I think the foliage and flowers are pretty. I’m finding them to be pretty low maintenance for the amount of food they produce so I see myself growing them again in thr future
I just harvested ours yesterday, and sadly the soil had too much clay still, so all of them were tiny and very thin. It's sad because this is my third year of doing them, and I added so many additives to make the soil looser, and still it's too compacted.
I’m not sure what kind they are. I picked up sweet potatoes in the spring perported to be from a nearby farn. I figured if they were grown near my town, they should do well enough for me.
Sorry you’re struggling with clay. I’ve been growing mine in raised beds. I think I put in two parts compost, two parts peat moss, one part pearlite. I have one bed that was about a foot deep and it did ok. But the plants really seemed to love the two foot deep area. Second year growing sweet potatoes and first year giving them more depth.
What kind of amendments have you been adding? Are you noticing any progress towards better sweet potatoes?
We just built a bunch of 4x8 raised beds this year, but used them for other plants, so I'll be doing sweet potatoes there next year for sure. We do a similar mixture as you, with 1/3 compost, 1/6 medium perlite, 1/6 large vermiculite, and 1/3 coco coir (environmentally friendly alternative to peat moss).
The clay soil area had some of the mixture above, plus local soil, plus amendments from last year.
Ooh. Good call on the coconut coir. I’d used it in the past but had issues finding it this year and heard certain types of peat moss were ok. I did a little more digging and it sounds like i should try to find a new source for that coconut cour
Very cool. I’ll have to book mark them for future reference. The gardening place I used to get it went out. Ither than that, I was only finding it at pet supply places.
Yep! I just planted Austrian winter peas and fava beans as a cover crop in that area. Also when I dug out the sweet potatoes I threw out any bits of clay and soil that were too compacted.
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Sweet! A potato harvest.
🧡🍠
What attracted you to growing sweet potatoes?
I think the foliage and flowers are pretty. I’m finding them to be pretty low maintenance for the amount of food they produce so I see myself growing them again in thr future
Glanced at the pic and thought it was lobsters at first lmfao
I hear the smaller, more new are tastier, Is that true?
I'd roast them or make chips, yum
Tbh I’ve necer prepared small sweet potatoes before so I am going to learn what they taste like this year. Chips sound like a fun experiment.
please do post to let us know! I'm interested to learn the results.
scrub them, slice them thinly lightly fry.
stuff of gods.
Nice! Our season ends a lot earlier than now but did well with the Stokes Purple this year.
Nice! I just baked a sweet potato pie yesterday, though sadly mine just came from a supermarket :(
I hope it came out perfectly. No shame in using store bought. Can’t grow everything every year.
Looks great! What kind are they?
I just harvested ours yesterday, and sadly the soil had too much clay still, so all of them were tiny and very thin. It's sad because this is my third year of doing them, and I added so many additives to make the soil looser, and still it's too compacted.
I always do sweet potato in a fabric pot! So much easier to find them at the end of the season and you could amend the soil in the pot.
I’m not sure what kind they are. I picked up sweet potatoes in the spring perported to be from a nearby farn. I figured if they were grown near my town, they should do well enough for me.
Sorry you’re struggling with clay. I’ve been growing mine in raised beds. I think I put in two parts compost, two parts peat moss, one part pearlite. I have one bed that was about a foot deep and it did ok. But the plants really seemed to love the two foot deep area. Second year growing sweet potatoes and first year giving them more depth.
What kind of amendments have you been adding? Are you noticing any progress towards better sweet potatoes?
We just built a bunch of 4x8 raised beds this year, but used them for other plants, so I'll be doing sweet potatoes there next year for sure. We do a similar mixture as you, with 1/3 compost, 1/6 medium perlite, 1/6 large vermiculite, and 1/3 coco coir (environmentally friendly alternative to peat moss).
The clay soil area had some of the mixture above, plus local soil, plus amendments from last year.
Ooh. Good call on the coconut coir. I’d used it in the past but had issues finding it this year and heard certain types of peat moss were ok. I did a little more digging and it sounds like i should try to find a new source for that coconut cour
I got mine from True Leaf Market: https://trueleafmarket.com/products/minute-soil-compressed-coconut-coir-blocks-organic, because there was a bulk sale like 8 months ago. I ordered a huge pallet's worth. If you want even more, I also worked with Coir America to set up a larger bulk shipment, but I ended up going with True Leaf Market.
Very cool. I’ll have to book mark them for future reference. The gardening place I used to get it went out. Ither than that, I was only finding it at pet supply places.
@gingersaffronapricat @zd9
Also I learned that as a general rule coir disintegrated faster than peat.
Good to know when I top off my garden beds. Thanks!
@gingersaffronapricat @zd9
Check your coir source. Some sources use salt water in the processing.
I had no idea! Thank you so much!!
oh yes that's huge! Thanks @PokiLoki
You need to soak and rinse it to get the salt out if it's not from a pre-cleaned source.
Have you ever thought about a cover crop for the clay?
Yep! I just planted Austrian winter peas and fava beans as a cover crop in that area. Also when I dug out the sweet potatoes I threw out any bits of clay and soil that were too compacted.
Those are some beauties right there
🫶
What's sweet potatoes precious?
I've got some on the counter I'm gonna casserole with some oats on top 🤤
Sounds delicious and cozy for fall!