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How Can I Use Mini-Greenhouses to
Grow Sweet Potatoes?

 

Question:  When growing sweet potatoes in a temperate climate, do you recommend using a mini-greenhouse all summer long to keep sweet potatoes hot, or just at the beginning and end of summer to lengthen the growing season?

Answer:  John Jeavons uses the greenhouse all summer. To adjust the temperature, he uses a 1"x 2" board on all four corners of the greenhouse to prop the covers open, which allows a up to a 2-inch opening to be created. He puts the props in place an hour after it gets warm, raising the cover 1" or 2" depending on the temperature during the day time. He removes the props and closes the greenhouse cover an hour before it starts to cool down, so that the sweet potatoes stay warm all night long. The key is to retain the heat in the soil to keep the plants comfortable, without cooking them in the process! Recommended reading is The Backyard Homestead Mini-Farm & Garden Log Book by John Jeavons, J Mogador Griffin & Robin Leler, where you can find the build-it-yourself mini-greenhouse design.

For more information about sweet potatoes from John Jeavons, click here.

The Mini-Greenhouse from The Backyard Homestead Mini-Farm and Garden Log

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