ray, MRI, Upper GI, family Dr., allergist,and a pulminary specialist.
It is really wearing her down. She is in the recliner now, fast asleep.
Well she needs to rest, so she can keep up her strength.
She kind of wants to wait on any drug changes untill after the first of the year as some of the new name brand drugs would simply take all the money coming in. She is in that doughnut hole, with the drug coverage.
I have her taking a little vinegar with honey and lemon right now and that seems to give her some relief.
So January can't come any too soon.

*bump* isn't it time to get these going?

Started mine. I have one that is rooting and one that is rotting. Not happy about the one that is rotting - it is a tri color

Hey it sure is time to get thing cranked up. I have some sprouts showing on the table variety Sp's. No Ornamentals yet. I think I have a little more time though as this morning when I awoke the temp was 25 and there was freezing mist, making every thing very slick. It is snowing now and the temp has dropped to 12 F.
What can I say though, It is March & zone four Brrrr!
Russ

Carolyn; Is there enough there that you can cut the rotting part off and support the rest just above the water level in a class or dish with tooth picks. That may save what you have left. I have done that a time or two.Russ

Russ - Thought of that and I am doing that right now - it's rotting anyway. Oh well -

If I can get my Marguerite to sprout, I'll be happy. She's putting out some roots.

Sometimes that just happens and has gone to far. I did have one once that I just put the whole thing in damp sand and it gave off a couple sprouts before it gave up. Even that always work.Hate it when that happens.
Russ

What should I do with it? Take it out of my paper bag and just put it in dirt?

Lili

put it in the water. You want to put it into a dish on it's side about half way up the tuber. Then you should start to see roots and then shoots. If you check out the links above - apparenlty you can root the new shoots. I haven't any shoots yet. It's only been long enough for one to send out some roots and the other to rot.

(I was so excited when I found this thread)

I am lagging behind this year. I did start a new thread a couple of weeks ago with a link to this one, just to remind everyone that it was time to get started. Haven't even gotten my potatoes out yet to see how they overwintered but I did get my room and light stand cleaned up. Hopefully I will have all my plant plugs up potted and seeds started and Potatoes rooting by the weekend.
Lili, Wash it off and put it in water, only partially submerged. Go to the top of this thread and read the first several posts. It will walk you though the process step by step. Let us know if you have any more questions.

Holly, I have this one marked, can you link the other one from here?
thanks
dawn

Dawn

that is here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/951235/

thanks, I have now marked it was watched!
dawn