Sweet Potato Harvest in a Straw Bale Garden

[@ryansams-my9qt]

I don't think you need to worry about a split so much. They just grow too freely in the straw. Just peel more. So fun to watch you!🤩

[@eddiemills6222]

Ugly doesn't mean inedible!!! My wife and I tried straw bale gardening for the first time about 4 years ago. She's handicapped and the straw bale is much easier for her. We grew sweet potatoes in 1 and 1/2 straw bales. Got over 20 lbs. so we were very happy.

[@addysbeeandgarden320]

Thank you for posting your learning experiences, both positive and negative!

[@barbarataylor1135]

Give the vines to your chickens, they love them. The leaves taste like spinach. You can cook and eat them as well.

[@helenlbrewer9977]

Nothing wrong with the split ones they just scab over and still can be ate

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

Yeah, I was going to ask, "Why not just mash them?"

[@markhadley1545]

I would just eat them first

[@RobinsTinyHomestead]

Sweet potatoes split for the same reason tomatoes split. Inconsistent watering. A lot of rain all at once can make them split. Great harvest :-):-):-)

[@ReenaMountainLife]

You make harvesting look so effortless!

[@karenbuckner1959]

I saw those huge ones and immediately thought "sweet potato pie." 😉 Those greens are edible and nutritious for you and your chickens.

[@zacjoseph7020]

Wow. You had an incredible harvest. A great learning experience. And the chickens got a treat too ?? Great. Really.

[@kyfaithhavenfarm9228]

I grow my sweet potatoes in straw bales as well. I've learned that if they are near harvest time, pull them before you get a rain or they will split.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

I didn't consider rain, mainly because we haven't had much lately! But, the split looked old since it had already crusted over, so it's possible this happened weeks ago. I hadn't thought of that -- thank you!

[@owemylife]

Can you use new bales? Do you permeate them with soil? How do you prep them? Thank you

[@DocSnipes]

The greens are also edible. Like pea vines, the tips are nice and tender and make a nice addition to stirfry. We sauté the larger leaves like spinach.

[@SistersBreakingBad]

Can you can them too?

[@DirtRoadProductionz]

@@SistersBreakingBad yes you can

[@Big88Country]

I'm doing sweet potatoes in bales this year, first time. usually when sweet potatoes split like that it is due to over watering, or getting too much rain. But, there's noting wrong with the split ones, they eat just as good as the ones that aren't!! Great job!!

[@nancywells5626]

I like the look of straw bales planting. I have never used this method.

[@alph8654]

Those split ones are edible !!!!

[@bfife444]

Yes they can be use. They split but the skin grow over the split. Send them to me. Lol

[@alph8654]

@@bfife444 Do you still carry around the one bullet that Andy gives you???

[@diannethompson2690]

Those are great potatoes. There is nothing wrong with them. Home grown that will happen. So many gardeners wish they could grow that. 😉 😀

[@jessiemcbride3465]

Omg what wild crazy sweet potatoes!

[@tulipsmoran5197]

I grew Vardaman Sweet Potatoes in ground this past season 2022 here in TN on the Plateau and really liked how the plants grew. The are a compact bush type that doesn't send vines all over your garden, but instead have modest growth of vines but the tubers grow directly under the plant rather than out along the vines. That growing habit is a winner for me. We had a late summer drought here and even though I tried to water religiously, as expected some tubers were longer thin scrawny. Otherwise I harvest was good with nice sized tubers that were more uniform at 6-8 in length and 3in or so round. The flavor is wonderful and they mash, bake and french fry just fine. Our grow season last year was one of extremes - very cold wet spring, brutally hot humid summer and drought late summer through fall. That of course sent vermin to gardens for food and water. I nearly lost the entire sweet potato and bean crops to mice and rats. So my plans include greenhouse/polytunnel growing to better control the environment. I'm growing Vardaman again this next season but in 20 gal grow bags (4 plants each) and also want to try one growbag with straw as an experiment. I'm doing the same with Irish potatoes this year also in growbags 15 gal (3 plants each). Both potatoes in a greenhouse.

[@AAHomeGardening]

Lovely sweet potato harvest

[@NancyRemling]

All those big potatoes will taste yum.

