Growing Sweet Potatoes

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

By The Editors
Sweet Potatoes
Bonnie Taylor Barry/Shutterstock

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Learn how to grow sweet potatoes! A root vegetable with deep orange flesh, delicious sweet potatoes are commonly grown in southern regions as they require four months of warm weather; northern regions can have success with select varieties. Here’s how to plant, care for, and harvest sweet potatoes!

About Sweet Potatoes

A large, naturally sweet-tasting root of the morning glory family (not related to potatoes), sweet potatoes are a very undemanding crop to grow as long as you have sun and warm soil; this is a tropical plant. Sweet potatoes are drought- and heat-tolerant and have few pests or diseases.

Though traditionally more of a Southern crop, there are many short-season varieties of sweet potato today which will grow in the North (even parts of Canada!) when grown in raised beds that are mulched with black plastic.

The sweet potato is also very nutritious, a top source of beta-carotene, and relatively low in calories. Just a few plants can produce a generous harvest of this orange-fleshed vegetable, which can be stored even longer than winter squash.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams, even in grocery stores. Technically, they are NOT a true yam which is a giant dry tuber from Africa, sometimes found in specialty shops. The sweet potato that we grow in the U.S. has a deep orange flesh and copper skin. So whatever you or a grocery store may wish to call it, we’re growing what you see in the photo below!

Sweet potatoes. Photo Credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock
Photo Credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

Planting

When to Plant Sweet Potatoes

  • Sweet potatoes are not grown from seed. They’re grown from “slips”—sprouts grown from existing sweet potatoes!
  • You won’t plant slips until 3 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost, once nighttime temperatures have reached at least 55°F (13°C). The trick is to plant them early enough for them to mature properly, but not early enough for them to get killed by a late spring frost.
  • Before planting, make sure you have a long enough growing season. Most varieties will take about three to four months to mature – about 90 to 120 days. See your frost dates and length of growing season.

planting_sweet_potato_lex20_gettyimages_full_width.jpg
Image: Sweet potatoes are grown from slips—sprouts grown from existing potatoes! Credit: Lex20/Getty Images.

Can I grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato?

  • Slips are available at garden centers, nurseries, internet catalogs, and from local farmers when ready to plant.
  • Or, you can start your own but it’s more work. In the fall, look for unblemished, smooth, organic sweet potatoes at the store or farmers’ market. Just be sure to inquire about the variety.
    • Store the sweet potatoes in a cool (55°F), dark place until mid-April or about 90 days before the last spring frost.
    • At this time, place the sweet potatoes in containers on top of 3 inches of light, organic, well-draining soil. Leave space between each sweet.
    • Lightly cover with a few inches of additional soil. Water now and as needed to keep soil damp, not soggy.
    • Maintain the soil and the room at 75°F to 80°F (use a heating map if necessary) in sunlight.
    • In 4 to 6 weeks, the slips will be 6 to 12 inches long, with leaves and roots.
    • Remove the slips from the sweet potatoes, roots attached. (If no roots form, remove the slip and place it in water; roots will appear in 1 to 2 weeks.)
    • If it is too soon to plant, stand the slips in potting mix or sand and keep moist until planting time.

Preparing a Planting Site

  • Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Sweet potatoes aren’t too picky, but they do prefer soil on the sandier side, and need plenty of air space in the soil for roots to reach down. If your soil is clay, rocky, or compacted, consider raised beds.
  • Ensure there is enough space for vines to run (3 feet between rows so the vines).
  • Mix in organic matter to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Use fertile, well-drained soil.Add compost, perlite, and/or coconut coir to help build loamy soil and retain moisture. Avoid adding animal manure, including pelleted chicken manure, it can result in spindley and/or stained roots.
  • If you live in the northern US or Canada, consider covering the growing area with black plastic or fabric mulch about 3 weeks before planting. This helps to warm the soil.
  • Create raised mounds 6 to 8 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. 

How to Plant Sweet Potato Slips

  • Plant the slips on a warm, overcast day, when the soil temperature has reached 60°F. 
  • Break off the lower leaves, leaving only the top ones.
  • Set the slips deep enough to cover the roots and the stem up to the leaves (sweet potatoes will form on the nodes), 12 to 18 inches apart.
  • Water with a high-phosphorus liquid fertilizer, then water generously for 7 to 10 days to make sure that the plants root well.
  • See more tips for growing sweet potatoes.

