North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>]

On Jul 31, 2005, at 9:32 PM, athagan@atlantic.net wrote:

> I've had rabbits eat my sweet potato vines from time to time, but
> they've never managed to do any significant damage once they really
> take off when the weather turns hot.

I've had deer take all the leaves off. Now that did do damage to the 
crop.

Scattering a little bloodmeal (or something else deer don't like the 
taste of) over the leaves helps.
> If you're going to be growing these things in New England it would
> seem to me that growing season is going to be your biggest concern as
> sweet potatoes are tropical in nature.  They don't like cool weather
> much and a light frost will kill the vines dead.  There are several
> varieties reputed to produce good tubers in ninety days.

Planting in plastic mulch (to warm the soil early in the season) also 
helps in the North.
> Steele Plant Co. in Tennessee carries a nice selection of plants.  May
> be a bit too late in the season for you by now though.

Much too late. Here they need to go in by early June. You might get 
away with putting them in a bit earlier under row covers.

I don't know anything about growing them up a pole, though. They do 
need a lot of room, sprawled all over the ground.

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly