Help with sweet potatoes and potatoes in general

HI, new here. Love this forum. I have been reading every day. A little info on my garden before I ask the question.(by the way, aren't gardeners like dog owners? Everyone wants to talk about their own-ha) Anyway, I have put in many raised beds this year. We live in the country and space is not a problem but our perfect garden spot(sun exposure) used to have christmas trees for 15 plus years and would not grow a good garden. So we made the raised beds.

Now I want to plant sweet potatoes-have ordered the slips-and seed potatoes. I have read about growing them in straw. Since our soil is not so great, I thought this would be the best method. (not or the slips-just the seeds) I am reserving one box for the slips. Has anyone had good luck with the straw method. What I read, said you direct seed on the ground but layer over the potatoes with straw and manure. Now I am reading that manure can cause scab. Can I use my potting mix compost instead of manure? I can also try working in my potting mix compost in the poor dirt and hilling them instead of the straw. Just not sure which way to go.

Any help would be appreciated. We are in Oregon. No frost now.

PS one more ? I have read that the potatoes should be held in the dark and warmed so that they start to sprout. I don't want to wait that long as I want to get them in now. Some of the potatoes have sprouted but some have very tight little eyes. Is that a problem? The ones that have no sprouts are three different fingerling varieties.


Thanks so much.

bulldog girl-Yes we raise bulldogs. ; )

First of all sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes are entirely different. It may be cool enough in Oregon to grow Irish potaoes in the summer, but they are definitely a cool weather crop that does not tolerate heat. If it is cool enough, the straw method( lazy bedding) works well. Fresh manure, especially horse manure, does stimulate scab. Well composted cow manure seems to work ok. Chicken manure has too high a proportion of Nitrate, and tends to produce huge vines and few potatoes. I do cut Irish potatoes to two eyes per piece and give them a day or so to scab over before planting. I do not attempt to pre-sprout or chit tho many folks do.

Sweet potatoes are a hot weather crop. They really take off about the time Irish potatoes keel over from the heat. They have few requirements other than a loose soil, heat and space.

Thanks so much FarmerDill. We do have cooler temps in the summer. Usually in the 80's and rain at times. Not too many above 90 days. If we do get some hot weather would it be ok to move my cloches over them with shade cloth-for the Irish taties?

Probably, but if get rain and temps don't stay above 90 on consecutive weeks you should be fine. Mine don't quit until untill temps push 100 in June. On the other hand sweet potatoes thrive in 100 degree temps.