I am repeating this article for the Thanksgiving season; a good topic for discussion at the dinner table.
I am repeating this article for the Thanksgiving season; a good topic for discussion at the dinner table.
“What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?” Are they the same, yet by a different name?
Many years ago, orange-colored sweet potatoes were introduced to the southern United States. In an effort to distinguish these from the traditional white-fleshed potato, producers called them yams, which is the Anglicized version of a word of West African origin — nyami. Today, most of the starchy tubers consumed in the U.S. and labeled as yams are in reality sweet potatoes.
Yet, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same; in fact, they are quite different from each other.
As far as botanical order is concerned, they are at opposite ends. The sweet potato is a dicot, set in the morning glory family. The sweet potato, whose sweet and moist flesh varies in color from white to yellow and orange, is native to South America; the skin is typically smooth. Garnet, Jewel and Beauregard are orange-fleshed sweet potatoes that often masquerade as yams in local supermarkets.
Yams, on the other hand, are a monocot, closely related to grasses. In contrast, yams are dry and starchy and rather bland. While yellow or purple in color, the skin is rough and a bit shaggy. Yams are native to North Africa and Asia. They range in size from that of a small potato up to 150 lbs. Yams are a primary agricultural crop in West Africa, where 95 percent of the world’s yam crop is grown.
Incidentally, yams and sweet potatoes can be purple.
Aloha. My question concerns my citrus trees. They are about 6 years old and until this year have born well with good tasting fruit; they are all in the same general location and have been fertilized the same. This year, my orange tree has been losing its fruit prematurely. While still very small, they turn color and drop off. Some of them split open, but they are underdeveloped fruit. The grapefruit did the same but to a much lesser degree and there is ripening fruit on it. My Meyers lemon tree is loaded and has mature fruit, but I notice a few of the lemons now are also ripening prematurely and falling off. Can you offer any suggestions?
The premature dropping of newly formed fruit, which is caused by some type of stress, has been addressed as a regular topic in this column. Please see www.gardenguyhawaii.com and search ‘citrus fruit drop’ for a full discussion of this problem.
Many citrus varieties, along with the various rootstocks, might each react a little differently to environmental stresses. Note though, that citrus trees will naturally set only a small percentage of their blooms, and to some degree, a self-thinning of the fruit will take place.
Of particular note is the fact some of the fruit split. This would point to overwatering or too much rain as the cause for the fruit drop.
Aloha for now.
At this time, I would like to announce I will be taking a break from writing this column. This is my final entry at this time. Writing the column has been enjoyable for me. I appreciated everyone’s questions and comments. You have kept my mind sharp as I endeavor to answer your questions.
I, of course, have to give credit to my wife, Ruth, who edits my column and improves the English. After reading my first column, she responded by asking, “What are you trying to say?” … and thus began her editing career.
Please continue to check my website gardenguyhawaii.com for helpful information.
Hilo resident Nick Sakovich is a professor emeritus of the University of California. He has worked in the field of agriculture for 30 years. Email him at askthegarden guy@earthlink.net and visit his website at www.gardenguyhawaii.com.