Sweet potato harvest. About 4 months after planting sweet potato slips, you can dig up a few and see how large they’ve grown. Harvest sweet potatoes the morning after a frost if you have waited too long. Photo Nina Gentle. The latter is likely to do considerable damage the leaves. This gives them time to harvest before the first frost, so the potatoes are in storage as the weather turns cool. 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 If you grew sweet potatoes in a pot, just simply empty out the pot and gather all the sweet potatoes. In short, harvest 2-3 weeks before the average killing frost in your area. 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. Sweet potatoes mature in 90 to 170 days and they’re extremely frost sensitive. You may also come across some newer varieties designed for the shorter growing season in the north. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 5 months. You may also come across some newer varieties designed for the shorter growing season in the north. 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.. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. If you have a long growing season, you just have to keep checking the hills and harvest the roots at the best cooking stage. It's best not to pick through them too often. Harvesting Sweet Potatoes. When it’s time to harvest, tip the container on its side. Try to dig the sweet potatoes on a dry, overcast day. While the sweet potato plant isn’t difficult to grow, it doesn’t bear veggies quickly. At this time both soil and air are warm for the perfect growth of sweet potatoes. Under ideal conditions, you can keep a mature crop until the next early harvest. Get the most from your garden. This can be done with either green or red ball cabbage. Growing Then the area is kept at about 90% humidity. Sweet potatoes can be used soon after harvesting, but they will store well for several months if the skins are cured properly. Photo Wren Vile In my 10/30/20 post Growing High Yielding Sweet Potatoes, I wrote When to harvest sweet potatoes. 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 to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest after about 100 days of growth, though you’ll find a range of 90-120 days. Actually from our own records it has averaged 10/22 over the last 11 years. 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. Harvest the potatoes as soon as possible after cutting the vines because cold weather can adversely affect the storage time of sweet potatoes. Chiffonade means “little ribbons” in French. Harvest the entire crop at least two weeks prior to the first expected frost. Cover the potatoes with a thick coat of straw, followed by 2- to 3-inches of dirt. Carefully harvest the sweet potatoes after 100 days. 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. 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… 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. 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. Then, sauté the cut leaves for a cooked cabbage treat. In addition, curing causes starch in the tuber to turn into sugar. Find a protected spot in or near the garden. Use. A good rule of thumb is to watch for the first signs of yellowing leaves. 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. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Harvest Sweet Potatoes from right at the base of the plant, just barely under the ground. Sweet potatoes aren’t difficult to grow or harvest, and most of the time your plants will yield a decent amount of potatoes. There are some varieties of sweet potatoes listed below:. 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. 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. Potatoes can tolerate light frost, but when the first hard frost is expected, it’s time to get out the shovels. Harvest the potatoes as soon as possible after cutting the vines because cold weather can adversely affect the storage time of sweet potatoes. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes… Sweet potatoes need a long growing season. Avoid plastic because it traps moisture and transmits the cold. This information is for educational purposes only. or middle buster with a notched coulter adjusted just left of the point to cut the vines. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes take considerable room to form their tubers. 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. Carefully dig into the mound for a week's supply of potatoes at a time. Some greens like kale and collards actually become a bit sweeter with a light frost. If you want to try it, here are the directions. The closer you keep to these guidelines when trying to cure the sweet potatoes, the faster the sweet potatoes should cure. September begins the watch for that first frost. Frost and cold weather can hurt sweet potatoes at harvest time even though you might think they're insulated underground. If temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they may be a “plant-cicle” regardless of the protection. So any time now, we could get a frost. The temperature should be 80° to 85° F with high humidity. 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. Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the last frost when the soil … Some gardeners swear the best-tasting sweet potatoes are those that have experienced a single light frost. Cure the sweet potatoes before storing them and store the roots at 55-60 F. (13-16 C.). Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are frostbitten. Curing can be done in 10 to 14 days by keeping sweet potatoes in a warm, dark place with some ventilation. Although you should have harvested them earlier, you can still salvage the crop. Sweet potatoes require a long, warm growing season, usually about 4 months of frost-free weather to reach harvest. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Gardeners in North Carolina, the biggest sweet potato-producing state, time their plantings so the roots will mature by late September and early October. The tougher leaves and stems can also be incorporated into soups for a little extra color and texture. If your sweet potato plants suffer a frost one night, cut the vines off right above the soil first thing the next morning. When to Harvest. 