Gardening Supplies

Harvesting a Survival Root Crop Most Americans have NEVER SEEN EVER AT ALL (SPOILER: True Yams)



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Today we are harvesting yams and using the “trellis to make you jealous” system from Josh Sattin. This is how we dig true yams. Plus I share tips on growing yams, even in zone 8.

40 Comments

  1. For some reason I found your video and I was watching it and then I saw you driving down the highway and I was like dude that looks like Highway 231 and then you said something about an in another video you live in Northwest Florida and I was like no way that’s too cool anyways love your videos I live off of Highway 79 maybe we can meet up one day

  2. Do these yams effect blood sugar like sweet potato? I love sweet potato but they bottom out my sugar.

  3. You keep saying temperate climate, but you are in a subtropical climate 🙂

  4. I looked for a yam growing video but didn't see one. I think I can get yams at the International Farmers Market in town. Do they grow from eyes like potatoes?

  5. Have to start calling you David the Tease. You know some of us cannot grow these varieties "legally", but then again, Apocalypse…no rules, just tubers. lol

  6. Great job, I was just getting ready to send you an email showing you a picture of one of my discoria alotta plants from two days ago.

  7. "Their first year in POOR SOIL" (my emphasis added)

    *proceeds to pull back black gold compared to my garden soil*

  8. With sweet potatoes, I was taught by the old timers to remove the vines before the first frost for better flavor. Not sure if this is true of yams.

  9. How do you separate your strings from the vines? Do you compost them together? Pick them out later? Or use a string that decomposes?

  10. There is a spot in my yard that always has something that looks like this. The exact same leaf and little vine potatoes. I thought they were an air yam, and maybe poisonous in some way. Do you have to prepare these in a special way?

  11. Where’s a good place to get some bulbils? I’d like to try growing yams next year

  12. Where do you get your alata species? I've never been able to find them searching online. I bought one before that I thought would be alata, but it turned out to be ube.

  13. Just bought a couple of Name yams at the Asian food stores. I will let them hang around and plant them next March.

  14. we eat the leaves of what we call sweet potatoes. Not sure if these are the same as Yams though. Apparently if you dont let the vines grow too long, the energy goes into the roots more. What do you think.

  15. What’s that trellis called again? I remember you said what it was in another video a while back, but all I could find was the one where you made one just like it with rebar and string…which I guess is also a good option.. or did you make this one too? T posts, PVC T’s, and…some kind of metal pipes at the top..?

  16. Nah..mine lasted 2 years! Well, for year 2 they pop up, mound so very little digging!! If you digging that much, it's too early!!

  17. Mr. Good, what are those pvc dealios topping the t posts thru which the bar or whatever that runs so they can climb??

  18. What variety of true yams would be best to grow in Eastern Tennessee or Western North Carolina? Where would be the best place to purchase them? Thanks!

  19. Those have always fascinated me but I worry about them running loose here. I am in Northern Alabama and you know it gets cold up here. Would they become invasive here?

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