If freshly harvested roots are not sweet enough they can be candied or made into pies. Harvesting is easier when you can dry out the soil around the potatoes for at least a week or two prior. This has become a regular rotation in my garden. Organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly as they decompose. Irrigate as needed to keep the soil evenly moist and not soggy. A slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5) will help suppress pox, a bacterial root disease. Finding a good source of disease-free slips can be difficult. 2- What are your thoughts on the “no hilling” technique, where the pot is filled with soil at the time of planting, eliminating the need to hill later? On the other hand, the clay soil is a condition in which I’ve never grown potatoes. One exception is the Sand Hill Preservation Center (phone 563-246-2299) in Calamus, Iowa. Join us to learn about creating healthy soil environments! In other words, don’t keep it saturated. It would be easy to add soil or compost or mulch as the plants get taller. To produce slips, select medium-sized roots that are well shaped, smooth and free of injury. But someday I hope to have a bounty out there!) However, once the plant foliage is significantly damaged by frost, the potato tubers aren’t going to grow any larger. Depending on the variety grown, sweet potatoes are ready to harvest … Join us to learn about creating healthy soil environments!Healthy Soils Week, Nov. 30 – Dec. 4: This week will be full of virtual activities, at-home projects, and LIVE talks. You can grow 10 pounds of potatoes in a large growing bag or bucket. If you can, place the container on an electric propagation (heat) mat to keep the planting media 70-75°F. The results have always been good. At first, I wasn’t sure this would saturate a big enough area in my sandy loam soil, but it works just fine. Did you have any success growing your potatoes? The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens.The sweet potato is not closely related to the common potato (Solanum tuberosum). In fact, you’re making me curious about growing potatoes in containers right now. To increase relative humidity some methods suggest placing a bucket of water in an enclosed space or using a damp towel that does not directly contact the roots. Potatoes seem to like following corn. My favorite seed potatoes to buy from the grocery store are bags of small red potatoes that are labelled organic. Thanks much for your reply; very informative. Remove all weeds when they are small. The entire crop can be harvested at one time or only a few plants can be harvested as roots are needed. Most retail nurseries do not sell slips. This allows some of the starch in the roots to convert to sugar. Gently lift each clump of roots from the soil and lay them on the surface in the sun for 2-3 hours until the skin is thoroughly dry. I ordered a bag of organic potatoes from Costco. In California, The Alvernaz Farm in Merced County has been a source of slips for many years. Mix in well composted organic matter and a general-purpose fertilizer with a moderate amount of nitrogen and a relatively high level of phosphorous. You’ll notice that I don’t cut up my seed potatoes either, as is often suggested. On soils that contain more clay, both root quality and yield are reduced. As the vines spread, periodically lift them a little above the ground to keep the stems from rooting in the soil. Slowly-yellowing leaves on your sweet potato plants indicate that your potatoes are ready for harvest. That in itself has made a huge improvement. When you first harvest them sweet potatoes are not really sweet and the texture is not ideal. It’s just a potato, really, except that it is intended to be used for planting instead of eating. I'd like to share my idea to " my southern california vegatable garden " so you will have more experience growing sweet potatoes,you should do it in 1 or 2 weeks ,before you bring them out side.first spread the plant around the W.B.C , then put 2 inch soil on the top of the plant in your W.B.C .This will be covering the first 2 inch of the leafs growing out of the W.B.C . When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. Regarding the potato selection. About 2-3 weeks before harvest, reduce watering so the vines will begin to dry before roots are dug (too much water late in the season may cause roots to crack). I am ordering plant bags. This year though we are growing in grow bags which I’ve done before with great success! Sweet potato production in California; Recommended Varieties for Santa Clara County Storing cured sweet potatoes for 6-8 weeks will increase their sweetness. The sweet potato is a vining plant grown for its thick, starchy roots. Sweet potatoes that will be stored for a long time should first be cured to reduce losses from decay during storage. Ideally sweet potatoes should be harvested while the soil and weather are still warm, even if the vines have not begun to turn yellow. bag of organic potatoes and simply plant them provided that they have some semblance of an eye? The Cinch Trap is my favorite weapon, as I detailed here: