I may have a problem

[Ridgerunner]

I planted about 15 slips of Beauregard sweet potatoes about 10" apart in one row. Three feet to the side, I planted about 15 slips of Murasaki sweet potatoes, also 10 apart in that row. I left 5-1/2 feet outside of the rows to give them room to run. They ran as sweet potatoes will. Its a jungle in there.

I pulled the tops off one end Beauregard and got these this afternoon. I didnt dig, just got the ones right under the plant. That big fat one is about 9 long by 4 wide.

Hopefully that 10 spacing helped keep the sweet potatoes in the row under control. If they are all like this, I wont have enough room to cure them or store them, let alone us being able to eat this many. I give a lot of stuff to a food bank. They may be getting a bunch of sweet potatoes.

I guess some problems are nice to have.

Beauregards are pink on the outside and red inside. I have no idea why so much of these are black instead of pink. That black wont rub off. Does anyone have an idea on why they are black? Not that Im that worried. Ill eat them anyway. They are OK inside.

 

[baymule]

That's a good problem to have Ridgerunner. Why the black spots on your sweets? I have no idea. Sounds like you have a great harvest. It is the right thing to do to spread the wealth, so to say. Too many hungry people out there to let them go to waste. I knew I liked you for some reason....

 

[NwMtGardener]

Wow what a harvest!! Congrats!

 

[Smart Red]

Oh! Those look so yummy! I hope to give sweet potatoes a try here even though they may be iffy. They are one of my favorite veggies.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Had one for supper. Tasted great.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's great Ridge! I just love sweet potatoes! I've tried them a few times here, but my season just isn't conducive to great development.
I guess you'll just have to grow them for me!

 

[digitS']

Yay Ridgerunner!

They are one of my favorites, too!

~ sigh ~

Steve

 

[sumi]

What a wonderful "problem"! I'm growing sweet potatoes for the first time ever this summer. Can you send me some of your good grow vibes?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good vibes for sure Sumi. Sweet potatoes come in all kinds of skin colors and flesh colors. What are you planting?

I find sweet potatoes are among the easiest things to grow if you have the climate and room. They are definitely a warm weather crop and require a long warm growing season. Thats why Steve and others up north have challenges with them. They cant tolerate frost at all and wont grow unless the ground is warm.

Those slips are tough. They dont even need roots to start with. Some of us cut the slips in two if they are too long, strip the lower leaves on the top part, and plant that. If you keep it damp for a couple of weeks, it will grow and produce.

You only need to clean the weeds out a time or two. Once they start to run they mulch themselves.

Ive read that they tend to grow big if it is dry when they are making potatoes. Theyre more likely to be long and stringy if it is wet. That would hold true for me this year. It was wet here late June to mid-July, then quit raining. I only watered a couple of times, when the vines started to wilt in the heat of the day.

The closest Ive been to South Africa is Angola. I spent a few weeks in Lobito on a job. Id think you would have a great climate for sweet potatoes though you probably will have to water.

You probably know most of this already but you know me. I like to ramble.

 

[catjac1975]

Mine get that dark skin too. Perhaps the ones we are used to from the store have been treated to look perfect. I can store white potatoes all winter but, have not had any luck storing sweets.