Guide to Growing Sweet Potatoes

The traditional foods of a Thanksgiving dinner are sure to include a casserole dish full of sweet potatoes. They are peeled and chopped, mixed with brown sugar, marshmallows, and a few pecans; and baked in the oven until they are a dark orange color. After Thanksgiving, sweet potatoes are rarely included in family dinners, except perhaps making one last appearance at the Christmas dinner before disappearing again until the next Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving. They are good all year long, and nothing tastes better than the sweet potatoes you have grown in your own garden.

Growing sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes, a member of the morning glory family, are grown from small sprouts known as slips, and the variety you will want to plant will depend in part on if you live in a warm or cool climate. A short-season variety will work well in a cool climate. In warmer climates, try both a short-season and long-season variety to ensure you have sweet potatoes for several months. Another thing to consider before deciding on which variety to plant, is if sweet potatoes are prone to diseases in your area such as black rot. Check with your local gardening extension office for more information on which variety will grow well in your area.

If you have planted sweet potatoes before, one of the most important things to remember is to rotate them each year. This will help keep insect and disease damage to a minimum. Sweet potatoes can be grown in containers as long as the container is large and you change the soil each year. Sweet potatoes grow best in soil with a pH balance of 5.6 to 6.5. A five to six-inch layer of compost will help balance the soil pH and discourage diseases.

Sweet potatoes should be planted four months before harvesting in mounded rows approximately 15 inches wide and three feet apart. The slips need to be planted in the mounds 12 inches apart and up to their first set of leaves. To help control weeds mulch around the mounds with straw or lay black plastic on the ground two weeks before planting. The black plastic will also help heat the ground and retain moisture.

Harvest your sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be harvested after the first frost. Rake away the vines and dig up the tubers. Cure them for about three weeks and then store them in a cool, dark spot. With proper storage, sweet potatoes can last up to six months.

Nutritional value of sweet potatoes

The skin of a sweet potato is a good source of vitamin C and is full of antioxidants. They contain beta-carotene, vitamins E and C, and potassium.

Source: Master Gardener Classes

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