Well maybe I have done something that has worked, and can post again.

Amy, the past 2 years I have had to keep the soil a little moist, and add a little compost or potting soil to my planting holes at planting time to be able to dig my sweet potatoes. Before amending the holes I would have to plow the potatoes out of the ground, I got a lot more damage by plowing the potatoes out. That is one reason I did not grow Oklahoma Reds any more, they were longer, and I had more damage with them.

I am kicking around the idea of starting my potato harvest a little early. The insects and critters are eating my potatoes, and I am only able to dig a few hills at a time anyway. The kids said that they would dig the potatoes for me, but I really hate to ask for help with anything, but the time is coming to where I wont have a choice. It really stinks when you are not able to do the things that you want to do.

Houzz signed us all out, I think.

Larry, my neighbor dug up some of her sweet potatoes last week. This is from 3 plants that were in a Vego bed.

Those are very nice sweet potatoes, Jennifer, do you know what kind they are?

I was telling Madge this morning that we need to be eating some of our stored sweet potatoes, or, I need to be growing less of them.

This is a very nice morning, my min/max shows a low of 48, it is now 58, and I have the wild urge to go did a hill of sweet potatoes. I still have 118 plants in the ground, and a pretty good supply of potatoes under the bed in our bedroom. I have read that sweet potatoes are very healthy, I cant understand why we don't eat more of them. I also understand that the purple sweet potatoes are the most healthy ones to eat, and, they are the ones I have the hardest time growing.

I thought I had posted on these potatoes before, but I must have goofed.

I went out and dug under 2 sweet potato plants. I cant tell if I am gaining anything by waiting till the first of October to dig my sweet potatoes. I think that something is eating them as fast as they grow.

This is the first plant before it was dug. My soil is tight and shallow. You can see how the potatoes have pushed the soil, and the rain and critters have exposed the potatoes.

This is the fruit from the first plant, separated to try to better show the damage the critters (voles, I think) have done.

This is the second plant removed, trying to keep the cluster together. I will let the sun dry the soil, then separate the potatoes and brush the soil off with a paint brush, and start the curing process.

I expect to have smaller potatoes out under the runners, those are the potatoes I like the best because they are younger and normally have less damage to them, other than the ones I damage with the cultivator while scratching them out of the ground.

The damaged potatoes normally cure okay also. I will just cut the damaged part off and cook the rest. Some of the damaged potatoes will be made into pie filling. I like sweet potato pie better than pumpkin pie.

Being that this is last weeks thread, I am going to bore all of you.

This is my sweet potato bed before I decided to make room for some fall planting.

This is where I mowed about an 8' strip to make room for some fall plants.

This is 2 flats of potatoes that I dug this morning. The back flat from the 2 potatoes that showed an earlier post. The front flat of potatoes are from runners that I mowed with the mower. I could see the ends of the potatoes sticking out of the soil I dug them up. I like the potatoes from under the runners more than I like the potatoes from under the plant because they are smaller and have a better shape, but it would not hurt these smaller potatoes to have another months growth on them, so I think I will wait on harvesting my potatoes, and hope for more larger potatoes from the runners.

I use to be able to get shaving to use for mulch, I really had a good runner harvest in those shavings, but that friend sold his saw mill and died. I lost another friend and class mate yesterday, but we are getting to that age, the class turns 81 this year.

Here are some potatoes that are last years, or the year before harvest. I have better shelf life out of these potatoes than any other potato I have grown.

The paper towel is to show the size. I might add that I get better potatoes from slips taken directly from the potato or vine and then placed in the garden, but I dont have enough room to make that many slips at one time. I really need to start making less slips.

I edited this post to add this picture of one of the 2 pies we made from the year old sweet potatoes today. I had rather not have sweet potatoes this large and deformed, but it has been a year, and the potato stash has been picked over, and the best potatoes have been eaten.

Garden projects

Kim, what is that in the last picture?

I spent the day working in one of my greenhouse getting ready to plant Cole crops and tilling in some compost in the garden.

That's just the south end of the garden.

Those are magnolia seeds. I grew some years ago but the grasshoppers. You peel off the red coating plant them in most sand or soil and put in frig until February. Pot them outside and they will sprout by May.

Wow busy one. What a great set up

Robert, I agree with Kim, you do have a nice setup.

I have a question to ask you guys. As I have mentioned before, I really had rather not have the larger sweet potatoes, and the smaller sweet potatoes that grow under the runners best meet my needs, so if I cut the vine right at the planting hole, and harvest the vole eaten potatoes, leaving everything else intact, would the runners, and the potatoes under them keep growing? I would like for the runner potatoes get a little more size to them, but I am wondering if harvesting the main potatoes may "Shock" the plant and stunt the growth of the smaller potatoes, any thoughts?

I have 42 more Covington potatoes that I would like to dig in the south garden. I have 33 more Covington in the north garden that are younger plants that I may get the kids to dig when they come over to dig the 42 Red Wine Velvet, and Purple sweet potato plants that I planted for them.

Kim, I don't think that I have ever seen a Magnolia seed in person, but I do think the trees are pretty.

I have a lot of clean up to do also. I don't really have anything that looks nice because of so much disease and insect damage. This is one plant that I have been proud of.

This tomato plant looks like it has been through the meat grinder, it has had to battle the disease, insects, and a storm almost took it out, and it is still producing.

It looks like the end of a hard winter, and the other side is uglier than this side.

Larry what is the name of your survivor tomato?

Glenda, I will have to try to find out the name of it. Madge ordered some hybrid seeds 2 or 3 years ago, and it is one of those seeds. I don't want to discourage Madge on anything, but the seeds she ordered she was very happy with, but I think she paid $0.40 per seed for some of them. I just called Madge and she brought me the catalog she ordered her seeds from, this one is Burpee's "Two Tasty Hybrid". The first year I planted this tomato I did not like it at all, it was planted in the wildlife garden where it got no care at all, plus it was planted in terrible soil. This year while cleaning out my seeds I ran across the seeds and started a few. I planted that plant just for Madge and placed it at the end of the row where she could get to it easily, and I could care for it. Madge and the kids are after this plant like buzzards after road kill. I have a few other plants that are still producing, but none like this one. I hope to try to pickle some of these tomatoes.

Glenda. Jennifer, I was out searching for a spot to clean out to plant some fall crops, and found a few more survivors.

This is Fred's Tie die, the container plants are already dead, but this plant in the potato and pea vines is still trying to produce, but I doubt I will plant these again, unless I still have some left over seeds.

Here is an Early Treat that is still producing. I plan on planting these again. This was bought because I had run out of Early Girl, and 4th of July seeds. I bought 2 Early Girl plants and they have given up.

I don't think I really should call this a survivor picture. You can se that this in where I planted most of my leftover pepper plants, but the habaneros are the only ones that are giving the sweet potato vines a good fight. I did manage to grow a row of purple hulls in between the sweet potatoes at the upper right of the picture

I found another tray of sweet potatoes where I had mowed over the runners. The tray on the left is what I found today, the bottom right are from under the runners yesterday, the upper right is what I dug from under 2 plants. I have dug 3 plants so far this year, only 115 more plants to go. Many of these small potatoes will be used for slips next year, plus I love to sit around and eat the smaller potatoes raw. This old man may have to call on the kids for help.digging my potatoes.

Wow Larry those pictures are great. Sweet potatoes are definitely nothing to complain about. Looking really good

Larry, we are all here reading your post. Just kind of crazy busy right now. Yesterday I got up at five finished up a couple of videos for YouTube. Went to work. Went to Walmart picked up my glasses, doctor, Whataburger to see my son And finally to my daughters got home at 8:30 and fell into bed yesterday. Today I am going to attempt to move 11,000 pictures and videos from my phone to an external hard drive so that should be interesting. And it’s raining right now, so I don’t have to water hopefully it will rain enough. I planted my desert willow some irises and will plant flowers over my duck Richard. He is actually the first animal I’ve had that I was able to bury. He was a good pal to have in the garden. And I know your baby was a good pal. As far as gardening stuff most of the stuff I seeded is coming up. I have been putting insect netting over the pots to keep the grasshoppers from munching on the sprouts.

Hey Larry. I sure like seeing your pictures.

Our dog, Josi, is a veggie eating dog too. Not all of them are. She really does enjoy them. I can imagine how much you miss your lil guy.

A few days ago, you asked what variety of sweet potatoes my friend/neighbor planted. She went to World Fresh International Market and picked up 3 varieties (can't remember their names) and started slips from them. I planted some of her slips too.

Larry I’m glad you are keeping the thread moving. I seem to run out of time and daylight before I have time to post. We got the deer fenced out of the garden but now they walk around the yard eating all the flowers. If our dog was still alive we wouldn’t have that problem. We sure miss him but don’t have energy to get another one. They ate my asiatic lilies and Indian pink this week. Inside the fenced garden the grasshoppers are devouring plants ☹️

I have new cucumbers, yellow squash, and new okra and green beans. The okra has started slowing down. Squash bugs already finished off the zuchinni. New tomatoes are blooming but not setting on. Tomorrow I’m pulling out the PEPH peas and the old zinnia plants. I’d like to start some lettuce and sugar snap peas but don’t think the heat would let them live. I’m thinking its about time to give up planting and just concentate on cleaning it up and adding compost and manure to break down for next year. My chicken house and yard needs to be cleaned and scraped before cold gets here, I can add all that to the compost pile. I have one measly looking sweet potato vine left that I cant see because of the peas, so I am envious of your sweet potato crops.

