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 17°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 15-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best in Separate bed

Your comments and tips

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07 May 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Claudie in Australia cool/mountain, I assume you have already planted by now. Lettuce is good this time of year, and so too are broccoli, bok choy, sugarsnap peas and broad beans. Pumpkin and sweet potato both take a looong time, and need warmer weather. Pumpkin takes up heaps of space, so not very practical in a mini garden.
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31 May 09, Meredith.Baillie (Australia - temperate climate)
I am also wanting to find New Zealand Kumera. The purple one..(they are really delicious). As you cannot, as far as I know buy the tubers here in Australia, would anyone know where I could buy the seeds?
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26 Jul 10, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
There are no seeds to grow kumara. To get nz kumara one can buy the kumara but there are no seeds
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28 Jul 10, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
If you cut the eye end off a kumera or sweet potato you can grow a new plant from this. Just as with regular potatoes.
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21 Jun 09, elly (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I have had my sweet potato in the ground for about 6 mth, and it has rained non stop since Feb. Will they be ok? how do I know when to harvest?
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24 Jul 09, Mel (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)
I'm looking for Maori potatoes in the UK can anyone suggest a source please ? Thanks
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26 Jul 09, Barry Hayes (Australia - temperate climate)
For Meredith. The purple sweet potato appears in asian grocery/veg shops when in season. Keep watch. If you break off the stalk when nobody is looking you'll see the purple. I agree - they're the best variety. Put the ends (about 2") in a box on some potting mix, cover with damp potting mix to about 3" and put in a warm place for 3 weeks. They'll shoot. Break the shoots off and plant them - or cut a bit of the spud off with the shoots. Good luck. P.S. They hate frost and cold wind. Put wind guards around them until it warms up.
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31 Jul 09, Santy Bruwr (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Does anyone know where I can buy them in Canberra? I will check at our Asian grocery/veg shop.. but I have not seen any in Australia.. and nothing beats the taste... will buy if anyone has stock pleez - just not possible to get it here from NZ
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28 Sep 10, Lana (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Santy, The fresh food markets (belconnen markets and fyshwick markets) have sweet potato. Most often they only stock the orange variety, but I have seen white and purple (purple skin, white flesh) there also. I am going to try to grow them this year, but keep in mind that they are not really suited to our climate!
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10 Jan 22, Cindy (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Have seen them at Kim's groceries (around the corner from Maccas in civic), also sometimes at "Asian Supa grocery" at Belconnen. You can also get seedling from Daleys fruit trees. Good luck :)
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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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