Growing Sweet Potato, also Kumara

Ipomoea batatas : Convolvulaceae / the morning glory family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions

  • Plant shoots or cuttings (Slips). Best planted at soil temperatures between 63°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 15-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best in Separate bed

Your comments and tips

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15 Jan 20, Bruce (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Greg, short answer no. Had no luck getting the NZ kumara, can you get them . Willing to pickup or pay postage , oh for some NZ kumara so so different. Cheers Bruce
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15 Jun 19, Chris Herden (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Bruce. I have cuttings available of the new zealand kumara. I can send phot if you wish. How many were you after? I am based in Lismore and Hunter Valley, NSW.
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09 Nov 19, Bruce Windsor (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Chris, sorry for the late reply, I am really interested in the NZ kumara if you can email me pic or contact me I live on Sunshine Coast QLD Thanks Bruce
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08 Mar 19, Erin (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I have Beauregard sweet potato if that is a nz variety?
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12 Apr 19, Bruce (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Unfortunately that one isn’t the NZ kumara
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07 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
Try the internet - seed and bulb places - like diggers club. You would probably have to buy a SP and then plant it to produce runners/shoots /slips.
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08 Feb 19, Jan Clifford (Australia - arid climate)
I have grown a sweet potato in a glass and want to know if I can plant it or not. I an in the Central West NSW in the arid zone. TIA Jan Clifford
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12 Feb 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Plant it and see how it goes.
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12 Jan 19, Grom1t (Australia - tropical climate)
I suspend (toothpicks help) a sweet potato partially in a glass of water. After 2 weeks of so I pick off the 8inch sprouts and put them in water. I plant them once they have plenty root. First time I planted before the dry and had an excellent crop of big potatoes after at least 6 .months. it's hard to know when to harvest. .my plants never go yellow. Anyone any advice? I thought I'd try growing in pots as I had a nice if small harvest of purple fleshed ones from a pot this morning - again after 9 months I think. Magnetic Island
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13 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It does say harvest 15-17 weeks. Pick early if you want smaller size and pick later if you like the bigger ones.
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Showing 101 - 110 of 316 comments
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I talked to a commercial grower yesterday. Fertilise the ground before you plant. What fertiliser you use depends on how fertile your soil is. You would need a soil test to really find that out. But fertiliser with a reasonable amount of N, good P and high K. Mix this through the soil profile. If you cut off slips, make them about .4m long, strip off most of the leaves but leave the growing head part. Dig a furrow 50-75mm deep and place the slip in the furrow (place the slip level in the soil). Cover the slip over with soil but leave the growing bit sticking out of the soil. You could put the slips in a jar of water for a week or so to start the roots growing. Once you have planted the slip make sure it is watered for the next week, lIke each day. The soil around the slip has to be wet for the roots to shoot and grow. After a week or so you should notice the plant growing. The slip will produce sweet potatoes from where you stripped the leaves off giving a higher yield of crop. If the vines grow really long then I believe too high N, but I was told they need plenty of N. I was mainly asking about the placement of the slip but will ask more about the fertiliser next time.

- anon

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