Sweet Potato

[sc4001992]

Janet, so far only my satsuma mandarin and cara cara oranges are getting ripe so I can start eating them.

I picked these today.

[JCorte]

Beautiful Kaz,

My satsuma and cara cara are way behind yours.  My sister grows Fuyu, so I’m growing Saijo, my favorite for making  hoshigaki.





Tried another couple sweet potatoes.  The Okinawans are on the right in both images.  The Molokai are earthy with a slight bitterness, no sweetness with a little fiber that’s barely noticeable.  Taste is not bad, maybe okay variety if you’re adding butter, sugar, or savory seasoning.  Okinawans were sweet, creamy, no fiber.  Both are high in antioxidants.






Janet

[sc4001992]

I just grafted Saijo this year since I hear so much good things about the taste. This will be my first astringent variety, I might try the hoshigaki in a few years when my tree looks like yours.

Nice photos of the purple potatoes, didn't know the Molokai was not sweet. I better get more of the Okinawa growing.

[JCorte]

Kaz,

If you want to try the Saijo, I can send you some.  Just let me know.

I’m going to grow the Molokais one more year to see if they sweeten up with more nutrients in the soil.  I eat the leaves cooked, and I like the deep purple color on the young leaves of the Molokai.  Plus they are effortless to grow and make a nice ground cover.

Janet

[sc4001992]

Janet, yes !

I would like to try one, please send me one. Let me know how much to ship it. Thanks.

[pineislander]

Molokai is a dry type sweet potato, somewhat sweet. If you are used to moist orange USA types don't expect that.
I made a purple sweet potato soup with coconut milk that was great. Many tropical sweet potato types are starchy, more like a carb root than a dessert type. Maybe because there are lots of sweet fruits around.

[JCorte]

Pineislander,

Thanks for the info on the Molokai, I was considering drying it to make a flour substitute since it wasn’t very sweet and the dry texture may be easy to dehydrate.  Will try it in more savory recipes.

Janet

[FV Fruit Freak]

Just harvested our sweet potatoes for Christmas Happy Holidays!

[sc4001992]

Nate, very nice crop of potatos !

[FV Fruit Freak]

Thanks Kaz! These are the potatoes I gave you cuttings of, I hope they are growing well for you 

[amtun13892]

Hi Kaz,

I harvested a few of the Okinawans and Molokai purple last week.





I did not take photo of the Molokai, but they were same large size.  I haven’t tasted the Molokai yet but they didn’t have any sweetness raw.  The Purple Okinawans are my favorite and have grown them for years.  The smaller one on the top grew in a 2 gallon pot.  The smaller one is the normal size I usually find at the Japanese market.  I didn’t intend to leave in the pot, I was just rooting some cuttings and forgot about them.  I was surprised to find the tuber because the pot has been neglected.  They’re curing now, so will taste the Molokai cooked next week.

Janet

do you ever try sweet potato from korea and japan? very sweet and juicy than the one I bought from H mart or Mitsuwa supermarket

[Lovetoplant]

I’ve been growing sweet potatoes in raised bed under other fruit trees and plants for years.



Janet

Janet, you mentioned that you harvested Okinawa tubers near the surface of the soil.  Tubers I found were all deeper than a foot deep.  Any idea of how to have it grow the tubers near surface? Thanks

[Lumi-Ukko]

Anybody know how much shade sweet potato plants can tolerate in a a high UV tropical location (I'm in the Yucatan)?

[growinginphoenix]

Anybody know how much shade sweet potato plants can tolerate in a a high UV tropical location (I'm in the Yucatan)?

I have high UV, although not tropical. All day sun is ideal in my experience.

[Lumi-Ukko]

Anybody know how much shade sweet potato plants can tolerate in a a high UV tropical location (I'm in the Yucatan)?

I have high UV, although not tropical. All day sun is ideal in my experience.

I don't think I can guarantee a location for my sweet potatoes that get a full day of sun here.  But given we have such strong sunlight I was hoping that a half day of sun or filtered on/off all day would suffice and replicate a full day of sun of regions further North.

I might need to rethink the size of container I can put them in if I'm to give them more sun thatn I was planning.

[growinginphoenix]

Anybody know how much shade sweet potato plants can tolerate in a a high UV tropical location (I'm in the Yucatan)?

I have high UV, although not tropical. All day sun is ideal in my experience.

I don't think I can guarantee a location for my sweet potatoes that get a full day of sun here.  But given we have such strong sunlight I was hoping that a half day of sun or filtered on/off all day would suffice and replicate a full day of sun of regions further North.

I might need to rethink the size of container I can put them in if I'm to give them more sun thatn I was planning.

I have only tried full sun and full shade. In full shade they didn't grow. I imagine they will do OK with partial shade, but not sure.

[Lumi-Ukko]

Anybody know how much shade sweet potato plants can tolerate in a a high UV tropical location (I'm in the Yucatan)?

I have high UV, although not tropical. All day sun is ideal in my experience.

I don't think I can guarantee a location for my sweet potatoes that get a full day of sun here.  But given we have such strong sunlight I was hoping that a half day of sun or filtered on/off all day would suffice and replicate a full day of sun of regions further North.

I might need to rethink the size of container I can put them in if I'm to give them more sun thatn I was planning.

I have only tried full sun and full shade. In full shade they didn't grow. I imagine they will do OK with partial shade, but not sure.

I'm still propagating slips but I'll feedback how I get on. I'll find a place for a container in full sun, and the rest will go in part shade and see how I get on. All other things being equal.  My biggest problem are the pests down here. Iguanas, birds, opossoms, leaf-cutting ants, snails, mealybugs, aphids, nematodes, scale.  We have it all, often at the same time.