Growing Sweet Potatoes For the Home Victory Garden

[the_great_white]

Just got my shipment notification, hopefully USPS don't **** around and lose it or take so long they die.

 

[Ruger34]

Shoot my wife planted sweet potatoes 3 years ago in a raised bed and they have come back every year so far! I reckon we must miss 1 or 2 and they grow the following year

 

[Sowega86]

Just got my shipment notification, hopefully USPS don't **** around and lose it or take so long they die.

If they are wilted, put them in a jar of cool water and they'll rejuvenate.

 

[yellowhammer]

Many years ago, in a deer camp, a friend would bring raw sweet potatoes, that when eaten raw, tasted like real coconut. I recently tried some bought from the store that had no taste, raw. Do they need aging?

 

[Sowega86]

Many years ago, in a deer camp, a friend would bring raw sweet potatoes, that when eaten raw, tasted like real coconut. I recently tried some bought from the store that had no taste, raw. Do they need aging?

Sweet potatoes when dug up and washed have zero taste and are not sweet. They are full of starch. But if you dig them up and keep them dirty (don't wash them) and store them in a warm barn or shed spread out on a tray or in a wagon with some ventilation or air circulation, then that starch will convert to sugar over ten days to two weeks. If any get injured during the excavation, then plan on eating those ASAP with some brown sugar. Cinnamon helps too. When mine are curing in the barn (75-80F), I check them every other day to make sure that none are getting soft. A soft spot indicates fungus and I usually dispose of the soft ones. My barn is not wired so I set up a fan to circulate the warm air which may help to cure them more evenly.

I've noticed at the grocery store, that some are harvested and shipped to the store in less than a week with no curing and no flavor.

 

[the_great_white]

Has anybody received their sweet potatoes from Steele yet? or shipment notification that they're en route?

 

[Sowega86]

Has anybody received their sweet potatoes from Steele yet? or shipment notification that they're en route?

I got an email from Steele today saying:

"Keep Your Plants Happy!​

We've started shipping sweet potato plants to the southern states and will begin working our way northward as temperatures warm. Shipping live plants can be tricky, but we've been doing it for decades. However, it is possible that your sweet potato plants may look a little wilted when you receive them. As soon as you receive your plants, open the box so they can get some air. Unwrap the plant bundles and put the plants in a jar of water. Keep the water level at or slightly below the roots on the sweet potato plants. Replace the water in the jar every couple days and you'll quickly see those leaves perking up again! This not only prevents you from planting stressed plants, but it also increases your planting window. By putting the plants in water, you don't have to plant them immediately."​