Assessing Sweet Potato Yields Across Various Garden Plots
In the heart of Arkansas, a dedicated gardener embarked on a sweet potato growing journey in 2020. The year began with the planting of slips, both in raised beds, ground beds, and grow bags. Interestingly, five slips planted in a raised bed yielded a bountiful 22 pounds of sweet potatoes.
The writer, however, suspects that marigolds growing nearby may have had a negative impact on the size of the sweet potatoes. Despite the lack of fertilization and some insect damage, the grow bags proved easier to harvest than ground beds, albeit requiring some effort due to the deep burrowing of sweet potatoes.
The author tried an elevated bed method for cultivating sweet potatoes in 2020 to improve drainage and soil conditions. This approach seemed to work well, as the harvest was still substantial, even though it was a 50% reduction from the impressive 100-pound yield in a 4x28' planting area achieved in 2019.
In 2021, the writer planted two 28-foot rows of sweet potatoes in a different part of the garden. Despite the side of the garden with lower elevation possibly contributing to a smaller harvest, the harvested sweet potatoes still weighed 48 pounds. The writer was still pleased with this yield, considering the reduced care compared to the previous year.
Curing sweet potatoes after harvesting is essential to allow starches to turn to sugar and ensure longevity. In the writer's climate, curing sweet potatoes is not difficult due to the high humidity. The ideal temperature for curing sweet potatoes is 85-90 degrees with 85% humidity. Once cured, these root vegetables can be stored for about 9 months in a garage.
The writer plans to share comparisons, observations, and yields of each growing method in a subsequent part of the article. For those interested in starting their own sweet potato journey, the writer recommends checking out a specific article for guidance. The writer also plans to pay more attention to soil fertility, watering, and planting fewer slips in future grow bags, with the hope of improving the yield.
