Another way to make sure the sweet potatoes stay well watered is to plant some indicator plants in line with them, something that isn't quite as drought tolerant. When your test plant starts to wilt, then you know its time to turn the drips on!
Hey Travis, You probably know this but for now that one drip line will keep the baby giant pumpkins going. But as the plant grows, it throws down roots at every leaf node. Eventually you’ll want to fill that entire plot with drip lines. Grow ‘em big! I’m also growing the giant butternut squash that I got from your shop (if it ever warms up here!) Back to giant pumpkins, the heat really zaps these plants. If you put a giant shade cloth over the entire plot you could grow the biggest ever in Georgia. Up here in Idaho I’ve got 2300 square feet of shade cloth.
For my large winter squash (C maxima) like bannana or hubbard, I've had very good results with 3 feet between plants and 8-12 feet between rows. Usually the butternuts (C. moscheta) and vining C. pepo (orange pumpkins, delicata) can be closer in both directions maybe 3ftx3ft staggered blocks ; or 24-30 inch by 6-8ft row. Yeah it makes a jungle but there isn't much need to get in there until harvest time anyway. I dont drip tape them, I hand water the young plants then when they get about 2ft I use sprinklers and soak the whole block deep once every week or two (get the top 2 feet to field capacity). If you direct sow the seed (and the soil profile allows it) they put down deep tap roots and the vines will also make tap roots if they contact moist soil for a couple of days. They are adapted to a semi-dry climate, so not as particular about consistant soil moisture as some other plants.
Thanks for the tips. I ended up direct seeding my Dwarf Cowhorn I bought from y'all. It's coming up well, despite my seeder issues. It did take a long time and had me worried for a while. Thanks again.
That's funny. I have had my turmeric on a mat for a couple weeks now. Nothing yet. It has been an incredible Spring here in Charleston, SC. Nights still in the fifties, days below 80 for weeks on end and lots of blue sky. Surf has sucked though. You are going to impress viewers when your Edox gets going. Mine are 5 feet tall and cascading with gorgeous trusses, the lowest starting to show color. Really impressive, good call. My Tachi are loaded to the gills showing early color. Next time you scout cucumbers look up "Sweet Success", it has been good for me. My next trial is"Unistars" a parthenocarpic, gynoecious cocktail cuke that sets up to 5 fruits at the nodes. Should be fun. My shade cloth goes up this weekend. Great content.
I always direct seed my okra. Planted some of your dwarf and some other types as well. Was beginning to think the dwarf was never coming up- low and behold it finally did. You are right it does take about a week longer to pop up. Excited to watch it grow and produce. Thanks for providing the seeds.
Those slips that just fell into your hands look a hell of alot better than the ones Hoss Tools sent me. I had to throw those away and order from another vender.
I have all my sweet taters planted here in 7b upstate SC. I usually plant the first week in May if possible. I could wait till June to plant but that would make harvest time in mid-September-early October. I like to harvest in late August so that I still have warm days to cure them. Harvesting in late September leaves a small window to cure them without using a heater. I planted Murasaki and Bayou Belle for the first time. I bought slips for those varieties. I grow my own slips of Orleans, Burgundy, and Evangeline.
I'm in Northwest Arkansas. 6b/7a. My last frost was a bit later than usual this year--the first of May rather than mid-April. The thing is, the soil temperature has been around 60F for a while now, which is warm enough to plant sweet potatoes. The long term forecast has another couple of weeks of rather warm weather, so I went ahead and planted most of mine day before yesterday. I ordered so slips for new varieties that haven't arrived yet, so those aren't in yet. I think Travis plants considerably later than necessary, though he does point out that he has the luxury of a very long growing season.
Makes perfect sense about still having some warmer weather for curing. I'd rather dig mine once the temp breaks a little in late September as opposed to digging them in the most brutal part of the summer. That's mainly why I opt for a later planting.
Master Gardener Danny King says he plants his sweet potatoes as soon after their last frost date. He just showed his sweet potato plants on his channel . They are large. He says they will not show much top growth in the cooler weather, but the roots will spread. Soon as it warms up more. They are ready to take off. You can take 100 grit sand paper to the okra seed . And break the hard shell in one spot. They will sprout sooner.
I don't see a benefit to planting sweet potatoes early in the southern states. They love the heat. I'd rather wait and plant them when we can't grow much else because of the heat. The folks at Steele are in NW Tennessee and they don't plant theirs until early to mid June.
GET SWEET POTATO PLANTS HERE: bit.ly/3d663mp 0:00 Intro 0:43 What Can We Plant Here? 1:29 When Should You Plant Sweet Potatoes? 3:39 Making a Mound for Sweet Potato Plants 4:35 Planting Georgia Jet Sweet Potatoes 6:19 An Update on Our Pumpkin Plots 9:18 Pre-Sprouting Turmeric in Our Greenhouse 10:52 Germinating Heirloom Okra Seeds
I’m taking out the Red Norland potatoes this weekend and planting my slips. The Norlands aren’t very blight resistant because my vines are dying and I think it’s blight but not for sure because I haven’t had that problem before.
