| When to Plant: | |
| Spring |
| Harvest: | |
| Summer |
| Light Requirements: | |
| Full Sun |
| Plant Height: | ||
| 36-72" | ||
| Hardiness Zones: | |
| Varies by type. Find Your Zone |
| Planting Depth: | |
| 3-5" |
| Plant Spacing: | |
| 12-15" |
| Plant Type: | |
| Tuber |
There are many reasons why you should plant sweet potatoes! They are lovely to grow in the garden as a ground cover or as a climber on a trellis. Most importantly, they are delicious for eating!
Soil: Sweet potatoes need loose, well-drained soil to form large tubers. Loose soil is a major factor to growing success. Loosen soil to at least 12” deep and plant on a warm, overcast day when soil has warmed to at least 60ºF.
Slip Production
Before planting, place seed potatoes in a warm, full sun location (between 60-70ºF) such as a window sill for 1-2 weeks to induce sprouting.
Slip Roots
Once the seeds have made slips approximately 12” long, remove them from the seed by gently twisting the slips until they separate from the sweet potato.
In warm climates with long growing seasons, this process can be continued to make slips for later plantings. When desired amount of slips have been made, discard the seed as its job is complete.
Place slips in 3-4” of water for a few days until new roots are formed at base of the stems. The slips are ready to plants when several of the roots are over an inch long. Maintain fresh water during this process to keep slips healthy.
Dig holes in loosened soil approximately 4” deep and 3” wide. Place rooted slip in each hole with roots pointing down - bottom half of slip covered with dirt and top half with leaves is above ground.
Handle Sweet Potato slips with care as you fill the hole with dirt as they can easily break and bruise. When finished planting, gently tamp the surrounding dirt down to set the plant and remove any air pockets remaining in the soil. Water thoroughly after planting. Newly planted slips needs to be watered daily for the first
Harvest: When the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow, or just before frost in the North, sweet potatoes are normally ready to harvest. Locate the main stem of the sweet potato you want to dig up in order to avoid injuring other tubers. Loosen soil and gently lift to expose the sweet potato.
