It’s the end of August and time to dig my sweet potatoes. I will not grow them in a raised be again, and here’s why.
The other day I spent quite a bit of time digging up my sweet potatoes. My bright idea was to use my new, long Vegega garden bed to grow them. I had just filled it with lots of stuff, along with dirt, and it really wasn’t good for growing much. So, I figured why not use it for sweet potatoes?
That was not a bad idea, because I don’t really have ground space for them. But when it came time to dig them, I had to kneel and dig by hand. A pitchfork is generally used to dig potatoes, but in the bed I couldn’t do that. It was a job.
Time to dig (by hand)bucket of potatoesDrying on the porch
I planted the potatoes back in February. They’ve been growing for 6 months.
I’m hoping that I got all of them and it’s a nice little haul. Plenty of sweet potatoes for me. Now they have to dry in a humid location – no problem there – for about 10 days. This toughens the skin for storage, and sweetens the potatoes.
The other problem with sweet potatoes is that they last forever. I mean the ones left behind in the dirt. Even roots will continue to grow and I bet I will see sweet potato vines in this bed for years to come!
Thank you for reading. Here hare more garden stories for you.
Sweet potatoes are not difficult to grow where I live. In fact, once planted, they may be around forever.
I’ve dug my sweet potatoes, but little shoots keep on sprouting. I’m finding them in the garden, and in the walkways. Any parts of the original plant, that have been hidden underground (roots) continue to grow.
Sweet potato slipPotting mixCompostSlip is planted
Later…
Potted sweet potato
Sweet potato vines are popping up in my walkways. The roots are left from the sweet potatoes I grew in that box last year.
Sweet potato vinesSweet potato grow bags
Some of the vines have been added to fabric bags and one went into a pot (above).
I don’t think sweet potatoes are meant to grow over the winter. Pre-orders for slips take place during winter and the slips are shipped in Spring. They are a Spring-Summer crop. I will let these grow and see what happens. The leaves are edible and I will use them while I wait for the potatoes to grow.
The sweet potatoes I dug this year were small but I still have a few left to eat. Most were funny looking and not anything like what you buy in the store. But they taste delicious. One day I hope to have a raised bed just for sweet potatoes.
My sweet potato plant was ready to dig and I got a funny-looking, but excellent harvest.
Sweet potato slips were ordered and planted in my Florida yard this past April. I’ve read that they should be ready in 90 to 100 days. It’s August, and time to check for a crop.
One of the 12 slips, received back in April, was planted in a grow box. That plant did great! It had many vines sprawling everywhere all around the ground. I was able to eat the leaves in my salads as well. None of the other sweet potato plants, planted in the ground at the same time, look this nice.
Grow box – 1 slip planted
Grow box with sweet potato plant
Today, August 2, and it’s been over 100 days. I decided to dig and see if the potatoes were ready. The sweet potatoes (Beauregard variety) I harvested are not huge, but slim and long. I think they will be delicious!
The crooked ones formed because of the box. They were a bit packed in. This was not the ideal location to grow, but I’m happy with the amount that grew.
Sweet potato harvest!
The Dig
It is exciting to have a harvest that comes from underground. Gardeners are unable to really see what is growing until it’s time to dig.
I loosened the soil and reached in with my hands and found the biggest potatoes just under where the slip was planted.
PulledMore potatoes beneath the drain matDirt moved to pail and fabric bagRinsed box
The grow box was emptied of dirt, which was full of roots – and more sweet potatoes! When I pulled up the black drain piece, I found three more potatoes at the bottom.
While pulling up the vines, many had rooted in the ground. I found a few more small potatoes while doing that. I’m emptying the box to create a better system for drainage. It also needs new dirt and amendments for whatever is planted next.
All the vines went into my Vegega raised bed. I’m using it as a compost pile until I can get some dirt. All these nice vines will help fill it.
Ground root sweet potatoFilling Vegega bed
Buying Sweet Potato Slips to Plant
Sweet potatoes grow from slips, which are little plants that are set into the ground. Nurseries grow them and ship them out when it’s time to plant in your location.
This past year I ordered from Annies Heirloom Seeds. I did not know when the plants would arrive. Minimum order was 12 slips, which I really didn’t have space for. Of course with my luck, they arrived right before I left for vacation for 2 weeks! I had company and then I flew north. I barely had time to get them into the ground, and a few I didn’t.
It was hot and rain-free while I was away – of course – and I couldn’t care for the little seedlings like I should have. Currently, I have only 7 more plants growing. They need longer to form the potatoes, so I’ll check them later in the season.
I plan to buy my sweet potato slips from SESE in December, which is when pre-ordering begins. I like that I can get only 6 slips instead of the 12 (minimum) at Annies. They ship to various locations when it’s time to plant and ship from mid-May to June. I plan to have some good beds or ground areas ready by then. This next year, I will be ready!
Curing Sweet Potatoes
I had to search for info on curing the potatoes and found it at Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They have a page full of information, if you are wondering about how to care for slips, plant, grow, harvest and cure sweet potatoes.
They need heat, and they grow very well here in Florida, so northerners probably can’t grow them. I’d like to know.
To Cure: Let dry outside, shake off excess dirt (don’t rinse or damage the skin), and place in a humid environment (no problem there!) for 7-10 days. For long term storage, keep in a cool area away from light. Click the link above for full page of information.
Curing on the porchSun for less than 30 mins
I look forward to eating these potatoes. The garden is not giving me many crops in this heat, so finally having food is awesome!
Hydrangeas Blue 