Care

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

  • Side-dress the sweet potato plants 3 to 4 weeks after transplanting with 5-10-10 fertilizer. If you have sandy soil, use more.
  • Weed the sweet potato beds regularly starting 2 weeks after planting.
  • Avoid deep digging with a hoe or other tool that disturbs the feeder roots.
  • Water regularly, especially during mid-summer. Deep watering in hot, dry periods will help to increase yields.
  • Do not prune sweet potato vines; they should be vigorous.
  • Late in the season, reduce watering to avoid cracking of the tuber’s skin in storage.

sweet_potato_gettyimages_full_width.jpg
Image: We thinks sweet potatoes make a nice ground cover, too! Credit: Getty Images.

 

Pests/Diseases

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Sweet Potatoes

  • You can start digging up the potatoes as soon as they are big enough for a meal.
  • Harvest when the leaves and ends of the vines have started turning yellow or about 100 days from planting.
  • Loosen the soil around each plant (18 inches around, 4 to 6 inches deep) to avoid injuring the tubers. Cut away some of the vines.
  • Pull up the plant’s primary crown and dig up the tubers by hand. Handle the sweet potatoes carefully, as they bruise easily. 
  • Shake off any excess dirt; do not wash the roots.
  • Complete harvesting by the first fall frost.

sweet-potatoes-tubers_full_width.jpg

Curing Sweet Potatoes

  • Curing sweet potatoes gives them that sweet taste and also allows a second skin to form over scratches and bruises.
  • To cure, store roots in a warm place (about 80°F) at high humidity (about 90%) for 10 to 14 days. A table outside in a shady spot works well. Arrange sweet potatoes so that they are not touching.
  • After curing, discard bruised sweet potatoes, then wrap each one in newspaper.
  • Carefully pack in a wooden box or basket. Store in a root cellar, basement, or the like with a high humidity at 55°F to 60°F. The tubers should last for about 6 months.
  • Handle sweet potatoes carefully; they bruise easily.

Recommended Varieties

The fastest-growing sweet potato varieties have orange flesh, but you might also consider varieties with white, yellow, or even purple flesh. Note that orange-flesh varieties cook up moist; white and yellow sweet potatoes become creamy; purple sweets are dry and starchy.

  • ‘Beauregard’ originally comes from Louisiana, but grows well in the north, too. It has dark red roots, dark orange flesh, and stores well.
  • ‘Centennial’ is one of the most popular types of sweet potato. It is carrot-colored and has a good storage life. It is also a good producer for northern growers.
  • ‘Jewel’ (aka ‘Yellow Jewel’) has copper-colored skin and orange flesh; disease-resistant; stores well.
  • ‘Stokes’ offers a vibrant purple color and is full of extra health benefits; cooks well in savory dishes and mashes.
  • ‘Vardaman’ is a bush type and good for small gardens; it has blue/purple foliage, golden skin, and reddish-orange flesh; stores well.

Wit & Wisdom

  • Sweet potatoes are a very healthy root vegetable, and they provide many benefits. Here’s why you should eat sweet potatoes.
  • They were used in folk remedies to treat asthma, night blindness, and diarrhea.
  • Not only are sweet potatoes not yams (which are related to grasses and lilies), but they’re also not related to regular white potatoes which belong to the nightshade family (versus the morning glory family). Potatoes’ edible portion is a tuber; sweet potatoes are root vegetables.

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Check out our ten best sweet potato recipes!

To the cook, sweet potatoes are easier than pie (or sweet potato pie!).

  • They can simply be scrubbed, poked with a fork in a few places, and baked at 400°F for 35 minutes to one hour, until they give a bit when you squeeze them in your pot-holder-protected hand.
  • In the microwave, a whole sweet potato baked on high should be ready in 4 to 6 minutes. It may still feel firm when done; let it stand about 5 minutes to soften.
  • Sweet potatoes can also be steamed whole (cleaned and unpeeled) for about 40 minutes or until tender, or cooked whole (cleaned and unpeeled) in boiling salted water for about 35 minutes. (Boiling reduces the flavor considerably.)
  • Immerse cut raw sweet potatoes in water until you’re ready to cook them; they will darken otherwise.

As a general rule, don’t substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in recipes; the two aren’t related. Sweet potatoes don’t hold together the way potatoes do, and their strong flavor can overwhelm a dish meant for a milder potato taste. Sweet potatoes are also not related to yams. But they make a fine substitute for pumpkin, especially in desserts.

