I am a first time sweet potato grower so can't answer your question. I am hoping you can advise on curing. First, do I wash (using water) the dirt off before curing? Second, do I cure the bruised/broken ones and, if not, do I refrigerate them or cook them ASAP? Third, to get the high temperatures and humidity could I use my grow light stand with the seed heat mats and plastic cover or would that create too much humidity?

Hello, vgkg. The only advantage to keeping them in the ground longer would be thast they would go into storage a bit later. On the flip side curing might not be as warm temps for some.

tracyfox, The USDA reccomends high heat and humidity for curing. It seems most here don't sweat them but rather kind of dry cure them...so figure.

Tracy, hope you got my direct email on your questions. I need to go to library to respond now as my classic webtv cannot log-in from home. This site has gotten too complex for webtv. Can view threads but cannot reply, too weird...

Hi Wayne, thanks for responding. I'll come back here later on to update my late SP harvest. We got almost 7" of rain right after the initial harvest so it'll be interesting to see how the remainer turns out. A frost may hit here in 3 weeks so that may be time enough for more SPs to take shape.

Hope your melons were good this year, worse summer ever here, too hot and too dry.
vgkg

vgkg, I have wondered about you ole gardening friend.

It's been extremely dry here for the last 2 months. Earlier it was too wet and then it was just right for a few weeks. I have hand watered a lot and haven't mowed the lawn for weeks!!

Some of the watermelons did very good. Carmen, Raspa, Orangeglo, Truckbuster, Klondike Striped Blue Ribbon, and SSX 7405 did very, very well. In fact I brought in a 38 pounder and a 27 pounder Orangeglo recently with several more good sized ones on this late plant that nearly drowned out last spring...but it finally took off and has a huge stem.

Cantaloupes only did fair.

I think many of us were wondering where you disappeared to Vgkg, good to see you post even if I can't answer your questions, :) Last time I saw you posting was on the Hot Topics Boards.

Alberta

Yes Albertar, thanks, rare to be here these daze but have been known to voice my thoughts on hot topics.

Wayne, oddly enough my cataloupes were the shining star of the season here, all were perfect but the WMs were so-so, go figure? Thanks again for your recommendations on the Raspa WM and the Dixie Queen loupes, both are yummy in my tummy.

Can you plant sweet potatoes in the same ground you had regular potatoes growing in the year before? Can you plant sweets and regulars together?

I know they are a different family.

I would think that planting sweets a year after regulars would do fine.
But if planted together the vining sweets may choke out the regular potatoes.

The only issue with leaving the sweets in beyond the time that they are nice and big is the possibility of sweet potato weevils getting into them. This might just be a Florida thing, but it's nasty when you get them. Little borer tunnels all through those pretty sweet potatoes.

For "curing", just brush the dirt off and leave them dry in a moderate temperature, but not too humid place for a few weeks. They are very stable when not damp.

First sweet potatoes I ever grew, I tried to eat them right away - bleaagh - tasteless! Curing is essential, but easy.

Sorry to take so long to get back with my results.
As stated above I waited on a later harvest to compare to the earlier harvest. Bottom line is too Not wait. My later "Ga Jets" were all split and deformed. My "Vardeman" fared a little better since these do have a bit longer growing period and are slinder potatoes to begin with. They fattened up a bit but some still had splitting sides due to late rains before harvesting. It may have worked out better if there was a dry spell before the first frost hit. Otherwise I'll dig them all up after 120 days if rain is on the way. Got plenty for TG dinner :)

Just had a bunch of little tubers, mixed varieties, in a stir-fry for dinner. Tasty.

I really like the yellow O'Henry's.

Good to see you around again vgkg.

Sweetpotatoes should be checked for maturity about once a week and when the majority of plants have a good harvest, all the vines should be dug up at once. The reason for checking them regularly is that there are differences in maturity for varieties and based on the temperature they grow in. Hotter temps = faster maturing taters. Georgia Jet at roughly 100 days is one variety that MUST be harvested on time. They just make huge split deformed and often diseased roots if you let them go too long. Okinawan is the opposite end of the spectrum with 140 days to full maturity and often does not make a crop even here in Alabama because our season is really not long enough.

DarJones

Sweet potatoes should be sun dried for a few hours after digging. Then cured indoors for 7-10 days to toughen their skin for long term storage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Curing Sweet Potatoes