I have one pitiful sweet potato vine that is smothered by the southern peas. I may build a cage strong it so it can get more sun

Glenda, I'm keeping a few things precious (watering), but am also getting to the point of needing to start clean up of both the coops and garden. I'll probably clean the coops this weekend so they're somewhat fresh for our neighbor while we're in Oregon.

The other things in the garden, they're getting the sprinkler because that's all I have time for. It actually seems to be working pretty well. It's lush again.

Jennifer, I am interested in how Rick's sweet potatoes do. I think you said that you would give him the slips that were in the black plastic pot. Those were Covington, and they were much longer slips than I normally make. The long slips were made by laying the slip in a 10 x 20 flat and covering with potting soil, trying to get a longer rooting area.

I am going to down size next year, and make fewer slips, and hoping to bypass the pot-up stage. There is really no need in me making so many slips. It will be much easier for me to give my friends a couple of potatoes each, and let them make there own slips.

Larry, we put some of the ones from you and some of the ones from my neighbor into the Survivalist Garden. Unfortunately, I didn't mark them. That ground is very, very hard and dry, so we shall see. I also planted some of your slips in mineral tubs and pots.

Finally got back on Houzz.

Larry , I've got a few sweet potatoes starting to stick up through the ground on one of the plants.

They look a little small , didn't dig around on them to see. Don't remember if they're Covington.

The ground over at Jennifer's is clay and gets hard when dry so I don't expect to get very big SP.

Time will tell when I dig them before frost.

The ones I put out over east are gone along with about everything else . Bad grasshopper problem this year. Couldn't even get a good stand of okra there.

Rick

Rick, I hope you at least get enough Covington to see if you like them and make slips for next year. The Covington has been the most forgiving sweet potato I have grown, but I doubt that I have ever grown more than 10 types.

My okra has done pretty well this year. I grow Heavy Hitter, Ron and George both have sent me seeds in the past, I have grown it for several years, and it seems very forgiving also, its sorta like a Timex watch, it will take a lickin and keep on tickin.

I picked 10.8 pounds this morning. Some of this okra is a little large, it should have been picked yesterday, but I did not get home till after dark. I have to give most of my produce away because we are out of freezer space, and we cant stay out of the Dr's office long enough to get anything done.

All right after many refreshes I have a black button. I have my containers planted with some of the Cole crops.

I have a water trough ready for the saffron crocus bulbs. I hear the secret is well draining soil and planted 3" deep. No more or no less.

Now if we would just get some rain so I can get the rest of the Cole crops planted in the garden.

I'm seeing some beginninbeginningsbeginninbeginnings of the roselle flowers forming

Oops wrong picture.

This has been one long first week of September.

Those pictures are great. Especially roselle

I hope to get out and bust up a small strip, one cultivator pass across the garden, which will 7' x 30' x 6" for beets and carrots.

I always have something broken, and it seems like it takes forever to get it repaired. I have my truck and RTV going, now, if I can get the tractor tire to stay aired up long enough to pull it, hoping it will start, and, then bust up the soil, I will till in some potting soil and perlite. It takes a lot of time to get this clay soil fluffed up enough to be "garden" soil, and at this point it is still falling short of what I would like to have, but is a person satisfied?

Robert, it looks like you have really been busy, everything you have looks so nice. I want to add that I enjoy seeing you pictures, I like to steal one of your ideas every now and then.

This site is not phone friendly. It takes me a dozen tries to make a post. Someone please start a new thread.

I hauled up a big pine that was blown over years ago in my hay pasture. My cousin was leasing it at the time. I told him I wanted it for kindling. He tried to burn it anyway. Anyway my hay guy just went around it for years even though he said he was going to clean up around it. Never happened.

It's really solid and should make a lot of kindling.

Where it was along with a couple other trees that I pushed up. Hay bale is stickers, blackberries and persimmon sprouts.

Robert, you have a pretty place.

I have a large dead pine that I need to clean around, but I don't like to get under large dead trees. I also have one that a fellow said that he would come and cut for the fire wood, but I have not seen him, and the tree was to be gone by now.

I also have an Ash tree that the beaver have been working on. I guess the beaver died of lockjaw, because that tree is still there also.

Kim, I think you should know that once you have Egyptian walking onions, you are stuck with them forever. I planted some in the pasture last year, I thought I had harvested them, but they are like a stray cat, they keep coming back. I tried to load a picture but could not get it to load.

Kim, here is the picture of the Egyptian walking onions. It is easier to kick a bad habit than to kill walking onions.

I want a large, hot Jalapeno, what type of seeds do I need to buy?

