Harvesting Sweet Potatoes???

[BlountArrow]

Experts, when should I be looking at harvesting sweet potatoes. I have about 50+' of Beauregards planted and they've been doing great all summer and still doing good. I'm amazed at how much the vines have branched out; I wasn't expecting that.

When should I look at digging these bad boys up? Any recommendations. It seems like I had read to wait as long as possible but to dig them before a frost sets in. But, you tell me.

 

[Big Pop]

No expert here but I have harvested them after frost, just be sure to mow, pull or weedeat the vines off of them. I have never had a problem with them if doing it that way.

Beauregard are the best sweet potatoes with deep orange flesh so sweet they need no added sweetener. You can bake them off in the oven for about an hour and they are perfect! I have even baked and frozen them with some orange juice added to keep from turning brown. Then just boil or microwave to heat up. Good luck with your crop.

 

[BlountArrow]

No expert here but I have harvested them after frost, just be sure to mow, pull or weedeat the vines off of them. I have never had a problem with them if doing it that way.

Why do you do this? Genuine question by the way.

 

[pressfit]

I dug some a few years ago about the end of sept iirc and they were fine.

 

[Big Pop]

A long time farmer in Rogersville told me to get the vines off before frost If you don't it robs the tubers of something they need to keep well. As long as the ground doesn't freeze you can leave them if vines are off.

 

[Big Pop]

As I said before, no expert here, just had some experience with them for a few years.

 

[BlountArrow]

A long time farmer in Rogersville told me to get the vines off before frost If you don't it robs the tubers of something they need to keep well. As long as the ground doesn't freeze you can leave them if vines are off.

Cool, man. I was just wondering the rationale behind it. Those old farmers are a very valuable resource. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rollo]

We pulled ours when the leaves started turing brown in October or early November. We had a wet summer that year and some of them were the size of Nerf footballs.

 

[BlountArrow]

We pulled ours when the leaves started turing brown in October or early November. We had a wet summer that year and some of them were the size of Nerf footballs.

They've definitely had an abundance of rain this year where I'm at. Can't wait to dig up the gold.

 

[BlountArrow]

How is everybody's sweet potatoes doing? Dug them yet? I've weedeated the vines and I had hoped to dig them up this week but I didn't because it's been so wet. I have dug up 2 plants and they wer loaded to the gills. One was protruding out of the ground which probably isn't rare, but this sucker was mammoth size. My little boy could harldy hold the string of them up for a picture.

 

[Big Pop]

Look good here in Knox County as well. A few as big as footballs, like you say coming out of the ground. 20-25 lbs. in a single hill. Vines have grown maybe 30-40 feet long.

 

[DaveB]

Never had any luck with growing sweet or regular potatoes.

However, I did see that tv story about a guy growing purple potatoes. The pro's cut the vines off before harvesting. Fields just looked like a big old dirt pile. And they were in no hurry except to beat the ground freezing.

 

[MickThompson]

How do you keep voles from eating your sweet potatoes? I think they got half my crop this year.

 

[BlountArrow]

How do you keep voles from eating your sweet potatoes? I think they got half my crop this year.

Fortunately, the cotton rats that obliterate my cantaloupes keep the voles at bay.

Choose your enemy I guess. In all seriousness, voles just haven't been a problem ......... yet.

 

[gil1]

I scanned this from an information sheet I get every year from the Sandhill Preservation Center where I get all my sweet potato slips. Besides the reason listed below, I harvest mine in September because moles and voles are notorious for munching on your taters. No need to keep them in the ground for them to mold and let the critters eat them after September.