During my cleanup this past weekend (meaning I finally got around to doing it), I realized the sweet potato bucket needed to be emptied (technically it should have been emptied prior to the first frost, but life got in the way and we had 2 back to back frost come in too quick for me to do anything in the garden. I just left everything alone. I figured the potatoes had turned to mush or something, but when I brushed away a few inches of soil, I found a couple of potatoes. I then took hold of a dead vine and pulled it and about 4-5 small potatoes were attached. I thought this can't be true (only my 2nd year growing sweet potatoes). So I started to clear more and more soil and low and behold this is what I found. I don't have a scale to weight them, but that won't be a problem, because once they are peeled and seasoned (to become sweet potato fries) and put in baggies to go in the freezer for later use, they won't be around long of enough to worry about the weight. To see what bucket was emptied see my video here.
The photo above is the largest potato in the bunch.
I have to thank my daughter for helping mom out (well technically she was paying off a debt instead of paying me in cash, she paid me in labor, shhhhh don't tell Department of Labor you know child labor laws and all). She pulled all the dead plants from about 7-8 beds (ranged from medium to large beds), chopped them up to be thrown away (my compost bins runneth over, that is the next project to figure out a better system since my trash can system is not working out so well). She also helped me (sew) another mesh covering for my greenery bed (still pictures and what I did to come in case you want to give it a try). The next project she will help me with if I can wait (since she has an all day business competition next Saturday and then SAT test the following Saturday) is to lay 6-7 bags of mulch on the garden floor (to prevent grass from growing) and clean up the flower beds around the house. I am so ready for spring to come (but not the 100 degree temps of summer last year).
Glad to see that your sweet potatoes did well this year. Based on one of your previous entries about sweet taters - I grew them this year for the first time. We got two meals out of them, and considering I bought the potato for slips for like 20 cents, I'd say it was a pretty good deal.
ReplyDeleteI think growing them is so cheap and no matter how many I get they work for the fries that we make. I love the fact that you plant them and water them and then dig them up. I did notice that even though I used weekd cloth under the bucket they potatoes through the cloth and was trying to take root in the ground beneath. I tell you they are truly determined. HA HA. If I remember correctly were you the one that gave me tomato plants a year or so ago? I like your blog, will subscribe today. Thanks.
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