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Reader Comments

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Sweet Potato Slips

Submitted by David Farrington on May 24, 2021 - 7:39am

I have grown sweet potatoes the last two years with good results. To get my slips, I place a sweet potato in a small vase and fill with water with half of the potato out of the water. The roots start to grow and it produces the growth out of the half of the potato. After the growth is 3 to 4 inches tall I snip them off and place in a cup of water to root for a few days to a week. I will be planting them as soon as Thursday. I also intend to let the long vines grow up a fence this year to save space.

Sweet potato vines

Submitted by Daniel Anzaya on May 21, 2021 - 11:28am

One is required to weed sweet potato vines after one month (4 weeks) of plantation, then spay forliar booster to improve growth and also spray Duduthrine to kill pests

Tips for growing sweet potatoes in pots

Submitted by Food Forests on March 27, 2021 - 12:37pm

This will be the first year growing sweet potatoes for me. I plan on growing some in large fabric pots and some in beds. Sweet potatoes need plenty of room in the soil to produce roots, so a larger pot that is at least 12” deep is ideal. Plant the rooted slips (lengths of the vine with roots at one end, pruning off all leaves except the top few opposite the rooted end) a few inches below the surface of the soil, leaving the leafy crown above the soil. There are plenty of great how to videos on YouTube to see how this is done, and other helpful tips to ensure a good harvest of roots, instead of lots of leaves.

Grow your own food, collect your own water, make your own heat, and make something to enable your family to survive that can’t be shut off like a faucet, or easily taken away. Plant fruit, and nut trees, and other perennial crops that reliably produce food every year with minimal effort.

TATOES AGAIN, THIS YEAR..FROM POTS

Submitted by tuyen on December 8, 2020 - 4:48am

Weather here ideal for growing and I have been careful not to overwater...but there were lots of roots in the soil but not one potato...Any extra advice would be very much appreciated...from a jobless Lady, who is trying to be as self sufficient as possible...
I have planted sweet potatoes since April 2020 and as at yesterday 13th October, no good tubers were seen but roots that have not developed. Only one or two tubers harvested on a ridge. So, I begin to wonder of the harvest time.

No Sweet potatoes Again, this year..from pots

Submitted by Alicat on October 28, 2020 - 7:54am

Hi, from the Canary Islands, Last year I planted sweet potatoes in pots, (presuming that sweet potatoes grew from sweet potatoes) obviously not the case, and sadly I threw away all the vines, as I had not researched the eating of sweet potatoes leaves, (which I have eaten on salads and in tortillas ever since I knew the leaves were edible. Sadly once again I have had lots of leaves, after planting the rooted vines that I took off sweet potatoes , they all had great roots, but after more than 120 days, the leaves have turned yellow (sadly cannot eat these) but normally this means the harvest is ready, well I was hoping....But no...Nothing, not one potatoes ..So I have resigned myself to keep purchasing the potatoes but grow lots of leaves, and enjoy them...Maybe one day ...I shall find a Potato...
Weather here ideal for growing and I have been careful not to overwater...but there were lots of roots in the soil but not one potato...Any extra advice would be very much appreciated...from a jobless Lady, who is trying to be as self sufficient as possible...

starting a sweet potato from slips

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on October 28, 2020 - 2:04pm

Hi Alicat, You can indeed grow a sweet potato from the slips of another sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are not grown from seeds like most vegetables. They are grown from “slips” which are the root sprouts. However, store-bought sweet potatoes are often waxed to prevent sprouting. It’s best to plant root sprouts, called slips, from nurseries and mail-order suppliers. Do you have a friend who grows garden sweet potatoes? Or, you could reach out to a gardening group to find a gardener who grows sweet potatoes. If not, you need to go to your local nursery and inquire. And yes, the leaves are edible! They contain high dietary fiber, too. 

Here’s how it’s done: About six weeks before it’s time to plant sweet potatoes outdoors, place the roots in a box of moist sand, sawdust, or chopped leaves in a warm spot (75 to 80 degrees). Shoots will sprout, and when they reach 6 to 9 inches long, cut them off the root. Remove and dispose of the bottom inch from each slip, as that portion sometimes harbors disease organisms. Plant in full sun three to four weeks after the last frost when the soil has warmed. Make holes 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Bury slips up to the top leaves, press the soil down gently but firmly, and water well.