http://gregalder.com/yardposts/the-best-gopher-trap-its-a-cinch/. But I think of potatoes as having two seasons here — one is August for a late fall or early winter harvest, and the other is February for a late spring harvest. Thomas Produce in Atwater, California to see their sweet potato harvest and packing operations, there were multiple sweet potato packinghouses located all within a few blocks of each other. Curing involves controlling temperatures and relative humidity and providing ventilation for seven to ten days. If the stems form roots they will produce mini sweet potatoes and the roots that form at the main plant will be smaller and yields may decrease. I hope this helps. Many meals almost everything on the plate is from the garden, and that is an incredible good feeling. I can relate to the gopher struggle. Sweet Potatoes. Harvesting Roots. Slips can usually be planted from April to June in coastal areas of San Diego County and from May to June in inland areas. Sweet potato shoots should be started inside now, for planting when the soil warms to about 60 degrees. The seed potato with half-inch eyes just emerges faster, that’s all. Typically, most varieties will take about three to four months to mature – about 90 to 120 days, but there are some newer varieties that take less time and bred specifically for northern climates (such as Georgia Jet, Vardaman, Centennial). What type of soil and fertiliser do you recommend? This year ive been moving some things onto drip lines and have been using an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of the watering of all the different plants. I would think that you’d have to be extra careful not to overwater and rot the seed potatoes in clay soil also. Use a spading fork if you have one or shovel to carefully loosen the soil around each plant. Also, some sweet potatoes are treated to inhibit sprouting. If the potatoes are exposed to the sun, they turn green and toxic. Yukon golds. And I find that making harvest a part of my morning routine helps because then I harvest every day, and I harvest at a good time (lettuce harvested in the afternoon is often a limp waste). The center ships slips by ground delivery from late May to mid-July. Sweet potatoes can be purchased from a retail market. Here’s more of his potato growing advice: https://woodprairie.com/downloads/Growing_Guide_2020.pdf. Potato plants about two months after planting. No need to a huge eye? Well-drained, sandy and sandy loam soils produce the best crop of well-shaped roots. However, August-November will be the best time to harvest mature tubers for most of this region. But here’s what a seed potato farmer that I’ve heard interviewed and who seems very reliable has to say: the seed potato should have no less than two eyes/sprouts; it should weigh around 1.5 ounces; a large chicken egg weighs 2.5 ounces so you could cut a seed potato of that size in half. To side dress, scatter the fertilizer evenly along both sides of a row 6-8 inches from the plants (under a drip line or soaker hose if used for irrigation) then mix it into the surface soil and water well. I know this is an old article but I live around the corner in SB/highland right @ the foothills and b/c of gophers I don’t grow my spuds in the ground. Harvest sweet potatoes. Your email address will not be published. This may also occur if rootless slips are temporarily planted and later transplanted into a bed. Maybe for home gardeners it’s not as important as for farmers who grow acres of the same crop in the same location year after year after year. I’m planning on trying potatoes this year. If you grew sweet potatoes the previous year, you can use your own saved roots to grow new slips. (The photo above shows Yukon Gold potatoes that I planted in February 2015 and harvested in late May.). Some suggestions on how to cure a small quantity of roots at home can be found online. The sweet potato slips (rooted cuttings) were planted in a 3-by-8-foot raised bed on May 15, 2013. These days I use in-line drip emitter tubing where the emitters put out 0.5 gallons per hour and are spaced one foot apart. Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C. Great. California sweetpotatoes are selected, planted, sorted, sized, and packed by hand. Slips may rot if they are enclosed in a sealed plastic bag or stored in a jar containing water. If the soil stays too wet the roots may rot and if it gets too dry they may become rough or crack. Two to four drip lines can be run down the length of a bed. Any curing method should provide adequate air circulation and ventilation to maintain even temperature and humidity. February planting also requires less attention to the plants generally. It is very hard to grow sweet potatoes in Europe. Visit www.sandhillpreservation.com to read their variety catalog and growing tips. It’s not necessary to bury them any deeper. Because I’m lazy, sweet potatoes are one of my favorite crops to grow. And if you cut, no need to let dry. I now usually plant the potatoes so there’s about two inches of dirt covering them. Sweet potatoes are grown by planting slips, which are leafy shoots