Yesterday I dug up this season’s sweet potatoes. I nearly filled a 50 gallon bucket, and figured I got about 100 pounds worth.
It took about 2 hours of digging, since I had to carefully dig around to find them, and then pry them out without breaking them.
While digging, I heard the bees buzzing around the thai basil, one of their favorites. They are frantically preparing for winter, and there were dozens of bees.
Although I planted 9 tropical milkweed plants for the Monarchs, they seem to prefer the native frost weed. I was able to spot these beauties in the back yard, in a shaded spot under the cedar and live oaks.
Here’s a few more of my favorite photos …
willsfamilyacres 
Wow! That’s some serious sweet potatoes. Do you preserve those or just try to eat them all fresh? BTW, I’ve only seen one lonely monarch this season. She gave my milkweed a brief visit and flew off to parts unknown. I guess I’m not in the migration path, because I don’t see many monarchs.
I will definitely be curing them. They should last for months if done properly.
I’m not seeing many monarchs either, less than 10 butterflies and caterpillars.
Congrats on the sweet potatoes! We still have a few left to dig up. Yesterday when I was digging them I dug up a hibernating snake. That was a disconcerting experience I hope to never have again. 🙂
I knew there were quite a few, but I’ve never had this kind of success before. This year I did tubers instead of slips. I only lost 10 or so to grubs and other burrowing insects, which is a relief. Thank goodness no hibernating snakes!
I also have sweet potatoes in my garden. I love them! I wish that I could grow them during the old year. Great pictures! Regards!