Larry, you need large , hot jalapeno seeds. 😂

Larry, I wish I was closer. I could sure use those trees for firewood. Looks like it would make quite a bit.

Larry, you wear me out just reading your posts. Oldbusy1, Yes that pine should be enough kindling for several years. When we had a fireplace we always splintered a pine log. When we went to SE OK to visit relatives I always brought home a few big chunks or stumps then used a hatchet to chop into splinters. My family there always called it ”fat wood” . I have an okra question that I ’m sure if i researched and read enough posts I could get answer, but not enough time. My Stewart’s Zeebest okra is producing more than 2/3 of my okra. I used the last of the seed I have in freezer. If I save a few pods will it come back true?

I know some hybrids will not.

If the okra is stabilized it should come back true. I think yours should be seed.cause I don't think they are crossing it every year to provide seed .

I must have lost a post. I thought I posted where I was trying to make my sweet potato bed deeper by using my cultivator, but I don't see the post.

If I have double posted this, please forgive me. but I don't see it on my computer.

The top picture is my old 2240 John Deere with an old cultivator attached, both were given to me, but I had to put a lot of$$$ in parts and repair.

The bottom picture Is a small area in the pasture where I will plant turnips and mustard. I will till the rows with a small rear tine tiller that is about the right width to just drop the seeds in the furrows left at the outside edges of the tiller. I most often don't bother covering the small seeds because I cant see them anyway.

I losloveloseloslovelose a lot of Post. As you can see once typed I can't change it.

I doubt that my phone would attach to the innernet, I think it will take pictures and text, but I don,t know how. It is embarrassing to be so computer dumb, but it is all way over my head.

Larry, my phone is the only internet I have. I'm on us cellular and it's included in my phone bill. Only other thing Internet wise that is better would be star link. Nothing but cell towers here.

Robert, all that stuff is over my head, I can say that we have something called "Wave", My daughter pays my phone service. My wife has what I think is a smart phone, she use it for Facebook and calling, and sometimes texting. Madge and I both are dumber than a rock when it comes all this tech stuff, we just call our kids when we have a problem.

My laptop is my link to the world, and my grand daughter take care of that for me, if I need to buy something, she even takes care of that.

I have been out trying to till a couple of strips to plant some coreless carrots. I have tilled in a 40 qt bag of potting soil per 10 ft of row. I will also add some perlite, but I am almost out of the perlite. I tried this with my spring carrots, and it was the best carrots I have ever grown. That is not saying much, because I really stink at growing carrots. Carrots and hard ground don't mix. I also hope to find a 30 ft irrigation tube to lie between the double row. My rear tine tiller is 17" wide, so that will put my rows about 10" apart.

I hope to put in 2 rows of beets in the same way, except I will have little, or no perlite to add to the beet soil.

Well, I have rested a little, and got my wind back, so I need to take another run at it.

Larry I am growing carrots in my tubs this go round. My in ground space will go from peas to onions. I hope they do good. I would like some fresh carrots. I have canned carrots from the spring, which are great to add to soup, but I prefer fresh

Kim, I am at least 100 miles north of you, do you think that I would have a problem with my carrots freezing if I grew them in a tub? How many carrots would you plant in a mineral tub? I have 7 tubs without anything planted in them. I also have the 30' row in the garden almost ready, I just need to add the perlite. I will also check the area with a spading fork or a pitch fork to make sure the soil is loose to about 8" down.

The kids came over today and I had a great day. I talked with Laken and Nick about some goals that they should be thinking about (about growing food ), and took them out to the garden and showed why the purple sweet potatoes might not be a great crop choice, but they like them well enough to keep growing a few of them. We dug under 2 or 3 of the purple sweet potatoes, and under one of the Red Wine Velvet to get them some potatoes to take home with them to practice curing the potatoes. I tried to explain what I thought were the good and bad points of each potato ( I already had plenty Covington dug for them to work with ).

I was very happy about the one Red Wine Velvet plant we dug under, we just kept pulling potatoes out of that hole, nice well shaped potatoes. Nick and Laken were like kids opening Christmas presents. Nick is a city boy, and gardens and tractors are new to him, but he is eager to learn. I just sorta stepped out of the way and watched Nick and Laken, they looked like they were delivering a litter of puppies, Nick just kept grabbing potatoes and pulling them out of the hole, and handing them to Laken.

Of all the things I take pictures of......and I did not even think of taking a picture of my grand daughter and her husband delivering their first litter of potatoes.

Larry, they will freeze in a hard freeze. But frost does not seem to bother them. Don’t let them dry out completely and they can handle the frost much better. I plant my carrots, thick and try to thin down to 2 inches apart. When they’re in a pot, it’s a lot easier cause I just sit in a chair and snip them off with a scissors.

Turmeric blooming