about 8-12” long that sprout from roots harvested the previous season. Over the course of the plants’ three to four months of life, it’s usually necessary to hill up a little dirt or mulch around the base because the potatoes develop there and you don’t want them to be exposed to the sun. (photo courtesy of WikiCommons) By Hunter McBrayer Whether fried, baked, candied or in pies and casseroles, I love sweet potatoes. Brush off loose dirt and leave them in the sun for a few hours, then move to a table or shed that is warm and has good air circulation. I want to grow potatoes. This week will be full of virtual activities, at-home projects, and LIVE talks. I’ve read that rotation is necessary. In the past i was pretty stingy with the water. Slips planted in warm moist soil begin to form new roots at each node in about 2 days. I am a very inconsistent gardener and have very little space. I’ve made that mistake in the past and rotted the seed potatoes. While small, potato plants don’t need much water. They arrived today. Raised beds are ideal for growing sweet potatoes because the soil drains better and warms faster in spring. If night temperatures are likely to fall below 50°F or frost is expected, dig up all the roots and move them to a warm place. If you wish to plant sweet potatoes in late summer for fall harvest, check the days to maturity for the variety you wish to plant, which can vary from 90 to 140 days. Clear and to the point. Maybe it’s mostly because a lot of the action is happening under the dirt and out of sight, like you said. See how easy it is to grow delicious sweet potatoes with expert tips and guides. A 5-10-5 or similar fertilizer can be used at the rate of about 3 pounds for 100 square feet of soil area. See my post, “Growing vegetables under fruit trees.”). I will use the potatoes that I have. Depending on the variety grown, sweet potatoes are ready to harvest 90-140 days after slips are planted. If you live in San Diego and only need a few slips you may be able to buy at City Farmer’s Nursery, 3110 Euclid Ave., San Diego CA 92105; phone 619-284-6358. I’m going to follow some of the great suggestions stated in the article using Purple or “Blue” potatoes (type 2 diabetes thing). So many others just seem to repeat the same old shiboleths! We’ll see. I’ve also found the claim of needing to chit, or pre-sprout, the eyes on the seed potatoes overemphasized. Potatoes, on the other hand, can nearly grow without you paying attention, and harvesting them is fun like digging for treasure. Still, I do end up planting some potatoes all year because I often plant them under fruit trees and whenever I harvest a plant I put one of the tubers back into the ground that same day: keeps the process going. To produce a larger number of medium-sized roots, use slips that do not have roots and transplant them directly into a permanent bed as soon as you receive them. If planting must be delayed place the slips cut end down in a plastic bag with damp peat moss, shredded newspaper or wood shavings and let the tops stick out of the bag. As always, thanks in advance for your advice. “Seed” potato originally from the grocery store. Newly planted slips must have adequate moisture during the first 2-3 weeks to initiate and develop new roots. Great to hear this, Steve. Wheat, for example, takes a lot of work to dry and thresh and grind into flour unless you have machinery. Vista sure is a nice place to garden. It is possible to grow sweet potatoes in warmer areas of California. Be aware that a plastic bucket or towel that becomes dry may catch fire if it is near a source of heat. Dig the bed at least 10 inches deep and break up clods so the soil will be loose and crumbly. Late potatoes such as Butte, Katahdin, and Kennebec, mature in 110 days or more. Sweet potatoes do not require a lot of nitrogen and too much will result in lush vine growth and poor root production. But I know people who have, and they say that they get best results by planting on mounds (to increase drainage) and/or NOT planting the seed potatoes deeply. If the stems form roots they will produce mini sweet potatoes and the roots that form at the main plant will be smaller and yields may decrease. The sweet potato or sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae.Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. I live in Anaheim and I was wondering if I could plant ? However, in our area, it is more likely that the weather will get cold. Do not use a fertilizer solution to water new slips as they are very sensitive to salts and may be injured. Hope you harvest some nice potatoes this season! The vines will grow over the top of the bed and may extend into the aisles. What ive learned this year is that consistent picking and consistent water seem to be the key to bountiful harvest. It’s easy to tell when tomatoes and peppers are ripe, but those hidden wonders developing under the ground don’t scream "harvest … About golf ball size is the smallest seed potatoes that I usually use. Many sources claim it’s vital to use seed potatoes that are certified disease-free, but for so long I’ve grown some of those alongside seed potatoes that I bought from the grocery store that were intended to be eaten, as well as seed potatoes taken from a previous harvest of my own. (What a waste! by Greg Alder | Jun 1, 2015 | Vegetables | 33 comments. Sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves start to turn yellow. Youve been a great help getting back into gardening this year. Wish it included some thought on the soil that is very clay I live in Southern California but close to the mountains in about 4,000 for elevation. (I often plant my potatoes under fruit trees rather than in a garden bed because it saves space. This is what I often do and it works great. Does that align with your experience? Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). You should cure your sweet potatoes before storage. Place the container in a warm greenhouse or under a sheet of clear plastic, supported on a framework, where the interior temperature will be above 80°F during the day and not below 65°F at night. I just watched the Amazing Race, where they traveled through Peru, and it reminded me of how much I like to grow potatoes. I plant each seed potato one foot apart so there’s one emitter per plant. Plus, using less machinery minimizes scarring and scratching—so our sweetpotatoes are not only prettier, they’re fresher longer. You can try potatoes now, but they’ve never done quite as well for me in this window compared to a late summer or late winter planting. Curing and storing freshly harvested sweet potatoes for 1-2 months will let some starch in the roots turn into sugar and improve their flavor. Thanks! It got planted in our small yard and it is “growing like a weed”. Who knew – I will look for yellow leaves in the fall. Instead of soil, you can always add compost or mulch too. Savio has some easy instructions on GardeninginLA.net . But in a container it won’t really be hilling, it will be just adding some more soil around the plant in the container. If growing in a container, I would choose a light soil mix because a heavy soil seems like it might be harder to water appropriately. The plant grows best when the soil is warm (about 70°F) and the maximum day temperature is 85-95°F. Thank you very much. This is a good use for roots damaged during harvest. I have been growing potatoes in southern California for a couple of years. For sure! I think the plant bags would have a couple advantages over growing potatoes in the ground. Learn more: - Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshops, Vegetable Research and Information Center (http://vric.ucdavis.edu), Integrated Pest Management (www.IPM.ucdavis.edu). You can leave them till a light frost, but harvest before a hard frost. Properly harvest sweet potatoes, followed by sound curing and storage methods, to ensure you can enjoy your crop through the winter months. Avocado trees get sunburned — what to do? We live right on the coast – can’t get any closer – so we have sandy soil. Late maturing potatoes include a number of fingerling varieties that can also be grown in zone 9. No need to cut them up either, but if you do you get more plants from fewer seed potatoes. Interesting that you plant directly after harvest. Sweet potato plants need 3 to 4 months of warm summer heat before they are ready to harvest, so they were not harvested until September 28 and October 3, 2013. I’m also inclined to be stingy with water, but I’ve gotten better with that in the last two years. That’s the indicator for harvest time: the potato plant foliage starts dying. Harvesting Your Sweet Potatoes . Periodically check stored roots and remove any that show signs of deterioration or decay. Thanks, Evan. Typically you’ll want to harvest sweet potatoes once the roots are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across. Most sweet potatoes are grown in the State of North Carolina, however other states such as California, Louisiana and Mississippi also grow the crop. It's easier to harvest and control water by growing in a container of some sort. I started in small containers with sandy loamy soil then moved to a large on the ground planter with thick wire on the bottom. Young tender leaves can be used as a substitute for spinach or chard, in soups and stews, or stir fried as a vegetable. Roots can be harvested when slightly immature if they are the desired size or you can wait until they are fully grown and the vines begin to turn yellow. Wetting roots can promote decay; don’t wash them until you are ready to use the roots. The best planting time is February. Use a thermometer to check soil temperature and plant slips when it is above 65°F at a depth of 8 inches. in September? Each root can produce several slips. Remembering during the right time to catch the right season. I usually heap up some dirt or mulch on them twice — once when the plants are around six inches tall, and then again when the plants are about a foot tall. Growing from February takes advantage of the rainy season, so less watering is necessary. Immediately transplant the slips into a prepared bed. What follows are my personal notes on what I’ve learned about when and how to