It’s time to harvest sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes are a warm-season crop that requires a long growing season with plenty of heat, making the crop a good choice for Kansas gardens. They are often called “yams” in the United States, although yams are a completely different species.
Sweet potatoes are grown from young plants, usually called “slips,” that can be purchased in bundles from your local garden center. You can also grow your own by placing a sweet potato root in a container filled with moist sand and allowing it to sprout in a warm location for about six weeks before cutting the slips and planting them in the garden.
Sweet potatoes continue to develop throughout the season and do not deteriorate in quality if they get too large. It usually takes until mid-September to mid-October for the fleshy roots to enlarge to a harvest stage. Dig before freezing weather occurs. Cut or chop the vines a few days before digging to make digging easier. After digging, break the roots from the vine and allow them to air dry for a few hours before picking them up. Gently place roots in baskets or boxes to avoid injury to the tender skin. Sweet potatoes must be “cured” in a warm, humid location for 1 to 2 weeks to improve keeping quality and flavor. Place the baskets in an 85 to 90°F environment with high humidity for 7 to 10 days. Then lower the temperature to around 55°F for long-term storage. Never allow temperatures to drop below 50°F as poor keeping quality, flavors, and dark colors will result. If sweet potatoes are washed before storing, make sure they are handled carefully and dried before curing.
