Autumn is a harvest time, so, lets see what we have on a balcony!
My sweet potato plant is growing and looks nice, however, it is time autumn, a time for the transformation. Upon a quick scroll on internet I l’earned that when leaves turn yellow or brown, as well as when the weather gets colder (close to zero) – it is time to take it out!
Shortly about the whole process of growing sweet potato at home in 2020:
Mid April – May 4
It has started from the first root in a glass jar – first miracle has happened
June 14, 2020
Two sweet potato tubers have decided to continue growth
June 20, 2020
Planting one wealthy-growing tuber of sweet potato into a soil
September 15, 2020
One tuber has already took a root, while another has not survived – the tuber was not proper for regrowth
The harvest day, October 27, 2020
I decided not to wait till frosts and harvest sweet potato at the end of October. There is less sun, rainy a bit and outside temperature is around 10C / 50F – no extra growth should be expected I guess (or it is possible?).
October 27, 2020
Sweet potato is ready to harvest when the leaves are yellow and brown, and this is now in my case.
The moment was so exiting, I had no idea what I will find there inside, and here we are!
I’ve got 700 g of young sweet potato tubers as a harvest. The big one was is probably a “mother tuber” (250 g/ 8 oz) which was germinated and planted in summer, and the long freshly red-orange tubers are all new-grown babies (450 g / 16 oz)!
The soil after the harvest
The soil after a harvest should be not forgotten as it is a mother of all.
Instead of just letting it stay for a whole winter uncovered, I put back the leaves of harvested sweet potato and other organic material (other leaves and flowers which just were around on a balcony ground).
This keeps the soil moistened and protected as with a natural cover and protects from drying and lost of valuable organic matter.
Also, as the cover leaves will decompose – it will become additional, and absolutely natural fertilizer to enrich the soil for the next planting year.
Mistakes done
The plant grew in a square pot 32 x 32 x 30 cm / 13′ x 13′ x 12′. It was too small for the biggest tubers to develop. As one could see – the young harvested tubers are looking healthy, however they all are thin and hardly remind a tuber of big sweet potato:) Even for one sprouted tuber my square pot was not enough!
The sprouted tuber should be planted to the soil much earlier than June-July! I would say the beginning of May is good. So, all the process starting from sprouting should start in the beginning of March or late February!
My recipes with sweet potatoes?
Just this for now on my blog, I created it when was hungry, the taste combination is amazing and need to have a try:):
The recipe with raw sweet potato, coconut and raisins –
AlisaMGZN 
One thought on “Sweet potato harvest – first time ever / Prophylactic self-isolation series. Day 229th.”