I learned one thing this year Travis. I am rotten at growing slips. Would love to grow some. Just threw together a new raised bed. My son will run me down to Lowes this weekend to load up on soil.If by some wonderful chance I run into some slips I may try them. I did some in grow bags last year. If not I will grow my new love from Baker Creek, chajimisai. Better then spinach.
My sweet potatoes sprout naturally in storage. I just tear off some sprouts in the spring, pop them in some water, and three days or so later I have rooted slips ready for planting. They don't have much in the way of leaves, but they don't really have to have them when planted.
I am zone 7B. I planted my sweet potato slips what I thought was a little too early mid April. I like waiting til May 1st, or even June, but they arrived so I took the chance. They haven't died, but they haven't taken off yet either.
How long do you typically let them in the ground? planted my sweet potato slips about a month a go, up here in ATL and they are doing pretty good, survived some of the last light frosts and everything….I had started them indoors pretty early and couldn’t keep them inside anymore
Most varieties have a maturity date of 90-100 days. Once they get close to that date range, start checking a few. If you leave them in the ground too long, they can get too big and split.
I planted the dwarf cow horn okra inside when I started my other transplants and only one germinated, about a month later a few more germinated. I replanted the missing ones and then the original seeds stated sprouting a couple weeks later and now the replanted ones are sprouting, lol.
I wanted to try growing turmeric but from what I've read you have to have at least 8 solid months of warm/hot temperatures, which I only get around 4-6 months here in 6B/7A.
Another way to make sure the sweet potatoes stay well watered is to plant some indicator plants in line with them, something that isn't quite as drought tolerant. When your test plant starts to wilt, then you know its time to turn the drips on!
One of the best gardening channels on youtube!
Thanks Tyler!
Hey Travis, You probably know this but for now that one drip line will keep the baby giant pumpkins going. But as the plant grows, it throws down roots at every leaf node. Eventually you’ll want to fill that entire plot with drip lines. Grow ‘em big! I’m also growing the giant butternut squash that I got from your shop (if it ever warms up here!) Back to giant pumpkins, the heat really zaps these plants. If you put a giant shade cloth over the entire plot you could grow the biggest ever in Georgia. Up here in Idaho I’ve got 2300 square feet of shade cloth.
I want to know if that giant butternut is good for eating, pies , breads and muffins etc. If it’s just for the size I’m not interested.
For my large winter squash (C maxima) like bannana or hubbard, I've had very good results with 3 feet between plants and 8-12 feet between rows. Usually the butternuts (C. moscheta) and vining C. pepo (orange pumpkins, delicata) can be closer in both directions maybe 3ftx3ft staggered blocks ; or 24-30 inch by 6-8ft row. Yeah it makes a jungle but there isn't much need to get in there until harvest time anyway.
I dont drip tape them, I hand water the young plants then when they get about 2ft I use sprinklers and soak the whole block deep once every week or two (get the top 2 feet to field capacity). If you direct sow the seed (and the soil profile allows it) they put down deep tap roots and the vines will also make tap roots if they contact moist soil for a couple of days. They are adapted to a semi-dry climate, so not as particular about consistant soil moisture as some other plants.
Thanks for the tips. I ended up direct seeding my Dwarf Cowhorn I bought from y'all. It's coming up well, despite my seeder issues. It did take a long time and had me worried for a while. Thanks again.
That's funny. I have had my turmeric on a mat for a couple weeks now. Nothing yet. It has been an incredible Spring here in Charleston, SC. Nights still in the fifties, days below 80 for weeks on end and lots of blue sky. Surf has sucked though. You are going to impress viewers when your Edox gets going. Mine are 5 feet tall and cascading with gorgeous trusses, the lowest starting to show color. Really impressive, good call. My Tachi are loaded to the gills showing early color. Next time you scout cucumbers look up "Sweet Success", it has been good for me. My next trial is"Unistars" a parthenocarpic, gynoecious cocktail cuke that sets up to 5 fruits at the nodes. Should be fun. My shade cloth goes up this weekend. Great content.
500 lb pumpkin?! That's awesome. I watched videos of the giant cabbage they grow in Alaska and they literally feed them whole salmon carcasses.
I always direct seed my okra. Planted some of your dwarf and some other types as well. Was beginning to think the dwarf was never coming up- low and behold it finally did. You are right it does take about a week longer to pop up. Excited to watch it grow and produce. Thanks for providing the seeds.
Much like you, I love experimenting. Makes gardening even more fun and if the experiment works, more rewarding.
One of my Cow Horn okra seeds took three weeks to germinate. But the plants are up and looking great. Can’t wait to try them.
Lots of good different info. Thanks.
Those slips that just fell into your hands look a hell of alot better than the ones Hoss Tools sent me. I had to throw those away and order from another vender.
Planted ours yesterday zone 5 but they were acclimated to outside 👍
That’s lots of Tumerick 😊
Hope the pumpkins grow big and heavy😊
I have all my sweet taters planted here in 7b upstate SC. I usually plant the first week in May if possible. I could wait till June to plant but that would make harvest time in mid-September-early October. I like to harvest in late August so that I still have warm days to cure them. Harvesting in late September leaves a small window to cure them without using a heater.
