sweet potato harvest

I started digging my sweet potatoes this week. I only dug a small area at the back of the bed. I was pleased to find a lot of tubers, but SO much worm and grub damage. OMG.

I was looking at Daphne's sweets and they are picture perfect. I have a challenge ahead of me. I wonder if I can get my soil cleaned up for a perfect future harvest? A Clemson University Fact sheet says there are all sorts of beetle grubs and wire worms that can eat into sweet potatoes. They recommend hand picking beetles, a Bacillus thuringiensis product, crop rotation, and winter tilling.

I looked into winter tilling at LSU AgCenter. They suggest turning in compost in the fall/winter to increase decomposition, kill or inactivate disease organisms, insects and weed seeds, increase soil drainage in spring, and incorporate lime if needed. Sounds good. I'll try it in a few beds.

BTW, in spite of their appearance, my sweet potatoes taste delicious!