I had to ask the same question Ken, I had never heard it called that before.

Anyone know what would make a sweet potato split? It's the only one that did this.

I read somewhere that when a potato "hardens-off" at or near the end of its season, and then gets a lot of water, the potato will swell, cracking the outer layers. The same thing happens with tomatoes. I have just starting growing sweet potatoes and don't have enough personal knowledge to know for sure.

Well, that does make sense.

Concur: Use to call this second growth. Sweet potatoes which stuggle through a drought and get a great late growing season are very prone to this . Fruiting vegetables like watermelons, melons etc are also subject to this phenomena.

I assume the potatoes are still edible, just perhaps cutting away that split area?

Oh yes. We eat those of bakeable size, slice and cook the med. size, and feed the chickens the skinny ones.

#2: i have vardaman sweet potatoes. Anyone ever tried overwintering sweet potatoes in a pot, and using slips from it the following summer for more potatoes? I don't want to bring it in the house, because of bugs that might come with it.

How would you over-winter the sweet potatoes in a pot? How would you pot them - cut them in pieces, let the sweet potatoes sprout (they will do that when getting light) and then cut out that part, or something else?

Sweet potatoes are tropical perennials so if you are in a frost free area, they will keep growing for years. They are very susceptible to frost, so for most of us, we dig them in the fall, store them through the winter, use selected potatoes to start new plants come spring. They are easy to store as long the storage temp does not drop below 50 degrees F. I have known folks who grew them as houseplants ( pretty vine) and use clippings from the vine to start a new planting outdoors in late spring. If you can keep that pot above freezing you should have no problem, but most of us can't do that.

I saved the s.p. plant that had the best potatoes, put the whole thing in a pot. I'll have to find somewhere to put it that won't freeze, away from chickens, goats, horses, guineas. It is pretty:

I am late to the sweet potato party. Looks like you are having fun.
With only a small garden I grow mine in large containers - like the kind landscapers discard after planting huge trees.
At harvest time I have a few neighborhood kids come over and stick their hands into the soil and feel around for the sweet potatoes.
It's good fun even if the kids get a bit dirty.

My daughter peels and cuts up the sweet potatoes and steams them. She does the same with an equal number of white potatoes, then mashes them together as a topping for Shepherd's Pie. Another way we like them is quartered the long way, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt and toss them on the grill for a while. Yum.

There are many types of sweet potatoes with edible foliage; some taste better than others. At my local swap I was fortunate to be given 7 slips for a Japanese edible-leaf type which I will keep in the house with great care until spring arrives. Wish me luck; if successful, I will be able to share.

I've read that sweet potato foliage is edible... since the foliage is about all I seem to be able to grow here, what does one actually do with it? Saute the leaves? or??

The best place to find recipes is on Asian recipe sites. Basically you wash and dry the leaves, saute or stir fry in a hot pan with a bit of oil, garlic and some hot peppers. A dash of good quality soy sauce and that's it. Easy and fast.

Must try. Will I get smaller spuds though?

I have no experience yet to grow these but my research tells me that stealing the leaves will not ruin the spud harvest.

I will try them tomorrow Greene.

Thanks, Greene -- I might try growing a couple of plants next year just to try using the foliage

The woman who shared the slips with me told me I could keep the plants going/growing inside the house during the winter - taking cuttings and rooting them all winter - so to have plenty to set out in the garden in the spring.
This is what she gave me. She said this type is from Japan.

I may just try to do that Greene and have plants for next spring.