Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato - Page 4

Eccentric Follies · November 7th, 2009, 09:50 AM

No one has mentioned Abundant Acres. http://abundantacres.net/index.htm Owned and operated by our very own Green Zone and his Missus.

Ordered from Sandhill two years ago [Betty's a red heirloom, had a fantastic taste], only "problem" was the late start, due to them shipping as late as they do. So the sweets we got weren't as big as they could have been. The plan for next year is to get the slips from Abundant Acres, as their weather and soil and growing season is pretty much same as up here, except we've got less rocks.

And it makes for a good excuse to get down to pick up the slips at the BC Spring Festival, too!

silverseeds · November 7th, 2009, 09:53 AM

Actually thats were I intend to get mine fro eccentric. I never know whats politically correc on that type of thing, and GZ never mentioned it himself......

bunkie · November 7th, 2009, 10:26 AM

that's cool eccentricfollies! i didn't know about Abundant Acres and gz and all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izzy

Another site for sweet potatoes:

www.mericlonelabs.com

.......Mericlone Labs claims to have cuttings available year-round.

looks like a neat site izzy! i never heard of 'meristemming' before!

Angie M · November 7th, 2009, 10:31 AM

Has anyone tried the Okinawa? They look intriguing, but I've never tasted a purple sweet potato.

bunkie · November 7th, 2009, 11:41 AM

i haven't, but want to this coming spring angie. the purple color would give it more nutrition, antioxidents and all, i would think!

silverseeds · November 7th, 2009, 12:54 PM

Maybe not more nutrition, just different???? In some cases its more, like white carrots vs. any other color. but red ones have lycopene, and the orange beta carotene..... Im not sure which is better. I guess whichever nutrients you arent getting elsewhere....

Eccentric Follies · November 8th, 2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverseeds

Actually thats were I intend to get mine fro eccentric. I never know whats politically correc on that type of thing, and GZ never mentioned it himself......

GreenZone is on the quiet side.

And since BC doesn't sell sweets, i figured it would be ok.

The DH doesn't know it yet, but purples are in our future too.

After all, one does have to trial many varieties to see which grow and taste best in our particular locations. Right? [Really honey! That's all i'm trying to do! LOL!!!]

GreenZone · November 9th, 2009, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eccentric Follies

GreenZone is on the quiet side.

And since BC doesn't sell sweets, i figured it would be ok.

Quiet, yes. But mention my business and the merchant side of me prevails!

We grew about 25 sweet potato varieties this season, which we'll offer next year, assuming all survive storage. (We worked very carefully to cure them in a small greenhouse, and they mostly look like they've cured Ok.)

We've had problems meeting the demand in past years, but this coming year we plan to dedicate a small greenhouse to sweet potato starts; hope this change makes the difference.

In past seasons we've shipped them potted just like our other plants. But I think we'll be offering bareroot shipping in future. Several of the varieties I grew this season had curly roots--wound in a spiral. I believe it was caused by sitting in containers for too long. So I now think bare-root is preferable.

Most of our varieties originally came from Sanhill Preservation by way of another member, Dandelion Meadow. Betty came from Eccentric Follies, who said she didn't do well with it in her garden, but we're a bit farther south, and it did comparatively well for us.

It wasn't a good year in our area--not enough heat, in my opinion.

Eccentric Follies · November 9th, 2009, 12:07 PM

i'm unhappy to report it wasn't just me that didn't get much off their Betty's this year. Out of the folks i shared with, GZ is the only one that had a decent harvest. Louanne, my neighbor down at the farm, and myself all had a very small, disappointing harvest. i'm laying my problems to the deer and the cooler weather, and not the variety itself. This years Betty's were from slips from sweets i grew last year. Knew i should have gotten some black plastic on those hills. Much as i hate to use plastic in the garden, i won't hesitate to use it next year if i have to.

