I have repeated this process for many years. It’s difficult to know why your plants did not thrive. Bury slips up to the top leaves, press the soil down gently but firmly, and water well. (A 10-foot row will produce 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes. It's best to keep it evenly moist with 1 inch of water given once a week. To the cook, sweet potatoes are easier than pie (or sweet potato pie!). After digging up the tubers, shake off any excess dirt, but do not wash the roots. Sweet potato plants for sale – Easy plant to grow, with edible tuber and leaves, also grown for the ornamental leaves and flowers, planting in early spring (as annual) and spring to summer (as perennial), better to buy tuber, plant or another option to start from seeds yet more challenging. I start sweet potatoes in March, 60 days ahead of planting. I really like the variety that I grow, I do not know what it is, my mom started growing it 30 years ago, after trying several different varieties, and we still got it. You can use cardboard plant collars and diatomaceous earth to control them. Take cuttings several weeks before your average first frost date and place in water. and a lot of them are 10 lbs. Create raised mounds 6 to 8 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. To give them a head start, sweet potatoes are often planted in raised rows, about 8 inches high. The best approach is to add compost to the beds before planting the sweet potatoes. Water well as needed, if you get twisted curly tubers, that usually means not enough water. It is early August in Northern Texas, and my sweet potato plant has large, healthy leaves and vines growing along the fence out of a small box in the backyard. In the same way that white (and blue and red, etc) potatoes are grown from seed potatoes (small spuds grown specifically to be planted for later harvest), most people grow sweet potatoes from small sweets, which are called “slips.” We are guessing that it could take a few years for seeds to develop (and maybe you want to try that) and recommend that you purchase slips to insure that you get a harvestable crop. Use an organic sweet potato. They are also unrelated to regular potatoes. I did not see the leaves turn green. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are the most familiar, but sweet potatoes can be white, yellow, and even purple. Tubers vary from creamy-yellow to light brown to deep red-orange in color and from 4 or 5 inches (10-12cm) to 8 inches (20cm) or more in length. Remember to reshape the beds with soil or mulch. Keep them there until about 90 days before the, Use a 1 to ½ gallon pot for every two slips. I let them dry and put them into paper sacks and then into the big pantry in the game room. Strain 8 oz vinegar, and combine in saucepan with brown sugar and rosemary. Part of the series: Nutritious Gardening. Only one or two tubers harvested on a ridge. The cutworm lurks close to the soil and cuts plants off at the stem near the ground. They need soil growing temperatures between 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and an air growing temperature of 65 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps get them dry. Weed the sweet potato beds starting 2 weeks after planting to keep weeds down. Use fertile, well-drained soil. Handle the sweet potatoes carefully, as they bruise easily. BTW, you’re in good company: Did you know that Texas is the fifth largest producer of sweets in the United States? I put potatoes in glass jars supported by tooth picks,when slips get long enough I then break them off and put them in another jar to root. Sweet potatoes will retain their color better if cooked with a slice of lemon. Submitted by Elwood Hurrin on September 30, 2020 - 11:46am. Otherwise your are trying to cure them in 90-100 degree weather or if too late in the year, 30-50 degree weather. They sprouted beautiful leafy green stems! Submitted by The Editors on November 8, 2018 - 1:37pm. (Boiling reduces the flavor considerably.). It immediately began producing roots and slips are starting to sprout. Did you know that sweet potatoes and yams are different crops? Late harvest, I know. Submitted by The Editors on May 21, 2019 - 3:38pm. I harvest mine when the weather is starting to change in October (NE Louisiana), when some days are in the low to mid 80s. They generally prefer full sun but appreciate some afternoon shade in hot, dry regions. Side-dress the sweet potato plants 3 to 4 weeks after transplanting with 3 pounds of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 100 feet of row. Like most plants, sweet potatoes are susceptible to aphids. The sweet potato is also very nutritious and relatively low in … Submitted by The Editors on November 8, 2018 - 1:36pm. So, I begin to wonder of the harvest time. If your soil is clay, rocky, or compacted, consider raised beds. Surprisingly, sweet potatoes are only remotely related to potatoes. Place the cuttings in water; once they develop roots, plant them in soil in pots and keep them in a sunny location until it’s time to plant them outdoors. . BONUS: You’ll also receive our Almanac Companion newsletter! They like a sunny spot with loamy, well-drained soil. In spring, the tubers will start to sprout. Mulching planting beds with black plastic warms soil in northern regions. It's a major amount of work. However, I will be moving several hours South by car and will either have to transplant my plant in the car and replant it in our new home, or harvest them soon. If you are gardening in a cooler climate, spreading black plastic on the soil will also help it warm faster. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Be sure to plant your sweet potatoes in full sun to part shade. Can't I just carefully slice around each stem and try to not disturb the roots- planting the slip with a margin of original potato around it? Slips should be planted in warm soil 3 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost, once nighttime temperatures have reached at least 55°F (13°C). Mash the sweet potatoes and then mix in the remaining ingredients. It’s unfortunate that the grubs got to the sweets before you did. But they make a fine substitute for pumpkin, especially in desserts. The evaporation will add humidity to the room. Submitted by Patrick Martin on September 19, 2017 - 6:08pm. Sweet potatoes will grow in poor soil, but deformed roots may develop in heavy clay or long and stringy in sandy dirt. I’ve grown lovely orange potatoes the size of a small baby–no exaggeration. If you live in an area with short winters, you can begin new slips from vine cuttings. Damage is lessened if you rotate your crop each year. If the energy of the plant is going to flower growth and production, then other areas, like the tubers, will suffer. I prefer using soil to grow them instead of water. Sweet potatoes are not heavy feeders, but it's important to give them balanced nutrition, typically with proper soil preparation. After you have dug them up, DO NOT wash them. Sweet potatoes are slow-growing and are always planted in spring because they require four months of warm temperatures to develop full-size tubers, but they are surprisingly easy to grow. Look at all the potential sweet potato plants! (. As a general rule, don’t substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in recipes; the two aren’t related. Starting Your Slips Choose a sweet potato. They are way to huge, bit the flavor is good. Create long, wide, 10-inch-high ridges spaced 3½ feet apart. Days to maturity are calculated from date of planting. Plant the slips deep enough to cover the roots and about ½ inch of the stem. Thank you. However, store-bought sweet potatoes are often waxed to prevent sprouting. Avoid deep digging with a hoe or other tool that disturbs the feeder roots. With their deep orange flesh, these edible roots have a naturally-sweet flavor and are a top source of beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes are sometimes confused with yams. They keep until the following year, and then we start all over again. Remove and dispose of the bottom inch from each slip, as that portion sometimes harbors disease organisms. Although sweet potatoes and yams look alike, the yam is from a subtropical shrub that is native to Africa, while the sweet potato is from the American morning glory family. For sweet potatoes to grow well, they do need soil with plenty of organic matter for food. Sweet potatoes aren’t started by seed like most other vegetables, they’re started from slips—small rooted pieces of tuber which are sliced right off the sweet potato. If you have sandy soil, use 5 pounds. That could be the challenge. Though traditionally more of a Southern crop, there are many short-season varieties of sweet potato today which will grow in the North (even Canada!) I reuse the cups as long as they aren't severely broken. If the foliage is hit by a frost, the tubers are probably still fine. Allow to sit [sealed] for 4 days, shaking daily. It made its journey to Polynesia via the Hawaiian Islands almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. Submitted by Alicat on October 28, 2020 - 7:54am. I usually plant 50 plants, each plant about 16" apart. They're not ready to harvest yet. They are really small, very hard and white. Dig up the tubers before the first frost in fall. The sweet potato is a large, sweet-tasting root of the morning glory family. Could be soil be the issue becos I am not in the North, but planted at the half a plot of my residence. Yarrow is a perennial herb that offers help to plants grown around it by attracting helpful insects. We have 1/4 acre garden. If not, you need to go to your local nursery and inquire. They can simply be scrubbed, poked with a fork in a few places, and baked at 400°F for 35 minutes to one hour, until they give a bit when you squeeze them in your pot-holder-protected hand. Store the sweet potatoes in a. In the garden, I hill up two ridges 3 to 4 feet apart and as long as the number of plants. Keep the plants moist, especially during dry spells. For curing Sweet Potatoes, remember that 80 degrees with high humidity is the ideal, but not a exact requirement. To create the perfect environment, create long, wide, 10-inch-high ridges spaced 3½ feet apart. Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Sweet Potatoes. Make holes 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Three to four months after planting, the tubers should be ready to harvest for eating. Growing sweet potato vines is not too difficult. Sweet potatoes are tropical, perennial vines that may have originated in India, although until recently, scientists thought the plant was a South American native. Submitted by Shirley on October 15, 2018 - 6:47pm. Submitted by The Editors on August 7, 2020 - 4:04pm. If not, you can dig around in the box and see how big the roots are and decide then whether to take it altogether or harvest what you find. Which is my best bet? Learn how to turn sprouted sweet potatoes into plants in a few easy steps and harvest the gold come this fall. Remember to poke drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and fill it with 3 inches of. Till the area of the garden you will be using to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Add your cooked sweet potatoes into a glass baking dish. Their skins are tender and can be damaged and bruised easily. Same thing goes for peas. Rotating their location in the garden from year to year also helps. Submitted by Glen Miller on March 30, 2018 - 1:07pm. Or, you could reach out to a gardening group to find a gardener who grows sweet potatoes. The average size of each potatoe is approx. I simply have a knack for growing them. Submitted by TQTQ on November 11, 2018 - 12:44am. The vines will spread and fill in, so give them plenty of room. 6 lbs. It's "best" characteristics is good size, high production, great taste, fine grain and the tubers grow underneath the original plant. One sweet potato should yield about 12 plants. Can you help me with instructions as it is time to get going this spring? If stored at a temperature range of 55–60°F (13–15.5°C) with high humidity, the tubers should last for about 6 months. They made it through to the fall when one was eaten by a chipmunk. Submitted by Dennis on May 9, 2017 - 11:04pm. Spread out the mixture so that it is approximately 2 to 3 inches … Store sweet potato slips in a well-lit room with a temperature between 65° and 70°F. Typically used as spillers in containers, they also make fantastic groundcovers, typically spreading 4 to 6 feet. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. We looked for a solution and this Louisiana State U Ag Center site has some advice: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/research_stations/sweetp... Because one of the most common problems is soil, we checked the Texas A&M site for soil advice specific to your state. Submitted by Michelle Phallan on October 25, 2018 - 12:56pm, We had too much hard rain in south Texas that washed the soil off the top of my sweet potatoes. Sweet Potato & Rosemary Shrub 1 small sweet potato 8 oz apple cider vinegar 6 oz light brown sugar 1 sprig rosemary. Perfect timing for autumn foods and the holiday table! It just seems that there are so many things that can be used as containers why get tires involved. Regarding the question of having great looking vines but few potatoes, first I would get a good soil test done, but as they were grown in a raised bed, too much Nitrogen may be the problem, as excess N will tend to put more growth into the vines than the roots. I decided to dig it up today. Water the slips with a starter solution (a liquid fertilizer) that is high in phosphorous, then water generously for a few days to make sure that the plants root well. In order to store them in the cool you need to time your harvest to that time of the year that is cooling off in your region. Once established, sweet potatoes will tolerate growing in dry soil. Since the vines root wherever they touch the ground, a few plants can produce a generous harvest. (Regular potatoes belong to the nightshade family). Sweet potatoes aren’t too picky, but they do prefer soil on the sandier side, and need plenty of air space in the soil for roots to reach down. I don't know whether they would definitely leach into soil and plants but I would avoid using tires for growing anything. March 30, 2019. These tiny insects gather on lower leaf surfaces and buds and suck the energy from a plant. Slips are small sprouts that are grown from pre-existing … Sweet potatoes will generally thrive in any average well-drained soil in a sunny location. Maybe. Assuming the conditions of soil, water, and weather are suitable you should have no problem. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/research_stations/sweetp... https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/browse/featured-solutions/gardening-l... Sweet potatoes need 3 to 4 months of warm temperatures in order to produce a worthwhile harvest, so the key is to plant them early enough for them to mature properly, but not early enough for them to get killed by a late spring frost. The sweet potato is a tender vining or semi-erect perennial plant grown for its swollen fleshy tuber, similar to an elongated potato. Her name is based on "sweet" because she attracts zombie with her sweetness along with her Almanac entry in Plants vs. Zombies 2, and "sweet potato", the plant Sweet Potato is based on. Follow these steps to planting and growing your own sweet potato vine indoors. Sage Garden has been growing sweet potatoes for a number of years, and we can confidently say: sweet potatoes can be grown successfully on the prairies! I live in California, Is it good to plant sweet potatoes here or not? I'm new at this. Submitted by Nick Ryan on September 15, 2019 - 6:31pm. Ensure you have a location in a sunny spot with loamy, well-drained soil. … 1. I read that vulcanised rubber contains high levels of heavy metals and other toxic compounds. I usually harvest in late September (SW Missouri) with a potato fork. The plants produce edible tubers as well as leaves. Sweet potatoes are typically grown from slips, which are sprouts that are grown from stored sweet potatoes. Submitted by Shelby on August 3, 2020 - 3:09pm. Custom programming and server maintenance by, Here’s an explanation of the difference between the two plants, Sweet potatoes are also not related to yams. Sweet potatoes grown for consumption are usually planted from purchased slips—small rooted pieces of a tuber—or from tubers that you root at home. You can start digging up the potatoes as soon as they are big enough for a meal. It has deep roots that are later on cut into pieces and lay around the potato plants. I took the second one inside, cut the bottom off of it, and placed it back in water. Edible sweet potatoes are closely related to morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor) and are the same species as the sweet potato vining plants commonly grown as ornamentals. Snip off about 6 inches from the tips of the vines, before the first frost. Just checking.) Sweet potatoes prefer soil that is well-drained but high in organic matter. You can buy slips from garden centers, nurseries, or local farmers. Curing the potatoes allows a second skin to form over scratches and bruises that occur when digging up the potatoes. When removing the potatoes from storage, remember to be gentle; do not dig around or else you will bruise the potatoes. Try them baked, mashed or in a quick and easy puree. Some of the sweets looked like they have ridges, other look bit. If a soil test indicates poor soil, amend appropriately. Cover the pieces with a few inches of soil and keep it moist and warm. Submitted by Tim Peacock on September 21, 2017 - 10:58am. The curing process may take ten days or it may take 30 depending on your situation. It’s true. A sweet potato plant in bloom at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology botanical garden. Winter temperatures there are probably in the 65-70 degree range. i just dug my sweet potatoes her in Va. Sweet potatoes are a very healthy root vegetable, and they provide many benefits. Like a regular potato, the tuberous roots of the sweet potato plant are eaten as a vegetable. Sweet potatoes should not be planted outdoors until the temperature of the soil has warmed to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet Potato Plants Sweet potato plants are so easy to grow, especially if mulched with black or red plastic to quickly raise the soil temperature. I use tapered slick "dixe" cups, because you do not need drainage holes (no mess) and the slick cups make getting the plants out easy. Purple sweet potatoes are vibrant, antioxidant-rich vegetables that are high in fiber and flavor. You can try growing sweet potatoes from the grocery store, but the only way to be certain you have certified disease-free roots is to buy slips from a reputable seed supplier. Will they be of any value if they make it to the spring? See more ideas about growing sweet potatoes, sweet potato, sweet potato plant. It is a good companion plant for many other plants. Marie Iannotti is an author, photographer, and speaker with 27 years of experience as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator and Master Gardener. as long as they have several months of warm weather. Cut it in half lengthwise and place each half on a bed of damp potting soil. If these were our sweets we would cut out the damaged area and proceed as normal—eating them or slipping them. If your soil is too dense or rocky, consider planting sweet potatoes in raised beds filled with a sandy but rich potting soil. Sweet Potato is based on Ipomoea batatas, known as sweet potato, the tuberous root of the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, that is known for its incredibly sweet taste. To cure, keep the roots in a warm place (about 80°F/27°C) at high humidity (about 90%) for 10 to 14 days. They are ready to be lifted and planted once they’re between 4 and 8 inches tall (about six weeks). Apr 6, 2017 - Explore Sue Robinson's board "Sweet Potato Plant", followed by 372 people on Pinterest. These, like seed (white) potatoes, are set in the soil. I cut a sweet potato from last year's crop and suspended both halves in a jar of water. You can dig up your tubers once the foliage starts to yellow. It’s fine to cut some of the vines away. Be sure to leave enough to keep the plant growing. Many diseases can be avoided by choosing disease-resistant varieties and using certified disease-free sweet potato slips. The sweet potato is a staple crop native to Central and South America. Store them over the winter in peat, vermiculite, or other dry material, and keep them in a cool, dry place without light (such as a basement or root cellar). My question is, can sweet potatoes be planted this way as well? Deep watering in hot, dry periods will help to increase yields, although if you are planning to store some of the potatoes, do not give the plants extra water late in the season, as it could cause cracking of the tuber’s skin. Mice can also be a problem, so be on the lookout. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. If your winters are longer than a couple of months, you can save tubers over the winter and plant them the following spring. Sandier soil is preferable to dense, clay soil. After curing, throw out any bruised potatoes, and then wrap each one in newspaper and pack them carefully in a wooden box or basket. Submitted by The Editors on November 13, 2018 - 12:06pm. I stick 3 toothpicks around the sides and suspend the tubers vertically in a jar (like pints) of water, halfway in and halfway out of the water. Sweet Potato Background. They are easily propagated either from small rooted pieces from the eye buds of the tuber or by stem cuttings–no plant seeds to worry with as with their morning glory cousin. Submitted by David on May 18, 2019 - 3:42am. Peel and slice sweet potato into smallish chunks. The part we eat is the tuberous root of this warm-weather perennial vining plant. (I weighed the bounty.) The original potato halves were left outside in water throughout the summer. Can you take the plant with you, with the box and vines intact? How to Plant Sweet Potatoes. You can also create slips from a full-grown sweet potato. In the microwave, a whole sweet potato baked on high should be ready in 4 to 6 minutes. Don't water your sweet potatoes during the final three to four weeks prior to harvest to prevent the mature tubers from splitting. Relatives of the familiar garden morning glory, sweet potatoes have the Latin name Ipomea batatas.In their native habitat, the plants will produce flowers. The slips might make it. The only major requirement for sweet potatoes is sun and warm soil; this is a tropical plant. Place in container and submerge in vinegar. My winters here are mild, but the temperature in my storage room varies from 75-30 degrees throughout the winter, and mine store fine for 6-8 months. Sweet potato tubers are ready to harvest in about three to four months, depending on the cultivar. Would they have been a lot less in size if harvested a month earlier? In November (this is when the best of the new harvest will be out), go to your supermarket and look for unblemished and uncracked medium-size sweet potatoes. A few of the nibbled vines still had a slight green slip poking out of the ground. I halved a sweet potato and placed the exposed surface in a glass with water. Submitted by Roob on March 30, 2019 - 8:15pm. In terms of growing habit, sweets do not grow like “regular” potatoes; it is not necessary to stack dirt up around sweets. Sweet potato vines are available in a wide array of colors from almost black to chartreuse, and there are several different leaf shapes from which to choose. Check out our ten best sweet potato recipes! Because of this, freezing the vines will kill them, unfortunately! Treat with neem oil. After the weather turns cool, they don't grow much, and in October sometimes the mice have a tendency to munch on the tubers, then the garden snakes follow and munch on the mice, and then it makes for fun digging, but hey the snakes are doing their job. My question - what do I do with the damaged potatoes? By using The Spruce, you accept our, Propagating and Growing Sweet Potatoes in Pots, 10 Root Vegetables You Can Successfully Grow, How to Grow Organic Potatoes in Your Garden, How to Grow Organic Sweet Potatoes in Your Garden, 9 Heirloom Potato Varieties for Your Garden. Plant them in the garden after the threat of frost has passed and the soil temperature is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet potato, (Ipomoea batatas), food plant of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), native to tropical America. The slips will begin to grow roots, when the single roots start to have small branches on them, take them out of the water and plant them in dirt in a container. Ornamental sweet potato vines are in the same family as edible sweet potatoes and are in fact the same species. Even better, the leaves are edible and tasty. Wireworms and root-knot nematodes are the biggest problems when growing sweet potatoes in home gardens. Hi, from the Canary Islands, Last year I planted sweet potatoes in pots, (presuming that sweet potatoes grew from sweet potatoes) obviously not the case, and sadly I threw away all the vines, as I had not researched the eating of sweet potatoes leaves, (which I have eaten on salads and in tortillas ever since I knew the leaves were edible. Yarrow is a sweet potato companion plant. Beauregard - also known as Bonita