Sweet potatoes are grown more often in southern regions because they require at least four months of warm temperatures though there are varieties that will grow in northern gardens too. In this post we will learn how to plant sweet potatoeswe are going to go over how you can grow potato slips on your own where to purchase them if you decide not to grow them and how to plant them in the garden correctly to ensure the best harvest.
Heres how to plant grow and harvest delicious sweet potatoes in your garden.
How to plant sweet potatoes.
Vegetable varieties bred for their edible roots and as varieties bred specifically for their ornamental trailing foliage.
A long hot growing season is ideal for growing these tuber like roots.
If your summer is short pick an early variety like beauregard or georgia jet to ensure youll have enough time to harvest.
Sun and temperature requirements.
Before you plant sweet potato slips you have a little extra work to do.
If you want to grow your own sweet potatoes choose a sunny spot with well drained soil.
Loose soil is more critical than almost any other factor when it comes to growing sweet potatoes successfully.
The part we eat is the tuberous root of a vining plant that is closely related to morning glories ipomoea tricolor and youll easily see the similarity in leaves to the sweet potato vines we now grow as ornamentals.
Both types belong to the ipomoea batata species a tender perennial normally grown as an annual and both ornamental and edible varieties are quite easy to grow in pots.
They are surprisingly easy to grow and just a few plants can produce a generous harvest.
The best time to plant sweet potatoes is about a month after the last frost of the season.
To create the perfect environment create long wide 10 inch high ridges.
Sweet potatoes need loose well drained soil to form large tubers.
Plant sweet potatoes in warm soil about a month after the last spring frost.
The first thing you should know about growing sweet potatoes is that they love hot weather.
You will want to plant your slips in the spring when the threat of frost has passed so you will have to start your slips about 6 weeks prior to ensure that they are ready for planting when spring arrives.
You dont want the roots to face resistance when they try to expand within the soil.
Space sweet potato plants 12 to 18 inches apart in damp loamy soil with a ph of 58 to 62.
Till the soil about 12 inches deep then plant your sweet potato slips 12 24 inches apart and just deep enough to cover the root ball.
Sweet potatoes will grow in poor soil but deformed roots may develop in heavy clay or long and stringy in sandy dirt.
Starting your own sweet potato slips is easy and its an interesting process to watch.
Sweet potatoes may be associated with the southern us but they will grow in just about any garden.
Before planting improve your native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter.
Sweet potatoes come in two general forms.
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