Do we have a Sweet Potato fancier in residence here?

[Shortcut Slim]

Very helpful post @zendog I was also looking at Garnet and Nancy Hall. Nancy Hall is one that Sandill lost but is getting back from another sweet potato conservator. I know there are good vendors out there (ncluding tatorman.com who has some great offerings) but I have this special place in my heart for Sandhill for numerous reasons..but that is beside the point. I know lots of people buy from the grocery store and Asian markets as you stated),and that's fine. We buy the bulk of our vegetables in the same place (except for summer when the farmers markets are open,or we didn't plant).

I know that a significant amount of sweet potato nutrition is in the skins (like so many things) so I would prefer to know mine were grown organically.Good point about eating the leaves,as they are nutritious as well and do have a flavor similar to spinach although stronger. The wife really enjoys the greens and that is a definite plus as there are plenty with sweet potato vines.

I looked up the purple sweet potato information,and the compounds they have are anthocyanins and have a significant level of antioxidants.You are right,the purples are much drier,but the health benefits are important, so I'll just hold my nose. Just kidding.

Thanks again for the helpful reply.

[zendog]

Some good looking sweet potatoes in that link @zendog . Pity I can't get some of them down under. Wonder how many flower and set seed.

Thanks. Several of mine have flowered over the years, some quite abundantly, but I never looked for fruiting bodies, etc. I don't remember seeing anything that looked like it had been pollinated, so I'm not sure if they were making seeds. It may be I needed multiple varieties to ensure cross-pollination. I believe they also need a long season to get viable seed. I'm not growing any this year, but will again next year so I'll try to remember to see if I can get seed. Could be a fun MMMM grow out!

[Whwoz]

Some good looking sweet potatoes in that link @zendog . Pity I can't get some of them down under. Wonder how many flower and set seed.

Thanks. Several of mine have flowered over the years, some quite abundantly, but I never looked for fruiting bodies, etc. I don't remember seeing anything that looked like it had been pollinated, so I'm not sure if they were making seeds. It may be I needed multiple varieties to ensure cross-pollination. I believe they also need a long season to get viable seed. I'm not growing any this year, but will again next year so I'll try to remember to see if I can get seed. Could be a fun MMMM grow out!

@zendog if you go over to the OSSI forum or the old HG, you will find several threads one breeding sweet potatoes, one in particular by Reed looking at growing them as a seed grown annual. Lots of information there on getting seed if you are interested.

[Shortcut Slim]

The question of storage occurs to me. After several weeks at 60* or so,how do you keep them longer term? I can manage the approx 60* for several weeks in the garage. Winter temps tho are another matter. I can't afford to keep the garage heated to the mid 50s even. How does a person store them longer term? Man. What I'd give for a basement..for multiple reasons.

Anyone with an idea of how to do the longer term storage issue?

I also happened to stumble upon Sandhills sweet potato growing information page. What a treasure trove of useful information written by someone who really knows what up with sweet potatoes.Give it a read if you haven't already.

https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/sw ... nformation

[JRinPA]

Top shelf of the bathroom closet - displacing some towels -seems to be the best we can do. Our basement drops to 55f and is too cold.

[GoDawgs]

No root cellar, basement or garage here and the garden and tool sheds would get too cold in the winter. I keep mine in plastic milk crates (for ventilation) and they sit on the floor of an interior closet that has the bi-fold louvered doors. In winter the thermostat is usually set at 72 and the sweets store just fine. Just make sure that before you put up your sweets, examine them and use first any that might have been cut or otherwise damaged in the digging process.

[brownrexx]

I store mine in wooden baskets in the basement. I think the temperature is around 60° down there. I store all of my potatoes and winter squash in the basement and they keep really well.

[Whwoz]

I have just started two sweet potatoes into mix and have them on a heat pad for the time being, until other priorities take over, then they will stay in heated polyhouse while there is room.

I also have the ones that I overwintered, some of which are doing great, others not so much and se are probably dead. Thinking about doing that single node thing, which I assume is just cutting the stems between nodes and planting with leaf stem and node in mix or I may go two nodes, one in mix one out. This is an example of what I have to work with

IMG_20221004_150336_080.jpg

Any comments from those with experience in the cutting technique would be appreciated.

[Uncle_Feist]

I dug my sweet taters over the weekend.

[Whwoz]

Nice crop of good sized even roots there @Uncle_Feist , hope I get something similar this season.

[eyegrotom]

That is a nice haul of Sweet potatoes @Uncle_Feist a
How many slips did you plant out. And what part of the Country are you located at.

[Uncle_Feist]

That is a nice haul of Sweet potatoes @Uncle_Feist a
How many slips did you plant out. And what part of the Country are you located at.

I put out probably 35-40 slips over 3 weeks or so as they sized off of the 2 taters I bedded. There's also 4 or 5 hills of a white taters in there near the tines of my fork. I'm located in eastern KY.

[GoDawgs]

Very nice haul, @Uncle_Feist ! Pretty taties.