Slips and Strawberries

I was checking the weather forecast. At this time of the year I do that a lot. Usually I plant my sweet potatoes on June 1st. But the reality is that it is a very fluid date. Starting next week the predictions are for warmer weather. So I decided Monday was a good day to plant them. But first I wanted to root the slips.

As you can see above I grow my slips in jars of water. I have three kinds of sweet potatoes - Purple, Beauregard, and Garnet. I'm slowly learning about growing them from slips. Garnet is a very very slow producer of slips. Last year I barely got any Garnets because they were a couple weeks behind the others. This year I started them very early. I can't remember when as I didn't write it down. I think at the beginning of February. The other two I started at the beginning of March. Well Purple is very precocious. I should have started them at the end of March.

As you can see by their root mass when I removed them from the jar, they were a little overly enthusiastic about growing. As I broke the slips off of the sweet potato I noticed that I got about twice as many of these as the other kinds. But that is fine. Purple is a wonderful sweet potato.

I like to root my slips in water for a week or a little less. Just until the roots get about half an inch long. I don't like them too long as those roots form the potatoes. I want them to find their own way in the soil. Sometimes when you plant and the roots are long they get squished together when planting. But that little extra time rooting indoors helps us here in our cool climate.

I did start one a bit early. I put it in the planter by my front door. I figured people grow ornamental sweet potatoes all the time to trail down the side of the pot. Garnets have very pretty foliage. So why not see if I get any extra sweet potatoes in my flowers.

When I was out in the yard I noticed that my strawberries are setting. I'm not going to get a lot this year, but I'd better get all the ones that the plants produce. I don't want the squirrels and the groundhogs eating them. So I found the netting in the basement and put it on. I just hope the strawberries do better than last year.

While I was there I noticed my figs. It looks like my winter insulation experiment was a success. Well at least the really heavy insulation. The lighter one didn't work nearly as well in the harsh winter we had. I don't see any growth on the old trunk, but there is still time yet. I'll give it a couple more weeks before I cut it all back. But the Paridisio that I insulated well has most of its trunk alive and a little bit of the branches. Most of the branches did die back a lot, but it might be enough to give it a good start this year. If it can produce before it gets too cold I'll be happy. If not I'm going to rip at least one of the figs out. I have visions of a persimmon tree. I suppose I ought to try a persimmon first to see if I even like it. Though it is hard to imagine a fruit I wouldn't love.

I looked at my plum tree too and sadly the aphids have already found it. That tree will be the death of me. Or at least I'll go bald from ripping my hair out in frustration. I'm going to have to spray with some insecticidal soap and fish emulsion soon. I just hate doing that. But I should put it on a two week spray schedule. I guess the good in that is that I can spray the favas easily too as I'll have the spray mixed up.