Sweet potatoes are considered as root vegetables, having large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots. Young leaves and shoots are eaten as greens.
Started from small rooted pieces of tuber sliced off the sweet potato. “Sweet potatoes require 4 months of warm temperatures to develop full-size tubers, but they are surprisingly easy to grow. Since the vines root wherever they touch the ground, a few plants can produce a generous harvest. There are also bush varieties, for smaller gardens” (thespruce.com) [1].

Harvest when the leaves and ends of the vines have started turning yellow or leave them in the ground up until the fall frost. “Tubers can grow a foot away from the plant, so give ample space to prevent nicking and damaging the skin (which will encourage spoilage). Digging is much easier when the soil is dry” (veggieharvest.com) [2].

Place harvested sweet potatoes in cool, dry, well ventilated containers. Store containers in a basement or root cellar away heat. store them in a basement or root cellar away from heat.

Having a taste so good that they are almost worth dying for, sweet potatoes are served in many different ways. “Sweet potatoes are nutritious, high in fiber, very filling and have a delicious sweet taste. They can be consumed in a variety of ways, but are most commonly boiled, baked, steamed or fried” (healthline.com) [3].

Sources:

[1] https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-sweet-potatoes-in-the-home-garden-1403479.

[2] https://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/sweet-potato.htm

[3] https://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/sweet-potato.htm

Writer: Tom Myrick