# begun harvesting sweet taters



## Errol

I started harvesting my sweet taters, this is about 1/3 of them. I raise my own sweet potato slips. I have a really good way if anyone is interested in knowing, lots better and faster growing then a tater in glass of water










Ky. wonder pole beans has really been producing! and still going strong, will until frost gets them, As I like the look of an old timey country garden I cut my own poles from my woods, as I did the rail fence. These beans are grown in a lasagna bed with log poles along the sides of bed which some of the poles are nailed to the log sides for better support. 









these beds are where Irish potatoes were grown and after a good harvest, they have been rebuilt with added materials and horse manure and will be sown in turnip greens










this was my summer yellow and zucchini squash bed, it is 4'x50' and had a record crop. I started harvesting june 3rd, and it played out about 3 weeks ago (my wife was ready! lol) we gave away squash to about everyone. we canned squash relish, and a freezer full of squash. Besides she made lots of jars of zucchibi jelly, zucchini bread, and froze zucchibi for bread this winter. this bed is now in the process of being rebuilt with added compost, mulch, grass clippings and horse manure, which I will plant peas and use a row cover. next year this will be my tomatoe bed.


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## angel1237b

i am interested in knowing how you start your sweet potato slips...i am going to try them next year..thank you.


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## veggiewhisperer

Wonderful harvest Errol.


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## Tammy

great harvest! I've never tried sweet potatos. Maybe that'll be my "new thing" I try next year!


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## Errol

thanks veggiewhisperer, Tammy, if you like sweet potatoes, you should try them. They are really easy to grow, especially in raised beds. I raised mine in two different lasgana beds as shown in the picture. Remember they are a tropical plant so they love heat. they take an average of 90-110 days to maturity. You can let them go until the first frost, then harvest. It is very easy to grow your own slips the way I show in another post. start your slips about 6-8 weeks before you want to set out. Here in middle Tn., I set out my slips around may 10-18. So just buy you 3-4 sweet taters you like from the grocery store or from a friend and grow your own slips. My beds where I grew mine are 4'x12' and 2 of them. They were 16-20 " deep, I planted 2 rows in each of 13 plants per row for a total of both beds 52 slips. And we have all the sweet taters to do us until the next harvest and also to give to friends. 
happy growing!


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## Errol

pictures of my sweet potatoe beds



























YOU CAN DO IT!!


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## Shannon

Your sweet potato haul is impressive. I've grown sweet potatoes for 2 years now. They didn't do so well this year.  
I like the purple varieties because the meat is so pretty! The leaves taste good too. I would love to start my own slips but I'd still have to order the purple varieties. They aren't available near me.


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## stephanie

so once you get some purple ones save out a few after harvest to start your own the following spring.


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## Errol

Stephanie is correct on saving a few. And you only need 2-4...And you will get true from the mother potatoe


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## TennesseeChicken

Hi Errol-

Your garden pics are great! Hopefully one day my gardens will look as good as yours! Seems like I've had alot of fungus issues this year. I started digging up my sweet potatoes today. Some look great and some look like they've had bite marks taken out of them!  Have any idea what that might be? Can I still cure them? Thanks!!


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## Errol

Hi TennesseeChicken and thank you for the kind compliment. My only thinking for the bite marks could be from "Voles" (not moles) these little rodens are just a field mice, they can play havoc on a garden and even flower beds. once started they arevery hard to get rid of .Look up Voles on the internet and you will get several suggestions on getting rid of them. all my veggie beds are raised beds of the lasagna style and so far I haven't had any problem with these little pests. I have heard that the best way to prevent them (if there is any way) is to make sure the garden is kept clean. In other words keep tall grass cut and raked up, keep scrape lumber picked up and any brush. Look around and see if you can spot any holes in the ground. this will be the entrance holes. if you do spot holes, take a water hose and with high pressure run water in a hole. more then likely you will see water coming up out of other holes around close by. unlike moles, which doesn't eat roots of plants but can upheave plants and kill them that way, Voles will eat the roots of plants, and chew on root crops such as potatoes. check around your garden and see what you find.
good luck, and just don't get discourage


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## TennesseeChicken

Thanks--I thought it might be voles as well. This is the first year I've had a problem. My chickens aren't doing their job! LOL


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## Errol

you could get a couple outdoor cats..they love voles! lol


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## TennesseeChicken

LOL--the dogs would just love that! 

Can I still cure the ones that have been chomped on? I realize I will have to cook them first and store the good ones for later. I plan on feeding them to my chickens and hogs.


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## Errol

I see no reason why you couldnt cure them


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## TennesseeChicken

Well, I have been eating some of the ones that have been chomped on and they are pretty good. Just trying them for sweetness--think they need to cure a bit longer. My temp is only about 70, so I'm sure a few more days are in order. What's the best way to store them after curing?


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## Errol

I store mine in heavy cardboard boxes with a few holes cut in the sides, and I put shredded newspaper between layers. I keep them in my workshop which stayes about 65 degrees in the winter. I wouldn't store them anywhere that is near freezing. this has worked for me
Enjoy your sweet taters!


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