Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Various methods can be used to harvest sweet potatoes. Crew harvesting sweet potatoes. After the curing process is done, then you store your sweet potatoes in an area that is kept around 55-60°F for about 6-8 more weeks. Harvesting of the sweet potato roots is usually done between 90-120 days or as soon as possible after a frost that has blackened the tops of the plants. When it’s time to harvest, tip the container on its side. Sweet potatoes are relatively easy to grow but the one thing that they won’t tolerate is frost. Photo Nina Gentle. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. You can check soil temperatures with an expensive thermometer for soils or compost, available at many complete garden supply stores … To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. This takes about two weeks. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes… Sweet potatoes need a long growing season. You want less moisture, not more. It may be necessary to cover them if extremely cold temperatures are expected. Harvest sweet potatoes as soon as they are big enough to eat—usually when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow. Sort any badly cut or bruised potatoes to eat first (they won't keep) and sort the rest according to size in boxes or baskets to cure before storage. I let them be and not harvest until the end of October. Avoid plastic because it traps moisture and transmits the cold. Growers with a few acres may use a mold board plow (with the tip of the wing cut off, Figure 1.) If temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they may be a “plant-cicle” regardless of the protection. If the soil is wet, they could rot. You can delay your garden harvest of some root crops and greens until after a frost and still have a bountiful harvest. Sweet Potato Planting Time:Set sweet potato starts in the garden after all danger of frost is past in spring, usually about 4 weeks after the last frost.Sweet potatoes are extremely sensitive to frost and need a warm, moist growing season of as many as 150 days.More items… Some gardeners swear the best-tasting sweet potatoes are those that have experienced a single light frost. Make holes 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Cover the potatoes with a thick coat of straw, followed by 2- to 3-inches of dirt. Sweet potatoes take considerable room to form their tubers. The process, called suberization, causes the skin to thicken so the potato doesn’t dry out. Although this is a general theory, it is said that sweet potatoes are said to have been harvested usually after planting seedlings (after inserting a vine) with growing days of around 120 days. The boards will keep rain from washing the dirt off and ruining the insulation. Curing can be done in 10 to 14 days by keeping sweet potatoes in a warm, dark place with some ventilation. Their flavor and qualtiy will improve with colder weather. After curing, move the sweet potatoes to a storage space, such as a root cellar, kept between 55 and 60 degrees with humidity of 75 to 80 percent. Take care not to bruise the roots with a hoe, shovel, or other harvesting tool. So any time now, we could get a frost. Harvest sweet potatoes the morning after a frost if you have waited too long. Set sweet potato starts or slips in the garden after all danger of frost has passed, usually 4 weeks after the last average frost date in early summer. Harvest Sweet Potatoes from right at the base of the plant, just barely under the ground. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707. Gardeners in North Carolina, the biggest sweet potato-producing state, time their plantings so the roots will mature by late September and early October. Unlike white potatoes, which have the annual plant sequence of vegetative growth, flowering and dying back, sweet potato plants would go on growing forever if the weather remained warm enough. Here in the South, in zone 7b I start sweet potato slips indoors in March and plant them in the garden in mid-May after all danger of frost is gone and the soil has had enough time to warm up a bit.. Usually, sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves and ends of the vines have started turning yellow, but you can leave them in the ground up until the fall frost. Lay them out in the sun for a few hours immediately after harvesting and then move them to a warm, humid place for 10 days - a greenhouse is ideal. Try to dig the sweet potatoes on a dry, overcast day. It is best not to wash vegetables after harvesting but remove dirt with a dry brush. Sweet potatoes will continue to grow, as long as soil temperatures on average remain above 65 degrees (F), or tops are killed by frost. Under ideal conditions, potatoes are held at 80 degrees for … Sweet potatoes need to be harvested prior to a freeze, not because they become toxic after a freeze but because this very tender crop is easily damaged by temperatures in the low 30s. Sweet potatoes can be harvested any time tubers have formed (start checking late summer). The latter is likely to do considerable damage the leaves. The closer you keep to these guidelines when trying to cure the sweet potatoes, the faster the sweet potatoes should cure. Harvest sweet potatoes. Our average first frost date is October 14. Harvesting Sweet Potatoes. Can I Harvest Sweet Potatoes in Containers? Harvest: mid-September to mid-October; before the first frost; Storage: After you harvest, let your sweet potatoes bask in the sun for a few hours to harden their skin and prolong storage. As fall begins, many smart gardeners are finishing up their garden harvest of vegetables and fruits. As mentioned previously, sweet potatoes usually are harvested after the first frost of the fall season. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. Frost can damage the tubers below. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are touched by frost. Some greens like kale and collards actually become a bit sweeter with a light frost. Beauregard: This popular commercial variety produces a potato with pale reddish skin and dark orange flesh that takes 100 days until it reaches maturity. Sweet potatoes take considerable room to form their tubers. You can delay your garden harvest of some root crops and greens until after a frost and still have a bountiful harvest. Black rot, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, not only causes rotting but gives the sweet potatoes a bitter flavor. Sweet potatoes require a long, warm growing season, usually about 4 months of frost-free weather to reach harvest. While the sweet potato plant isn’t difficult to grow, it doesn’t bear veggies quickly. Complete the harvest before a killing frost and tubers on dead vines tend to rot. About 4 months after planting sweet potato slips, you can dig up a few and see how large they’ve grown. There is a new article up on Growing in the Garden all about "A Fast and Easy Way to Grow Sweet Potato Slips" - Follow…” The slips may look rough at first, but they quickly grow new leaves. This information is for educational purposes only. This can be done with either green or red ball cabbage. Gretchen Voyle, Michigan State University Extension - Then, sauté the cut leaves for a cooked cabbage treat. Sweet potatoes mature in 90 to 170 days and they're extremely frost sensitive. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after transplanting. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Sweet potatoes can be used soon after harvesting, but they will store well for several months if the skins are cured properly. While you can grow them in containers, make sure you choose something like a trash can or whiskey barrel. Dry in a single layer and turn periodically. As long as the soil is damp, they do well where they grow. Unlike white potatoes, which have the annual plant sequence of vegetative growth, flowering and dying back, sweet potato plants would go on growing forever if the weather remained warm enough. Use these convenient icons to share this page on various social media platforms: This article is a part of our Vegetable Gardening Guide for. If potatoes remain on the soil surface in the sun, they start turning green. Sweet Potato Planting Time:Set sweet potato starts in the garden after all danger of frost is past in spring, usually about 4 weeks after the last frost.Sweet potatoes are extremely sensitive to frost and need a warm, moist growing season of as many as 150 days.More items… So any time now, we could get a frost. The key to a superior, sweet taste is allowing them to experience a light frost, and then harvest before the hard frost. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Chiffonade means “little ribbons” in French. If you dig late in the day, don't leave the roots out overnight; you risk damage from cold weather and moisture. Some even wait until the frost has blackened all of the vines before harvesting. The longer you are able to keep the plants in the ground, the larger and more numerousyour harvest will be. Harvest: mid-September to mid-October; before the first frost; Storage: After you harvest, let your sweet potatoes bask in the sun for a few hours to harden their skin and prolong storage. Once this is done, then you’ll store your sweet potatoes in a root cellar , basement, closet, or anywhere else that is dark, cold, and dry. Find a protected spot in or near the garden. In November, buy unblemished medium-size sweet potatoes. A mature sweet potato will have 4 to 5 roots of varying sizes but the majority often should have a 1 ¾ inch diameter and be 3-9 inches in length. (Should the vines get frosted, it's important to harvest immediately.) In areas where the fall is cool, but without frost, soil temperature will dictate when to pick potatoes. Because of variable weather, you'll probably lose some potatoes to rot, but if your harvest is generous, you'll have plenty for eating. You can check soil temperatures with an expensive thermometer for soils or compost, available at many complete garden supply stores … And because they’re tropical, cold weather can actually damage the sweet potato tubers. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are touched by frost. Although you should have harvested them earlier, you can still salvage the crop. I’ve found the best strategy is to let them stay in the ground a little while longer, since they’ll continue to grow until a hard frost takes them out. Carefully dig into the mound for a week's supply of potatoes at a time. