Re: Sweet Potato vines

**"* T* <m*@hort.net>**

> From: Melanie <melaniev@optonline.net>
> 
> How do all of you overwinter your sweet potato tubers? Mine have
been
> outside and hit by frosts. Is it too late to lift the tubers and
bring them
> in? Dahlias and Cannas can usually handle some frost before being
lifted.
----------

Dig them up and see.  If they aren't mushy, they should be OK.   If
they have a soft end or spots, cut that out and sprinkle with
cinnamon, which acts as a fungicide, and give them a whirl.  Worst
thing they can do is rot, which they certainly will left in the
ground.  Cut back the stem but leave a few inches of it.  You may
find tubers sort of strung along, connected by stem or roots - I
leave all this as intact as possible.

I have just shoved them in pots with the soil that was clinging to
them or left them in the pots they were growing in and put them under
a bench in the garage - which is open to my greenhouse. 
Periodically, I splash a bit of water on them so they don't
desiccate.  This year, the ones that were dug came up with no soil,
so I have layered them in a very slightly damp peat/sand mix in a
box.  

Like with dahlia tubers, it's sort of a fight between too wet (rot
and mold) and too dry (desiccation).  Store in a cool place - like
around 50F.  Too warm and they will start to try to grow again; too
cold and they will probably rot on you.  IMO 40F is too cold for
them; you don't store edible sweet potatoes in the fridge because of
this.  At normal room temperatures, they will keep growing as long as
they have sufficient light....and to keep them growing, you need to
provide them with bright light and warm temperatures...they will not
be happy growing in a house, even with bright light, but they will
survive until you can put them back outside next season.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
Shadyside Garden Designs
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