Plant Database / Sweet Potato plant care

Sweet Potato

Ipomoea batatas

205 plantings
5 for swap
44 wanted
10 stashed

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'Sweet Potato' is a plant in the Ipomoea genus with a scientific name of Ipomoea batatas. Sweet Potato is a vegetable annual/perennial, it will last at least a year and up to several years in its native climate. Sweet Potato is known for growing with a vine habit to a height of approximately 1.20 metres (that's 3.90 feet in imperial). This plant tends to be ready for harvesting by late summer. Popular varieties of Sweet Potato include: Beauregard, Marguerite, Blackie, Tricolor, and Black Heart.

Be aware that Sweet Potato typically needs a fair amount of maintenance and care in order to grow successfully. Ensure that you are aware of the soil, sun, ph and water requirements for this plant and keep an eye out for pests. Pay attention to weeding, feed and pruning schedules to ensure your plant remains in peak condition.

This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Sweet Potato have been kindly provided by our members.

How to grow Sweet Potato

Full Sun

Enjoys a full sun position in your garden. Zone 8 to 14 are typically the USDA Hardiness Zones that are appropriate for this plant (although this can vary based on your microclimate). Try to keep the ph of your soil between the range of 6.1 and 7.8 as Sweet Potato likes to be in weakly acidic soil - weakly alkaline soil. Keep in mind when planting that Sweet Potato is thought of as tender, so it is really important to plant out well after your last frost date.

Growing Sweet Potato from seed

Will not come true from seed – sterile.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Sweet Potato about 20 days after your last frost date .

Transplanting Sweet Potato

Under each leaf, there’s a root growing out. Take a cutting, and plant it in soil. That’s it! “As long as there’s a leaf, stem & root, it’ll grow.” _{by Malaysian Novice Gardener}

Companion plants for Sweet Potato

These plants have been known to grow well alongside Sweet Potato so consider planting:

Repellent plants for Sweet Potato

These plants will not grow well with Sweet Potato so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Common Sweet Potato problems

These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Sweet Potato plants:

Other names for Sweet Potato

Red kumara

Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.

Misspellings: Yams, Sweet potatos, Sweet potatoes, Ipomea batatas, cantonese: Fan Shi Yeep or Shi Miu Choy

Latest Sweet Potato Reviews

19 May 2011

angelchrome's Sweet Potato 'Beauregard' was Reviewed day 402

Unfortunately I didn’t get to grow this to its full potential because I had to move, but in only 70 days I had big sweet tubers and the starts of plenty more. I’d grow this again in the right climate.

3 stars

See all Sweet Potato reviews and experiences »

Sweet Potato care instructions

Category The lifecycle that this Sweet Potato exhibits. Annual/Perennial Difficulty How easy is Sweet Potato to grow? Difficult 4/5
Lifecycle The lifecycle that this Sweet Potato exhibits. Annual/Perennial Growth Habit What shape or habit does Sweet Potato grow into? Vine
Hardiness How frost hardy is Sweet Potato? Tender Country of Origin Where did Sweet Potato come from? Help build our wiki!
Mature Height How tall does Sweet Potato grow? 1.20 metres / 3.90 feet Mature Spread How wide does Sweet Potato grow? 2.00 metres / 6.50 feet
USDA Zone Range Which zones does Sweet Potato grow best in? Zone 8 to Zone 14 pH Range The level of acidity for Sweet Potato. 6.1 - 7.8
Water Requirements How much water does Sweet Potato require? Help build our wiki! Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does Sweet Potato need? Help build our wiki!
Soil What sort of soil should I plant Sweet Potato in? Help build our wiki! Sun How much sunlight does Sweet Potato need to grow? Full Sun
Can Sow Direct? Can Sweet Potato be sown directly? No Sowing Depth How deep to plant Sweet Potato? 10.0 cm / 3.9 inches
Sowing Distance Apart How far apart to plant Sweet Potato? 45.0 cm / 1.46 feet Sowing Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Sweet Potato? 60.0 cm / 1.95 feet
Ideal Germination Temperature Range What temperatures does Sweet Potato need in order to germinate? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki! Growing Temperatures What temperatures are best to grow Sweet Potato in? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki!
Planting Distance Apart How far apart to plant Sweet Potato seedlings. Help build our wiki! Planting Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Sweet Potato seedlings. Help build our wiki!
Bloom Time When will Sweet Potato bloom? Help build our wiki! Harvest Time When is Sweet Potato ready for harvest? Late Summer
Pruning Time When should I prune Sweet Potato? Late Summer

How long does Sweet Potato take to grow?

These estimates for how long Sweet Potato takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

Days to Germination How long does it take Sweet Potato to germinate? 9 days Average 9 days | Min 6 days | Max 38 days (7)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Sweet Potato? + 26 days Average 26 days | Min 21 days | Max 35 days (2)
Days to Maturity How long until Sweet Potato is ready for harvest / bloom? + 233 days Average 233 days | Min 114 days | Max 576 days (5)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Sweet Potato? = 268 days

When should I plant Sweet Potato?

Our when to plant Sweet Potato estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!

Footnotes

Popular varieties of Sweet Potato

View the complete variety list for Sweet Potato »

Sweet Potato Tags

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