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Post by macmex on Aug 1, 2021 6:35:19 GMT
I live near Tahlequah, Oklahoma (NE Oklahoma). Got a tractor last year and am learning how to use it to save on labor. (Still use my fork a lot though 
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Post by june on Oct 14, 2021 11:16:35 GMT
George, any updated on what your edible/ornamentals produced?
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Post by macmex on Oct 14, 2021 12:46:29 GMT
Not yet, but almost. I stopped, yesterday, just short of digging Kaukura. Didn't want to get into another variety with the light failing. It's getting dark so much earlier now!
I did cut a few stems and mixed them with some regular sweet potato foliage, to make a bouquet for our kitchen table. I like the foliage of Kaukura, very much.
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Post by macmex on Oct 18, 2021 13:17:51 GMT
It took until Saturday for me to get Kaukura dug (first two plants I put in). I may have another, put in later, but that would be in the South row, which I have not even started digging.
The first plant I dug was quite unimpressive. As you can see, most of the roots were small. With any variety of sweet potato I plant, however, I do find an occasional plant that "fizzles" like this.
The next plant I dug pretty well made up for the failings of the first plant.
Though certainly not a breath taking harvest, this was acceptable. The roots are kind of gnarly shaped, which is normal for some varieties. "Molokai" has gnarly shaped roots.
I'll have to wait a while before trying any of these to find out how well they taste.
Now here's the problem with the Treasure Island series of sweet potatoes. Legally, they are not sustainable. I understand that they are patented, just like Murasaki. I grew Murasaki some years ago. It's a fine sweet potato, very similar to Satsume Aimo. In fact, I'd be really surprised if it wasn't derived from Satsume Aimo, which is a historical variety, perhaps even a landrace from Japan. Anyway, I was excited when I harvested Murasaki and then a friend informed me that it was plant variety patented. This means that the only way one can legally propagate it is to pay a very expensive licensing fee, ad infinitum. One never really owns the seed material but rather "rents it" from the one holding the patent. So, I ate all my Muraski sweet potatoes and never grew them again.
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Post by macmex on Oct 19, 2021 13:08:26 GMT
Here's another photo of Kaukura Sweet. This cultivar is simply gorgeous in flower bed.
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Post by june on Oct 19, 2021 15:47:33 GMT
My kaukura---grown in a large mineral tub. I like the color and the tidy, compact growing habits (and lots of blooms). I'm satisfied with the number of roots per plant, but none of these are more than an inch in diameter. That may be my fault because I didn't plant them until July. Taste will be unknown for another month. A big draw-back for me is the fact that we are not allowed to propagate. Cost for this one plant was $13 plus shipping...I won't continue to do that--even at a much lower price.
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Post by macmex on Oct 31, 2021 11:44:38 GMT
Yesterday I dug the last two plants of Kaukura Sweet and found that, though planted June 29, they out produced the two plants I put in the first week of June. There were larger roots in this batch.
Here's a photo of the total harvest from those two plants.
It will be a few weeks before I can give this variety a fair taste test. Last night I baked a root each of four other varieties I grew out this year. I thought they were okay, but noticed that my wife and daughter were adding sweetner to theirs. They still need a little time to sweeten up.
Makatea did not produce a singule usable size root. I'm going to save a cutting or two, just to try in 2022. This does not impress me, but then, I always say that a single growout is not a fair trial. It takes about three seasons before one can make a fair evaluation of a variety.
Kaukura produced enough roots, that if they taste good, would justify growing it for food. Though, once again, I'll mention, I won't be offering this one, nor really recommending it to seed savers, as it is plant variety patented.
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Post by june on Oct 31, 2021 14:18:47 GMT
Update on my Kaukura and Makatea: I grew mine in large mineral tubs on the back patio so I could watch them closer and be more protective from animals. I dug my potatoes on Oct. 10. I was disappointed in their small size (but I got them in late, so maybe my fault)...I saved a couple of the largest to cure and maybe see how they taste. Most not worth picking, so I trimmed the tops back (roots still intact) and repotted into smaller pots that I could relocate into my storm shelter....a 10 X 10' concrete room under the patio. The temperature there is fairly constant year 'round--no heat needed. I have LED grow lights. I'm doing this just for the fun of it because I like unusual projects to keep me busy. If/when they fail, its no big loss because they weren't really big enough to eat and I'm not suppose to propagate.
On Oct. 10 they looked like this.
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Post by june on Oct 31, 2021 14:21:48 GMT
...And now three weeks later, they look like this....same plants.
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Post by june on Oct 31, 2021 14:23:42 GMT
....and one of my Okinawan/Hawaiians that I wanted to save.
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Post by macmex on Nov 1, 2021 0:13:13 GMT
Absolutely gorgeous! Looks like they like their environment!
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Post by macmex on Dec 10, 2021 14:32:32 GMT
Today I finally got around to grabbing a Kaukura Sweet root and baking it. I already had enough of another variety for my morning snack but decided I was going to do the test this morning. So, I selected a pretty small root and popped it in the convection oven.
It came out soft and with lots of sugary "sweat" on the bottom, which is generally a sign of both high moisture and sugar content.
The taste test went pretty well 
Kaukura Sweet has nice dark, moist flesh. I thought it wasn't as sweet as some, but it was sweet enough that no one would complain. It's a good one.
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Post by june on Dec 17, 2021 15:56:01 GMT
I just microwaved a small sweet potato medley to snack on. This is my Kaukura. I REALLY like it! To me, it has a sweet nutty taste...not too moist, not too dry...I could eat a lot of these. Plus, the foliage (purple heart) looks great mixed in my garden.
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