Sweet potato harvest time and precautions (which month is the best for sweet potato harvest)

The sweet potatoes are about to be harvested. The key is to plant well and grow well, but also to harvest well. Only by harvesting well can we maintain the yield and ensure the quality, which is conducive to processing and storage. So , when should the sweet potatoes be harvested? What should we pay attention to when harvesting?

The most important thing is to grasp the timing of sweet potato harvesting. The timing of harvesting determines the yield and quality of sweet potatoes, and affects the processing and storage of sweet potatoes. Therefore, strictly grasping the timing of harvesting is the most important issue in sweet potato harvesting.

Because sweet potatoes have strong adaptability, they are grown in all parts of my country, from north to south and from inside to outside the Great Wall. Because the climatic conditions vary greatly from place to place, the timing of sweet potato harvesting is also different in different planting areas.

The timing of harvesting sweet potatoes is determined based on the characteristics of the sweet potatoes' growth and development characteristics, their requirements for natural environmental conditions, their growth and development conditions, and their uses .

Sweet potatoes are a crop that likes warmth and is afraid of freezing. This growth characteristic determines that sweet potatoes must be harvested around the time of the Frost Descent solar term.

The Frost Descent solar term may not arrive until the next day. Sweet potatoes can be harvested during the light frost after the Frost Descent solar term, but not later than the frost. It is best to harvest sweet potatoes before the first frost . Which month is the best for harvesting?

Sweet potatoes generally mature between August and November. Sweet potatoes that mature in August are usually sown in March and mature after 4 or 5 months.

Sweet potatoes that mature from September to October are generally sown in June, with sufficient sunlight and better quality and taste.

The late maturing time of sweet potatoes is generally around November. The sowing time of sweet potatoes that mature in this season is in June and July, which is a late maturing variety.

The peak harvest period for sweet potatoes is generally in October, but since the time for planting sweet potatoes varies from region to region, there will be certain differences in the harvest time .

Judging from the planting time of sweet potatoes, generally, sweet potatoes planted in May and June are harvested in mid-to-late October, and sweet potatoes planted a little later are harvested from early November to before frost . The following signs can be used as reference for the harvest time of sweet potatoes:

1. Harvest should be carried out when the average temperature drops to around 15℃.

At this temperature, the sweet potatoes have stopped growing. When the temperature drops below 10°C, the sweet potatoes will be damaged by cold and frost in the field, which will affect the quality and storage resistance of the sweet potatoes.

Therefore, sweet potatoes should be harvested when the average temperature reaches 15℃, when they basically stop growing.

If harvested too late, the starch in the sweet potato tubers will be converted into more water and sugar in a low temperature environment.

If the amount of starch decreases and the amount of sugar increases, the sweet potatoes will suffer from chilling and frost damage, becoming less storable and easily rot, breed bacteria and deteriorate, which will also be more unfavorable for storage, transportation and processing.

2. Sweet potato stems and vines should be harvested in time from the time they stop growing to the time when the first frost arrives.

Sweet potatoes like warmth and are afraid of cold, so they should be harvested in time before they are damaged by freezing. From the appearance, if you see that the vines have stopped growing, it means that the sweet potato tubers have stopped developing.

The cessation of photosynthesis in the stems and leaves means that the tubers will no longer continue to synthesize and accumulate starch, so the tubers will no longer swell and develop, and it is time to harvest them.

In addition, when the stems and leaves stop growing, they will gradually wither and turn yellow. Once hit by frost, the stems and leaves will turn black and die.

After the first frost, the weather will gradually turn cooler and colder. The impact of frost on unharvested sweet potatoes is very obvious. The stems and leaves that have been frosted will soon wilt, turn black and die, so they should be dug and stored in the cellar as soon as possible during the first frost period.

It is best to harvest sweet potatoes before the first frost. If frost occurs, the sweet potatoes will suffer from chilling and freezing damage, which will affect storage and processing.

Therefore, the best time to harvest sweet potatoes is when the sweet potato vines stop growing and the first frost arrives.

3. Determine the harvest time based on the purpose and price of sweet potatoes.

Since spring potatoes take a long time to grow, they should be harvested earlier than summer potatoes, so that they can be used for planting winter wheat in time. Sweet potatoes used for starch processing should be harvested early rather than late. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, they are generally harvested before mid-October.

For edible sweet potatoes, the harvest can be early or late, and the harvest time should be flexibly grasped according to the price market. If it is on the market early, it can be harvested in advance, and it can be harvested later to increase the sugar content and quality.

However, if the harvest is too early, the final swelling period of the sweet potato will be shortened and the yield will be reduced, so the harvest timing needs to be considered comprehensively to achieve high efficiency.

Therefore, sweet potatoes should not be harvested too early or too late. To ensure yield, quality and planting benefits, it is necessary to flexibly grasp the harvesting time.

4. Other environmental factors such as weather conditions and soil moisture should also be considered when determining the timing of sweet potato harvest.

If the soil is too wet or too dry, it will be unfavorable for harvesting. If the soil is too dry, the temperature of the tubers will be greatly affected by the air temperature. Once the temperature drops suddenly, the tubers will suffer from cold damage.

If it is too wet, the sweet potatoes will contain too much water after harvest and will be difficult to store.

Generally, when sweet potatoes grow to the late stage, they should be harvested in a sunny day with dry air and soil. This is the best time to harvest sweet potatoes. Harvesting at this time is conducive to slicing, drying and storage of starch sweet potatoes.

For edible sweet potatoes, it is helpful to reduce the water content of the tubers and prolong the storage period. When the soil is too wet, the vines should be cut off in time to increase light transmission to dry the potato ridges and dissipate moisture, and then harvest when the humidity is appropriate. Therefore, the harvest of sweet potatoes also depends on the weather.