Need help with sweet potatoes

[GloriaG]

I just dug my Vardaman Sweet Potatoes today and found that most of the potatoes were cracked.  Some were split almost in half, others just like a knife had cut into them. 

I grew them in two 60 qt. "grow bags" and dug them by turning the bag over and emptying it out.  (No tools at all)

Also, I had LOTS of potato vines but only about 10 pounds of potatoes.  I've read that lack of potatoes might be caused by too much nitrogen, but what fertilizer is used in a grow bag of potatoes?  In the spring when I planted, I used a combination of peat-moss, vermiculite and Pearlie with some dolomite lime and a cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer. 

Thanks for your help.
Gloria

[Brian Gallimore]

Gloria, I read some specific information about growing sweet potatoes somewhere.  From memory, there was something you were supposed to do for 2 weeks prior to harvesting.  I think it was withholding water.

I'll need to find which book that was in and post back with better info!

[GloriaG]

Oh - that could explain it.   All summer we were so hot and dry and just before I harvested we had our first rain.

[007clint]

I have no real experience with sweet potatoes but we had a purchased sweet potato that went bad with tubers forming so I planted it in the garden-box and got these: