A couple of months ago, I posted here asking about storing sweet
potatoes and got several interesting suggestions. We ended up treating
them like the regular potatoes, storing them clean and dry in old milk
crates, those plastic boxes with fairly open sides to allow air
circulation. They've been out in the laundry room, a room without a
radiator tacked on the south side of the house. It's a bit chillier
out there as the only heat is what drifts in from the rest of the
house. We're in Maryland so it's fall here.

The sweet potatoes are holding up perfectly. No spoilage or rot
noticed yet. My wife serves them regularly at dinner and they've kept
their color, texture and flavor.

Paul

Store them in peat moss. It really isn't much good for anything else.
They will keep for a long time in a cool environment.


"Pavel314" wrote in message
...
A couple of months ago, I posted here asking about storing sweet
potatoes and got several interesting suggestions. We ended up treating
them like the regular potatoes, storing them clean and dry in old milk
crates, those plastic boxes with fairly open sides to allow air
circulation. They've been out in the laundry room, a room without a
radiator tacked on the south side of the house. It's a bit chillier
out there as the only heat is what drifts in from the rest of the
house. We're in Maryland so it's fall here.

The sweet potatoes are holding up perfectly. No spoilage or rot
noticed yet. My wife serves them regularly at dinner and they've kept
their color, texture and flavor.

Paul

Thos wrote:
Store them in peat moss. It really isn't much good for anything else.
They will keep for a long time in a cool environment.



An interesting idea to explore.

How does it work?

Should the moss be damp or not?

If not what does it do?

If so would it encourage fungus?

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?



David

No, it shouldn't be moist. Keep it dry and your potatoes will keep for a
long time. It will not encourage fungus, in fact peat moss is an
anti-fungal. It might cost a little bit more up-front, but it doesn't go
bad, so you can use it over and over. You can get more info at
www.dirtdoctor.com
(no, I'm not affiliated other than being a member of the site)
In the search window type in "peat moss potato storage"
It will take you to a window so you can scroll down and find "peat moss-I
found a use"
Take a look and see what you think.
This website is an incredible source for information, because the majority
of the information comes from people who have tried and used these methods
and shared them.


"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Thos wrote:
Store them in peat moss. It really isn't much good for anything else.
They will keep for a long time in a cool environment.



An interesting idea to explore.

How does it work?

Should the moss be damp or not?

If not what does it do?

If so would it encourage fungus?

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?



David

Derald wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?
Good point; newspaper, straw or any absorbent wicking material
will work. I use newspaper, native pine straw or the (purchased) wheat
straw that I use for mulch. Of course, the insulator should be dry
material: Its purpose is to separate the sweet potatoes from one
another, to absorb moisture and to wick condensate that may form on
the potatoes' surfaces.

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

In article ,
Dan L wrote:

Derald wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?
Good point; newspaper, straw or any absorbent wicking material
will work. I use newspaper, native pine straw or the (purchased) wheat
straw that I use for mulch. Of course, the insulator should be dry
material: Its purpose is to separate the sweet potatoes from one
another, to absorb moisture and to wick condensate that may form on
the potatoes' surfaces.

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss
but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

Bill who putters wrote:
In article ,
Dan L wrote:

Derald wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?
Good point; newspaper, straw or any absorbent wicking material
will work. I use newspaper, native pine straw or the (purchased)
wheat
straw that I use for mulch. Of course, the insulator should be dry
material: Its purpose is to separate the sweet potatoes from one
another, to absorb moisture and to wick condensate that may form on
the potatoes' surfaces.

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden
soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more
about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss

but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

Thanks for the post on sphagnum moss. One more excuse to get rid or
roses

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

On Sat, 27 Nov 2010 16:17:12 -0500, Bill who putters
wrote:

In article ,
Dan L wrote:

Derald wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Would the peat moss cost more than the taters?
Good point; newspaper, straw or any absorbent wicking material
will work. I use newspaper, native pine straw or the (purchased) wheat
straw that I use for mulch. Of course, the insulator should be dry
material: Its purpose is to separate the sweet potatoes from one
another, to absorb moisture and to wick condensate that may form on
the potatoes' surfaces.

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss
but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

Our soil is heavy clay and we use a lot of peat moss as an amendment.
I was always under the impression that sphagnum and peat moss were one
and the same and peat moss was just dried, milled sphagnum moss so
this health issue prompted me to do a quick search.
First, I went out to the shed and checked some left over from this
year's garden, it is a 3.8 cu. ft bale labeled Sphagnum Peat Moss.

Next, I do the Google thing, defineeat moss

http://tinyurl.com/2g9pj7l

Here's a sample of the resultant 13 definitions.

A valuable asset renowned for its ability to retain air and water.
Peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss or sedge and is used
in making both compost and potting soil. Also known as Feat Moss(their
typo) or simply Peat.
plantcare.com/gardening-guides/soils/potting-soil-term.aspx

Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly
called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat_Moss

sphagnum: any of various pale or ashy mosses of the genus Sphagnum
whose decomposed remains form peat
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

I might be a little more careful using "peat moss" now.

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
AgCanada Zone 5b
43º 17' 26.75" North
80º 13' 29.46" West

On Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:10:43 -0600, "Thos"
wrote:

Store them in peat moss. It really isn't much good for anything else.

Tell that to the people who buy thousands of bales of peat moss for
use in their gardens in this part of the world.

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
AgCanada Zone 5b
43º 17' 26.75" North
80º 13' 29.46" West

In article , Ross@home
wrote:

On Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:10:43 -0600, "Thos"
wrote:

Store them in peat moss. It really isn't much good for anything else.

Tell that to the people who buy thousands of bales of peat moss for
use in their gardens in this part of the world.

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
AgCanada Zone 5b
43º 17' 26.75" North
80º 13' 29.46" West

Seems a little pricy when you consider that rye or buckwheat could
condition your soil more cheaply.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
Dan L wrote:

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss
but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

I'm stunned that any gardener these days would recommend, approve or in any
way encourage the use of either spagnum or peat. The use of these in any
garden where the gardener has even any mild concern for the environment is a
total no-no.

Coconut fibre is OK and is a very good replacement.

In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
Dan L wrote:

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss
but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

I'm stunned that any gardener these days would recommend, approve or in any
way encourage the use of either spagnum or peat. The use of these in any
garden where the gardener has even any mild concern for the environment is a
total no-no.

Coconut fibre is OK and is a very good replacement.

What ? Care to elaborate ? I've never seen coconut fiber.

http://www.peatmoss.com/pm-me2.php

"In 1999, 1.2 million metric tonnes or about 10 million cubic metres of
peat were produced in Canada. This volume of peat harvested each year is
small in comparison to the estimated 70 million tonnes or more of peat
that accumulates naturally each year in Canada. On a volume basis, there
are an estimated three trillion cubic metres of peat deposits in Canada.
Peat is accumulating nearly 60 times faster than the amount harvested."

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:36:56 +1100, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

"Bill who putters" wrote in message
Dan L wrote:

Peat moss has other uses also. Good for lightening up the garden soil,
used in making your own potting soil and if you soak it in water it
makes that great material used for those wire like hanging baskets
(looks like nesting material).

My wife's parents bought a bale of peat moss every year and
incorporated in their beds. This in N. Jersey where clay was more about
than our sandy loam down here next to the pine barrens.
Seem to recall there was some sort of heath issue with sphagnum moss
but I’ve forgotten the particulars.

Peat moss is OK!

http://www.garden-services.com/sphagnum_moss.htm

I'm stunned that any gardener these days would recommend, approve or in any
way encourage the use of either spagnum or peat. The use of these in any
garden where the gardener has even any mild concern for the environment is a
total no-no.

Would you care to elaborate on this statement? I'm located in Canada
and I'm not aware of this 'concern for the environment' about the use
of sphagnum peat moss in a garden? Is it that the resource is being
depleted? It's not. That it carries Sporotrichosis? It doesn't.
What then?
Check out http://www.peatmoss.com/pm-efaq.phphh
There are more than 270 million acres of peatlands in Canada. Of that,
only one in 6,000 acres (or .016 percent) is being used for peat
harvesting. Canadian sphagnum peat moss is a sustainable resource.
Annually, peat moss accumulates at more than 70 times the rate it is
harvested. Harvested bogs are returned to wetlands so the ecological
balance of the area is maintained.

Coconut fibre is OK and is a very good replacement.

Canada apparently has an unlimited and completely renewable resource
in the form of Sphagnum Peat Moss but, I don't remember ever seeing
any great number of coconut palms.
I just searched for Canadian retailers of both products.

Coconut fibre, 1/2 cu. ft. block $13.28
Sphagnum Peat Moss, 3.8 cu ft. block $7.99

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada.
AgCanada Zone 5b
43º 17' 26.75" North
80º 13' 29.46" West

Billy wrote:

Rodale has a different take on peat moss.

http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/search/node/peat

Bill, "FarmI" was addressing the ecological impact of harvesting peat
moss. Rodale seems to just address the use of peat moss. The two sites
are talking past each other.

I grew up near Niagra Falls in a region with a thick clay layer of
subsoil and a pretty thin layer of loom over it. We added peat moss to
our gardens every year in an attempt to make the loom thicker. Mixed in
and dilute it appeared to draw worms that consumed it in a couple of
years. We could keep added moss every year as long as we lived there
without any build up or ill effect. We never deposited a few meters of
straight peat moss like happens in a bog so it did not build.

As to harvesting, it's like a forest. As long as new grows at least as
fast as you harvest it renews. I'm sure there are sustainable and
non-sustainable peat moss harvesting business out there. If I could
tell which is which I'd buy my annual bale from the sustainable folks.

In article ,
Doug Freyburger wrote:

Billy wrote:

Rodale has a different take on peat moss.

http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/search/node/peat

Bill, "FarmI" was addressing the ecological impact of harvesting peat
moss. Rodale seems to just address the use of peat moss. The two sites
are talking past each other.

I grew up near Niagra Falls in a region with a thick clay layer of
subsoil and a pretty thin layer of loom over it. We added peat moss to
our gardens every year in an attempt to make the loom thicker. Mixed in
and dilute it appeared to draw worms that consumed it in a couple of
years. We could keep added moss every year as long as we lived there
without any build up or ill effect. We never deposited a few meters of
straight peat moss like happens in a bog so it did not build.

As to harvesting, it's like a forest. As long as new grows at least as
fast as you harvest it renews. I'm sure there are sustainable and
non-sustainable peat moss harvesting business out there. If I could
tell which is which I'd buy my annual bale from the sustainable folks.

Peat moss will certainly do the job, Doug, and can be useful if you want
to add an a slightly acidic amendment to your soil. I'e done a little
experimenting with rye and buckwheat, and have been very happy with the
way that they have broken up my heavy clay soil. Once conditioned, and
then kept covered with mulch, the soil has maintained its lightness.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug