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 May 17, Daniel (Australia - temperate climate)
With Kumeras, they will grow if you plant a whole kumara but they wont produce tubers. The shoots that do grow from that can be used as cuttings, and as these new cuttings grow, you will get the Kumera tubers growing from those new plants. Needs a long warm summer to grow bigger tubers! Hope that helps
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02 May 17, Pou TeRongomau (New Zealand - temperate climate)
October and November best time to grow kumara in the Waikato Hamilton area.
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19 Mar 17, Sandy Greer (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Thanks for that, but I also remember some Maori potatoes being very similar also to the look of this type I ate..my ex use to grow a lot of heirloom veges and it looked similar to what hr grew back then... Might buy 1 again and grow it to see how it grows...as a vine or an up right plant.
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16 Mar 17, Sandy.G (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi there, I bought a bag of mixed kumara & in it was 5 varieties & 1 was a purple fleshed purple kumara. I think its maybe a relative of potato.. as I am allergic to nightshade family & on eating 1 of these set my tongue and throat tingling, spat it oit and rinsed my mouth out.. any ideas!?
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17 Mar 17, Ken (Australia - temperate climate)
Potato is a member of the Solanum (nightshade) family while kumara (sweet potato) is a member of the Ipomoea family which includes other plants such as Morning Glory, a totally different Genus.The purple 'kumara' may have been a knobbly potato packed with the others by mistake.
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09 Mar 17, Lhatso (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hi do you know where I could buy the purple sweet potato that is purple flesh in side the skin as well.This variety is Grown in Japan
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09 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Log onto - www.kumera.co.nz for a list of varieties. If you contact them they should be able to help you. Sweet potato is very easy to grow from cuttings. Just put cuttings into a jar of water and they will soon grow roots, then plant them. All the best.
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08 Jun 15, Winsom (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello, saw where you have the purple sweet potato cuttings and would post to someone who was looking for it. I live in Brisbane and was looking for the purple skinned sweet potato. How do I go about sending you the costs for this? regards Winsom
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17 May 12, Aaron (New Zealand - temperate climate)
hi what is the best way to store kumara thanks
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11 Feb 10, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Sandra, have a look at this site www.bbc.co.uk/search/sweet_potato
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Showing 51 - 60 of 61 comments
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Plant the tubers that you want to grow but in a separate bed. They will sprout lots of shoots which will also have roots near the base. When the shoots are 40 to 50 cm long put a fork under the tuber and gently lift it out. Separate the shoots and plant them in the bed you have prepared for them as indicated in the article above. Last year, before I knew this, I planted several tubers where I wanted them to grow but after learning the right method I dug up three and planted out about 50 slips. The slips can be left in water while you are waiting to plant them out and in a few days mine put out prolific roots where the base was under water. You can also start the sprouting inside, cutting the tops off tubers and putting the cut down in shallow water, then planting them out when they start to sprout. Roots will also start growing but later than the shoots. Look for the eyes in the tubers as they are where the shoots come from.

- Paul

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