Bumper sweet potato crop up north

[HunkieDorie23]

Thanks for the advise. We have a couple of nights in the 50's so no chance for a frost anytime soon. I will watch them.

 

[catjac1975]

I am trying to figure out when to dig mine. The vines are still green and looking great ( I think this is my first go round with sweet potatoes. Do I have to wait until they die down???? It has been really hot and dry this year but I kept them watered. Do I have to wait for a frost?

They are not like white potatoes where you wait until they die back. I just dug a lot today and I think I may have waited too long. The potatoes are gigantic. Not all but WAY TOO BIG. Try digging one hill and see how they look. I would think if mine are too big your might be even more so. Mine are nearly sticking out of the ground. If you have a frost they may damage the potatoes. I used to give the vines to the chickens but then someone said they were poisonous. I think that they did not try them. They are also easier to find when the vines are still green. I have let them die from frost and I think the potatoes were still fine. My problem is preparing for storage. I did well last year so hopefully they will do well again.

 

[catjac1975]

Interesting website. I am surprised that we had more growing degree days than normal, but we did have some very hot days in the spring and fall (I only remember those because my classroom was an oven!).

We are not far from Augusta, - only a little cooler. Now you can spend the winter dreaming about which sweet potato variety to try first.....

I buy mine from Steele plant co. They have a northern collection of 4 varieties. Beauregard do the best for me.

 

[Smart Red]

Watched an excellent show about growing sweet potatoes in Wisconsin. Had a reference to what he called the best sweet potato expert living in Champagne Urbana and working at the University of Northern Illinois. I'll find the URL for the PBS video later tonight. (done)

Anyhow, what the expert said was that once the frost hits sweet potato plants the potatoes MUST be dug. The frost blackens the leaves and the damage continues down the stems to the roots. Once the damage reaches the roots, there is damage to the spuds and any attempt at storage is iffy.

So, dig them before a frost or get them out of the garden asap after a leaf blackening frost.

 

[Smart Red]

Cat, for storage, he told what the sweet potato industry says to do and then what he does. Read up about it and you'll find that sweet potatoes need to be cured at 80 degrees. What he does is cure them under his kitchen table where it is closer to 70 degrees (F) and has no problems.

 

[catjac1975]

Thanks, Red!

 

[so lucky]

We dug our sweet potatoes today. Not as many as last year, but more large ones, so I am happy with that. No spiders that I saw, anyway.

 

[so lucky]

That was a very informative video. Thanks, Red. I like the idea of growing them on black plastic. I noticed that the vines on mine took root several places as they sprawled, and there were sometimes tiny potatoes on those vines. I bet the black plastic would help the plants put more energy into growing larger potatoes, not more tiny ones. So that would be a good thing.

 

[catjac1975]

That was a very informative video. Thanks, Red. I like the idea of growing them on black plastic. I noticed that the vines on mine took root several places as they sprawled, and there were sometimes tiny potatoes on those vines. I bet the black plastic would help the plants put more energy into growing larger potatoes, not more tiny ones. So that would be a good thing.

Regarding the vines growing more tiny potatoes. So...In the south, do you get more potatoes from these rooted spots along the vine?

 

[buckabucka]

Interesting question, cat. I always read that you must stop those rooted spots from developing, but of course, all my reading has been about growing in the north....