Sweet Potatoes Easy Gift

There are 6 pots left of 10 sitting in my front yard. As friends and family leave I have been sending them with a sweet potato plant. The plant may never produce any thing but beauty, but they make a perfect free gift to those who are patient.

All those planted in my garden are doing well. They are beginning to run. Staying true to their nature, they are drought resistant now that they are established. I won't bother with them till the end of summer. We are looking forward to casseroles and chips. YUM!

Starting Sweet Potatoes

Lately, George Washington Carver has become one of my heroes. He is a person worth getting to know. I stumbled across one of his writings and found it most informative on sweet potatoes. Here in the South a plant that has few pests and is drought resistant is a big deal.


1. I purchased 4 sweet potatoes (only one is necessary). I cut them in half. We put some cut side up and some cut side down. The cut side down worked better (Thank you daughter).


2. We pushed 4 toothpicks into the sides of the potato to keep it suspended in a cup of water. After 2 weeks of maintaining the water level, little sprouts came from the potatoes called slips.


3. Pull the slips off the potato when they are at least 6 inches long and plant and put in dirt.


4. Water daily for the first 2 weeks.


After they are established they are virtually drought resistant. It takes 120-140 days till harvest and they must be cured before eating. This can be a deterrent for gardeners. I have successfully cured one potato in my own kitchen. It was not difficult. I only had to let it sit on my counter for 14 days before eating it. Amazingly, the starches are transferred to sugars giving the sweet potato it's name.


Gardening is fast becoming more than a hobby. With the cost of every thing on the rise the necessity for home gardens is catapulted to font page news. The problem is that most Americans have lost the knowledge. The natural transfer of 'how tos' was lost in the generation gap. Do not despair however. Despite popular trend, a few have taken the time to learn from their parents and grandparents.

Thankfully, I still have both sets of grandparents and I knew all but one of my great grands. Here in this 'crisis' I can call any one of them and hear practical money saving ways to live. From growing vine crops on the fence to using wood ashes to prohibit bad organisms from gaining a foot hold. (Wood ashes also force a bloom.) Seek out the practical hands on advice of the elderly in you community. Yes, we can learn so much by reading on the Internet, but hands on learning is the best.

Sharing the Herb Garden

My girl friends wanted some of my rosemary. Today I began the rooting process. I am hoping to give them this gift in 2 weeks.

You will need: potting soil, some small pots, any woody plant you want to root and rooting hormone.

1st cut 6 inch lengths of rosemary sprigs and place in a cup of water.
2nd prepare moist potting soil in small potters. Use a thin stick to poke a hole into the soil.
3rd pinch off the leaves from the base to 4 inches. Dip in rooting hormone and stick into hole. Water a little and Voila!

Keep in a cool place under some lighting. Water when the soil looks dry, but not dried out.

This system works well for any woody plant.

Strange Mushrooms

One of the things I enjoy as a Home Maker is mushroom hunting. In many places of the world people still rely on mushrooms as a source of food. It is sad to me that this art has been lost to us. My grandfather knew what mushrooms were good to eat, but did not teach his kids because of the danger of picking the wrong mushroom. I am glad for his wisdom. Mushrooms are very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

Here is a mushroom that is definitely NOT edible. We found it in my small kitchen garden when there was mysterious USS (unidentified stinky stench). I believe the spores came from the cypress chips I laid down for mulch. Does any one know what it is? It stinks!!! It smells like...some thing dead or dung. I would like to know the real name given to it to tell the kids. We already have a few names ourselves. I can not find it in my mushroom books. Please help.