Surprise In The Garden

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).

Sweet Potato Harvest 2010 (UPDATE)

Previously posted 10/06/10
Well I finally harvested my sweet potatoes and boy was I surprised.  Take a look at this video (first video I actually edited, YIPPPPPEEEE).  We enjoyed some of the potatoes last night when I made this recipe from Mad Hungry, it was real good.  Next time I will plant less plants in a container, so the potatoes are not so crowded (if that is even possible) and I may see if I can do succession planting (but starting as early as possible).  I would not mind having smaller potatoes for meals throughout the growing season, rather than bight potatoes at the end of the season.



Enjoy, because we sure are.

10/19/10-I gave a few of the potatoes to my FIL yesterday and last night while peeling them, he noticed some holes and dark spots.  As he was cutting that part out he noticed the holes went deeper and deeper into the potato, once he cut it open he saw these.  I was shocked because I had not seen them in mine (will have to check the last bag when I get home), I had holes, but once they were cut out everything was fine (similar to store bought potatoes).  I am thinking back through the whole process (after reading the article), I did not mulch, I did not mound the soil, and I planted these slips in a bucket next to the area that I previously had white/red potatoes growing (not in the same spot, but next to it) and I did not pull the grass growing around them (as the grass was not that high and the potatoes were in a bucket).  Also some of the potatoes surfaced the soil level and I let them as I would be harvesting them soon.  I will keep these things in mind for the next planting and the potatoes will be grown quite a distance away from the current bed (as crop rotation is highly advised).  Will see.

Sweet Potatoes

I started this one sweet potato spud back in late March.  I was cooking dinner and realized this spud was still in the brown paper bag in the bottom of the pantry.  I noticed it had already started to sprout and I figured I needed to get it in some water so that more sprouts would be produced.

In about a month, there were a lot of slips and they were getting taller and taller every day.  I figured that within a few weeks they could go in the ground.

Finally it was planting day.  The story on the blue tote....I was headed to work one morning and while still in the subdivision, I noticed this tote sitting next to a neighbors trash can (trash pickup was that day).  I pulled over and grabbed it.  The tote had cracks in the bottom and the sides were slightly dented.  However, I knew exactly what job this tote would serve.  My husband on the other hand was looking at me like a crazy woman....picking up trash and putting it in our car, within our neighborhood.  I had to laugh.  On planting day I gave him the task of cutting the bottom of the tote out so that I could sit it on the soil to plant my potatoes.  When it is time to harvest, I can just lift the tote up to reveal all the potatoes (well lets at least hope there is a good amount).

Newly planted sweet potato slips.  I was able to get 6 slips (4 were tall and 2 were small).

About 2 weeks later, major growth has occurred.

An additional week later more growth.  So far this bucket is off to a good start (cross your fingers, eyes, toes).