For sweet potatoes to grow well, they do need soil with plenty of organic matter for food. Work in plenty of compost (which you can make). Create long, wide, 10-inch-high ridges spaced 3½ feet apart. (A 10-foot row will produce 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes.)

Hope this helps.

 

 

Re-Planting sweet potatoes

Submitted by Lanre Adebayo on October 14, 2020 - 7:27am

I have planted sweet potatoes since April 2020 and as at yesterday 13th October, no good tubers were seen but roots that have not developed. Only one or two tubers harvested on a ridge. So, I begin to wonder of the harvest time. I did not see the leaves turn green. Could be soil be the issue becos I am not in the North, but planted at the half a plot of my residence. Grateful advuse

sour on sweets?

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on October 14, 2020 - 4:22pm

It’s difficult to know why your plants did not thrive. Soil? Maybe. They like a sunny spot with loamy, well-drained soil. Sweet potatoes aren’t too picky, but they do prefer soil on the sandier side, and need plenty of air space in the soil for roots to reach down. If your soil is clay, rocky, or compacted, consider raised beds. Read above and below for more possible reasons/explanations.

Sweet potato vines.

Submitted by Elwood Hurrin on September 30, 2020 - 11:46am

i just dug my sweet potatoes her in Va. I told my wife I'm going to try cutting some vines that still have roots on them and put them in a bag and freeze them for next year. I wonder if they'll grow ? What do you think ?

Sweet Potato Vines

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on October 2, 2020 - 1:47pm

Sweet potato vines are tropical plants, which means that they cannot withstand cold temperatures for long. Because of this, freezing the vines will kill them, unfortunately!

To transplant or not to transplant

Submitted by Shelby on August 3, 2020 - 3:09pm

It is early August in Northern Texas, and my sweet potato plant has large, healthy leaves and vines growing along the fence out of a small box in the backyard. However, I will be moving several hours South by car and will either have to transplant my plant in the car and replant it in our new home, or harvest them soon. Which is my best bet?

harvest or hold?

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on August 7, 2020 - 4:04pm

It sounds like the roots are in the “small box.” (You know the roots are the sweet potatoes and they are at the base of the vines under the soil, right? Just checking.) Can you take the plant with you, with the box and vines intact? If not, you can dig around in the box and see how big the roots are and decide then whether to take it altogether or harvest what you find.

Growing sweet potatoes

Submitted by David on May 18, 2019 - 3:42am

Although I haven't tried this yet, I've heard that you can plant regular potatoes in old tires, stacked atop one another & filled with dirt; to minimize space I would assume.
My question is, can sweet potatoes be planted this way as well?

old tires as containers

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on May 21, 2019 - 3:38pm

The idea of using old tires as planters is not something we can get behind (recommend), Sure, some sources suggest that they are safe short term (biodegradation being a long term process) and they are harmful if they have been burned or are shredded for use. It just seems that there are so many things that can be used as containers why get tires involved. In terms of growing habit, sweets do not grow like “regular” potatoes; it is not necessary to stack dirt up around sweets.

Growing potatoes etc in tires

Submitted by Nick Ryan on September 15, 2019 - 6:31pm

I read that vulcanised rubber contains high levels of heavy metals and other toxic compounds. I don't know whether they would definitely leach into soil and plants but I would avoid using tires for growing anything.

Eaten sweet potato slips

Submitted by Bonnie katzenberg on April 28, 2019 - 8:02am

We planted sweet potato slips and half of them were eaten, rabbits. A few of the nibbled vines still had a slight green slip poking out of the ground. Will the slips die or continue to grow?

afer rabbits...

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on May 21, 2019 - 3:40pm

Try to protect the remaining slip; cover them carefully with screening or something like (but closer woven than) chicken wire. The slips might make it. It’s still early in season.

What are these?

Submitted by Roob on March 30, 2019 - 8:15pm

I've had this potato patch for over a year. I decided to dig it up today. March 30, 2019. They are really small, very hard and white. What are these?

Sweet Potato slips

Submitted by DIANE CEDARLEAF on December 31, 2018 - 3:40am

I'm new at this. I halved a sweet potato and placed the exposed surface in a glass with water. They sprouted beautiful leafy green stems! The stems are bushy and maybe 6 inches long now. Did I wait too long to plant them in the soil? If I twist them off, I fear breaking the stem and roots. Can't I just carefully slice around each stem and try to not disturb the roots- planting the slip with a margin of original potato around it? Thanks!

