YOU can Grow Sweet Potatoes! Tricks for Starting Slips, Planting, Harvesting and Curing

Learn how to start sweet potato slips and how to plant them, as well as how to cure sweet potatoes and store them. Plus, learn the secret to keeping sweet potatoes happy.
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[@Homesteading_heathen]

Protect this man. At all costs.

[@bernadette6618]

Came for the sw potatoes, stayed for the tunes!🌿

[@anitamurphy2454]

Guess you know about his DTG tunes channel? Fun!

[@joshua511]

His music hits even harder at 2x speed!

[@james-heatherbailey5530]

David's wit and musical creativity are unmatched 😂😂 Love the grunge david!

[@macoppy6571]

May this be the most popular starting sweet potatoes video for 100 years 🙏

[@jholcomb9532]

"You can really look into their eyes", LOL!

[@user-ic2ug8ys1z]

+1 for potato love songs. Keep the "Good tunes" coming!

[@annellacannella5674]

I almost didn’t watch because I have no problems growing sweet potatoes. But then I thought, well, it’s David the Good and I could use a little levity this morning. You never disappoint. Good sweet potato info and a good laugh. I really enjoyed the reggae music for them. Freedom to grow your vines! I think it’s my new theme song.

[@kimmy_mac]

Oh my goodness. My garden is now jealous of your singing. Love your work. God bless you and the family

[@cbak1819]

😂

[@ozarksbuckslayer2484]

Everybody is crazy, I'm just one of the unlucky ones who got caught. - Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

[@ContactsNfilters]

Such a good book! I love Brené Brown's quote better though. "Everyone is crazy, but the scary ones are the ones that don't know they're crazy." 😂

[@melanielinkous8746]

My husband always gets jealous when he "catches me" watching this channel. 😂 After 15 years, I'll take it! Blessings to you and your family 🙏💕

[@davidthegood]

That is funny.

[@takeitslowhomestead5218]

Thanks for the smiles and giggles. They felt good! 😁 🌱

[@op4rlb348]

Wow. I just found my favorite gardening KZbin channel ever. ❤Thanks for the good info, and for the music. 🙂

[@davidthegood]

Welcome!

[@davidthegood]

Learn how to start sweet potato slips and how to plant them, as well as how to cure sweet potatoes and store them. Plus, learn the secret to keeping sweet potatoes happy. Books mentioned: MINIMALIST GARDENING: amzn.to/3QqWqPy GROCERY ROW GARDENING: amzn.to/4aWgIbL Thank you for watching:

[@LogCabinArtist]

I just pulled out a 6 pound purple sweet potato!

[@Rhett573]

Hi

[@harmonic3350]

Best sweet potato planting jams ever 🍠

[@Leahslittlepatchofparadise]

I have missed your videos, and sense of humor 😂 I'm so glad the gardening season has kicked back off up there in America for you ❤

[@jerrypackard6807]

WE LOVE YOUR CRAZY MUSIC AND SENSE OF HUMOR DAVIIIID!!!!!!! ;-)

[@hazelbellefarm476]

😂I’m just gonna pray over mine and water them. Singing might kill them.

[@cbak1819]

Praying too! Singing too..🎉

[@Freedommjw]

If I sang to them, they would sprout legs and run away screaming! 😫

[@ptrainingbytim]

David the legend. Another gem my brother in Christ!

[@loves2spin2]

I"ve been growing sweet potatoes since about 1988, I think. That first year, I saw an ad in the paper from the local nursery. They were selling sweet potato slips, and you had to order them ahead of time. I was a complete neophyte. Knew nothing at that point about growing them, but I called to order. The man asked me how many I wanted. There were two varieties available. I said I'd like 50 of each. I got 500# of sweet potatoes from all of that! I've never needed to grow that many since, in fact I gave away a lot of those. But that was amazing. I spread newspapers in our living room and piled them up there. It was quite a sight. Now, though, I still grow them, but have to fight the voles for them. They do major damage and we've tried "everything" to beat them. I'm thinking that I might have to dig them earlier to somewhat minimize the damage. It's heart breaking. In spite of that, I still have some left from last year that we are eating, and the damaged ones still keep just fine. Maybe I should get a herd of cats to live in my garden.... I start my slips in jars of water, and don't bother with toothpicks. I put out 34 of them this year. The voles get our Irish potatoes too.