grow potatoes in Southern California, after having grown them for many years in different yards in the region. Also check out ... UC websites for the Vegetable Research and Information Center (http://vric.ucdavis.edu) and Integrated Pest Management (www.IPM.ucdavis.edu). The skin on freshly dug sweet potatoes is very thin and easily bruised. So Jennifer, balance the above considerations to figure your best harvest window. The tubers were all perfect, as if they were just being stored in the soil. )or vegetable (tomatoes, peas, peppers, squash) and many more crops - is ready to harvest in your local area, then this page is for you. I will let you know if it harvests. In March or April, plant the roots about 2” deep in a large pot or container that has a hole in the bottom for drainage. This may be a big surprise. If a portable heater, incandescent light bulb or other electrical device is used to heat an enclosed space, check the temperature with a thermometer and take precautions to prevent any flammable material from overheating and catching fire. More links. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. In the Southern Interior, harvest sweet potatoes in late September and early October. Good to hear that you believe that it is ok, I was concerned about doing it again. I have them in two boxy raised beds now (one of them is 2 feet by 4 feet, the other one is about 3 feet by 5 feet), but I have put them in the ground before. Water often enough to keep the soil around new slips moist, then gradually reduce irrigation frequency as the vines become established. Sweet potatoes are easy to grow but they do need a few things to grow really well. Water the bed before planting to moisten and settle the soil. To obtain current information on varieties available and the cost of slips, call Jim Alvernaz (209-756-6970) in early May. Until plants emerge, the soil around the seed potatoes only needs to be slightly moist. Begin by digging about a foot from the main stem and work your way inward. Southern California food gardening calendar for 2021, http://gregalder.com/yardposts/the-best-gopher-trap-its-a-cinch/, https://woodprairie.com/downloads/Growing_Guide_2020.pdf. Sweet potatoes need 3 to 4 months of warm temperatures in order to produce a worthwhile harvest, so the key is to plant them early enough for them to mature properly, but not early enough for them to get killed by a late spring frost. They contain nutrients that are immediately available for roots to absorb. How to Know When It's Time to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. No need to cut it up into smaller pieces and wait til it scabs over? I’ve also always been told to rotate, but I stopped deliberately rotating (potatoes and every other crop) a handful of years ago and I haven’t seen any difference. Cured roots can be stored in a dry, dark, well-ventilated space at about 60°F for up to several months. I will probably till some of the clay into the garden soil with some manure. Sweet potatoes are an easy and productive crop for Alabama Gardens. Susie, we have clay soil also. Sweet potatoes to be stored for later marketing or for seed stock must be cured immediately after harvest to minimize storage losses. What follows are my personal notes on what I’ve learned about when and how to grow potatoes in Southern California, after having grown them for many years in different yards in the region. The only difference is that in their early stages they need little water compared to when the plants are big and the tubers underground are growing. But coming from cold country we have always assumed potatoes don’t grow here. Potatoes need water about as much as most other vegetables. But yields don’t seem to suffer since the plants are big enough by then to cope with it. Slips that have some roots when planted will produce fewer new roots which will result in a smaller number of large sweet potatoes. Sweet potato roots vary in size from small “baby bakers” up to ten pound “monsters”. When to harvest sweet potatoes will depend on the cultivar that you purchased. Hi Greg, first off thanks for your excellent sharing of your observations, experience and experiments. When to plant If you use an organic fertilizer, apply it at the rate recommended on the product label. Harvest slips by gently pulling them from the sweet potato or cut slips just above the soil. Got “organic seed” from Trader Joes. Learn with us during Healthy Soils Week, Nov. 30 – Dec. 4! You can make a temporary raised bed by moving soil from aisles to form a long mound about 1 foot high and 3-4 feet wide. Required fields are marked *. An unheated garage or storage shed may become too cold at night. I’ve always had good results from those. When receiving your slips, it is important to read the packing. However, they are usually not labeled with the variety name, and if they are, it may not be correct. The closer you come to providing these ideal conditions, the less time it will take for the roots to cure. Temperatures below 50°F can cause chilling injury (internal browning or root decay) and temperatures above 65°F may cause roots to sprout. Even