Post by macmex on May 22, 2024 16:01:36 GMT
So you want to grow sweet potatoes but have never done it before. Here are some basic instructions. I recognize that there are some other techniques but want to give you the basics for the most common way grow sweet potatoes.
First then you need is a piece of ground that receives a minimum of 7 hours a day of direct sunlight. If you're selecting a garden site and it's still winter, keep in mind that come spring trees will grow leaves, so be sure you're going to have plenty of light come spring and summer. If you haven't had a garden and this is your first, then you probably want to start small. Depending on your available time, you may want to start as small as 10' X4'. It's better to have success on a small scale and dream about upsizing in the coming year than to become overwhelmed and discouraged the first year and experience a flop. (Just some thoughts)
You'll probably need to break up the soil. If you have a small plot you can do this with a mattock, shovel or spading fork.
This is a mattock. Mattocks are extremely useful for breaking up ground and uprooting tough weeds. If I could only have ONE tool, it would be a mattock.
If your soil is relatively soft and lacking rocks, then a round tip, long handled shovel, such as is sold in most box stores, will probably do the job for you.
If your soil is rocky go with a mattock or you might want to invest in a spading fork. Just beware of the spading forks sold in most box stores. In my garden, with my soil, they rarely last more than 3 months before breaking. A quality spading fork can be had for $60 to $100.
Okay, so there are other tools which make things nice but beware of making your gardening venture into a large negative cash flow!
Break up the soil where you want to plant. Be sure only to plant when night time temperatures are quite mild, not chilly, and you know you have 100 days of warm weather ahead. In our area of Oklahoma, this generally means we plant sweet potatoes sometime between May 15 through the first week of July.
First then you need is a piece of ground that receives a minimum of 7 hours a day of direct sunlight. If you're selecting a garden site and it's still winter, keep in mind that come spring trees will grow leaves, so be sure you're going to have plenty of light come spring and summer. If you haven't had a garden and this is your first, then you probably want to start small. Depending on your available time, you may want to start as small as 10' X4'. It's better to have success on a small scale and dream about upsizing in the coming year than to become overwhelmed and discouraged the first year and experience a flop. (Just some thoughts)
You'll probably need to break up the soil. If you have a small plot you can do this with a mattock, shovel or spading fork.
This is a mattock. Mattocks are extremely useful for breaking up ground and uprooting tough weeds. If I could only have ONE tool, it would be a mattock.
If your soil is relatively soft and lacking rocks, then a round tip, long handled shovel, such as is sold in most box stores, will probably do the job for you.
If your soil is rocky go with a mattock or you might want to invest in a spading fork. Just beware of the spading forks sold in most box stores. In my garden, with my soil, they rarely last more than 3 months before breaking. A quality spading fork can be had for $60 to $100.
Okay, so there are other tools which make things nice but beware of making your gardening venture into a large negative cash flow!
Break up the soil where you want to plant. Be sure only to plant when night time temperatures are quite mild, not chilly, and you know you have 100 days of warm weather ahead. In our area of Oklahoma, this generally means we plant sweet potatoes sometime between May 15 through the first week of July.