Community Corner

Dig Up Sweet Potatoes

Douglas County Gardener Association President Marjorie Stansel walks us through the simple process.

Most people use a regular spade or shovel to dig up their crop of sweet potatoes but Douglas County Master Gardener President Marjorie Stansel recommends using a digging fork instead, so the potatoes are less likely to be cut in half.

"Ease the fork in under them and dig them up," she advises. The sweet potato leaves are edible and can be used in a dish like a stir-fry, she said, but the Master Gardeners just use the leaves for compost.

Sweet potatoes can be planted in late April through late June and they mature in 90 to 150 days. The sweet potatoes are planted about 18" apart and in a diagonal pattern to allow for proper growth. The volume of leaves the plant produces helps them maintain moisture and makes them very drought tolerant.

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