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Post by greenfinger on Aug 8, 2015 13:18:01 GMT -5
For those of us in temperate climates, if we can overwinter sunchokes in the ground, harvesting as needed, can we do the same with sweet potatoes? I suspect some loss would occur to moles, but in a dryish spot, would they rot?
Or perhaps dig em, and put them in a tub with drain holes covered with dirt and hardware cloth to keep out the rodents?
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Aug 8, 2015 22:10:23 GMT -5
I have often wondered the same thing. It seems some potatoes planted last year overwintered here fine and grew again this year. I would like to know more about having potatoes and sweet potatoes overwinter naturally underground. I have also wondered if the purple japaneese sweet potatoes would have better genetics and therefore a higher potential for success.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 8, 2015 23:19:54 GMT -5
Sunroot is winter hardy through zone 4.
I think that sweet potato is winter hardy to zone 9.
Solanum potatoes are somewhere in-between. My zone 4 garden has some solanum potatoes survive warmer winters, but not notably cold winters without snowcover.
I can overwinter all sorts of root crops and brassicas if I bury them 18" deep in late fall.
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Post by notonari on Aug 9, 2015 7:26:37 GMT -5
Sweet potatoes suffer chilling injury if stored below 10°C/50°F for extended periods, which will make them rot very fast. Ideal storage temperature is around 15°C/60°F but they will easily store for months at room temperature if undamaged.
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Post by ferdzy on Aug 9, 2015 9:15:04 GMT -5
Since the instructions for curing sweet potatoes for storage are so specific, I'd be surprised if they stored well in the ground... well, maybe if you are in Florida or Cuba!
We do plant our regular potatoes in the fall and overwinter them; and any we miss when digging them up will turn up the next year as weeds, no problem. But sweet potatoes are very different.
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Post by steev on Aug 9, 2015 20:37:00 GMT -5
Moles don't eat veg; they are obligatory carnivores.
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Post by flowerweaver on Aug 11, 2015 16:15:20 GMT -5
I've had sweet potatoes that I missed harvesting put up vines the following spring and I'm in a frost pocket in Zone 8. Same with Irish potatoes. My soil never freezes, but then I am in the desert so there's not much soil moisture.
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Post by steev on Aug 11, 2015 22:20:04 GMT -5
My soil used to freeze; I thought I was in Z8; hasn't frozen the last couple years; I have no idea. I'll be happy if the wildfires don't come to cook my spuds in the ground.
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Post by flowerweaver on Aug 13, 2015 18:23:20 GMT -5
There's a 16,000 acre fire over the hill west of us started by a tourist accidentally knocking over their BBQ grill. Part of the problem is all the plants got lush after 50 inches of rain, and now, in the heat of summer without rain for a month there's more tinder than usual.
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Post by greenfinger on Aug 14, 2015 8:05:07 GMT -5
I've driven to Yosemitee through blackened stumps and ash... I didn't live in fire prone country, but the fear was still there. I'm far away in zone 7a now. Freeze depth of 13 1/2 inches. The last 3 years have been colder than 'normal'. Maybe I'll still try a tuber or two.
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Post by darrenabbey on Aug 30, 2015 23:16:57 GMT -5
Moles don't eat veg; they are obligatory carnivores. Presumably he meant "voles". |
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