And now that we've talked about Abundant Acres, why do i get the feeling i need to get my order in extra early?

mjc · November 9th, 2009, 01:41 PM

Yeah, plastic for me next year, too...it was miserable for sweets in my garden. Not much of anything.

November 7th, 2009, 09:50 AM	#31
Eccentric Follies Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Z6. Over the ridge. USDA Zone: 6a Posts: 518	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato No one has mentioned Abundant Acres. http://abundantacres.net/index.htm Owned and operated by our very own Green Zone and his Missus. Ordered from Sandhill two years ago [Betty's a red heirloom, had a fantastic taste], only "problem" was the late start, due to them shipping as late as they do. So the sweets we got weren't as big as they could have been. The plan for next year is to get the slips from Abundant Acres, as their weather and soil and growing season is pretty much same as up here, except we've got less rocks. And it makes for a good excuse to get down to pick up the slips at the BC Spring Festival, too! __________________ "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle" Albert Einstein Commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty.

November 7th, 2009, 09:53 AM	#32
silverseeds Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 USDA Zone: No zone info Posts: 3,683	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato Actually thats were I intend to get mine fro eccentric. I never know whats politically correc on that type of thing, and GZ never mentioned it himself...... __________________ http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food From high desert, New Mexico. A blend of arid conditions and mountainess climates. Working towards being completly self sufficient. In balance with my sorroundings wide awake, and aware. The possibilities of plant breeding and how little credit most give it amaze me. Earth is a living eco-system, and will have a self regulating system of our removal, if neccessary. We must learn to ride the wave.

November 7th, 2009, 10:31 AM	#34
Angie M Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gainesville, Florida USDA Zone: 9a Posts: 37	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato Has anyone tried the Okinawa? They look intriguing, but I've never tasted a purple sweet potato.

November 7th, 2009, 11:41 AM	#35
bunkie Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: eastern washington USDA Zone: 5b Posts: 6,553	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato i haven't, but want to this coming spring angie. the purple color would give it more nutrition, antioxidents and all, i would think!

November 7th, 2009, 12:54 PM	#36
silverseeds Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 USDA Zone: No zone info Posts: 3,683	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato Maybe not more nutrition, just different???? In some cases its more, like white carrots vs. any other color. but red ones have lycopene, and the orange beta carotene..... Im not sure which is better. I guess whichever nutrients you arent getting elsewhere.... __________________ http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food From high desert, New Mexico. A blend of arid conditions and mountainess climates. Working towards being completly self sufficient. In balance with my sorroundings wide awake, and aware. The possibilities of plant breeding and how little credit most give it amaze me. Earth is a living eco-system, and will have a self regulating system of our removal, if neccessary. We must learn to ride the wave.

November 9th, 2009, 12:07 PM	#39
Eccentric Follies Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Z6. Over the ridge. USDA Zone: 6a Posts: 518	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato i'm unhappy to report it wasn't just me that didn't get much off their Betty's this year. Out of the folks i shared with, GZ is the only one that had a decent harvest. Louanne, my neighbor down at the farm, and myself all had a very small, disappointing harvest. i'm laying my problems to the deer and the cooler weather, and not the variety itself. This years Betty's were from slips from sweets i grew last year. Knew i should have gotten some black plastic on those hills. Much as i hate to use plastic in the garden, i won't hesitate to use it next year if i have to. And now that we've talked about Abundant Acres, why do i get the feeling i need to get my order in extra early? __________________ "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle" Albert Einstein Commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty.

November 9th, 2009, 01:41 PM	#40
mjc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Barbour County, WV USDA Zone: 5b Posts: 3,310	Re: Looking for the best tasting heirloom sweet potato Yeah, plastic for me next year, too...it was miserable for sweets in my garden. Not much of anything. __________________ "I place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." Thomas Jefferson "May there be a day when Americans have acquired the adult knowledge that all life is dependent upon all other life in an endless circle of giving and receiving, birth and death, growth and decay, rebirth, and regeneration." Jessica Prentice