![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-VeJCat2trRA/VHz3sFOMG9I/AAAAAAAADww/O7SHlzSrsTQ/s1600/Sweet_Potato_Slight_Frost.JPG) |
Shriveled up leaves are evidence of the first slight frost |
To reassure those of
you who think I may be done with this blog, I am continuing to garden as time
permits. Near the beginning of November, Tucson received its first light frost.
I did my very best to harvest as much as possible, but I am so busy with the
needs of everything else that I have had very little time to harvest. This is
one of the main concerns I have with growing sweet potatoes. The harvest needs
to be done all at once, but I have very little time to do so.
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKk7hUdzPrU/VHz3TLkSilI/AAAAAAAADwQ/0LeIyM89SkY/s1600/Evidence_of_Sweet_Potato.JPG) |
What could be making the ground to crack? |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-OHaeNtNl4WY/VHz3kd1bnKI/AAAAAAAADwo/demiaiNt-3g/s1600/Purple_Sweet_Potato_Outside_Garden.JPG) |
The Gardener found a surprise! |
The other main
concern I have with growing sweet potatoes is how dirty I get. The sap that comes
from the vines of this relative of the Morning Glory family is incredibly
difficult to remove. Often, I will go to work with people looking at my hands
wondering why I did not wash them after multiple times of nearly scrubbing my
skin off with soap.
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-ixiuMVanzbs/VHz3YfSGthI/AAAAAAAADwY/Jtw-r6Evruw/s1600/First_2014_Sweet_Potato_Harvest.JPG) |
Several Hours of Hard work outside the garden. |
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-L3ALqWxmhrE/VHz3eLjiSfI/AAAAAAAADwg/rdVRVZuOMN8/s1600/Sweet_Potato_Sap_Warning.JPG) |
Sweet Potato Sap is VERY difficult to get off. I wear grubby clothes. |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJvaEPqAAK4/VHz3zRgy_FI/AAAAAAAADw4/u2QRb0cBDT0/s1600/Washing_Purple_Sweet_Potatoes.JPG) |
A look at one of the many Purple Sweet Potatoes after being washed. |
Other than the two concerns I have mentioned above, I really love to grow sweet potatoes and still generally enjoy gardening. I just need more time to do it. So far I have managed to harvest quite a bit of sweet potatoes outside of my garden. Now, if I can only make time to harvest the other 4/5 of the crop!
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-nP209gO4r-o/VHz5fgFgkFI/AAAAAAAADxE/88aLVQqlMwk/s1600/Sweet_Potato_Harvest_GIF.gif) |
A view of Several Hours of harvesting Purple Sweet Potatoes |