sweet potatoes 2011

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #135 on: September 01, 2011, 19:12 »
Sadly, the plants can't continue to grow in low temps. I'd let the leaves finish dying off then harvest what's there.

Next year, you might consider making a portable cold frame with say clear plastic 'walls', then line it with the plastic bubble wrap for more insulation. I think that might extend your growing time a few more precious weeks. It's what I'd do.

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mumofstig

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #136 on: September 01, 2011, 19:32 »
If I need to do that even inside the greenhouse  :ohmy: then I doubt I'll  be trying to grow them again :(

We'll see what's there when they've died back

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Thephoenix572

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #137 on: September 06, 2011, 19:59 »
When should I be digging up my sweet potatoes? I've already had to earth them up a couple of times and how are they stored?
All the way from my allotment in beautiful Derbyshire. I'm in year 3 of my allotment and wish I'd caught the bug years ago, things growing from strength to strength

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #138 on: September 07, 2011, 02:53 »
I'm surprised you're earthing them up as they're not regular potatoes. On storage, here's some repeat info from an earlier posting on this thread.

This bit from Iowa State Univ. covers it better than I can:

Sweet potatoes should be harvested just before or after a vine killing frost. Dig roots carefully to avoid skinning or bruising the roots. Before storing cure the sweet potatoes to promote healing of wounds and improve flavor. Place the sweet potatoes in an area with a temperature of 80 to 85 F and high relative humidity for approximately 10 days. A high relative humidity can be provided by placing the roots in storage crates or boxes and covering them with paper or heavy cloth. Packing in perforated plastic bags will also keep humidity high. Roots can also be cured near a furnace for 2 to 3 weeks. Once cured, store roots in a dark location with temperatures of 55 to 60 F. Good storage results can be obtained by wrapping cured sweet potatoes in newspaper and storing them in a cool closet. Freezing or canning are other storage alternatives.

Note that it doesn't say anything about needing to cure in the sun, just high humidity. One no-no is to store them in cellars or outdoor sheds which are often too cool. Closets should work just fine.

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fiano60

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #139 on: September 11, 2011, 09:58 »
Hi everyone hope your crops turned out well or if not dug that they will be great.
Have been doing a lot of research into sweet potatos came across this post thought
 might ask a question or put my 2 pennies worth
Im going with organic to produce my slips only because im assuming they will have no growth inhibitor on them not allowed I would have thought.
I also discovered that you can cut the really long stems into 6 or 7in length and as long as you plant them the right way up in a pot with compost in
 Sorry to be long winded
                                                                ;)Fiona

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JayG

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #140 on: September 11, 2011, 10:24 »
I'm still waiting for the forest of foliage to die back, which doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon!

Will post a pic of the results (embarrassing or otherwise!)  :unsure:
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

One of the best things about being an orang-utan is the fact that you don't lose your good looks as you get older

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Bing

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #141 on: September 22, 2011, 17:29 »
mine were under plastic sheet since early April digged two out and they were finger sized! not worth to try again
Rain at night, sunshine all day long!

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Thephoenix572

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #142 on: September 23, 2011, 20:28 »
Thry grow really well in a greenhouse, I can see where the plant centre is, that it is riding up and sweet potatoes are poking through the surface

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mumofstig

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #143 on: September 27, 2011, 20:12 »
As I said at the end of August my plants were dying back, so I tipped them out of the basket they were growing in.

I can't do a pic, cos I've lost the camera cable!  ::) but they weighed in at 4lb 3oz. from 2 plants.

3 were like decent sized jacket spuds (but not enormous ones  ) the rest are like skinny and knobbly like Pink Fir Apple spuds, so I'll probably cook those like wedges with a touch of spice
I think they needed a deeper container, though cos they were making roots out of the bottom of the basket, and better watering, as the compost was like dust at the bottom :(



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gillian62

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #144 on: October 17, 2011, 11:23 »
My bought slips haven't come to anything this year.  Is there a way of preserving them - they only have very short length of leaves, probably 12" - so that I can use them for next years slip?

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Trillium

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #145 on: October 17, 2011, 20:19 »
I haven't done it before myself, but I can't see why potting up the slips and keeping them in a cool but frost free place wouldn't work. Heat makes them grow, cool weather keeps them stagnant, so this should work. Just give a bit of water from time to time to keep up growth, but no fertilizers, manures, etc as you don't want to encourage growth right now.

And I can't stress enough that their resting place must be frost free.

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gillian62

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #146 on: October 18, 2011, 18:24 »
Thanks for the advice.  I've really nothing to lose so it's worth a go I think.

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drizabone

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #147 on: October 19, 2011, 09:12 »
Great advice, I grew some this year as an experiment, bought as grown slips from Sutton's, put in a largish rubble sack June time, they had been growing fine until yesterday when it got cold enough to blacken the tips. I will pour them out this evening and report back on success or not.

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JayG

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #148 on: October 19, 2011, 17:05 »
Decided today would be the day of reckoning for my sweet potatoes.  :unsure:

Total weight 5lb 12oz (about 2.6kg) from 2 slips grown using re-used multipurpose compost with added Growmore in 2 rolled-down compost bags.

A few of decent size, but none as large as the original potato, and most only about thumb thickness (quite a big thumb though!)  :tongue2:

Am I impressed? Dunno, never grown them before, although at a cost of 50p for the potato and next to nothing otherwise I can't be too disappointed!

What do they taste like? Ditto (I've clearly got to try and find a way of cooking them in their skins and I think Trillium has said something about maturing them first, although they might be a bit small for that!)

Thanks to Trillium for her efforts at trying to keep us all pointing in the right direction, although I think the jury is probably still out regarding whether I somehow wandered off in the wrong direction at some point!  :lol:
Sweet potatoes 19-10-2011.JPG
« Last Edit: October 22, 2011, 09:13 by JayG »

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stompy

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Re: sweet potatoes 2011
« Reply #149 on: October 20, 2011, 08:32 »
It looks like a bowl of baby rabits.  :lol:  :lol:  ::)



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