if you grow in a container, you’ll want to do a little hilling because the developing tubers will show above the soil and go green from the sunlight exposure. Anyhow its been a very gratifying garden year with pounds of good food every day. Use a trowel or shovel to open a space for planting and insert each slip into a hole so only the top 2 or 3 inches of stem and foliage are above ground. Plant new slips about 12 inches apart in a row in moist soil. Or you can buy a potato at the grocery store, go home and stick it in the ground and thereby have turned it into a seed potato.). The sweet potato is a tropical vegetable which means it needs a long warm season of 110 days with temperatures of at least 30 degrees Celsius. Planting now and harvesting in the spring works pretty well for us. Later this summer I’m going to grow some potatoes in five-gallon pots just to re-experience it. The only disadvantage in my yard of growing potatoes in February is that the earwig population tends to explode around April, and they munch the potato plant leaves. Great info! You can water sweet potatoes by hand or place drip tubing/tape (with emitters spaced 12 inches apart) or a soaker hose on top of a bed. If the growing season has been good with adequate water and sunshine, harvesting sweet potatoes should begin about 100-110 days after planting depending on the variety. Most nurseries in other states cannot ship slips to California because of pest quarantine regulations. It is important to distinguish between edible sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) or ornamental sweet potatoes, which go by the same Latin name.Typically, flowering for both types will only occur in southern gardens with hot daytime and night time temperatures as well as long day length. As your plants grow, you can harvest and eat the tender sweet potato vine tips. As always, you provide great information. I can totally relate to your feelings about water and consistent harvests as being important. Seems like both practices are achieving what the grow bag would too. Many times, I’ve had good results planting potatoes in August right at the base of recently harvested corn. Leave the furrow this way for 4 to 6 weeks, ... may taste sweet and fry dark. Your fruit tree is grafted — Why? I haven’t done so for many years. Chemical fertilizers can also be used. In temperate regions sweet potatoes can be grown in summer if there is about 4 months of consistent warm weather. When I plant a seed potato with eyes a half-inch long compared to a seed potato with eyes that haven’t sprouted, they both grow well. If you have heavier soil, mix in well decomposed compost to loosen and aerate the soil. It always amazes me how well they can perform in the worst part of the garden, with little or no attention. what are your thoughts on using the bags vs ground? If you grew sweet potatoes in a pot, just simply empty out the pot and gather all the sweet potatoes. When to harvest sweet potatoes depends largely on the seasonal growing. That’s my sense, anyway. I’ve had great success with red and white potatoes, but only moderate with russet. Getting up close and personal with each sweetpotato ensures it meets our high standards. This crop may not be successful in the coolest microclimates in Sonoma County. In the spring, I plant corn one foot apart, and then in August after the corn harvest, I plant a potato at the base of each corn stalk — so, also one foot apart. Beware of rootstock suckers on citrus trees. While I’ve certainly gotten good crops out of planting in August, I’ve gotten consistently better crops from February, for a couple reasons. To warm soil faster in spring and promote better growth, cover the bed with black plastic sheeting and leave a narrow strip uncovered down the middle for planting. potatoes ? You may have more success growing slips if you buy organically grown sweet potatoes that have not been treated. It has links to crop availability calendars for ever state in the United States and several other countries! Wish I had sandy loan soil – and NO GOPHERS! I have 2 questions: 1- How often do you water them? It will be nearly four months before your sweet potatoes are ready to harvest. At the beginning of each of my drip lines I have a shut-off valve so I can quit watering the whole row of potatoes once the plants are full sized and the leaves are starting to yellow. In mid-December, 2015, the foliage of my potato plants were damaged by frost, but I waited to harvest until December 29. Had great enjoyment growing and eating my first potatoes. Thanks for the really informative article. Learn more: www.cdfa.ca.gov/healthysoilsweek #healthysoilsweek2020 #hsw2020Learn with us during Healthy Soils Week, Nov. 30 – Dec. 4! In 6-8 weeks, some slips should be 8-12” tall. But I have lots of mulch and it’s early September and I just finished up some corn – everything is aligning! The only risk is that a cold storm could come through in December and frost the foliage back, but by that time usually the plants are big enough that the tubers are big enough to harvest anyway. I live in Redlands CA, and they don’t call it