[@dinakaraprasad]

Hi, That is a quite an innovative growing! As far as the cracked sweet potatoes are concerned, there can be one or a few of the following reasons: Heavy water irrigation (or rain) after a period of dry weather. Boron and calcium nutrients deficiency. Successive cultivation of the same crop. Hope it helps. 👍

[@lisabafundo4355]

Every frustrating experience is a learning experience, this was very interesting..now you know. I will most definitely try this method. Thanks, great experiment.

[@CamMcB]

The split sweet potatoes, when we have a deluge of rain, cucumbers and tomatoes rapidly take up water and burst the fruit. Wonder if your potatoes had a deluge and split and the smaller potatoes not as affected or grew after deluge. Just a thought.

[@spoonnwithsunshinehomestead]

Great harvest. I will definitely be trying this method this year

[@harrybolyard6293]

Nothing wrong with the split ones I harvested 80 pounds today ..from round hay bales

[@mj58jean]

Second sweet potato plant looks like Diane. The leaf looks like that. The potatoes are red and vines are vigorous. Great harvest.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

I haven't heard of Diane. I'll have to look into that! I hate not knowing what I'm growing, especially if it grows so well. :)

[@chinatownboy7482]

@@thebeginnersgarden Diane are grown in Bakersfield, California and sold as "BAKO" brand. A Diane sweet potato is also known as Garnet.

[@chesrickbobb08]

Nice job

[@ruzavidojevic2931]

You can eat the leaves too🥰 they’re pack of nutrients 🥰 you can put them in a soup or just blanch them… just add fresh tomatoes and onions and lemon juice salt and pepper its a perfect salad 🥰

[@PANTTERA1959]

The chickens would love the greens.

[@dimask77]

Sweet potatoes leaves are good to eat too.

[@dana7937]

I grew sweet potatoes for the first time last year. I harvested the leaves and sauteed them. They were Delicious. I didn't care much for the variety of the potato. Growing a different variety this year.

[@gardenhighlightsworm]

Great harvest 😊

[@billyjohnson6355]

Some types of sweet potatoes are more susceptible to cracking than others but the culprit is usually too much water at the end of the growing season and fertilizers sweet potatoes need a fertilizer with boron,they make a special type just for sweet potatoes, also the sweet potatoes with the forked leaves are called German red I think,see if you can find some Covington variety sweet potatoes they are very productive and all around a great sweet potatoe,enjoy your harvest.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Great info, thank you!

[@clevebailey2892]

That splitting is due to the very rich nutrients and they been left a bit late to be harvested.

[@petpawteek8776]

That is so funny, Jill! This is my second year growing sweet potatoes in straw bales. The first year was AMAZING but this year, I had the same experience with leaving them in too long. I think I might have a twin to one of your giant cracked sweet potatoes. While I’m sorry you had so many split on you, I am glad to know that I am not alone! Always something new to learn in the garden! 🥰

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Yes! So glad I'm not the only one but also sorry that happened to you as well! We garden, we learn. :)

[@lorraineblackman4647]

HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES TO REAP FROM THE TIME OF PLANTING.

[@petpawteek8776]

@@lorraineblackman4647 the timing is no different than if you plant in the ground. Depending on the variety 100-140 days.

[@someoneelse9059]

@@thebeginnersgarden Can you please do an entire video from start to finish on preparing planting and harvesting vegies in straw bales?

[@johnjude2685]

Reminds my grandfather traded for produce his 5 pounds sweet potato and yours got to be close to the 5 lb size Thanks

[@shanthagunasekara3563]

Nice job form sri lanka 🇱🇰

[@sandeepbaby7314]

Great Work ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@rhouy69]

Hi Jill good day. Really a big fan of your gardening. In the Philippines they planted their Sweet Potato or Kamote using the Vine Cuttings and its pretty productive. So they have an endless supply of planting materials. Ciao

[@maggiezamora6101]

Don’t be disappointed they r still eatable

[@jahsunhandy]

Can you please tell us as you go along WHAT VARIETY, each sweet potato is, because I want a visual of them, because I. The store, they rarely tell you what variety it is

[@rumpolstilscin]

If you don't want them, use the split potatoes as a supplement to dog food.

[@GalaxyJ-vm2rn]

Donate.. to people that want to eat.

[@ahmadsobirin3363]

How amizing

[@gregblanton9386]

Sweet potatoes are always ready to dig 120 days after planting.

[@juvyindat2812]

I think your sweet potato exceed the month alloted for the right harvest because it was cracking..maybe 4-5 only.I love your video ang you! God bless!

[@dvrmte]

If those are Georgia Jet sweet potatoes, they're highly prone to splitting. I quit growing them because of it. They do fine in some areas but not where I live in South Carolina.

[@hanidjayaelktn3794]

Goodjob...sangat bagus ,media bukan tanah

[@d.b.sorensen827]

Wow maybe saw them into slabs and put them on the barbee

[@jesshothersall]

You could make a big batch of sweet potato soup with the split ones? Thanks for video :)

[@janedoe3095]

They are still edible. Watching other you tubers sweet potato harvests the splitting seems to occur more frequently in straw bales than when planted in soil. I wonder whether it might be due to the straw holding moisture better than dirt which keeps them in an over-watered environment which would make them more prone to splitting.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Could be, or the extra nitrogen that they don't necessarily need.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

If the redder one is alot sweeter then the other, it is probably a Garnet sweet potato, they look like it, which are wonderful

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Garnet is my guess, too, but since I bought it years ago from the grocery store, I may never know for sure.

[@JesseChavez-id1xh]

wow that was nice , thank you

[@rcgilmoretv2639]

Wow nice job

[@wilfredogonzalez883]

You should be happy how big they are that is what we look in the island where we plant those

[@Born_From_Above]

Is there a planting video? I’d like to see how you started this. Thank you!

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Yes, kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnaooXyYmZiml8k

[@aperson1181]

how do you condition the bales? how often to fertilize and water potatoes?

[@melaniejohnson3130]

To garden in bales, do you have to do anything special to them?

[@TurtleMyrtle12]

Yes, they need to be conditioned first with nitrogen. There are videos showing how to do this.

[@georgeduarte8627]

I really like your channel I think I can learn a lot, so do you just buy a bale of hay and spread it over and the remainder of the sweet potato plants the vines did you put it back in the soil to keep it organic?

[@marcelinaaringo814]

They are still edible to eat … just peel it…❤️🇵🇭

[@feffe4036]

So how does this work? Do you just plant sweet potato slips in straw bales or do they have to lay outside to composte first or mixed with soil?

[@thebeginnersgarden]

It's called the Straw Bale Gardening method. I have more information here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hquzgKOgdrSLaZI

[@Hoffa_]

Those are all still eatable!

[@TruthAndLight4995]

The leaves are also edible.

[@diannedovholuk4245]

Could be inconsistent watering. Good information. Thank you.

[@sweetsarah9702]

My first time seeing your video. Where in Arkansas are you? I am in NWA and just bought 2 bales to try. I am probably later than I would like getting started, but, hey, better late than never!

[@thebeginnersgarden]

I’m in the Russellville area. I don’t think it’s too late, especially for NWA.

[@larrystone5749]

Good video enjoyed it thx for sharing Some of those taters look as big as pumpkins lol Be safe God Bless

[@maggiezamora6101]

How long did u wait

[@thebeginnersgarden]

5 months from the slips going in the ground.

[@pamh.5705]

Does anyone know about eating the leaves? Another grower said they're edible & similar to spinach leaves.

[@karenbuckner1959]

Sweet potatoes grow well in Hawaii and are their main source of greens. Very nutritious. Our friends used to live there and held health retreats.

[@mildredwilkins5781]

The splitting is both because of longer growing time and your bed retained or hot too much water. Also ck your other bed again

[@johnruckman2320]

I live I northern California so I probably don't have enough grow time available normally. But I'm wondering if they were planted in raised beds through black plastic and put under a row cover or temp greenhouse frame till summer to extend the growing season. There's also the possibility of some type of light reflector being used to raise the temperature.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

I definitely think that would help. And research shorter days to maturity varieties.

[@ehirsh85]

How long were they in the straw for and what is typical time for being in the ground?

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Approximately 5 months but I could have harvested sooner. I don’t know that I saw a difference in time between this and the ground but I bet it would be shorter because of the bales being warmer.

[@jahsunhandy]

You look more and more radiant as time goes on. A great testament to healthy living ❤️🙏🏼

[@theceltichorse]

Did you quit watering at some point before harvest? The inside of my bales are mushy but yours look dry in the video. I should be getting within a couple of weeks to harvest. Thanks!

[@thebeginnersgarden]

No, but there is only a small drip line so it's possible mine just didn't get watered as much as yours.

