Two Feet in the Dirt

In a small garden space, I always aim to grow as many crops as possible that allow me to plant the bed space more than once a season. However, there are certain veggies we love enough that it’s worth growing them even if they do take a while. Sweet potatoes are one of those crops that take up bed space for a long time, from mid-May until at least mid-September. The upside is that you usually get quite a hefty harvest of tubers at the end of this time. And, even better, sweet potato plants actually offer a second harvest option that many people don’t know about- the greens. All you have to do is trim the leaves off of these expansive plants and you can cook them just like you would spinach. Like spinach, they cook quickly, so I’d advise using them in dishes like stir-fries as opposed to long-cooking soups, etc. Be sure to wait a couple of months after planting until the plants are well-established and not to over-harvest the leaves as they are essential to the root growth, but even off of our 3 x 6 foot bed, I’d still be comfortable taking a good bunch of leaves each week.