I didn't have great success with my standard potatoes. Here is my sweet potato patch. The original transplants were very hardy. When I bought them in June, I left them on the ground and rabbits ate all - all the leaves off them, leaving only stems. I kept them in the cell trays for about 10 days and new leaves grew. Later, I transplanted them below. They are doing well.... but I don't know how to tell when they are ready to dig.
Who can tell me when to dig sweet potatoes up and is there a way to save the patch for next year too?
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| Sweet Potato Patch: Gary Pilarchik |
This is from the U of Maryland Extension web site:
ReplyDeleteHarvesting: The foliage is edible and very nutritious. Eat it fresh in a green salad or sauté with other vegetables. Harvest roots as soon as they reach eating size and before a frost. Sweet potatoes generally mature in 85 to 120 days. Check root size after 80 to 85 days. Digging is easier if the vines are first cut off. If vines get frosted, dig roots immediately because decay in dead vines passes down to the roots. If immediate digging isn’t possible, cut away vines and throw loose soil over the rows to protect them from the cold. Temperatures below 55 degrees F can cause chilling injury. Approximate yield is 20 to 40 pounds per 10 foot row.