Lesson 6.14.1 SWEET POTATOE – Harvesting

 

FOOD FOREST COURSE

AGRO-ECONOMY Lesson 6.14.1 

SWEET POTATOE – Harvesting  

Harvesting

The sweet potato can be harvested when it is considered big enough to eat.  From planting to tuber production is 4-5 months with three harvests over one year.  Replant in spring for the new crop, as the vines will stop producing sweet potatoes after a year or so.  I’ve had sweet potatoes growing in a spot for several years and suddenly, I noticed these gigantic tubers popping out of the ground.  They were not bad to eat but they weren’t as sweet as the younger variety.

Another time I had a patch of sweet potatoes growing and the extended dry spell made them look rather poor.  The goats were hungry for some fresh greens and got well and truly stuck into the vines.  When the vines grew back with the spring rain it took the starch content out of the sweet potatoes for its nourishment and again the sweet potato flavour was compromised.  This is true for all starchy tubers.  The starch content is not really meant to feed you but is nourishment for the growth of the aerial parts of the plants.

I’ve been told by my PNG friend that to look for sweet potatoes it is important to have a digging stick.  This is made from wood and it’s to ensure that no damage is done to the tubers whilst poking around for them.  Look for a slight mound where the sweet potatoes have formed under the ground although it sometimes takes a trained eye to find them.  It is wise to plant the vines in straight rows evenly spaced apart so that once the first lot have been found it is a matter of looking at regular intervals.  It’s so easy to miss those lovely tubers otherwise.

When the tubers have been harvested it is best to leave them on the ground for a week to allow them to sweeten up in the sun.  It is also an important point to consider that when planting sweet potato in early spring, tuber formation does not occur until the day light hours shorten (heading toward winter).  This seems to be the case for most tubers. 

Storage

Tubers for storage should be free of any cuts and rot.  They can be stored on slatted wooden crates or baskets that allow adequate ventilation.  They will store for six months or more if not over filled.  Direct sunlight will make them turn green and this portion should be cut off and discarded.  Sweet potatoes can be left in the ground for extended periods for storage unless rats and scrub turkeys find them.

Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC studied with Bill Mollison,

 

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