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. September begins the watch for that first frost. The soil should be minimally moist and crumbly so that you can brush most it … The tougher leaves and stems can also be incorporated into soups for a little extra color and texture. Bush Porto Rico: The compact vines yield a potato with copper skin and orange flesh after 110 days. I have read that it is okay to wait to harvest sweet potatoes until after the first frost, when the sweet potato vines turn black. Leaf lettuces cannot handle the frosts that kale or collards can. For home gardeners, the best time to harvest sweet potatoes is immediately before or just after the first fall frost. Under ideal conditions, you can keep a mature crop until the next early harvest. Sweet potatoes can be harvested any time after they have reached a suitable size (generally 3-4 months). The toughening of the skin is what will enable longer winter storage. Let the potatoes dry on the ground for a couple of hours. Well, you can easily get it from the store selling seeds. We had a very light patchy frost 10/10 with a recorded overnight low of 36F, but now we are having a warm spell (very nice). Frost can damage the tubers below. Sweet potatoes require a long, warm growing season, usually about 4 months of frost-free weather to reach harvest. When to harvest sweet potatoes. So it’s best to harvest them before the first frost. September 20, 2016. A: It’s true that sweet potatoes must be “cured” after harvest. This is so the curing process can finish. Frost and cold weather can hurt sweet potatoes at harvest time even though you might think they're insulated underground. Crew harvesting sweet potatoes. It's best not to pick through them too often. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) mature 90 to 100 days after you plant them and will continue to grow until frost kills the vines. At this time both soil and air are warm for the perfect growth of sweet potatoes. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. A mature sweet potato will have 4 to 5 roots of varying sizes but the majority often should have a 1 ¾ inch diameter and be 3-9 inches in length. I have read that it is okay to wait to harvest sweet potatoes until after the first frost, when the sweet potato vines turn black. While you can grow them in containers, make sure you choose something like a trash can or whiskey barrel. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. You may also come across some newer varieties designed for the shorter growing season in the north. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 1972 - 2020 National Gardening Association, Times are presented in US Central Standard Time, Today's site banner is by lauriemorningglory and is called "October Skies". If you have a long growing season, you just have to keep checking the hills and harvest the roots at the best cooking stage. Warm season vegetables will not survive even a light frost because they get partially or totally frozen and decay begins almost immediately. After planting the sweet potato, around 120 days before and after is the harvest proper time. Sweet potatoes will continue to grow, as long as soil temperatures on average remain above 65 degrees (F), or tops are killed by frost. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest after about 100 days of growth, though you’ll find a range of 90-120 days. Sweet potatoes need to be harvested prior to a freeze, not because they become toxic after a freeze but because this very tender crop is easily damaged by temperatures in the low 30s. Sweet potato harvest. Actually from our own records it has averaged 10/22 over the last 11 years. Leaving them in direct sun for long can open pathways of infection that will damage the crop in storage. If frost does come before you have a chance to harvest, the next morning after the frost, cut the vines at the soil level, which should buy you a couple of days before you need to dig them up. Harvest sweet potatoes as soon as they are big enough to eat—usually when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow. However, the roots remain unharmed, but should be dug as soon as possible following the frost. Don't wash the potatoes after the harvest, either. Get the most from your garden. Sweet potatoes aren’t difficult to grow or harvest, and most of the time your plants will yield a decent amount of potatoes. When to Harvest. Growing Michigan State Extension offers the following suggestions on how to get more mileage out of your garden’s root crops and greens. You may also come across some newer varieties designed for the shorter growing season in the north. There are some varieties of sweet potatoes listed below:. Growing sweet potatoes. When the leaves turn slightly yellow they are usually ready to harvest. Crops below the surface of the soil are not affected by frosts, but they are affected by freezing. It takes very little of this glycoalkaloid poison to cause gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the last frost when the soil … There are many vegetables and fruit that must be picked and dealt with almost immediately or they will lose quality, such as tomatoes, which must be eaten or processed. Add some shredded carrots or sweet peppers for a colorful side dish. Don’t wait until after your last