Posted on 01/10/2014 12:20:06 PM PST by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.
btw...I do not recall side dressing the sweet potatoes with anything nor having any pest problems..,they are a labor free crop until it is time to dig them
/johnny
As you have sandy soil, you should have some very very happy sweet potatoes.
I used to grow old time veiny white sweet potato, that were very ugly, but so delicious that I lost interest in the red ones. Rarely I see white sweet potatoes in the grocery store - and they are usually extremely expensive.
I grabbed slips from the neighbor. She’s had some growing volunteer for 20 years that I know of.
/johnny
greeneyes, that is a great idea. I’ve not done that, as I
turned one into a seed growing medium. Well, when it’s done, I can still use it as a dome, the air holes are there.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a white sweet potato.
That makes all your seeds that have been planted up and going, huh?
“That makes all your seeds that have been planted up and going, huh?”
The bit of green in one cup with sweet baby bells in it, hadn’t popped up this morning, but that one small green spot should pop up today or tomorrow I would think.
Yes, all the rest of seeds are up. I think I can pat myself on the back for being able to grow from seed - I’ve got that part down. There are 20 cups under the grow lamp. Because I have numerous seedlings in every cup, I think I’ll have to transplant the actual number I want into containers larger than those cups as some are crowding those cups. I think every tomato seed came up so I have many growing in every cup - there are 5 different type tomatoes and they all look very good. I guess I could just remove a bunch from every cup and keep three or four selected ones growing in each cup. That makes sense and I wouldn’t have to transplant now.
Do any of you have an opinion as what I should do at this point? If you have a bunch of something growing in a 5 oz. paper cup, what would you do?
I thin to the strongest, healthiest one.
/johnny
Let’em grow, You can cull the runts as they grow and when it comes time, for me about 6wks, I plant only the strongest, healthiest, bushiest ones, for me, it will be the nicest 2 of each this year. The rest can be given away or pitched.
If you have too many in a cup, I would separate before their roots become entangled together causing damage to the roots as you tear them apart.
Congratulations on your first seed starting, class of ‘14.
The white sweet potatoes are not as common. They are richer and taste like honey. They do not need “doctoring up” as much as the red. Back when I grew them, I started with a bushel (ate some, planted some) that I got from a farming family in Sampson County NC. They grew red ones for market, but white ones for personal consumption.
I saw white sweet potatoes in Safeway about 3 years ago but could not spend $4.99 lb on sweet potato.
The white ones are the same shape as the red, and same growing habit.
You might already know, but I will post for other sweet potato growers...If you are going to process (dry, can or freeze) your new sweet potato crop, do not do so right after you dig them. You will enjoy the flavor more if you let the sweet potatoes cure for at least 5 weeks. Upon digging them, they seem to be starchy, however if you let them rest for at least a month, then they start turning to sugar. I used to always dig them, let them lay in the field a day or so (to let any mud completely dry), then I would spread them out in a barn, trying not to stack them. If you can wait two whole months before processing the sweet potatoes, they seem even sweeter.
Like pumpkins, after they are harvested they “go to sleep”, so try not to disturb them. If they wake up grouchy, they might start rotting.
Thanks. I wasn’t completely up to speed on all of that. I don’t like sweet potato, but I have a beer recipe I want to try with them. Sugar content is important.
/johnny
Finally on the way home from Austin. This time, I’m staying home. Wierd to be posting from a Greyhound bus. ;)
/johnny
Marcella, tobacco and tomatoes are two plants that allow you to break the rule: keep it at the same planting depth when you transplant. If your plants are spindly, like from overcrowding or not enough sun, then you can bury them up to the bud and they will love you forever. As long as you leave some green above the soil level, then your plant will make roots on top of its old roots. Any other plants will keel over, but tobacco and tomato have the ability to sprout roots from the stem if buried deeper than original level. The plants will be sturdier and healthier. This works for field or container grown.
Another trick, when you move your tomato plant to its final destination, squeeze flat and bruise the bottom leaves. This releases a tomato pheremone that makes it less appealing to bugs. Not to worry. Tomato plants are very very forgiving.
Oh man. Sweet potato beer. I bet it rocks.
That is the experiment. Grow a couple of hundred pounds of sweet potatoes, and make something drinkable and 6% out of them.
/johnny
Sounds like a very good use of sweet potato to me!
I made that mistake last year - didn't plant enough of the stalk and they “had” gotten spindly before I planted them so I screwed up two ways - letting them get spindly and not planting deep enough.
I won't let these get spindly. My grow lamp is adjustable, so I have it just above the plants - if I had it higher, they would get spindly reaching for the light. I will bury them deeply this time along with they won't be spindly to start with.
I broke my stay in the house until flu is over rule today, as I went to the Walmart outside garden stuff and got 20 plastic pots 5 inches across and 4 inches deep with the water collector in the bottom, so I could transplant into those for a while before plants go into the final large containers. They were 69 cents a piece and much better than the black thin ones with holes in the bottom. I didn't have any pots between 5 ounce cup size (2 1/2 inches across and 3 inches deep) and large containers. I also got more bags of potting soil mix.
I was the ONLY person in the outdoor garden section so I wasn't around anyone, just the one clerk that checked me out and when I got home I washed my hands very well.
/johnny
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.