Kaukura Orange Sweet Potato Vine
Pre-purchase for 2nd week of May pick up. Include phone # so you can be contacted upon arrival. One plant comes rooted in a 5' pot for $7.98
This delicious typical orange flesh sweet potato grows on a vine whose dark, heart-shaped leaves are not only beautiful and ornamental, but also edible. Use both the foliage and the root (the sweet potato itself) in cooking; blend them into smoothies, or juice them to enjoy an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into vitamin A. It's a fast-growing vine that thrives in full sunlight with watering once a week—more, if it's particularly hot and dry.
PLANTING AND GROWING
Sweet potatoes like it hot ! Plant these in the garden at least 1-2 weeks after the last chance of frost.
Plant sweet potatoes in a sunny, warm location about 12-18 inches apart and allow 3 feet between rows. Sweet potato seedlings in pots have a tendency to become rootbound. When the roots ( which turn into sweet potatoes) begin to grow they will often circle around the inside of the pot. If rootbound before planting cut a good portion of the roots off of the bottom and loosen the remaining roots. Feed the plants bi-weekly with a Tomato or fruit & vegetable fertilizer.
HARVEST AND STORAGE:
Sweet potatoes are ready to harvest as the ends of the vines begin to yellow, just before frost.
Sweet potatoes need a period of curing to bring out their sweetness. Shake off soil and store your unwashed sweet potatoes in a warm well ventilated location. As they cure the flesh will become sweeter and more nutritious. After 10 days move your sweet potatoes to a cool, dry spot, do not refrigerate or store below 50 F. Cured sweet potatoes will keep for up to 6 months.