|
|
Post by castanea on Jun 23, 2012 0:29:35 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeH on Jun 23, 2012 7:35:00 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by circumspice on Jun 29, 2012 16:45:59 GMT -5
The first link states that this book is no longer available.
The 2nd link is a dead link. I got the 404 error message.
|
|
|
|
Post by caledonian on Jun 29, 2012 20:26:21 GMT -5
I was able to open the second link just fine.
|
|
|
|
Post by orflo on Jul 6, 2012 2:30:07 GMT -5
If you're interested in small scale grown sweet potatoes, this is the book, excellent, good growing tips, very practical advice. I bought mine directly from Ken Allan some years ago, it was a nice experience!
|
|
|
|
Post by 12540dumont on Jul 6, 2012 22:45:04 GMT -5
Thanks for this. In 2010 I did Sweets. Lots of vine and very few taties. Further, hella work to dig them out in the heat of September/October. From an investment of about $50, I got about 10 dollars of Sweets. I guess I should get the book. Dar, I know you do sweets, any recommendations as to a variety that's a sure fire winner? Leo's awfully grumpy that I didn't put any in this year or last, but I didn't want to spend the money and take up bed space for such a small return. I love them. So I figure, 1. I'm doing something wrong. 2. I'm planting the wrong variety. 3. I'm not in the South. She's got baked ribs and candied yams Sugar-cured Virginia hams Basement full of those berry jams And that's what I like about the South Ham hocks and turnip greens Hog jolls and butter beans Mardi Gras down in New Orleans That's what I like about the South Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by castanea on Jul 6, 2012 23:37:44 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by orflo on Jul 7, 2012 1:08:14 GMT -5
Not just the heat, I'm at 51° North and I grow them outside (they are started inside though, they need LOTS of heat to produce slips), but just one variety, T65, so the variety choice is just as important. Other varieties are very low producing or even worthless. Our average daytime summer temperature should be around 20-22° C, I think that's low compared to your circumstances. They're not too picky about soil, but do need a good drop of water to start growing. The tubers can weigh 2 kgs, that's about 4 pounds, and that makes a good meal. After storing them the weight drops a bit, but they're soo much sweeter. You can speed that process up by curing them, but in Belgium autumn is just way too cold for doing so, so the slow going method is used...
|
|
edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
|
Post by edwin on Jul 7, 2012 5:48:50 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Drahkk on Jul 7, 2012 10:16:47 GMT -5
Edwin, I believe slips are used to prevent disease transmission between generations, or between locations. The last couple of years running I've just saved some of the smaller roots for use as seed potatoes the following year, and thus far have had no problems, but if I brought in new germplasm I'd use slips as a preventive measure.
Of the ones I've tried, the only two I've stuck with are Vardaman and Poplar Root/Mississippi Choker. I usually plant at the beginning of May and dig in mid-September, and do very little to them in between other than a little watering here and there, and maybe poisoning some fire ants before I get ready to dig. I put them in early this year, about the middle of April (guess I should keep better notes...), so we'll see if it makes a difference. The Poplar Roots produce the most uniformly shaped and sized crop I've seen, around 1.5 to 2 pounds each in the time I'm letting them grow. They don't have the typical sweet potato waxy texture though. Kinda like an Irish potato with the sugar content of a sweet. They're my wife's favorite for that reason, as she doesn't care for the texture of regular sweet potatoes. Now as for me, I LIKE regular sweets. Vardaman isn't quite as uniform. I get some big, some small, and last year one the size of a loaf of bread. Some will be shaped like your typical supermarket sweets, while some will be longer and more squiddly looking. I've seen them two and a half feet long and only two or three inches in diameter. But you can't beat them for flavor. They're the smoothest, creamiest, least stringy sweets I've tried, great for pies and casseroles, or just baking for dinner.
I usually average about 30 pounds from a 4'x4' planting, but I realize not everyone is growing them in a raised bed in the Mississippi Delta. Your experience may vary.
One thing I found out the hard way: don't dig within a couple of days of watering or rain. If you do, a lot of them will split as soon as they hit air.
MB
|
|
edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
|
Post by edwin on Jul 7, 2012 17:28:51 GMT -5
re splitting: thanks for the warning.
|
|