frost date to harvest! Harvest the potatoes as soon as possible after cutting the vines because cold weather can adversely affect the storage time of sweet potatoes. or middle buster with a notched coulter adjusted just left of the point to cut the vines. After harvest, cure the sweet potatoes for 1 week at a temperature of 80 to 85°F and relative humidity of 90 to 95 percent. Use. A good rule of thumb is to watch for the first signs of yellowing leaves. This is why most of the sweet potatoes grown in Australia are grown in Queensland but home gardeners shouldn’t have any trouble growing sweet potatoes as far south as Melbourne, just be wary in winter. After harvest, cure the sweet potatoes for 1 week at a temperature of 80 to 85°F and relative humidity of 90 to 95 percent. You can leave them till a light frost, but harvest before a hard frost. In temperate climates, sweet potatoes can usually be harvested after the first frost or around the time when the vines start to turn yellow. Smart gardeners know the satisfaction of eating and enjoying the products of their summer’s work. Sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after planting in the garden. Harvest the entire crop at least two weeks prior to the first expected frost. Potatoes can also stay in the soil, but it is important they be dug and removed from the garden almost immediately and not left on the soil surface for any period of time. So their vines don’t die back—they’ll just keep on growing while the warm weather lasts. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. This may let you leave the potatoes in the ground for a few more days without injury. Harvest tubers when they reach 5 to 6 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter as these are the best quality. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Don’t wait until after your last frost date to harvest! It makes the potato bitter and, if enough is ingested, poisonous. After curing, put the containers of sweet potatoes in a dry, well-ventilated area at 55° to 60° F with a relative humidity of 75 percent to 80 percent. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. Sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves start to turn yellow. Frost on the vines can damage your crop, so if the vines get killed back by frost, cut the vines. For harvesting, pick a harvest day when it hasn’t rained for a few days. Learn How to Grow sweet potatoes | Growing sweet potatoes, sweet potato vine, sweet potato plant problem, and many more about this vine.Sweet potato vines are not produced by seeds like other vegetables, they start with slips.These slips and shoots are available in a mature potato. Privacy Policy and Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes are tropical in origin. You may also like the Hydroponic Farming Business Plan. Sweet potatoes mature in 90 to 170 days and they’re extremely frost sensitive. Don't wash the potatoes after the harvest, either. Here are a few things to look for before harvesting sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are ready to harvest between 90-120 days after planting; Harvest when tubers are at least 3 inches in diameter; Harvest sweet potatoes before the first fall frost; Usually sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves and vines begin turning yellow About 4 months after planting sweet potato slips, you can dig up a few and see how large they’ve grown. Or you can wait until just before your first frost and harvest them then. Carrots can remain in the garden after a frost and still be removed in good condition. Photo Wren Vile In my 10/30/20 post Growing High Yielding Sweet Potatoes, I wrote When to harvest sweet potatoes. We had a very light patchy frost 10/10 with a recorded overnight low of 36F, but now we are having a warm spell (very nice). You’ll need to wait four months to be able to harvest the sweet potato tubers in warmer climates, and up to six months in temperate climates. Set sweet potato starts or slips in the garden after all danger of frost has passed, usually 4 weeks after the last average frost date in early summer. Harvest the sweet potatoes . Ball cabbages can withstand light frosts, but if outside leaves get damaged, just peel them away and the remaining healthy leaves are good to go. The temperature should be 80° to 85° F with high humidity. If you can't store your sweet potatoes under these conditions, you may want to cook and freeze your harvest. For example, near a fence or barn. Even dropping the potatoes into a harvest bucket will injure the skin. Waiting too long and exposing sweet potatoes to frost will likely leave you with rotted roots at … Store in a cool, dry place for up to 5 months. The longer Sweet Potatoes stay in the ground, the larger and sweeter they get. When to Harvest. ... After harvesting, potatoes must be cured. Since the roots spread 4 to 6 inches deep in the soil, a spade fork is useful when digging up the potatoes. Because they have thin skins sweet potatoes are easily damaged during harvest so extra care should be taken. Some gardeners swear the best-tasting sweet potatoes are those that have experienced a single light frost. After harvest, you need to cure sweet potatoes … MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. In addition, curing causes starch in the tuber to turn into sugar. This is so the curing process can finish. Some of the garden goodies, however, are either not affected or enhanced by light frosts. Actually from our own records it has averaged 10/22 over the last 11 years. Consider thinly slicing or chiffonading the leaves. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Watch the weather report and harvest your sweet potatoes when the night time temperatures start to dip into the 40s to 30s to ensure that none of your crop is lost to frost. Sweet potato roots have thin skins and bruise easily. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. Curing can be done in 10 to 14 days by keeping sweet potatoes in a warm, dark place with some ventilation. Harvest the potatoes as soon as possible after cutting the vines because cold weather can adversely affect the storage time of sweet potatoes. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are frostbitten. Although this is a general theory, it is said that sweet potatoes are said to have been harvested usually after planting seedlings (after inserting a vine) with growing days of around 120 days. In short, harvest 2-3 weeks before the average killing frost in your area. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. Potatoes can tolerate light frost, but when the first hard frost is expected, it’s time to get out the shovels. This gives them time to harvest before the first frost, so the potatoes are in storage as the weather turns cool. The sweet potato root has a delicate skin that is easily bruised at harvest. All photos: Gerald Holmes, California Polytechnic State University at … Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after transplanting. I let them be and not harvest until the end of October. Remote Learning and Resources for Those at Home During COVID-19 Pandemic, Stay Informed With the MSU Extension Newsletter. Cover them with several layers of newspaper, a bed sheet or possibly a floating row cover. It's best to wait until the leaves start to yellow or frosty weather is approaching. Carefully remove soil, but do not wash the potatoes. This prevents rotting from too much moisture. If you grew sweet potatoes in a pot, just simply empty out the pot and gather all the sweet potatoes. This is more than an annoying color; it is a chemical called solanine. Storing sweet potatoes. Wrapping in paper can protect sweet potatoes from fungus or insects. Sweet potatoes are typically ready for harvest 3-4 months after you put the slips on the ground once the plant has begun to wither and die back. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest after about 100 days of growth, though you’ll find a range of 90-120 days. Lay down 8- to 10-inches of wheat straw, then carefully pile the cured sweet potatoes in a 3- to 4-foot-tall cone or pyramid. Root crops like carrots, turnips, beets, rutabagas and parsnips can remain in the garden after a frost and still be removed in good condition later, but get them dug and stored before the ground freezes. Dig gently around the hills, starting from a few feet away, so as not to slash any wandering roots with your shovel or fork. They’ll be fine to eat and store short term after laying in the sun, but for long term storage, consider curing your sweet potatoes. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes… Sweet potatoes need a long growing season. When to harvest sweet potatoes depends largely on the seasonal growing. Carefully harvest the sweet potatoes after 100 days. Our average first frost date is October 14. Varieties of sweet potatoes. Here in the South, in zone 7b I start sweet potato slips indoors in March and plant them in the garden in mid-May after all danger of frost is gone and the soil has had enough time to warm up a bit.. Although you should have harvested them earlier, you can still salvage the crop. Some gardeners in mild-winter areas build mounds, or outdoor storage houses, to store their crop. Or you can wait until just before your first frost and harvest them then. Cure the sweet potatoes before storing them and store the roots at 55-60 F. (13-16 C.). When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. Photo Nina Gentle. Swiss chard can do the same, but if leaves become too tough to enjoy, remove them and enjoy the stems by steaming or lightly sautéing them. After harvest, cure sweet potatoes for one week at a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 90 to 95 percent. Under these conditions, bruises and wounds will heal quickly, sealing out rot organisms. Sweet potatoes are typically ready for harvest 3-4 months after you put the slips on the ground once the plant has begun to wither and die back. However, in our area, it is more likely that the weather will get cold. Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the last frost when the soil has warmed. If the growing season has been good with adequate water and sunshine, harvesting sweet potatoes should begin about 100-110 days after planting depending on the variety. Black rot – Other diseases may result in sweet potatoes rotting after a harvest. Then the area is kept at about 90% humidity. If your sweet potato plants suffer a frost one night, cut the vines off right above the soil first thing the next morning.