How to grow Sweet potato

Sweet potato plant grow and care –  geophyte herbaceous vine of the genus Ipomoea also known as Ipomoea batatas, Sweet potato plant perennial evergreen or annual plant, grow for the edible leaves and tuber, used as ornamental plant for the leaves that can be colored can be hedge plant or as groundcover plant, can grow in tropics, mediterranean, desert, subtropics, temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 10+ as perennial 6+ as annual (possible to keep indoor cutting or tubers over the winter.

Sweet potato plant flowers and edible leaves, tuber

Leaves edible the color can be: green, purple, yellow, white or more than one colored in lobed like hand shape.

Flower color purple in trumpet shape.

Tuber edible the peel is brown, the inner color is orange, purple, yellow or white.

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How to grow Sweet potato plant growing and care:

Slightly acid, well-drained soil, clear from stone, mulch, trellising, rich soil, moist soil

How to care:
Fertilize in the spring, put mulch especially when the plant is young, possible to keep the plant indoor overwinter and take it out in the spring after the last frost

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seedling / Seed / Vegetative reproduction cutting or bending a branch over and covering it with soil

How to propagate cutting?
Cutting temperature 25-30C (77-86F), high humidity, possible by water and switch the water every few days or to put in soil – moist soil, better in spring to summer and possible to use in root growth hormone.

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
Yes, better start by tuber or cutting than seeds with can’t ensure the quality of the tuber like: color, taste, fibrous, size or the speed of the growth (important when grown as annual), also the color of the leaves can be diffrent

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Require big area for tuber, aggressive

Planting season:
Spring as annual or as perennial in hardiness zone 10a, spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all year in hardiness zone 12+

How to plant:
Dig hole bigger 50% more than the roots ball, add to the hole, organic matter, dead leaves and humus put back some soil and mix it, after this put the plant cover lightly but strong enough that won’t fall put support for the plant and give it place to trellising on it, consider to prune week branches, water it twice in the first day and every day for two weeks.

Pests and diseases:
Weevil, moth, whitefly, aphids

Pruning season:
All year, better after blooming season or in the early winter or after harvesting, for annual plants no need to prune

How to prune:
Just for design

Size of the plant:
1-5 m, 3-15 feet, but can grow 10cm (4 inches) above the soil when grow as groundcover plants

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / Half Shade

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a pots, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when grow in container, size 10-30 liter (2.5-8 gallon) but bigger it’s better, average amount of water that needed, it’s to keep the soil moist and the water go out of the pot, better not to use bottom for the pot, when it’s grow as perennial every two years to switch soil, and prune part of the roots and the plants, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, rich with organic matter, can us in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite.

Tip for growing in container and get big amount of tubers:
When growing in container better to start from cutting, in the container to fill 10% of soil, in 25L (5 gallons) container put 2-4 cuttings, the moment the cutting start to establish, put the stems on the soil and cover with soil and keep the soil moist, after the plant will grow roots possible to cover a little more, when growing as annual need to fill it in five month all the pot when growing as annual, when grow as perennial can take the time and not hurry and make more tuber on the same location also use potting mix and add organic matter and fertilizer

Blooming information


Bloom season:
Autumn (mostly in the autumn) and in cold climate might not bloom because the / Winter to early spring

General information about the flower
Purple flower in trumpet shape bloom in short day (but not when it cold)

Pollination is done by:
Bees

Edible leaves


Leaves harvesting season:
All year, but in hardiness zone 6-10 from autumn to spring

How to harvest the leaves?
Better to trim when pull the tuber, but prune it without the stems will let the tuber option to continue

Information about leaves:
Green in lobed like hand shape

Uses of Sweet potato plant leaves:
Salad, stir fry, cooked

Edible Roots

Information about the tuber:
Brown peel, the inner color of the tuber is orange, yellow, purple or white

Tuber harvest season:
Autumn in hardiness zone 6-10a, autumn to winter in hardiness zone 10b, in hardiness zone 10b better to harvest when the plant in dormant or reduce the amount but possible all the year and hotter climate possible all the year

When to pull up tuber:
possible 7 month after planting, but better to harvest only when the tubers are ready and this can be after half year, when waited too much the tuber will be more fibrous

Uses of Sweet potato plant tuber:
Cooked and more

How to grow Sweet potato plant from seeds

Sowing requirement:
temperature 22-30C (72-86F) moist soil, humidity

Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dark and dry place

Sowing season:
Spring as annual and perennial and in hardiness zone 10a as perennial, spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11b-12a, all year in hardniess zone 12b+, planting in summer possible but not in the hot days of the summer

How to plant:
Better to plant in peat soil with vermiculite even if planting directly just dig a bigger hole and put vermiculite around the seeds

Planting spacing:
30*40 cm (12*16 inches) and to transplant 4*4cm (1.8*1.8 inch)

Depth of Sowing:
1cm (0.5 inch)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
High humidity, moist soil (better sunny location)

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Germination time:
2-7 weeks

Condition of seedling:
Water regularly and don’t let it dry

Scientific name:

Ipomoea batatas

How to grow Sweet potato

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Categories

Blooming Seasons
  • Autumn flowers
  • Spring flowers
  • Summer flowers
Edible Parts
  • Edible leaves
  • Edible Roots
Culinary uses
  • Cooked
  • Leafy vegetables
  • Salad
  • Vegetables
Flower colors
  • Pink flower
  • Purple flower
Climate
  • Desert Climate
  • Mediterranean Climate
  • Subtropics Climate
  • Temperate Climate
  • Tropics Climate
Harvest Season
  • Autumn Harvest
  • Spring Harvest
  • Summer Harvest
  • Winter harvest
Ornamental parts
  • Ornamental flower
  • Ornamental leaves
  • Ornamental plant
Plant growing speed
  • Fast growing plants
Plant life-form
  • Annual plant
  • Evergreen
  • Herbaceous
  • Perennial plant
  • Vine
Plant Uses
  • Ground cover plants
  • Hedging plants
  • Ornamental plants
Planting Season
  • Autumn Planting
  • Spring Planting
  • Summer planting
Plants sun exposure
  • Full sun Plants
  • Part shade Plants
Watering plants
  • Big amount of water
  • Regularly water
Hardiness zone
  • Hardiness zone 10
  • Hardiness zone 11
  • Hardiness zone 12
  • Hardiness zone 13
  • Hardiness zone 6
  • Hardiness zone 7
  • Hardiness zone 8
  • Hardiness zone 9