Posted: 8/7/2025 4:53:16 PM EDT
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So I’m new to gardening. Well, we’ve done it but that was 10+ years ago and this time is my first attempt trying potatoes and also trying bags. Five gallon, adding soil as it grows. One of 5 bags planted in early spring is all that survived except for a bag of sweet potatoes that’s still going. These were blue potatoes. Tiny, between nickel and quarter size. Out of four planted one produced. I read that when the greens start to die off they’re done. Maybe they were just wilting from heat. Behold the bounty. 1/4 paper towel for scale. Attached File |
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You could eat forever! This is my 2nd year of trying to garden other than a single plant here or there. It can definitely be hit or miss. My pepper plants of all varieties are booming. My squash plants were doing great in size, never fruiter, and then died seemingly over night. My guess is the florida weather of 2 weeks 100+ degrees followed by 2 weeks of non stop rain did them in. I also have tomato that I bought last month because i decided I wanted one and it hasn't fruitsd at all. Florida is a little different and fall can be a good time for most spring plants so hoping the tomato starts to do something. I also am trying sweet potatoes in a grow bag and will start potatoes in about a month. Hoping for some good results but we'll see. Just keep trying different things and eventually something will work. |
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Get a soil test. Many times soil is lacking in N, P, K, (around here it is usually potash) and micronutrients. Knowing what you need to add, and sometimes just as important, not adding too much for what you are trying to grow. Miller 20 20 20 We really like this product, one bag will last several growing seasons unless you have a huge market garden type operation. |
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I’ve never grown any type of potatoes before. This year I bought a flat of six sweet potato plants. I had no idea that they would put out vines like kudzu. They aren’t ready to harvest yet, no telling what they will look like. Attached File |
Those look great! Of course, I thought mine did too.  Our yard is hard packed, nutrient deficient all around and has had glyphosate so I’ve been augmenting it gradually to get some grass growing first. At least that makes it healthier in my mind. Gonna try black eyed peas to up the nitrogen next. Scared to till because of an old sprinkler system and buried pets from previous owners. I used garden specific store bought soil, sphagnum moss and perlite for these. My idea was to give it something that drained readily and would allow maximum growth. That work so well. |
Gang rape is democracy in action.
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Our soil is pretty poor overall, just a thin layer of topsoil then mostly chert and clay I had a garden in this spot for probably 5-6 years then it went back to grass for about 20 years. I tilled it really good towards then end of the summer two summers ago and and then added in a bunch of compost from where we had been dumping horse manure, shavings, and leaves for 25 years. I tilled that in really good and got it down as deep as my tiller will go so the soil in the garden is pretty good. I'm anxious to see how the sweet potatoes do. I'm not sure when to harvest them but my research says that at some point the vines will start to yellow and die back and that is when I will start digging them up. Here is a pic of the compost Attached File And tilled in Attached File |
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: Our soil is pretty poor overall, just a thing layer of topsoil then mostly chert and clay I had a garden in this spot for probably 5-6 years then it went back to grass for about 20 years. I tilled it really good towards then end of the summer two summers ago and and then added in a bunch of compost from where we had been dumping horse manure, shavings, and leaves for 25 years. I tilled that in really good and got it down as deep as my tiller will go so the soil in the garden is pretty good. I'm anxious to see how the sweet potatoes do. I'm not sure when to harvest them but my research says that at some point the vines will start to yellow and die back and that is when I will start digging them up. Here is a pic of the compost https://ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_1207_JPG-3604965.JPG And tilled in https://ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_1237_JPG-3604967.JPG I think you’re right about the waiting till they die back. Lots of successful gardeners say that. I think maybe I just let mine get too hot in the bags. More of a cold weather plant. |
Gang rape is democracy in action.
