How long until I will have sweet potato tubers - Impatient

[Veggie Boy]

I planted by sweet potato about 6 weeks ago. Bush is doing fantastically - see photos in the "What are your highs and low for 2005 vegetable garden" (or something like that) thread.

I know it is early days - but am wonderring how long before I should start bandicooting in the soil for tubers.

[~Tullymoor~]

Don't worry about the bloody tubers VB!! What about me shoots, huh??When am I gonna get shoots instead of these tiny little white and wispy rootlets???!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Why don't you just have a bit of a poke around in under there and have a look-see??

[christopher]

Veggie Boy and Tullymoor (D),

Our sweet potato gets planted and harvested six months later. If you don't get frost you might be able to let it stay in longer, and I know a 3 year sweet potato is substantially larger than a 6 month or one year potato, but they are easier to cook and eat when younger. My wife says they taste better, too, but I don't notice any difference.

We're having sweet potato today, >yay<.

Also, you can boil the greens and eat it like spinach... if you are impatient!

C

[Richard on Maui]

Everything Christopher said, although I would add not to be too disappointed if it takes more like 9 months in se QLD.

[bjgnome]

I harvest some of decent size at 4 months or so by accident. I was pulling some pots inside before one of our hurricanes, and up came a couple tubers , so we ate them.

Thanks, Christopher or whoever else suggested eating the leaves. We threw them in a chinese stir fry and were quite pleasantly surprised.

My plants appear to be infested with white flies of some sort, multiplying on the underside of the leaves, what to do?

Jonathan

[Veggie Boy]

Tully - you really should stop complaining about your SP not shooting :wink:

There is a lesson to be learnt here - closely follow the instructions you are given - who ever said to cut them into discs - that's how you make sweet potato chips

[~Tullymoor~]

Yeah,yeah, who died and made you the forum smartarse, huh? :lol:

[SueinWA]

When I was contemplating planting sweet potatoes, I read where the root doesn't enlarge to a tuber for quite some time, then I guess they just get bigger. I don't think our days are long enough to grow them here, at all. :cry:


bjgnome: white flies are attracted to bright yellow. If you have some of those quart oil bottles that are bright yellow, THAT'S the color. Coat the empty bottles with a bit of the leftover oil and set them among your plants. The flies are attracted to them and get stuck. Vasoline also works.

Sue

[christopher]

Yeah, VB, I'M THE GUY IN CHARGE OF GRANTING LICENSES FOR FORUM SMARTARSES (I share that job with Stevie Wevie :heart: :rock: :heart: , who appears to be on holiday again), and I didn't DIE, I only fell off of my podium, but it wasn't a long fall 'cuz luckily I was informed that my podium was only a pebble :director: , so while I was deeply wounded, I am over it now, having dusted myself off from any dried bullshit :protest: or crystalized emotional imbalance that was sprayed on me, and am now ready to march forward. ( :lol: )

Um, but by the powers vested in me, by the incomparable and amazing Queen Tullymoor, and wize Tezza the Guru, I hereby, um, grant you license to be as smart a smartarse as you wish to be (if you have a belly button, you already had the license anyway....)

Anyway, my sweet potatoes were awesome last night, so just wanted to encourage anyone who is planting or planning on planting sweet potato to do so. Yummmm. Worth the wait in delayed gratification, AND I GOT THE BUZZZZZ.

Hope you are well, Veggie Boy, Richard, Sue in Wa, Stuart In Jonathon Florida, and you too, Oh Great Queen Tullymoor. :love7: :love7: :love7: :love5: :love4:

[bjgnome]

When I was contemplating planting sweet potatoes, I read where the root doesn't enlarge to a tuber for quite some time, then I guess they just get bigger. I don't think our days are long enough to grow them here, at all. :cry:


bjgnome: white flies are attracted to bright yellow. If you have some of those quart oil bottles that are bright yellow, THAT'S the color. Coat the empty bottles with a bit of the leftover oil and set them among your plants. The flies are attracted to them and get stuck. Vasoline also works.

Sue

I'll try it!

Thanks.
JB