Need help with Sweet Potato problems

Submitted by TQTQ on November 11, 2018 - 12:44am

I harvested my first crop of back yard sweet potatoes today, Houston area. Late harvest, I know. They have been in since May and it is been too wet. Some of the sweets looked like they have ridges, other look bit. I saw grubs in my bed and will take steps to treat them.

My question - what do I do with the damaged potatoes? If I can remove the portion of the potato with the damage, are they safe to eat or cure for slips for next year?

damaged sweets

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on November 13, 2018 - 12:06pm

If these were our sweets we would cut out the damaged area and proceed as normal—eating them or slipping them. BTW, you’re in good company: Did you know that Texas is the fifth largest producer of sweets in the United States?

It’s unfortunate that the grubs got to the sweets before you did. We looked for a solution and this Louisiana State U Ag Center site has some advice: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/research_stations/sweetp...

Because one of the most common problems is soil, we checked the Texas A&M site for soil advice specific to your state. You might find it helpful: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/browse/featured-solutions/gardening-l...

Here’s to a better harvest next year!

Sweet potato slips

Submitted by Jim Duplex on November 3, 2018 - 4:54pm

I cut a sweet potato from last year's crop and suspended both halves in a jar of water. Each half produced a number of slips; 50-75 in total. I planted the slips in our community garden and had a great harvest. The original potato halves were left outside in water throughout the summer. They made it through to the fall when one was eaten by a chipmunk. I took the second one inside, cut the bottom off of it, and placed it back in water. It immediately began producing roots and slips are starting to sprout.

Can I expect this potato to continue producing slips? Will they be of any value if they make it to the spring? They're doing all this in November as the days grow shorter.

slip upon slip

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on November 8, 2018 - 1:36pm

Jim, it sounds like you have found the eternal sweet potato. If a slip is a slip is a slip, those that your tuber is producing should be fine—if they make it to spring. That could be the challenge. To be on the safe side, get an organic sweet later in the year and start the process again for next season’s plants.

Sweet Potato

Submitted by Thomas Matthews on October 29, 2018 - 1:16pm

I live in California, Is it good to plant sweet potatoes here or not?

Also, i'm in the central valley.

Thanks, Thomas

sweets in Central Valley?

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on November 8, 2018 - 1:37pm

Assuming the conditions of soil, water, and weather are suitable you should have no problem.

Sweet potato problem

Submitted by Michelle Phallan on October 25, 2018 - 12:56pm

We had too much hard rain in south Texas that washed the soil off the top of my sweet potatoes. They're not ready to harvest yet. Should I cover them with soil for the next month? Thanks

Sweet Potatoes

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on October 26, 2018 - 3:23pm

Yes, get them covered again as soon as possible, then check back in on them when they’re due to be harvested!

Sweet Potatoe

Submitted by Shirley on October 15, 2018 - 6:47pm

We planted our sweet potatoes the 3rd of June, due to the rainy Iowa weather we could not harvest until Oct. 13th. The average size of each potatoe is approx. 6 lbs. and a lot of them are 10 lbs. each. They are way to huge, bit the flavor is good. Would they have been a lot less in size if harvested a month earlier? Thank you.

sweet potato seeds

Submitted by Glen Miller on March 30, 2018 - 1:07pm

I bought some sweet potato seeds from Amazon last year but when they arrived there were no instructions as to how to start seeds. Can you help me with instructions as it is time to get going this spring?

sweet potato slips

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on March 30, 2018 - 4:28pm

We are not familiar with starting sweet potatoes from seed and your purchase was unfortunate. In the same way that white (and blue and red, etc) potatoes are grown from seed potatoes (small spuds grown specifically to be planted for later harvest), most people grow sweet potatoes from small sweets, which are called “slips.” We are guessing that it could take a few years for seeds to develop (and maybe you want to try that) and recommend that you purchase slips to insure that you get a harvestable crop. These, like seed (white) potatoes, are set in the soil. See above for more specific growing information.

 

Pages

Growing Sweet Potatoes

Botanical Name Ipomoea batatas
Plant Type Vegetable
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Type Loamy, Sandy
Soil pH Neutral
Bloom Time Summer
Flower Color Purple
Hardiness Zones
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