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: Our soil is pretty poor overall, just a thin layer of topsoil then mostly chert and clay I had a garden in this spot for probably 5-6 years then it went back to grass for about 20 years. I tilled it really good towards then end of the summer two summers ago and and then added in a bunch of compost from where we had been dumping horse manure, shavings, and leaves for 25 years. I tilled that in really good and got it down as deep as my tiller will go so the soil in the garden is pretty good. I'm anxious to see how the sweet potatoes do. I'm not sure when to harvest them but my research says that at some point the vines will start to yellow and die back and that is when I will start digging them up. Here is a pic of the compost https://ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_1207_JPG-3604965.JPG https://ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_1237_JPG-3604967.JPG Thats one beautiful set-up  |
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Originally Posted By Mindfull: Thats one beautiful set-up Yeah that’s a good looking place! I’ve been working for months to get a couple of 20ish sq ft patches of grass started. Between the pines and overfed dogs only going there it’s slow going. Got a couple cheap raised beds off Amazon but not much has survived the heat and hail. Had some netting up but it barely helped. |
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Originally Posted By 1775: You could eat forever! This is my 2nd year of trying to garden other than a single plant here or there. It can definitely be hit or miss. My pepper plants of all varieties are booming. My squash plants were doing great in size, never fruiter, and then died seemingly over night. My guess is the florida weather of 2 weeks 100+ degrees followed by 2 weeks of non stop rain did them in. I also have tomato that I bought last month because i decided I wanted one and it hasn't fruitsd at all. Florida is a little different and fall can be a good time for most spring plants so hoping the tomato starts to do something. I also am trying sweet potatoes in a grow bag and will start potatoes in about a month. Hoping for some good results but we'll see. Just keep trying different things and eventually something will work. |
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Originally Posted By MongooseKY: I've had this happen with squash/zucchini and it turned out to be squash beetles. They bore in at the base of the plant and kill it. Look for holes around where the plant stem comes out of the ground. I use a combination of neem oil and sevin around the base of the plants now and (fingers crossed) no more issues. Originally Posted By MongooseKY: Originally Posted By 1775: You could eat forever! This is my 2nd year of trying to garden other than a single plant here or there. It can definitely be hit or miss. My pepper plants of all varieties are booming. My squash plants were doing great in size, never fruiter, and then died seemingly over night. My guess is the florida weather of 2 weeks 100+ degrees followed by 2 weeks of non stop rain did them in. I also have tomato that I bought last month because i decided I wanted one and it hasn't fruitsd at all. Florida is a little different and fall can be a good time for most spring plants so hoping the tomato starts to do something. I also am trying sweet potatoes in a grow bag and will start potatoes in about a month. Hoping for some good results but we'll see. Just keep trying different things and eventually something will work. Squash vine borers do that, not beetles. The beetles lay eggs on the underside of the leaves usually, vine borers are the larvae of a moth that lays eggs on the stem at the base. Some people wrap the base of the stem in aluminum foil to prevent them, I remember my grandfather would use a soup can with both ends cut out of it then put the seed or plant inside it but that still gives the moths access to the stem. BT, bacillus thuringiensis, is another treatment that is effective if you don't want to use chemicals. |
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Holy my goodness, that’s awesome! Something has definitely gotten to the last sweet potato plant I have. I wrongfully assumed that since there was almost no vegetation in my backyard that there would be nothing that feeds on plants. Honestly, I’ve been a very low effort gardener lately. Was hoping that my family would see the potential and help out. They did years ago but I didn’t need the help then. |
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Some of the harvest. Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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One thirty foot row of Peaches and Cream corn. Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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This is the last of it. Cleared the garden off today. It was a good year for us. Wife has the back porch railing lined with green tomatoes, I don’t know what she has planned. Banana Peppers Attached File Pasta sauce Attached File |
Montani Semper Liberi
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
| Well, rats. I should’ve taken a photo of my tomato bounty. I had one show up on the determinant plant. I overwatered and it split right as it was beginning to look ripe. The indeterminant plant died off a few weeks ago. aside from weeds, wild grass and a few scraggly flowers, not much will grow around me. One sweet potato plant is looking pretty sad but still alive for now. That’s it. |
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Last of the canning for us. Seven tomato soups which the wife loves, 2 tomato sauces. Also put 5 pints of sauerkraut away. Could have been 10-15 more but I want to make sure we at least eat these since it’s our first time doing it. Attached File Attached File |
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Love seeing this beautiful harvest.  @Hillbilly62 Did you parboil that shrink wrapped corn on the cob? Or freeze it straight out of the garden? My family ALWAYS parboiled but I'm seeing other people go straight to freezer! |
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Originally Posted By Karankawa: So I’m new to gardening. Well, we’ve done it but that was 10+ years ago and this time is my first attempt trying potatoes and also trying bags. Five gallon, adding soil as it grows. One of 5 bags planted in early spring is all that survived except for a bag of sweet potatoes that’s still going. These were blue potatoes. Tiny, between nickel and quarter size. Out of four planted one produced. I read that when the greens start to die off they’re done. Maybe they were just wilting from heat. Behold the bounty. 1/4 paper towel for scale. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/36504/image_jpg-3602298.JPG I have a 4' X 8' plot of potatoes out there in the garden. Vines have been gone for many weeks. I'm guessing the potatoes have rotted but I will hopefully get to try digging maybe in a few days. 
