How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Your Garden

Sweet potatoes might look tricky to grow, but they’re actually quite friendly once you get to know them. These adaptable plants feel right at home whether you’ve got a sprawling garden bed or just a few containers on your patio. Perfect for both seasoned gardeners and those just getting their hands dirty.

Here’s the really brilliant bit—you can start your sweet potato patch with just one potato from your local shop. Talk about getting more bang for your buck! While first-time growers might feel a touch nervous, don’t worry—we’ll tell you how to grow sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato basics

Sweet potatoes are quite the diverse bunch, with thousands of varieties dotting gardens worldwide, each bringing its own special flavours and qualities to the table. Let’s get you familiar with what these lovely plants need to flourish in your garden.

Sweet potato types and varieties

Three stars shine particularly bright in the sweet potato world: Beauregard, Jewel, and Garnet. The Beauregard sports a lovely purplish-red coat hiding deep orange flesh—perfect when you fancy a good mash or bake. Do you prefer casserole? Jewel’s your friend, with its light orange skin and flesh. The Garnet rounds out our trio, showing off its dark orange-red exterior and bright orange flesh—brilliant for mashing.

Growing requirements

So, how do you grow sweet potatoes? Your sweet potato plants will thank you for providing:

• A sunny spot with 6 to 8 hours of daily sunshine 
• Soil that drains well, keeping to pH 5.8-6.2 
• Just-right moisture—neither too wet nor too dry
• Light, sandy loam with plenty of organic goodness

Climate considerations

These friendly plants have quite specific temperature preferences:

Your sweet potatoes will happily grow anywhere from sea level up to 4,000 feet (1.22 km). While they’re quite tough during dry spells, keeping the soil nicely moist helps develop healthy tubers. Pay special attention to watering during the early growing stages and when those tubers are filling out.

Preparing and planting sweet potatoes

The secret to wonderful sweet potatoes lies in how you prepare their new home and settle them in. Let’s dive into some tried-and-true methods that’ll help your plants flourish.

Soil preparation methods

Sweet potatoes love a cosy bed of loose, well-draining soil. Create a raised bed about 8 to 10 inches (ca. 25 cm) high. Here’s a lovely mix to get you started—combine two parts soil with one part compost or well-rotted mulch until it feels light and fluffy.

How to grow sweet potatoes from a sweet potato

Those little rooted sprouts we call slips are the key to sweet potato success. Start your slips 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to plant. Nestle your sweet potato halfway into damp potting soil. Once those sprouts reach about 5 to 6 inches (ca. 15 cm), give them a gentle twist to remove them, then pop them in water to develop roots.

Spacing and timing guidelines

Your sweet potatoes need their personal space to grow properly. Here’s how much room to give them:

Wait until your soil warms up to a steady 65 °F (ca. 18 °C) before planting. For most gardens, that’s about four weeks after your last frost. Growing sweet potatoes in a greenhouse? You can start earlier in spring, but keep the temperature between 21-26 °C (70-80 °F) for happy plants.

Give your newly planted slips plenty of water until they find their feet—usually takes about a week. If you’re gardening somewhere a bit nippy, a clear plastic sheet works wonders for keeping the soil toasty.

Essential care and maintenance

Looking after your sweet potato patch is rather like caring for a beloved garden pet—they’ll flourish with the right attention to watering, feeding, and protection from unwanted visitors. 

Watering and fertilisation 

Sweet potato plants enjoy steady moisture, especially when the weather turns dry. Give them about 1 inch (2.54 cm) of water weekly, but don’t let their feet get soggy. Ease off the watering during the last three to four weeks before harvest—this helps prevent your mature tubers from splitting.

These easy-going plants aren’t greedy with their food. A gentle feed with balanced, all-purpose fertiliser when the vines begin their journey across your garden will do nicely. Here’s when to feed your plants:

Weed Management Techniques

Your sweet potatoes need a weed-free space to call their own, especially in their first month or so after planting. The good news? Once those vigorous vines get going, they naturally keep weeds at bay. For the gentlest approach to weed control, try mulching and careful hand-weeding to avoid disturbing your plants’ roots.

Pest and disease control

Keep an eye out for these garden troublemakers:

• Wireworms and Root-knot Nematodes: These chaps can be quite bothersome. Your best defence? Rotate your crops and start with certified disease-free slips.
• Sweet Potato Weevil: Watch carefully for signs of these pests and promptly remove any affected plants.

Good airflow and careful watering at soil level help ward off diseases. Should you spot any poorly plants, it’s best to remove them straight away to protect their neighbours. Regular garden walks and proper spacing between plants are your finest tools for keeping both pests and diseases in check.

Maximising your sweet potato harvest

Time to gather the treasures from your sweet potato patch! A spot of knowledge about when and how to harvest makes all the difference between good results and brilliant ones.

When to harvest sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes typically need 100–110 days before they’re ready for lifting. Keep an eye out for these friendly hints from:

• Yellowing leaves near the stem
• Soil gently mounding around the plant base
• First frost appearing in the weather forecast

How to harvest sweet potatoes

Pick a lovely cloudy day for your harvest to protect those freshly dug tubers from sun scald. Start preparing about 3 to 4 weeks beforehand by cutting back on watering—this helps toughen up their skins rather nicely. Take your garden fork and gently dig about 18 inches (ca. 46 cm) around the crown, treating those delicate tubers with care.

Curing and storage methods

The secret to that wonderful sweet flavour and long-lasting storage lies in proper curing.

Mind you, don’t wash those sweet potatoes after harvest. Simply brush off the excess soil and pop them in a well-ventilated spot for curing. Once they’re ready, tuck them away in breathable containers or baskets in a dark corner. Each plant should reward you with 3 to 5 lovely sweet potatoes, and if you’ve cured them properly, they’ll keep splendidly for 6 to 9 months.

Do keep checking on your stored treasures now and then—any poorly looking ones should be removed straight away to keep the others safe. The trick to successful storage is keeping those temperature and humidity levels steady as she goes.

Ready to get planting?

All you need to start is a sweet potato and some soil. Of course, you also need to take care of it a little, through watering and weeding. If you are keen to learn more about plants that work well in a vegetable garden, you can read our articles on the topic. Our comprehensive guide on starting a vegetable garden will help you with the first steps. Or are you looking for specific information? How about a timeline when to fertilise what? Any more questions? Then leave a comment. You can also write us your tips if you have any. We are always happy to hear your ideas.

Happy gardening!

Louis Hooft

Founder & Lawn expert

Introducing Louis Hooft, the founder of MOOWY and your reliable expert. With a profound love for stunning lawns and extensive experience in garden maintenance, Louis is here to assist garden enthusiasts in achieving a greener and livelier outdoors than ever before. Count on Louis for invaluable tips, clever tricks, and top-notch products to make your garden flourish!