I've never grown these before. I have some locally grown sweet potatoes that I put in water a couple months ago. They've been through thick and thin without indoor climate control.

They're going in this week after I harden them off.

I only wish I could worry about planting sweet potatoes. Last time I did, I think I lured every gopher and deer within 20 miles. The deer I can handle, but gophers are my enemy. Sneaky little _____s.
With the forecast for the next few days, I would think you could put them in and they would take off.

I have just laid mine in a rain gutter or plant flat covered with potting soil if the bed or weather was not right. I have 4 potatoes in a flat making slips now.

Heh. I haven't checked my 'homegrown' slips in over a month. Is it time to plant, already? Well...I suppose...I best go see if I still any of the sweet tater slips have survived, first.

I might could squeeze them in, somewhere...

More productive that taters and if ya plant a few hills of the right variety, they'll produce enough to keep ya fed all winter and then some.

I'm picking mine up from George on Sunday and will plant on Monday.

Most of my lettuce is threatening to bolt I think, so tomorrow I plan to just clear the bed I initially intended the sweets to go into and plant them! Now I just need to reread the older sweet potato posts and determine just how many I can fit in there... Thanks ya'll :)

I put my slips out in afternoon sun yesterday and forgot about them. They were exposed to the blistering early afternoon sun, today.

They seem to love it!

They can be planted now. But the very best is to wait until night time temps are in the 50s. Glenn Drowns once planted out half of a batch of one variety of sweet potato, early. He got interrupted and didn't get the other half in for nearly a month. But for part of that delay, it was cool and rainy. He then planted the last half of the batch, when temps were stable. He said that the latter half of the batch did better.

Still, I suspect that our temps are going to stay up in a comfortable range now.

When rodents strike my sweet potatoes I use rat poison cubes, from the Farmers Co-op, and place them in coffee cans, on their sides, along the hills and under the vines (no dogs can get into my garden). The rodents usually get into the poison.

George
Tahlequah, OK

I have serious sweet potatoe envy right now. Alexis - where did you order yours? And since George says it's okay....I'm really feeling behind. Blech. I have the options of placing a (late) order with Gary....or take my chances in OKC for Sunshine Acres.

And as far as the rodents....I hear ya. There was one year (about 3 ago) that we had a BUMPER crop with starts purchased at lowes. The next year and last year...every stinkin' gopher ate more than we EVEN had a chance at. My family LOVES them...so I feel an obligation to FIND a way.....I'm ON IT!

I've purchased water troughs, the 110 gallon size. Caught them on sale about 6 weeks ago. I'm hoping they work and will pay for themselves within a couple years. I talked to Dawn about it at the Fling and I think I've got a handle on "how"...if I can just get my hands on some slips.

Amunk01....keep us posted?!?! And Bruce - I'll keep you informed on how these troughs work. I'm really hopeful.

oklahomafood.coop is a GREAT place to order slips from if you need them. Duck Creek farms is the producer. This will be my 3rd yr to grow them. The white sweet potatoes are sooo good. Very mild for those who dont like to sweet fleshed ( like my hubby) and the purple ones are so interesting too! Ive ordered 100!!

I totally agree about the white sweet potatoes. I got Grand Asia from Duck Creek Farms, a couple of years ago. It's hard to explain how good they are. They are not as sweet as most American types, yet the flavor is very very good. And, they are super prolific!

However, keep in mind, not all white fleshed varieties are less sweet. I grow Brinkley White, which is white skinned and almost white fleshed. When cooked right it is so very sweet and good.

Both Duck Creek Farms and Sandhill Preservation Center should have our support through sales. These two are probably doing more for sweet potato preservation work than anyone else, period.

George

Paula, my DH bought slips for me for Christmas (among other things) from Johnnys. Now that I know how cheap my sister pays (100 for $16) I wont order these again. They are Beauregard and I believe I got 25 for $19.99! What is everyone else paying, if you dont mind saying?
Hopefully ill get mine planted in the morning!

Twenty-five for $19.99 is a good price. One hundred for $16 is incredible! I've started out selling sweet potato slips, for the first time, this year. I started at $1 per slip plus $8.50 postage and ended up going to $1.25 per slip. I haven't even been able to advertise my Red Wine Velvet because the demand has been so high that I am sold out. Next year I will probably follow Sandhill Preservation Center's example and charge differently according to variety. Some varieties are less prolific producers of sprouts and slower to sprout than others.

George

What got me into trying my hand at selling slips was, that for the last four years, I've noticed, here in Tahlequah, that when it's time to plant sweet potatoes, there seem to be dozens of people looking for slips and the big box stores generally trot out a couple dozen slips... that's it!

Also, for anyone starting their own slips, remember to harden them off. If they've been grown behind a window pane or under lights, they are not prepared for the sun's ultraviolet rays. Putting them straight out can seriously hurt them.