RED lands for nothing… very high in clay. They always outgrow the weeds and provide a large harvest relative to the area planted. In the past, I’ve used bigger. Once the vines spread to cover the ground, little weeding is required. Let me know what you end up harvesting. Should I try to plant these as my seed potatoes or eat these and get full sized potatoes (from sprouts or some other supermarket?). I’ve been wanting to have a go at potatoes but have hesitated for two reasons – 1. To help increase their sweetness, place harvested sweet potatoes in a dark, warm room for at least two weeks before eating. And its not a bad looking plant in the process. It plagues my yard too. They produce slips in March and April to plant on the farm and sell the surplus in May to small growers. Small wounds can cause roots to rot so be careful not to injure them. And as you recommended, I will plant then even if they don’t have any eyes. If you want to find out when your favorite fruit (strawberries, apples, blueberries, peaches, etc. September is a nice month to plant potatoes in Anaheim. The plant’s foliage is also edible. If you do, be aware that sweet potatoes can acquire insect transmitted viruses during the growing season, and this may reduce the productivity of the next season’s crop. Potatoes are always surprising me too. Do not water during the last 3 to 4 weeks before harvest to protect the developing roots. I’m partial to Yukon Golds, so (as you said with the red potatoes) all I need to is get a 5-lb. Buy certified seed potatoes. A 15-gallon container would be better than a 5, but I’m guessing I can get away with a 5. The vines do not tolerate frost and the roots sustain chilling injury at temperatures below 50°F. Some gardeners claim to have great success using this method. These are the plants that grew from the red seed potatoes above. One question – have you have better results here in zones 9/10 with a specific variety? It’s about 3ft deep with soil, and the box is 4’x4’ (it has greenhouse attachments too) . Growing good quality slips is a challenge some gardeners may want to try. Fall Harvest. The tubers then pop out of the dirt very cleanly — no cakey mud on them that needs to be scrubbed off. (What’s a “seed” potato? (The California Department of Food and Agriculture annually publishes a list of certified seed ... depending on the size of the potatoes you want to harvest. I live in Los Angeles and am also planting them in a 5-gallon container bag. The best way to cure roots requires keeping them for 1-2 weeks in a well-ventilated, warm and very humid environment at a temperature of 80-85°F with relative humidity of 80-90%. I want to try the purple potato variety. And you can put fast draining soil in the bags, which might make growing potatoes easier if you have a heavy soil in your garden. The extra work in digging low and deep to harvest and 2. Thank you for the guide. I am buying large bags of planting soil at Lowe’s to mound up. Sweet potatoes grow best in light, sandy soils. Press damp soil against the stem and apply enough water to thoroughly wet the soil. I tried rooting a rose stem in a potato in soil in a cup (something I read somewhere and my son had given me a old rose that had scent). (Sometimes, potato plants flower before their foliage begins to yellow.) Fill the container with a porous media that drains well and retains moisture such as a mixture of peat moss and perlite, potting soil, sawdust or sand. Mostly, I don’t do it because it’s more work, but also the plants seem more vigorous when they come from whole potatoes. Potatoes, on the other hand, can nearly grow without you paying attention, and harvesting them is fun like digging for treasure. Three months after planting check the roots at the base of the plant with your hand (being careful not to nick or bruise any) to determine their size, then check them weekly. Most varieties are ready to be dug out about I found this website when looking for when to harvest potatoes since obviously you can’t see them. Scatter it evenly over the surface of the bed and mix it into the soil 6-10 inches deep. There are two types of sweet potatoes: one with yellow skin and dry, whitish flesh and a darker skinned potato with moist, sweet orange flesh. The easiest way to cure roots is to carefully lay them (do not toss or drop) in nursery flats or shallow boxes. I used to bury them deeper, but it never improved yields and it only made me dig deeper to harvest the potatoes. Easily grow Sweet Potatoes in your home garden in Containers. During my visit to A.V. I’m in Vista, on about 1/3 acre with a yard full of decomposed granite. (I know that letting dry is common advice, but it’s unnecessary.). When you are ready to harvest, cut the stems near the base of each plant and remove the vines from the bed. It didn’t work but up popped a little potato plant. You can stick them in the dirt straight away. The soil should be slightly moist when roots are dug. I’ve never grown potatoes in plant bags, but I have grown them in trash cans with holes in the bottom and that worked acceptably. And so what. If there is soil on the roots wait