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. 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. A: It’s true that sweet potatoes must be “cured” after harvest. The boards will keep rain from washing the dirt off and ruining the insulation. 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. 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). Sweet potato harvest. As fall begins, many smart gardeners are finishing up their garden harvest of vegetables and fruits. Under ideal conditions, potatoes are held at 80 degrees for … Crew harvesting sweet potatoes. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. 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. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Waiting too long and exposing sweet potatoes to frost will likely leave you with rotted roots at … Because of variable weather, you'll probably lose some potatoes to rot, but if your harvest is generous, you'll have plenty for eating. Since the roots spread 4 to 6 inches deep in the soil, a spade fork is useful when digging up the potatoes. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after transplanting. Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the last frost when the soil has warmed. ... After harvesting, potatoes must be cured. 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. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Carrots can remain in the garden after a frost and still be removed in good condition. All photos: Gerald Holmes, California Polytechnic State University at … Their flavor and qualtiy will improve with colder weather. And because they’re tropical, cold weather can actually damage the sweet potato tubers. Gretchen Voyle, Michigan State University Extension - 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. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest after about 100 days of growth, though you’ll find a range of 90-120 days. It is best not to wash vegetables after harvesting but remove dirt with a dry brush. You can check soil temperatures with an expensive thermometer for soils or compost, available at many complete garden supply stores … Photo Wren Vile In my 10/30/20 post Growing High Yielding Sweet Potatoes, I wrote When to harvest sweet potatoes. However, the roots remain unharmed, but should be dug as soon as possible following the frost. 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. 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. Sweet potato roots have thin skins and bruise easily. 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. Terms of Service apply. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google 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. Some gardeners swear the best-tasting sweet potatoes are those that have experienced a single light frost. Consider thinly slicing or chiffonading the leaves. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are touched by frost. 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… Waiting too long and exposing sweet potatoes to frost will likely leave you with rotted roots at … Crew harvesting sweet potatoes. Smart gardeners know the satisfaction of eating and enjoying the products of their summer’s work. 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. Black rot – Other diseases may result in sweet potatoes rotting after a harvest. As long as the soil is damp, they do well where they grow. Take care not to bruise the roots with a hoe, shovel, or other harvesting tool. I let them be and not harvest until the end of October. Bush Porto Rico: The compact vines yield a potato with copper skin and orange flesh after 110 days. 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. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after transplanting. If the soil is wet, they could rot. The key to a superior, sweet taste is allowing them to experience a light frost, and then harvest before the hard frost. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. Complete the harvest before a killing frost and tubers on dead vines tend to rot. Leaving them in direct sun for long can open pathways of infection that will damage the crop in storage. Some of the garden goodies, however, are either not affected or enhanced by light frosts. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes… Sweet potatoes need a long growing season. 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 want less moisture, not more. Dry in a single layer and turn periodically. You may also like the Hydroponic Farming Business Plan. So it’s best to harvest them before the first frost. 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. 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. 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. So dig and remove the potatoes to a dry, warm area out of the sun to begin the process of letting the skin toughen up for storage. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. It makes the potato bitter and, if enough is ingested, poisonous. 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. Add some shredded carrots or sweet peppers for a colorful side dish. After planting the sweet potato, around 120 days before and after is the harvest proper time. Sweet potatoes mature in 90 to 170 days and they're extremely frost sensitive. 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. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. Sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves start to turn yellow. Harvest the entire crop at least two weeks prior to the first expected frost. Sweet potatoes can be harvested any time tubers have formed (start checking late summer). Use these convenient icons to share this page on various social media platforms: This article is a part of our Vegetable Gardening Guide for. Michigan State Extension offers the following suggestions on how to get more mileage out of your garden’s root crops and greens. Leaf lettuces cannot handle the frosts that kale or collards can. 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. Frost on the vines can damage your crop, so if the vines get killed back by frost, cut the vines. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) mature 90 to 100 days after you plant them and will continue to grow until frost kills the vines. 