Visit produce stands and farmers’ markets and to find locally grown fruits and vegetables to try summer. Enjoy the flavorful taste of fresh, local produce when it is in season. Fresh, locally grown produce is picked at its prime and often sold the same day it is picked. When produce is grown in other states or countries to be shipped here, it is picked before it is ripe and shipped in cooled trailers to be sold sometimes weeks after it is picked. Test your taste buds this summer and see if you can taste the difference in fresh, locally grown produce. Visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ fresh-fruit-veggie-month for tips on storing fresh produce and fun ways to try new fruits and vegetables. Grow Your Own Sweet Potatoes! This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The University of Maryland Extension will not discriminate against any person because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more about Maryland’s Food Supplement Program (SNAP), contact the Maryland Department of Human Resources at 1-800-332-6347 or apply online at https://mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us/. FSNE These are sweet potatoes that have soaked in water for one week and are sprouting slips that can be cut off and planted to produce new sweet potato plants. Summer is a bountiful time in Maryland! Kickstart your summer with National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables month in June and make sure to try a new fruit or vegetable each week! It’s not too late to plant sweet potatoes in June! Sweet potatoes are tropical plants and love Maryland summers. Plant them in June for an early fall harvest in September or October. These delicious spuds are packed full of vitamin A and are also a great source of fiber and potassium. Sweet potatoes can be grown in the ground, in a large container or grow bag that can hold at least 3 gallons. Visit your local garden supply store for sweet potato seedlings or slips. (You can also sprout your own from sweet potatoes from the store by cutting off the bottom of the sweet potato and letting it soak in a shallow dish with water for 4-6 weeks, until new green vines (slips) grow out from the sweet potato. The individual shoots can be removed and planted.) If you plan to plant them in a container, you will also need to purchase enough potting soil to fill your container. To get started: • If planting in a container, use a container that is made of cloth, wood, or clay that holds at least 3-5 gallons. • Fill container with potting soil. • Plant seedlings (slips) about 2 inches deep and 12 inches apart. • Water regularly and keep in a sunny location. • Mulch around the plants with straw to help keep the soil moist. • In 100-120 days from planting, sweet potatoes will be ready to harvest. • In late September to early October, the ends of the vines will begin to turn yellow. As this happens, gently pull up the vine and dig out the sweet potatoes. • Shake off soil and place the unwashed sweet potatoes in a warm, dry place for 7 to 10 days, before eating. Summer newsletter Gardening for Nutrition