[@amyrea4451]

David, you are hilarious and we truly enjoy your videos!😂😂😂 thank you for passing on knowledge and entertainment!

[@gennyt.1306]

This is really THE BEST informative video on growing sweet potatoes! How have I not found this channel until now?!!! I’m so glad I did!!!

[@davidthegood]

Thank you. Welcome!

[@lisakruger5289]

Oh my gosh, thanks so much for the laughs with the music experiment! They were greatly needed and much appreciated! 😅

[@thewhitemage777]

To grow your own slips put tubers in shadow pots or trays and put them on a heat mat a few months before your planting date.

[@Lorellehb]

Thank you so much! I feel like I know the plant much better now, and I'm ready to plant. And I will sing!

[@e.t.preppin7084]

I can’t stop the tears of laughter!!! You are the real deal. I know I heard it through the potato vine. That’s my go to song for tubers !!!!

[@truthseeker9688]

Thank you for being wise....and goofy. LOVE it!

[@elwyncuster6360]

You can look into their eyes...you're hilarious!

[@Journal2Awakening]

Thank you! This will be my first year growing sweet potatoes!

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

I see the guitar in the GRG...is that from the ukelele planted last fall? I forgot to start my SP slips last february. So I'm buying them this year. I've found Puccini works well on SPs. BTW, Minimalist Gardening is a terrific book. Congratulations.

[@wordwalkermomma4]

“Our Go Babylon”!! I love it! I will, David the Good, I WILL sing to my garden! 🎶♥️🌿🥦🍎🥕🍃

[@whatwhat8097]

Singing to them is key🍠🎶

[@texaschopper3091]

ROFL. That is hilarious. Oh my gosh, you made my day. Gotta sing to my sweet potatoes.

[@deeprootstexas]

😂 the end

[@nicolem376]

If you have a freshwater aquarium, you can take a sweet potato with some skewers or toothpicks poked in the sides to support it on the corner of the rim, place it pointy side down with half of it in the water and as long as there is adequate sunlight, it will grow vines. I do this all the time and have the vines wrapped up to the ceiling and around all my tank lights. It takes up to two weeks for the vines to start growing that way, but then they go absolutely crazy.

[@laurascozycorner458]

Love it! The skit at the end was funny too!😂 bought your book on grocery row gardening, very informative!! Really like how you wrote in about the squirrels and how you acquired the knowledge from each author or friend! ❤

[@davidthegood]

Thank you

[@mattpeacock5208]

That love song at the end had me rolling despite the shear dad-joke quality! Good on ya!

[@FM-qm5xs]

You really need to write a full version of the sweet potato love song lol.

[@patriciaserdahl5577]

Thank you David especially the tip on Curing them Blessings to this year's gardens God bless 🙏 🎶 🇺🇸

[@CapitanFantasma1776]

And you have a theme song! Great info thanks!

[@russwilkerson2741]

I love sweet potatoes. I heard they love classical music for best results.

[@mikhailkalashnikov4599]

I just planted ours yesterday. Zone 6 here, but reusing the same stock of sweet potatoe for several years now. Just bring em in the basement before first frost and whatevers left by springtime has new slips ready for planting. Can't beat em. Perpetual calories and goodness.

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

Great info David. Be blessed brother.

[@deborahcresswell1616]

Hi there from southwest Louisiana

[@danfay4860]

I have grown sweet potatoes here in northeaster Massachusetts in the ground and in grow bags with a decent yield with my short growing season.

[@ManiacNation06]

Omg! I’m loving the rap😂😂😂 #1 single in the making 😂

[@kimyennguyen3148]

I am with you, minimalist gardening❤

[@danfay4860]

Minimalist everything

[@GrandmomZoo]

Hello my food forresting hero mentor!!!!!❤❤❤

[@nicolem376]

I have a sweet potato on the counter with beautiful purple green stems growing off it.

[@MiladyMeowMeow-bf7nk]

The serenade was amazing 😂

[@belieftransformation]

Very entertaining, plus good knowledge! Blessings to all 🤗🇨🇦

[@babetteisinthegarden6920]

Thanks for the info David, and the mini concert at the end.

[@electricfrontporch5334]

I and I love da reggae sweet potato jams mon

[@lauraanderson3354]

Thank you for this wonderful information. I'm getting ready to plant.

[@tonyalewis9053]

Loved Grocery Row Garden and almost finished with the new book, Minimalist Gardening, only two chapters left! I’m starting this fall with cardboard, grass clippings & compost, and lots of wood chips. In the meantime, I’m growing in a couple of raised beds. 👩‍🌾

[@womanoftheozarks]

ThankYou ThankYou ThankYou

[@user-qr7sv6sc7d]

The nature law of action and reaction. Sow the seeds of kindness will return with kindness. Sow the seeds of love will return with love. We create what we give out. Plants are sentient beings too and do respond to the type of music and feelings we give them. 🙏🙏🙏

[@SimpleIdeaz]

Just found out about Japanese sweet potato which is cold hardy. Going to try my luck

[@moniquegebeline4350]

The best sweet potato I ever grew was a white variety called Ohenry I believe man they were good I cured them in the oven for 3 weeks on cookie sheets it was the warmest place in my house. They were ready for thanksgiving and everyone raved about them! I can’t get the Okinawa purple to grow for shit for me. One of my fav crops!

[@betitagtz]

So from what I see on the video, not needed to let the tubers root? Some you put on the ground had roots and some didn’t. 😊 that makes it even easier! Loved the music! 🎉

[@davidthegood]

Right! You can just stick the vines in and they’ll root.

[@betitagtz]

Thank you!

[@sarahfruzz1787]

This is extremely helpful!! Thanks!!

[@chriskincaid6035]

Thank You ....

[@rogerfranks6705]

You are one entertaining man!!!! Well done!❤️

[@agapefield]

❤❤❤love me some sweet potatoes! Very nutritious too!

[@breesechick]

Hi from NW GA

[@WyattLCombs]

Pure musical gold David! Keep it up!

[@brokenmeats5928]

I love ALL David The Good videos!

[@daninraleigh]

I've heard that you are supposed to change the water in the sweet potato jar once in a while. But I'm planting in grow bags.

[@CoreenT]

You earned a like for serenading your sweet potato. 🥰🎶

[@margaretlounsberry433]

lol, love you David!!!

[@mustbsavdbyjesus]

Awesome!

[@barbaralong8665]

First year I didn’t know to “cure” them a couple weeks. They were still better than from market. ❤ Read Minimalist Garden and loved it.

[@critical_buckel]

Great songs John.

[@rickghaly]

You had me at Machete.

[@benneptun4054]

Hilariously brilliant! Great stuff, DTG! Thank you! 😂

[@elijahsanders3547]

Great video! Thank you. Hope I have space some time to grow them :) I had some that we bought but had to throw away, I put them in some shade next to my composting bags, and they started growing some vines!

[@carolmayer9789]

David, I did try the granny method and they rotted for me too! Being in zone 5a sweet potates are a little tricky to grow here, but it can be done. Loved your songs in the garden.😅❤

[@koicaine1230]

Yay, a live!

[@JurassicJolts]

Mad bars 🔥🔥🔥

[@timothy4weigel]

Those potatoes are Sweet

[@avgFloridian]

You do have to sing to them. It's 100% true. For some reason, my sweet potatoes are more "sour potatoes." Maybe I should try singing ska instead of death metal.

[@Fil-AmGardening]

Will the tubers’ size affected when you cut the tops? We normally eat the tops, it’s common for us Filipinos I agree the toothpick method isn’t a good way to start slips Love your music so much❤

[@benjaminp6924]

Jam to the yam, yello from Colorado

[@mandarinmelon]

Will you release a Minimalist Gardening audiobook? Please?

[@zachyweezer]

hey, david. perfect timing. i'm in zone 8b and just planted my slips today. they came in the mail (took forever). i'd planned on having 10 plants, but a few were most certainly dead, so only 7 went into the ground. do you think i'd still have enough time to grow my own slips? i'd like a few more, for sure, but i know it'll take a few weeks.

[@davidthegood]

Yes, you have time

[@KishaMiles1]

Yo soon I love your songs. they make me laugh every time

[@davidthegood]

Thanks

[@doomguy584]

I need good topsoil i plan on composting from here on out out but i only have 2 rows planted and the rest is still in planter trays

[@sn232]

Do you use any type of fertilizer at any point? If you do, can you please explain the details? Loved the video! I remember David Wolfe many years ago mentioning a farmer who broadcast music over his crops and they had less insects, less disease, higher yield of crop! I believe it was classical music.

[@davidthegood]

Ashes, some char, and manure. Sometimes cottonseed meal and kelo meal. Homemade compost.

[@sn232]

@@davidthegood Thank you!

[@pamwade2047]

Love the tunes! I’ve been missing your funny outtakes, etc at the end of the videos lately. Now, tell me how to keep the deer and rabbits out of my sweet potatoes! I don’t have funds to put up fencing. Any suggestions?

[@davidthegood]

A farm dog

[@brockberrick2727]

Grocery row touuur please :D

[@karrieweb2004_JxEdEx]

I think Styx recorded the lovesong version...😊

[@sergeb957]

I like to grow sweet potatoes too'

[@rosemawhorter904]

We plant heaps of sweet potatoes here inthe highlands of Haiti. One trick I found to speed up bulk planting is to lay down slips (or in our case cuttings), then walk along with a stick and shove the center of the cutting down into the soil for rapid burial. I'm curious to hear your knowledge on varieties. We tried to bring in a US supermarket sweet potato but they're offspring did very poorly. They seem to only grow starchy not sweet varieties here. Do you know if different climates are more appropriate for different varieties? Also, do you suppose layering would increase yields or just make everything smaller?

[@davidthegood]

We tried the orange ones in Grenada and they did worse than the local types. Not sure why.

[@freelivingtennessee]

I started sweet potato slips from a purple sweet potato and the shoots are so thick and short I don’t know when I can clip them? I keep waiting but maybe they’re running out of soil? (I have them vertical in cups of soil to save space, it’s always worked for me with orange SP’s) they’ve been in quite a while. Now it’s hot in East Tennessee so I have em outside I’m thinking just to sink them into some space in one of my raised beds? Then clip the shoots off? Idk man 🤣🤣🤣

[@bernkev1]

Will book be on Audible anytime soon?

[@davidthegood]

No, I haven't had the time to record.

[@thadrobinson8343]

I loaned out my copy of Square Foot Gardening, how many slips are okay to put in a regulation garden square? Also, you should re-shoot this using Mel's Mix in a raised bed, it's optimal for vigorous tuber formation and I understand it promotes male vitality,.

[@davidthegood]

Nice. I don't remember Mel's spacing.

[@AAHomeGardening]

I have three different types of sweet potato growing

[@runningwarrior5468]

Can sweet potatoes grow in 6b?

[@davidthegood]

Yes - I have done it.

[@FellsApprentice]

Do you ship sweet potato slips? I'd like to plant these to see if they can outcompete the local poison ivy. And function as a deer food plot in addition to giving me sweet potatoes.

[@freelivingtennessee]

Anyone have any success planting sweet potatoes near something that isn’t cold weather crops or herbs. I wanted to use them as ground cover under my tomatoes or peppers but they say you can spread disease that way? I know morning glory family and solanacea family are under the same larger family I did it once in NY with a few tomatoes but this year we’re in east TN and the disease pressure here is a little heavier

[@midsouthhomestead7527]

I will have to trying singing to my taters.