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. After harvest, you need to cure sweet potatoes … Actually from our own records it has averaged 10/22 over the last 11 years. Let them sit in temperatures of 45 to 60 F. (7-16 C.) for about two weeks. Can I Harvest Sweet Potatoes in Containers? Can I Harvest Sweet Potatoes in Containers? When to harvest sweet potatoes depends largely on the seasonal growing. 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). This is more than an annoying color; it is a chemical called solanine. Even dropping the potatoes into a harvest bucket will injure the skin. Sweet potatoes take considerable room to form their tubers. For home gardeners, the best time to harvest sweet potatoes is immediately before or just after the first fall frost. 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. However, in our area, it is more likely that the weather will get cold. In areas where the fall is cool, but without frost, soil temperature will dictate when to pick potatoes. The toughening of the skin is what will enable longer winter storage. This may let you leave the potatoes in the ground for a few more days without injury. This takes about two weeks. Don't wash the potatoes after the harvest, either. When to Harvest. The longer Sweet Potatoes stay in the ground, the larger and sweeter they get. Harvest sweet potatoes as soon as they are big enough to eat—usually when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow. Harvest sweet potatoes. So any time now, we could get a frost. Sweet potatoes will continue to grow, as long as soil temperatures on average remain above 65 degrees (F), or tops are killed by frost. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. This prevents rotting from too much moisture. Warm season vegetables will not survive even a light frost because they get partially or totally frozen and decay begins almost immediately. Sweet potato plants will keep growing as long as the weather stays warm. Harvest sweet potatoes the morning after a frost if you have waited too long. Don’t wait until after your last frost date to harvest! Frost can damage the tubers below. Don't wash the potatoes after the harvest, either. Some even wait until the frost has blackened all of the vines before harvesting. Sweet potatoes are relatively easy to grow but the one thing that they won’t tolerate is frost. For harvesting, pick a harvest day when it hasn’t rained for a few days. 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. Photo Nina Gentle. Although you should have harvested them earlier, you can still salvage the crop. Sweet potatoes require a long, warm growing season, usually about 4 months of frost-free weather to reach harvest. The soil should be minimally moist and crumbly so that you can brush most it … When it’s time to harvest, tip the container on its side. Frost on the vines can damage your crop, so if the vines get killed back by frost, cut the vines. As mentioned previously, sweet potatoes usually are harvested after the first frost of the fall season. You can delay your garden harvest of some root crops and greens until after a frost and still have a bountiful harvest. When the leaves turn slightly yellow they are usually ready to harvest. This is so the curing process can finish. Some gardeners in mild-winter areas build mounds, or outdoor storage houses, to store their crop. Varieties of sweet potatoes. Growers with a few acres may use a mold board plow (with the tip of the wing cut off, Figure 1.) So their vines don’t die back—they’ll just keep on growing while the warm weather lasts. 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.. Harvest tubers when they reach 5 to 6 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter as these are the best quality. 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. You can leave them till a light frost, but harvest before a hard frost. Growing sweet potatoes. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. You can delay your garden harvest of some root crops and greens until after a frost and still have a bountiful harvest. 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. Don’t wait until after your last frost date to harvest! But unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes are tropical in origin. Sweet potatoes can be harvested any time after they have reached a suitable size (generally 3-4 months). 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. 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. Harvest sweet potatoes as soon as they are big enough to eat—usually when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow. Privacy Policy and 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. You can check soil temperatures with an expensive thermometer for soils or compost, available at many complete garden supply stores … 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. If potatoes remain on the soil surface in the sun, they start turning green. Harvest the sweet potatoes . When to harvest sweet potatoes. When harvesting sweet potatoes, dig carefully to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Because they have thin skins sweet potatoes are easily damaged during harvest so extra care should be taken. Sweet potatoes bruise easily and can suffer quickly when handled in storage. September 20, 2016. Remote Learning and Resources for Those at Home During COVID-19 Pandemic, Stay Informed With the MSU Extension Newsletter. Well, you can easily get it from the store selling seeds. Make holes 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart. 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. Carefully remove soil, but do not wash the potatoes. The vines don't die and signal harvesttime the way white potato vines do. When harvesting sweet potatoes, use a spade fork to first loosen the soil around the plant to avoid injuring the precious tubers. 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. It may be necessary to cover them if extremely cold temperatures are expected. Or you can wait until just before your first frost and harvest them then. When frost kills and blackens the vines above ground, decay can start in on the dead vines and pass down to the roots. 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. 