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I have a 4' X 8' plot of potatoes out there in the garden. Vines have been gone for many weeks. I'm guessing the potatoes have rotted but I will hopefully get to try digging maybe in a few days. Won’t hurt them, as long as the soil is dry. I have ones I didn’t keep and tilled under that started sprouting again. |
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Originally Posted By Hillbilly62: Won’t hurt them, as long as the soil is dry. I have ones I didn’t keep and tilled under that started sprouting again. We've been getting some rain. I dug in there and got out about 1.5 linear feet of the bed. Got a decent few potatoes. Some have weird splits though, like they split and kind of healed over. We had them as fried potatoes last night. They were wonderful. So I better get in there and get them. Frost tomorrow night shouldn't hurt but I'm running out of time. |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Finally harvested the last of our bountiful crops. These are the only 2 surviving sweet potatoes I planted. My wife is using it as a centerpiece for our Thanksgiving meal.  Attached File Happy Thanksgiving y’all! |
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Originally Posted By Karankawa: Finally harvested the last of our bountiful crops. These are the only 2 surviving sweet potatoes I planted. My wife is using it as a centerpiece for our Thanksgiving meal. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/36504/image_jpg-3666232.JPG Happy Thanksgiving y’all! LOL, my MIL would want you to microwave one for her if she those those sitting on the table. |
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Love seeing this beautiful harvest. @Hillbilly62 Did you parboil that shrink wrapped corn on the cob? Or freeze it straight out of the garden? My family ALWAYS parboiled but I'm seeing other people go straight to freezer! Sorry, just seen this. The ones going in the freezer are not parboiled, just cleaned and dried. We do parboil what we are canning. |
Montani Semper Liberi
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Here’s my sweet potato harvest. I probably waited too long to dig them. Some of them were way too big. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: Here’s my sweet potato harvest. I probably waited too long to dig them. Some of them were way too big. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_2863_jpeg-3671537.JPG TN-MD how do you guys process your sweet potatoes? Dad didn’t grow them every year so mom would can the harvest when he did. We’d eat on them 3-5 years. Last time she canned them she used the last jar 8 years later. |
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Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Originally Posted By Hillbilly62: TN-MD how do you guys process your sweet potatoes? Dad didn’t grow them every year so mom would can the harvest when he did. We’d eat on them 3-5 years. Last time she canned them she used the last jar 8 years later. This is the first time I ever grew any and to be honest I probably won’t grow any again unless times get really tough. Sweet potatoes are really cheap at the grocery store and mine don’t taste any better. Plus the vines took up a lot of space. As to your question, we are just eating them and I gave some away. I cooked some today and they are still fine. I made a pretty big batch of mashed sweet potatoes and will eat them over several days. I love them that way. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: This is the first time I ever grew any and to be honest I probably won’t grow any again unless times get really tough. Sweet potatoes are really cheap at the grocery store and mine don’t taste any better. Plus the vines took up a lot of space. As to your question, we are just eating them and I gave some away. I cooked some today and they are still fine. I made a pretty big batch of mashed sweet potatoes and will eat them over several days. I love them that way. Yes they are cheap in the store, and the plants are expensive here in the spring. We just don’t eat them that often. |
Montani Semper Liberi
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: Here’s my sweet potato harvest. I probably waited too long to dig them. Some of them were way too big. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_2863_jpeg-3671537.JPG That’s impressive. Don’t know why I bothered growing them because my wife said they were freaky looking. Not because of the size, just the shape. I asked her what shape a normal sweet potato should be and she had no answer.
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Originally Posted By Karankawa: That’s impressive. Don’t know why I bothered growing them because my wife said they were freaky looking. Not because of the size, just the shape. I asked her what shape a normal sweet potato should be and she had no answer. Your sweet potatoes look completely normal to me. (The two on the Thanksgiving table). Were some of them weird or something? Incidentally I follow a youtuber who grows white sweet potatoes and likes them even better. I want to try some of those this coming season. I've never grown sweet potatoes and it's been so long since I worked with my grandfather that I don't remember the subtleties. I know I can easily sprout my own slips and will probably try to do that. Want to try some orange and some white and see what happens.
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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I’ve been sampling some of my pepper jelly this evening. I believe it has gotten spicier since August. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: I’ve been sampling some of my pepper jelly this evening. I believe it has gotten spicier since August. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/35314/IMG_1108_jpeg-3682302.JPG Pepper jelly with cream cheese is freaking addictive. 
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Your sweet potatoes look completely normal to me. (The two on the Thanksgiving table). Were some of them weird or something? Incidentally I follow a youtuber who grows white sweet potatoes and likes them even better. I want to try some of those this coming season. I've never grown sweet potatoes and it's been so long since I worked with my grandfather that I don't remember the subtleties. I know I can easily sprout my own slips and will probably try to do that. Want to try some orange and some white and see what happens. Sorry, I missed your question. Those were the only two that made it several months to the point where the leaves started to wither. That’s t what I waited for. The three or four other bags died early or never sprouted. I thought they had beautiful skin at least. The ones she trusted from the store were far less pretty. |
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Originally Posted By Hillbilly62: Some of the harvest. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/576126/IMG_7329_jpeg-3607938.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/576126/IMG_7331_jpeg-3607939.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/576126/IMG_7337_jpeg-3607941.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/576126/IMG_7257_jpeg-3607942.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/576126/IMG_7317_jpeg-3607944.JPG |