until the skin is dry then gently brush it off. Do not wash potatoes to be cured and stored. Even better! For an overview of the sweet potato harvest … Do you recommend starting potatoes in SOCAL between May and June? But once the plants are about a foot tall, I give them approximately as much as my local evapotranspiration rate; in other words, about as much as most other vegetable plants. I want to try my hand at potatoes so will plant them in some type of container. Place the boxes in a dry, shady, well-ventilated area that is warm and if possible, somewhat humid, for 2-3 weeks, until all wounds on the skin have completely healed. Perhaps I misread the information; the potatoes are “baby creamers;” bite sized potatoes. Also, I have a bed that’s been neglected for longer than I care to admit, but you may have given me the incentive to wake up the soil a bit given your suggestion that you don’t need to dig all that deep and can simply mound up instead; nice idea! This week will be full of virtual activities, at-home projects, and LIVE talks. This comes from Jim Gerritsen. Growing Potatoes in Zone 9 The first is well dug, compost rich soil, and they need drainage. Water often enough to keep the planting media moist but not soggy. The bed can also be covered with row cover fabric supported on wire hoops to provide extra warmth and exclude insect pests. I particularly appreciate your pragmatic approach and willingness to shrug off the accepted wisdom when it doesnt work or apply or be necessary. For the last couple years, I’ve been growing mostly red potatoes — the specific variety, I don’t know — and I keep the healthiest, biggest tuber from each plant’s harvest to use to sow the next round. Your email address will not be published. A good rule of thumb is to watch for the first signs of yellowing leaves. You can buy potatoes that were grown specifically to be used as seed. For us, that’s red potatoes in general. When planting, you only need to bury the seed potatoes so their eyes are covered. Nice article! And I’ve never noticed a significant difference in plant performance, disease, or tuber yield. If I see a tuber showing at the base of a plant at any time, I’ll cover it immediately. I just added a few photos from this year (2017) that will hopefully make things even clearer. Also do you have any other suggestions when it comes to buying/creating your own “seed potatoes” from the grocery store? Cured sweet potatoes can be carefully wrapped in newspaper and laid in shallow containers, then stored indoors under a bed, in a closet or in a slightly cool room at a temperature of 60-65°F. In 2017, the farm grew 4 varieties: Murasaki, Bonita, Covington and Diane. Traditional ones are: bush beans and corn (3 potato pls to 1 corn/bean combo) with Mentha, or potatoes mixed with cabbage interspersed with Salvia. They just settle them into the soil surface and then mulch on top with straw or wood chips. The lesson is that for fall potatoes you need to get the plants going in August or early September so they have enough time to grow and mature tubers before a cold December night. Sweet potatoes including varieties called yams (that have moist tasting orange flesh) are tropical plants native to Central and South America. Midseason potatoes, those that mature in around 100 days, include Yukon Gold and Red LaSoda, an excellent choice for warmer regions. I’m trying to think of any varieties that I haven’t had decent results from, but I can’t. Sweet potatoes can develop sunscald if left in the sun for several hours. To avoid possible salt injury, mix half of the fertilizer into the soil before planting and apply the remaining half as a side dressing when vines show good growth. I was planning to use 15 gallon containers, but you’re thinking 5 gallons might be adequate? For example, my last August crop suffered from spider mites because I used drip irrigation and there was no rain to wash the foliage off and I failed to bring the hose out to give the plants a shower frequently (mites infest dry, dusty foliage). SOUTHWEST Harvest sweet potatoes as early as June and July in some parts of the Southwest. Remove all weeds when they are small. I’d just grow whichever kinds of potatoes you like to eat most. That’s so fun. Call in April to find out when slips will arrive, what varieties will be available and the price. When to Plant Sweet Potatoes. Potatoes sure grow well when the soil has lots of compost so I would choose that, or a fertilizer that includes a lot of compost, to add to the container soil. Compared to potatoes, most other staples can be laborious to get from the ground to your dinner plate. No need to have sprouted eyes, but if you do then the plants emerge and grow earlier. Gophers are notorious in southern California and they seem to be able to smell potatoes a mile away. Learn more: www.cdfa.ca.gov/healthysoilsweek #HealthySoilsWeek2020 #HSW2020 ... See MoreSee Less, Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email, Copyright - Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. I’ve never kept careful track of it. 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