Sweet Potato Harvest is Coming!

Craig and I love to cook together, so we started our garden in hopes of being able to feed ourselves and then some... and it looks like the "and then some" is working out much faster than expected!  
 
We were buying sweet potatoes and baking our own fries and chips because they're just so good!  Seriously, if you like restaurant sweet potato fries that you have to pay at least a dollar more for, bake your own!  
 
I don't mean buying the frozen ones or bagged potato chips from the store... although that's a step towards healthier fries and chips.  I mean cut that dirty old sweet potato into strips (after giving it a good rinse), put them on a baking sheet, drizzle a little olive oil on top... maybe a little salt or pepper... and pop them in the oven until they're crispy enough or just the right amount of mushy for you.  They're 10 times better when you make them yourself. 
 
So let's get back to how the "and then some" is working out much faster than expected...
I was out, exploring my new area a few months ago, and saw a very sad sight at the local feed store.  There were shelves of dying plants marked down to $ .25 each.  I had know idea what they were and couldn't believe anyone would buy them, but when the lady at the register said they were sweet potatoes I immediately wanted to save them!  
 
I started digging through them, trying to see if any weren't totally black or moldy.  The lady said she didn't want them to be thrown away but she knew if they didn't sell that day, they were going in the trash.  
 
 

That's when I googled it... how to grow sweet potatoes.  The answer... in a trash can.  Ironic isn't it.

I scooped up all the bundles that had a little bit of green and said "I'll try growing them!".  I'm not sure if she thought it was hopeless or if she was just happy they had a chance... She gave them to me for free!  
 
I realized upon my return home, I didn't have a trash can that I could just drill holes in the bottom of... and still have a trash can for things like actual trash for the next few months. We'll call that an Amanda moment...  
 
So, my husband, being the genius problem solver that he is, came up with the idea to build a container about the same size as a trash can with the scrap lumber that we had.  We really weren't sure they'd make it and we didn't have that much scrap lumber, but we new we could get cheap fence boards a little warped, that would be perfect for making a taller container if and when they chose to grow... 

 

 

It's not the prettiest... but it is prettier than a trash can and worked great since they didn't all grow at the same pace and they need sunlight to grow.  We planted about 20 individuals and 7 survived!  With every rain, they took off!  They grew about a foot long each week. 
 
The trash can technique consists of a thick bottom layer of manure that the potatoes are started in and then when the vine grows, another layer of manure is added, burying the vine so that only a couple inches is visible.  You repeat this with manure or organic soil, like we did, for the life of the vine until it stops growing and the exposed vine and leaves turn brown.  That's when you know it's time to harvest!  
 
Ours were dying to begin with because planting season was over when I bought them... so it's no surprise ours weren't harvested in September like the majority of sweet potatoes... but we do have sweet potatoes to harvest!  
 
And we are pretty sure that we're going to be bringing the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year...
 
So, if you know any recipes... send them our way.  We'll probably be sharing some with you soon!
 
   






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