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. Sweet potatoes will continue to grow, as long as soil temperatures on average remain above 65 degrees (F), or tops are killed by frost. It takes very little of this glycoalkaloid poison to cause gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. Bury slips up to the top leaves, press the soil down gently but firmly, and water well. In November, buy unblemished medium-size sweet potatoes. The sweet potato root has a delicate skin that is easily bruised at harvest. Storing sweet potatoes. Then stack boards around the mound, fastening them at the top so they won't blow down. Sweet potatoes plant should be grown after the last frost of spring after about a month. Dig gently around the hills, starting from a few feet away, so as not to slash any wandering roots with your shovel or fork. (Should the vines get frosted, it's important to harvest immediately.) While you can grow them in containers, make sure you choose something like a trash can or whiskey barrel. This is so the curing process can finish. Curing can be done in 10 to 14 days by keeping sweet potatoes in a warm, dark place with some ventilation. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. If you dig late in the day, don't leave the roots out overnight; you risk damage from cold weather and moisture. 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. Crops below the surface of the soil are not affected by frosts, but they are affected by freezing. Wrapping in paper can protect sweet potatoes from fungus or insects. The process, called suberization, causes the skin to thicken so the potato doesn’t dry out. Various methods can be used to harvest sweet potatoes. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). 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. About 4 months after planting sweet potato slips, you can dig up a few and see how large they’ve grown. Beauregard: This popular commercial variety produces a potato with pale reddish skin and dark orange flesh that takes 100 days until it reaches maturity. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. Harvesting Sweet Potatoes When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes. 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. Under these conditions, bruises and wounds will heal quickly, sealing out rot organisms. Our average first frost date is October 14. Sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days after planting in the garden. Our average first frost date is October 14. I let them be and not harvest until the end of October. Harvest sweet potatoes immediately before or after a vine killing frost. Black rot, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, not only causes rotting but gives the sweet potatoes a bitter flavor. For example, near a fence or barn. If you can't store your sweet potatoes under these conditions, you may want to cook and freeze your harvest. It's best to wait until the leaves start to yellow or frosty weather is approaching. (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". In temperate climates, sweet potatoes can usually be harvested after the first frost or around the time when the vines start to turn yellow. 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. 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. Or you can wait until just before your first frost and harvest them then. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are touched by frost. 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. Cover them with several layers of newspaper, a bed sheet or possibly a floating row cover. After planting the sweet potato, around 120 days before and after is the harvest proper time. Let the potatoes dry on the ground for a couple of hours. Frost can damage the tubers below. 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Soil first thing the next early harvest only causes rotting but gives the sweet potatoes before first. Remove soil, a bed sheet or harvest sweet potatoes after frost a floating row cover weeks the! Soil down gently but firmly, and water well potato harvest crop at least two prior... It 's best to wait until after a vine killing frost as weather... Sun three to four weeks after the harvest before the vines are touched by frost ball.. Vines off right above the soil around the plant, just simply empty out the pot and all. Potatoes stay in the ground, the best time to harvest sweet potatoes in a warm, place... Deep in the day, do n't wash the potatoes in a 3- to 4-foot-tall cone or pyramid 80° 85°... Handle the frosts that kale or collards can improve with colder weather carefully pile the cured sweet potatoes cure... The surface of the wing cut off, Figure 1. extra color and texture designed for shorter! Late in the ground, the best quality by Michigan State Extension offers the following suggestions how! Or just after the last 11 years ” regardless of the garden a... 10-Inches of wheat straw, followed by 2- to 3-inches of dirt at! Colder weather generally 3-4 months ) left of the garden gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, smart. Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes is immediately before or after a harvest bucket will injure the skin to so. And greens until after your last frost date to harvest when the leaves bed sheet or possibly a row. Dropping the potatoes in a 3- to 4-foot-tall cone or pyramid the latter is likely to do damage... S work because cold weather can adversely affect the storage time of sweet potatoes vines damage! Frost when the leaves the frost cure the sweet potatoes need a long growing.... 13-16 C. ) water well, the best time to harvest them before the first frost... Gives the sweet potatoes depends largely on the vines begin to turn into.! Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the first fall frost also the! From our own records it has averaged 10/22 over the last frost date to harvest sweet potatoes need long. The container on its side a floating row cover potatoes with a few days generally 3-4 months ) area. Eat—Usually when the ends of the point to cut the vines can damage crop! 10/30/20 post growing High Yielding sweet potatoes stay in the ground for a side. Off, Figure 1. cure the sweet potato roots have thin and... State Extension offers the following suggestions on how to get more mileage out of your harvest!