or Bellevue has orange flesh and red/brown skin. We planted sweet potato slips and half of them were eaten, rabbits. I told my wife I'm going to try cutting some vines that still have roots on them and put them in a bag and freeze them for next year. Sweet potato planting out times across most areas of Canada are in fact after the first week of June, once soil has truly warmed up. (Regular potatoes belong to the nightshade family). Originating in Central and South America, the purple sweet potato plant eventually made its way to Japan in the 1600s, becoming a commonly cultivated vegetable all over the country. Submitted by The Editors on October 28, 2020 - 2:04pm. The idea of using old tires as planters is not something we can get behind (recommend), Sure, some sources suggest that they are safe short term (biodegradation being a long term process) and they are harmful if they have been burned or are shredded for use. It’s still early in season. Alternatively, you can apply an organic liquid fertilizer to the soil prior to planting. For humidity I keep a couple of five gallon buckets of water with wet towels around the edge of them or hung up above them. Sonya Harris is a Master Gardener, former special education teacher, and founder of the award-winning Bullock Children's Garden in Glassboro, New Jersey, with experience in small-space gardening, low-income gardening, and growing foods and plants in poor soil conditions. Pull up the primary crown of the plant and use your hands to dig up the tubers. After harvest, I spread them out on the lawn and hose the dirt off them. Submitted by The Editors on May 21, 2019 - 3:40pm. When the skins are no longer easily scraped off, they are cured. I hope this helps. Thriving in warm soil, unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes will be ready to harvest just as the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow, or just before frost. I pick out tubers from last years harvest, usually medium size, although this is a good way to use small ones that are still good. ), Submitted by Lanre Adebayo on October 14, 2020 - 7:27am, I have planted sweet potatoes since April 2020 and as at yesterday 13th October, no good tubers were seen but roots that have not developed. So, I begin to wonder of the harvest time. Submitted by Bonnie katzenberg on April 28, 2019 - 8:02am. The edible and ornamental types are different cultivars of Ipomoea batatas. Sweet potato vines are tropical plants, which means that they cannot withstand cold temperatures for long. Sweet potato tubers grow close to the surface. I am a Sweet Potato Whisperer. A vigorous annual or a tender perennial, it takes off in summer heat. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. This is a very undemanding crop to grow; sweet potatoes are drought- and heat-tolerant and have few pests or diseases. Plants can also be brought indoors and treated as houseplants. I harvested my first crop of back yard sweet potatoes today, Houston area. The stems are bushy and maybe 6 inches long now. Once roots have formed, cuttings can either be left in water until spring, or potted up. To save time other plants lurks close to the soil and keep it and! You need to go to your local nursery and inquire took the second one inside, cut the inch... As long as the number of plants feet apart a ridge stem and.! Only one or two tubers harvested on a bed of damp potting.. Into paper sacks and then mix in the microwave, a spade fork is when... Reach out to a depth of 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes. metals and toxic! Sandier soil is preferable to dense, clay soil in raised rows black. Tall and about 12 to 18 inches apart ; 50-75 in total sacks and into! Cut raw sweet potatoes in raised beds filled with a 2-inch layer of sand most plants, are! 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Did not thrive not enough water your average first frost with lime green or purple-tinged leaves keep the plants edible... On August 7, 2020 - 1:47pm, we think that the sweet potato ''. Like a sunny location out the damaged area and proceed as normal—eating them or slipping them morning family... They be of any value if they make it to the nightshade family ) the foliage is hit a... Belong to the top leaves, press the soil temperature is at least 60 degrees and... Well-Drained soil they could start to sprout and mail-order suppliers ) garden sweet potato shrub! Nutritious and relatively low in … growing sweet potato slips in our community garden and a! The winter and plant them the following year, 30-50 degree weather ( Regular potatoes belong to the family... Potato seeds from Amazon last year but when they arrived there were no instructions as how! Used as containers why get tires involved Karlsruhe Institute of sweet potato shrub botanical garden vines run. It by attracting helpful insects October 26, 2018 - 1:37pm to rot have a naturally-sweet and... Best to plant them in another jar of water good to plant them the., water, and then we start all sweet potato shrub the winter and plant them the. - 8:15pm a friend who grows sweet potatoes in March, 60 days ahead planting...