How to Grow Sweet Potatoes: Tips for Beginners and Advanced Gardeners

Sweet potatoes are a versatile, nutritious, and delicious root vegetable that thrives in warm climates. Growing sweet potatoes can be both fun and rewarding, whether you’re a beginner gardener or an experienced horticulturist. This article will guide you through everything you need to know about how to grow sweet potatoes, including techniques for both beginners and advanced gardeners.

We’ll answer common questions such as whether you can grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato, how to grow sweet potato slips, and how long sweet potatoes take to grow.

Can You Grow Sweet Potatoes from a Sweet Potato?

Yes, you can grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato, but the process requires you first to grow slips. A sweet potato slip is a small shoot or sprout that grows from the original tuber.

These slips are then planted to produce a new crop of sweet potatoes. So, while you can’t directly plant a whole sweet potato in the ground, you can propagate new plants from it by encouraging it to sprout slips.

How Do You Grow Sweet Potatoes for Beginners?

For beginners, the first step in growing sweet potatoes is to start with high-quality slips or starts. Here’s a simple guide on how to grow sweet potatoes as a beginner:

1. Choose the Right Variety

Select a sweet potato variety that is well-suited to your climate. There are many types of sweet potatoes, such as Beauregard, Covington, and Jewel, which vary in taste and color.

2. Prepare the Soil

Sweet potatoes thrive in well-drained, sandy loam soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.2. They prefer soil rich in organic matter, so it’s beneficial to mix in compost before planting.

3. Start Sweet Potato Slips

To start growing sweet potatoes, you first need sweet potato slips. This is typically done by suspending a sweet potato in water so that the lower half is submerged while the upper half is exposed to air.

Keep the sweet potato in a warm spot, and it will begin sprouting shoots after a few weeks. Once these slips are about 6 inches long, they are ready to be transplanted into the soil.

4. Plant the Slips

Plant sweet potato slips in a sunny, warm location after the last frost has passed. Space the slips 12 to 18 inches apart in rows about 3 feet apart. Make sure the slips are planted deep enough so that the roots are fully covered.

5. Care and Maintenance

Proper care of sweet potatoes includes watering regularly but avoiding overwatering, as this can cause rot. For better maintenance, mulch the soil to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Also, ensure the plants receive plenty of sunlight, since sweet potatoes need about 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day.

6. Harvesting

Sweet potatoes typically take 90 to 170 days to grow, depending on the variety and growing conditions. When the leaves begin to yellow and the plant starts to die back, it’s time to harvest.

Read also: Learn How to Growing Potatoes and Harvest Them

Do Sweet Potato Plants Need to Climb?

No, sweet potato plants do not need to climb. Unlike some vining plants, such as tomatoes or beans, sweet potatoes grow as ground-hugging vines.

Sweet potato spreads along the soil and does not require trellises or support. However, their vines will spread over a large area, so you need to give them ample space to grow.

You can train the vines to grow in rows or mounds if desired, but climbing structures are not necessary for their growth.

What Month Should I Plant Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are a warm-weather crop that requires a long growing season. The best time to plant sweet potatoes depends on the local climate, but generally, you should plant them in late spring or early summer after the last frost date.

Here are some tips for timing your planting:

• When to Plant in Warmer Climates: If you live in a warmer zone (such as USDA hardiness zones 8-11), you can plant sweet potatoes as early as late April or May.
• When to Plant in Cooler Climates: In cooler regions (zones 4-7), wait until the soil has warmed up to around 60°F (15°C) in late May or early June before planting.

Sweet potatoes require a long, warm growing season, so the key is to ensure that all danger of frost has passed before planting.

How Deep Do Sweet Potatoes Grow?

Sweet potatoes typically grow at a depth of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm). The sweet potatoes themselves will form just beneath the soil surface, with the roots branching out deeper into the soil.

To encourage healthy growth, it’s essential to prepare the soil with loose, well-drained, and nutrient-rich conditions. If you have compacted soil, it could restrict the growth of the roots, leading to smaller potatoes.

When planting sweet potato slips, you should bury them deep enough to cover the roots, which usually involves planting the slips with the bottom part submerged 3 to 4 inches deep. This allows the roots to establish well and encourages the production of strong tubers.

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in the Ground

Growing sweet potatoes in the ground is the most common method for gardeners. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to grow sweet potatoes in the ground:

1. Prepare the Soil

Choose a well-draining location with plenty of sunlight. Sweet potatoes need soil with a pH level of around 5.8 to 6.2.

You can improve the soil by mixing in compost or organic matter, which will help with moisture retention and provide nutrients.

2. Planting the Slips

Once you have sweet potato slips ready, plant them in rows or raised beds. Space the slips about 12 to 18 inches apart and plant them so that the roots are buried 3 to 4 inches deep. Sweet potatoes have long vines, so allow enough space for them to spread.

3. Watering and Mulching

Water sweet potatoes regularly to keep the soil consistently moist, but not soggy. Mulching will help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and protect the soil from drying out.

4. Weeding and Maintenance

Keep the garden free from weeds, as they can compete with sweet potatoes for nutrients. Also, avoid disturbing the roots once the plants are established.

5. Harvesting

After about 90 to 170 days, depending on the variety, you can harvest your sweet potatoes. Wait until the vines begin to yellow and die back before digging them up. Use a shovel or fork to gently lift the tubers from the ground.

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Water

Growing sweet potatoes in water is a fun and simple method, especially for beginners. It allows you to watch the slips develop and grow before transferring them to the garden. Here’s how you can grow sweet potatoes in water:

1. Select a Sweet Potato

Choose a healthy, firm sweet potato. It’s best to use an organic one to avoid any chemicals or pesticides.

2. Prepare the Water Container

Fill a container with water and place the sweet potato so that the bottom half is submerged in the water. Use toothpicks to suspend the sweet potato in the container, ensuring that it is not fully immersed.

3. Wait for Slips to Form

Place the container in a warm, sunny spot. After a few weeks, you’ll notice sprouts (or slips) starting to grow from the top of the sweet potato.

4. Root Development

After 3 to 4 weeks, the slips should have grown to a length of 6 to 8 inches. At this point, the slips will start to develop roots.

5. Transplant the Slips

Once the slips are ready and have enough roots, you can transplant them into the ground or a larger pot filled with well-drained soil. Be sure to plant the slips deeply enough so that they stay in place.

6. Care for the Slips

After transplanting, water the slips regularly and continue to ensure they get plenty of sunlight. After several months, the slips will begin to form sweet potatoes in the soil.

How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Take to Grow?

Sweet potatoes typically take 90 to 170 days (3 to 5 months) to grow, depending on the variety and climate. Some varieties, such as Beauregard, mature in as little as 90 days, while others may require up to 170 days to reach full maturity.

The length of time for sweet potatoes to grow also depends on the growing conditions, including temperature, soil quality, and the care provided during the growing season.

The growing process can be divided into different stages:

• Early Growth (0-60 days): The slips establish roots, and the vines begin to spread.
• Mid-Growth (60-120 days): The plants continue to grow, and sweet potatoes begin to form below the soil.
• Late Growth (120-170 days): The sweet potatoes mature, and the plant begins to die back, signaling that it’s time for harvest.

Conclusion

Growing sweet potatoes is an enjoyable and satisfying experience that can yield delicious results. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced gardener, the key to success is understanding the plant’s needs and providing the right conditions.

You can grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato by starting slips, and they can be grown both in the ground and in water. Sweet potato plants do not need to climb, and with proper care, you can harvest your crop in a few months. By following these tips, you can enjoy a healthy and fruitful harvest of sweet potatoes.