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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29 Jun 20, John Martin Barger (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I have a sweet potato that has sprouted pretty heavily on my kitchen counter. I live in Memphis, TN. Is there any chance of having success if I were to plant it now? Or is it too late in season?
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23 Jun 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 7b climate)
Where I live (Australia) they grow it from just a piece of the growing vine - a slip. Either put them in water until they produce roots or straight into the ground and keep watered. Take a piece about 18cm (6 - 8 inches).
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30 Jun 20, Betty (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I'm just next door in Arkansas and will be planting some slips from one in my kitchen today (June 30). We have just enough time before frost to make decent sweet potatoes. You know we can eat the leaves like spinach as well? My (American) kids grew up in SE Asia and thought sweet potato leaves were a variety spinach.
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05 Apr 20, Pam Adam (Australia - tropical climate)
I have sweet potato growing. Is it okay to cut away the continuous runners it is producing?
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06 Apr 20, Anon (Australia - temperate climate)
You could cut them off from about 1-1.2m each side if you like. Over fertilising with N will produce a lot of leaves/vines. Cut off some of the new vines and plant them with the growing tip out of the soil. Read below about how to do it.
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09 Mar 20, Garden Gnome (Australia - temperate climate)
I have had for over one year a half 200 litre plastic drum with a sweet potatoes growing in it. Just this past weekend I have dug around in the totally dry soil looking to see what was there. I did this with my hands after loosening it up with a garden fork all around the side of the drum. The leaves were not dying off in fact new shoots are forming. I only did this as we have had 1 week of dry hot weather. I harvested 3 very good sized spuds and put the rest back and topped up with well mulched soil. No extra fertilizer has been used and this is the second time I have turned this drum. As the soil lowers and parts of tubers show I top up with more well mulch soil. With watering and good old mother nature we have bought no sweet potatoes at all for quite some time. I have no idea how long they have been growing I don't garden like that.
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11 Mar 20, Tineke (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Brilliant! Mine are growing all over the place - better have a look see soon!!
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10 Mar 20, ML (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Many ways to grow things. You could have just a patch of swt potatoes and pick whenever you like. I'm growing them in my volunteer gardens. Take a slip of vine (about 40cm long), strip all the leaves off except the last 10cm of the growing tip, plant it along the ground with the tip out of the soil. Swt potatoes will grow from where the leaves were broken off. Or if you like put the slips in a bucket of water to have the slip producing roots before you plant it.
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13 Jan 20, Paul (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I m interested in Sweet potato farming where can i get the seedlings or cuttings in the Western cape or eastern cape (NOTE - Gardenate is not intended for farmers )
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16 Jun 23, Dieter (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You can get sweet potato slips from Living seeds.
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Showing 71 - 80 of 315 comments
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Here is how they grow them commercially in sub tropical southern Queensland Australia. They hill the soil up with a 2' base and about 1' high - paddock looks like corrugated iron - wave pattern. They then take cuttings (called slips about 50-60cm long) of vine from a pre-existing growing plant. These are planted (in the top part of the mound) horizontally into the soil with just the tip sticking out of the soil. Keep well watered the first week or two until the plant starts growing. Good rich soil to start with and then do not fert again especially with N. You want root development not vine production. If looking for cuttings/slips/tubers ask friends/neighbours/produce companies/internet sites etc or start a tuber as stated here.

- Mike

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