Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have proven to be one of the lowest maintenance crops that we've grown.  We mail-ordered Georgia Jet sweet potato slips and planted 8 square feet (2 per square ft.) in early May after we were sure a frost wasn't coming.  From there, we guided them through the eight-foot tall cattle panel trellis as they grew.  The only pest issue has been a few Japanese beetles and a treatment of neem oil took care of that. 

     2 weeks

     7 weeks

     11 weeks

     14 weeks

Tips and Tricks:

The literature says Georgia Jets require 90-100 days from planting to harvest.  At 100 days we eagerly turned back the dirt under some of our outermost vines.  We found small potatoes as pictured above.  In Northwest Arkansas, we still have 50 days of growing season left.  Plenty of time to put on size.  This just shows that local growing conditions vary and that the "days to harvest" number is a guideline only.  We will check them again in 2-3 weeks and keep you updated.  They must all be harvested before a frost hits.  Even though they are under ground, they cannot handle it like a white potato.

Putting up the Harvest:

Harvest when the soil is dry.  Dig slowly from the edge, trying to avoid nicking the potatoes.  Put the potatoes in the shade for a couple of hours, then brush away as much dirt as possible with your hand.  Take any that are damaged into the kitchen to cook in the next day or so.  Put the rest in a warm (80-90 degrees) location, like a garage.  Cover them with a damp towel to help them heal over any abrasions.  After 10-14 days, put them into boxes with straw, wood shavings, or shredded paper.  Split them into several boxes if possible to reduce the risk of spoilage ruining all of your potatoes.  Store them in a cool (50-60 degrees) location.