How do you bank sweet potatoes with straw?

Answer 1

Well, isn't that just lovely! To bank sweet potatoes with straw, simply mound straw around the base of the sweet potato plants as they grow. This helps protect the tubers from sunlight and keeps them cool and moist. Just gently layer the straw around the plants like you're tucking them in for a cozy nap. Happy gardening, my friend!

Answer 2

Oh, dude, it's like super easy. You just layer the sweet potatoes with straw in a cool, dry place. Make sure to cover them completely with the straw so they don't get exposed to light. It helps keep them fresh for longer, like a little potato nap time.

Answer 3

To bank sweet potatoes with straw, start by mounding soil around the base of the sweet potato plants to cover the tubers. Then, place a layer of straw on top of the soil to provide insulation and protection for the sweet potatoes. Make sure the straw covers the entire mound of soil and sweet potatoes to prevent exposure to sunlight, which can cause the tubers to turn green and become toxic. Finally, monitor the moisture levels in the mound and adjust the amount of straw as needed to maintain proper insulation and protection for the sweet potatoes.

Answer 4

After digging, the sweet potato should be stored in a dry area for at least 30 days. To "bank" the potatoes (store for longer periods of time or over winter), find a sloped area of land preferably sloped North to South. Remove the soil to a depth of 6 to 9 inches (save the removed soil for later), and fill with fresh pine straw. The area should be large enough to accommodate the number of potatoes you intend to bank. Lay the 1st layer of potatoes parallel with each other but not touching each other (for ventilation) on the the pine straw about 1/2" apart. The second layer of potatoes should be laid atop the first layer and each potato centered on the space between the layer below in a parallel fashion maintaining the same spacing (If you add enough potatoes, you will end up with a pyramid).

Using the soil you saved from the excavation, build a mound of earth about 12 inches high all around the "banked" potatoes. Then dig a trench about 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide around the entire area near and outside the mound leaving the down hill ends of the trench open for rain water removal. Build a light but waterproof cover of sufficient size to cover the top layer of pine straw to protect it from the wind and rain in whatever configuration you would like.

I "bank" about 20 bushels of sweet potatoes each year and lose very few using the above described process. The pine straw is necessary for ventilation and will keep the potatoes from freezing in any area below the Mason Dixon.