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Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
Heat-loving vines that surprise you with tubers in autumn.
Sun
Full sun
Water
2.5 cm / week
Soil
Loose, sandy, pH 5.8–6.2
Spacing
30 cm apart, rows 90 cm
Days to harvest
100–140 days
Hardiness
Zones 8–11 (needs long warm season)
Seasonal Calendar
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Sow Harvest
The method
- 1
Start slips
Suspend a sweet potato half-submerged in water. Sprouts ('slips') appear in weeks — twist off and root.
- 2
Plant slips
Set on ridges of warm, loose soil after last frost.
- 3
Let it sprawl
Vines cover the ground and make excellent living mulch.
- 4
Harvest before frost
Lift carefully — skins bruise easily. Cure in a warm humid spot 10 days to sweeten.
Common problems
Wireworm
Avoid planting after long grass; keep soil loose.
Small tubers
Need warmth. Grow through black plastic in cooler climates.
Good neighbors
BeanCornThyme
Field tips
- “Cured tubers keep for months in a warm (13°C) cupboard.”
- “Young leaves are edible — steam like spinach.”