Hello,
You are all going to think I am crazy to say this is a crisis, but......
I cancelled an order for 200 sweet potatoe plants and the company sent them to me anyway. When I called to tell them I cancelled they said, "Well, we didn't charge you for them so keep them." Now I do not have space in the gardens to plant them.
Can I plant them in raised beds? I don't even want to think about how big the beds will have to be for 200 slips, but I have to plant them somewhere!
Any ideas? The winning suggestions will receive 10 lbs of FREE sweet potatoes in the Fall! lol
Thank you,
Susan
Another Crisis, PLEASE HELP!
Check out straw-bale gardening for them and just keep piling on the straw and see what you end up with :)
Wife wants me to offer to take a couple off your hands, but that would be a really long drive for the day for a couple plants! LOL
I want to be sure what I do is going to work, I don't want to plant 200 plants and get no potatoes. If I dont get them all planted I will gladly send you some.
Thanks,
Susan
At this point you don't have anything to lose. I'd turn up every little space I could find. Are some of your aisles between rows a little wider than needed. Maybe you could till down the middle and just step on a few runners as you harvest the other crops. Maybe you have a row of something that will be finished soon and you could plant right beside it so by the time the taters start spreading, the other crop can come out. What about out beside the road, good weed control you know. Good Luck.
i really don't have advice, but would be willing to take some off your hands.... I grow red potatoes in a raised bed.. I just till, lay out the slips and cover them with straw.. i believe they will grow in the compost pile as well but I am not sure sweet potatoes grow the same way, havn't tried to grow them yet..
-joe-
Well, I'll tell you what I did last year...
I thought the place I had ordered slips from had forgotten to send them, so I planted something else where I had intended for the slips to be set. Then the slips arrived!
I placed some 40lb bags of potting soil on top of the grass, cut three X's in each bag and put in the slips. I said to the slips "you are on your own!" To my surprise we had an ample supply of sweet potatos.
This year, I waited for the slips to arrive - I wonder how many potatoes we'll get planting them the "right way?"
So did I win? (Just kidding - if you grow too many to eat, donate the surplus to a local non-profit organization that feeds the homeless)
You could also check into whether you have a community garden in your area that might be happy to take some of your slips off your hands.
Susan,
I've planted sweet potatoes and 200 slips could feed a town. Last year my husband planted 24 for the three of us and I even had enough to give some to my mother. NatureLover has a good idea especially since they are free to you. Do you know people at work, church or even some of your buddies that would love to have them? I wouldn't want to waste so much of my summer taking care of plants and WEEDING them when they would produce more food than my family could eat even if we only ate sweet potatoes. Think it over Susan, how do you really want to spend this summer? Besides you'll have a fun bond to share with the people you give plants to. Good luck.
If you have a local listing on craigslist.org you could offer some of them under the "free" catagory.
katie
Thanks everyone. Great tips. I am keeping them and planting. We have a farm business started this year and I will be selling them just a bit paniced about where to put them. I am a pretty determined person so I will find a place.
Will keep youy all posted.
Susan