I planted Murasaki and Bayou Belle for the first time. I bought slips for those varieties. I grow my own slips of Orleans, Burgundy, and Evangeline.
I'm in Northwest Arkansas. 6b/7a. My last frost was a bit later than usual this year--the first of May rather than mid-April. The thing is, the soil temperature has been around 60F for a while now, which is warm enough to plant sweet potatoes. The long term forecast has another couple of weeks of rather warm weather, so I went ahead and planted most of mine day before yesterday. I ordered so slips for new varieties that haven't arrived yet, so those aren't in yet. I think Travis plants considerably later than necessary, though he does point out that he has the luxury of a very long growing season.
Makes perfect sense about still having some warmer weather for curing. I'd rather dig mine once the temp breaks a little in late September as opposed to digging them in the most brutal part of the summer. That's mainly why I opt for a later planting.
Master Gardener Danny King says he plants his sweet potatoes as soon after their last frost date. He just showed his sweet potato plants on his channel . They are large. He says they will not show much top growth in the cooler weather, but the roots will spread. Soon as it warms up more. They are ready to take off. You can take 100 grit sand paper to the okra seed . And break the hard shell in one spot. They will sprout sooner.
I don't see a benefit to planting sweet potatoes early in the southern states. They love the heat. I'd rather wait and plant them when we can't grow much else because of the heat. The folks at Steele are in NW Tennessee and they don't plant theirs until early to mid June.
I would add more drip lines for the pumpkins since they root from the nodes along the stem
GET SWEET POTATO PLANTS HERE: bit.ly/3d663mp
0:00 Intro
0:43 What Can We Plant Here?
1:29 When Should You Plant Sweet Potatoes?
3:39 Making a Mound for Sweet Potato Plants
4:35 Planting Georgia Jet Sweet Potatoes
6:19 An Update on Our Pumpkin Plots
9:18 Pre-Sprouting Turmeric in Our Greenhouse
10:52 Germinating Heirloom Okra Seeds
You gotta pin your own comment
I planted Orleans sweet potatoes from Steel’s as recommended by Travis in zone 9B.
I’m taking out the Red Norland potatoes this weekend and planting my slips. The Norlands aren’t very blight resistant because my vines are dying and I think it’s blight but not for sure because I haven’t had that problem before.
Im in north GA and mine are going in as soon as I get them in. was still a bit cold until the last week or so
I bet you could grow corn under that trellis to keep storms from knocking it down
Looks like two outer rows and a single down the middle might work
I learned one thing this year Travis. I am rotten at growing slips. Would love to grow some. Just threw together a new raised bed. My son will run me down to Lowes this weekend to load up on soil.If by some wonderful chance I run into some slips I may try them. I did some in grow bags last year. If not I will grow my new love from Baker Creek, chajimisai. Better then spinach.
My sweet potatoes sprout naturally in storage. I just tear off some sprouts in the spring, pop them in some water, and three days or so later I have rooted slips ready for planting. They don't have much in the way of leaves, but they don't really have to have them when planted.
I am zone 7B. I planted my sweet potato slips what I thought was a little too early mid April. I like waiting til May 1st, or even June, but they arrived so I took the chance. They haven't died, but they haven't taken off yet either.
The small stubs will eventually sprout,but it may be 10 days or so, maybe 2 weeks. But they will sprout.
How long do you typically let them in the ground? planted my sweet potato slips about a month a go, up here in ATL and they are doing pretty good, survived some of the last light frosts and everything….I had started them indoors pretty early and couldn’t keep them inside anymore
Most varieties have a maturity date of 90-100 days. Once they get close to that date range, start checking a few. If you leave them in the ground too long, they can get too big and split.
I planted the dwarf cow horn okra inside when I started my other transplants and only one germinated, about a month later a few more germinated. I replanted the missing ones and then the original seeds stated sprouting a couple weeks later and now the replanted ones are sprouting, lol.
Yeah I finally got 100% germination on my tray, but it took a few weeks. Transplants are looking great now and almost ready to go in the ground.
@@LazyDogFarm mine are starting to look awesome too, probably get them in the ground this week after work one day.
Interesting about water, want to see just how they turn out with regular water and fertilizer.
I wanted to try growing turmeric but from what I've read you have to have at least 8 solid months of warm/hot temperatures, which I only get around 4-6 months here in 6B/7A.
Yeah it's more of a tropical plant.
Can you tell me where you get your turmeric?
A subscriber sent us a little a few years ago and we just keep multiplying our stock.
Can't you scratch the hard capsules (scarify) with sandpaper to germinate them faster?
That might help. I've heard of folks doing that with gourd and giant pumpkin seeds.
Are you on well water?
Yes
What variety of sweet potatoes do you recommend to grow for sweet potatoes 🍟
I really like the Orleans variety.
it's time, it's sweet tater time!.....to plant
What do you do with that much tumeric?!
Also, i need to up my garden space!
You are the only person i follow who grows tumeric. What on earth do you do with all of it?
We dry and grind some of it, then put it in smoothies. But mainly I just keep multiplying my stock every year as I try to learn how to grow it better.