[@helentc]

Sometimes excessive heat causes splitting in tubers. So...did the temperature drop in the straw bales after you "prepared" them? Or did you have a heat wave? This happened to me one year after a heat wave...but with regular potatoes.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Heat for sure. The bales were fully conditioned when the sweet potatoes were planted.

[@janicemason-dorah2327]

How long did you take to harvest these?

[@1jw298]

Are those just straw bales? You did great with just bales!! I’m gonna try those next year! Great idea!

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Yes, but with straw bale gardening, there's a specific conditioning process that's involved. The inventor of the straw bale garden method was on my podcast and he explained it in detail. You can check that out here (the podcast or blog post with the details): journeywithjill.net/gardening/2020/04/21/straw-bale-gardening/

[@joniboulware1436]

Well you sure got a lot of compost material from those vines!

[@barbarataylor1135]

HER CHICKENS WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE VINES.

[@sbwhite599]

sunlight.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

Did you fertilize with alot of nitrogen? Can you tell us how you grew them, fertilize etc ?? I've let potatoes grow to long before and did not look like that, there is another factor you haven't found.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Straw bale gardens generally are higher in nitrogen, yes. I didn't fertilize during the season.

[@johnbiggs3519]

are those leaves you cut ....can they be used as slips

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Maybe, not sure. But we harvest in fall and don’t plant til May so I develop slips from stored potatoes.

[@jahsunhandy]

What are those deep red ones that you harvested after the 1st disappointing plant?

[@kimskluckers5665]

Curious - why didn't you give the sweet potato vines to the chickens?

[@alisonnewall1748]

Don’t the straw bales hold more heat? That would have accelerated the growth, right?

[@owemylife]

We're the straw bales new when you planted? Do you permeate them with soil?

[@blu_flies]

Make sure you check out her podcast..So educational

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Thank you! ❤️

[@SistersBreakingBad]

Do you not harvest the leaves from time to time?

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Not a fan of the leaves, personally.

[@ylandbj]

Is it ok to compost sweet potato leaves and vines

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Yes

[@tww_occult]

Bales compost at a higher temperature meaning they need to be pulled sooner or they’ll split!

[@marlairons1205]

I don't understand why you are throwing the split ones out. I don't think there is anything wrong with them, they are just not "typical" looking.

[@thebeginnersgarden]

The larger ones are tough to eat.

[@marlairons1205]

@@thebeginnersgarden I think I would have made sweet potato fries! Yum!!!

[@Daughter_of_the_MostHigh]

You said seed, are you talking about seed from the flower or growing slips from a sweet potato?

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Slips

[@amnakurbegovic8401]

How to know when is the good time to pick your sweet potato? When you snap one vine and the milky white liquid drips from it, time to pick!

[@kimloonyong6599]

Sweet potato leaf and vines are actually edible. The young one is even more tender.

[@aloneman99]

wonderful beauty ❤🦋🦋♥

[@TurtleMyrtle12]

You gave perfectly fine produce to your chickens. 😣

[@lievendeconinck1393]

couldn't the splitting be beause of not being in the ground and not having pressure around them, which makes them grow to easily, and makes them split ?

[@Crew4Life]

How long did you leave them in(time range from planting to harvesting?)

[@thebeginnersgarden]

planted mid-May...harvested early October I believe?

[@jinseongseok3750]

Try to plant more closer it you will get proper size and pretty one

[@ihopeugrow]

Imperfect ones are still edible just have to cure it and it will scab over. Disappointed that you only prefer to eat the grocery looking ones.

[@msjoy2005]

The split ones are still edible.

[@noah786]

That worked well. Did you do anything to prep the bales before planting them? Did you ever make a video showing the process? Thanks!

[@thebeginnersgarden]

Yes, they definitely need a particular kind of conditioning first. I haven't done a video on it yet but I did interview the pioneer of this method on my podcast -- the Beginner's Garden Podcast Episode 132 -- and corresponding blog posts on the method can be found here: journeywithjill.net/?s=straw+bale

[@slycooper3938]

Those can't be as nutritious as growing crops in actual soil. Straw bales can't have the same nutrient profiles as diverse as soil.

[@mildredwilkins5781]

Excess water is most likely the problem

[@ZaejonQuiambao-vj2gx]

did you just throw away the big ones with crack???it is still edible..omg