Tips For Growing Sweet Potatoes

Tips for Growing Sweet Potatoes

Choosing the Right Variety of Sweet Potato

Are you unsure about what variety of sweet potato to choose for your garden? Don't worry; this article will guide you in selecting the perfect variety for your needs. Sweet potatoes come in various forms and colors. Some thrive in specific soil conditions or regions. By picking the right variety, you can ensure a better yield and a sweeter harvest.

Preparing the Soil for Sweet Potato Planting

Before planting sweet potatoes, it's essential to make sure that the soil is prepared adequately to ensure a bountiful harvest. Below are some tips on how to prepare the soil for sweet potato planting:

1. Choose an appropriate location: Sweet potatoes require a location with well-draining, loose, and fertile soil. Choose a spot that receives full sun for at least six hours a day.
2. Clear the area: Remove any grass, weeds, rocks, or debris from the area where you intend to plant your sweet potatoes. Clearing the area ensures that no competing plants will sap nutrients from your sweet potato vines.
3. Loosen the soil: Use a tiller or garden fork to loosen the soil to a depth of 10-12 inches. Often, sweet potato roots can grow quite deeply, so loosened soil allows the roots to penetrate deeper and encourages good drainage.
4. Amend the soil: Sweet potatoes thrive in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.0-6.5. Use a soil test kit to determine the soil's pH. If the pH is too high, incorporate elemental sulfur or ammonium sulfate into the soil to lower it. If the pH is too low, slowly add lime over several weeks to raise the pH. You can also add a good all-purpose fertilizer to the soil for nutrients.
5. Form ridges: Create low, rounded ridges or hills in the soil, about 8-10 inches high and spaced 3-4 feet apart. Then, use a garden hoe to make a 4-inch-deep furrow down the center of each ridge.
6. Water the soil: Water the ridges thoroughly the day before planting your sweet potato vines to ensure good soil moisture conditions. Sweet potatoes require consistent soil moisture levels, so be sure to keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season.

Once the soil is prepared, you can then plant your sweet potato vines and watch them grow into a thriving and bountiful harvest.

Planting and Caring for Sweet Potato Slips

Once you have your sweet potato slips that have been properly sprouted, it is time to plant them. Here are some steps to follow for successful planting and care:

1. Choose the right spot: Sweet potatoes need warmth and sunlight, so choose a spot in your garden that receives full sun for most of the day.
2. Prepare the soil: Sweet potatoes thrive in loose, well-draining soil. Before planting, prepare the soil by removing any rocks or debris and loosening the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches.
3. Plant the slips: Plant the sweet potato slips in rows, leaving about a foot of space between each slip. Make sure to plant them deep enough so that only the top leaves are showing above ground.
4. Water regularly: Sweet potatoes need consistent moisture in order to thrive. Water them regularly, but be careful not to overwater.
5. Fertilize: Sweet potatoes are heavy feeders and benefit from regular fertilization. Apply a balanced fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season.
6. Weed often: Sweet potatoes do not compete well with weeds, so it is important to weed regularly. Weeds can be pulled by hand or removed with a hoe.
7. Harvest: Sweet potatoes are ready to be harvested when the leaves start turning yellow and the vines begin to die back. Carefully dig up the sweet potatoes using a garden fork, being careful not to damage them.

If you follow these tips for growing sweet potatoes, you will be well on your way to a bountiful harvest of this delicious and nutrient-rich crop.

Watering Sweet Potatoes

Proper watering is incredibly important when it comes to growing sweet potatoes. While they can tolerate some drought, they will not produce the best yields if they are not consistently watered.

It is best to water sweet potatoes deeply once a week rather than giving them frequent shallow waterings. This helps encourage deeper root growth, which makes the plants more resilient to drought conditions.

Make sure the soil has good drainage to prevent the roots from becoming waterlogged, which can lead to rotting and disease. You can check the soil moisture levels by sticking your finger an inch or two into the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water.

Fertilizing Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are heavy feeders and require a steady supply of nutrients throughout the growing season. They are particularly hungry for nitrogen, which helps with leafy growth, and potassium, which encourages root development and overall plant health.

Before planting sweet potatoes, you should amend the soil with plenty of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure. This will help provide a slow release of nutrients throughout the season.

Additionally, you can fertilize sweet potatoes throughout the growing season with a balanced fertilizer or one that is higher in potassium than nitrogen. Be sure to follow the package instructions for application rates.

Note that too much nitrogen can lead to plenty of leafy growth but a poor harvest of sweet potatoes, so be careful not to overdo it.

Harvesting and Storing Sweet Potatoes

Harvesting sweet potatoes is an exciting process as you can finally see the fruits of all your labor. After several months of growing, your sweet potatoes are finally ready for harvesting. Depending on when you planted the sweet potatoes, the harvest can take place anywhere between 90 to 170 days. Below is a helpful guide to harvesting and storing sweet potatoes.

1. Timing: Harvest sweet potatoes when the leaves start to yellow and the plant begins to wither. This generally happens after the first frost, usually in late September or early October. Don't wait too long as the sweet potatoes can deteriorate in quality if left in the ground for too long.
2. Digging: Use a garden fork or shovel to dig gently into the soil around the plant. Be careful not to injure the sweet potatoes while digging. Once you have loosened the soil, lift the plant and shake off any loose soil. Remove the sweet potatoes by gently pulling them off the roots.
3. Curing: Curing sweet potatoes improves their taste and texture. Gently brush off any dirt or debris from the sweet potatoes and then place them in a warm and humid place for 10 days. The ideal temperature for curing is between 80-85°F, and the humidity should be around 90%. This process allows the sweet potatoes to heal any small cuts or bruises and convert the potato's starch into sugar.
4. Storing: After curing, store the sweet potatoes in a cool and dry area. A root cellar or pantry is ideal for storing sweet potatoes. They can last up to six months if stored correctly.
5. Tips: Avoid washing the sweet potatoes before storing them, as the moisture can cause them to rot. Also, discard any sweet potatoes that show signs of decay or disease to prevent any contamination.

By following these simple tips for harvesting and storing sweet potatoes, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all year round.

Common Pests and Diseases of Sweet Potatoes and How to Prevent Them

Just like any other crop, sweet potatoes are vulnerable to pests and diseases that can hinder their growth and yield. It is essential to be familiar with the most common sweet potato pests and diseases and their prevention measures to ensure a successful harvest.

Here are some of the most common pests and diseases that affect sweet potatoes and ways to prevent them.

1. Sweet Potato Weevils

   Sweet potato weevils are one of the most destructive pests of sweet potatoes. They feed on the leaves, stems, and roots of the sweet potato plant and cause significant damage to the crop. To prevent sweet potato weevils:

   • Make sure the slips or cuttings planted are from healthy plants.
   • Rotate crops to avoid re-infestation.
   • Remove any infected or infested plants immediately to prevent the spread of the pest.
   • Apply neem oil or pyrethrin-based insecticides to control sweet potato weevils.

2. Sweet Potato Whiteflies

   Sweet potato whiteflies are small, sap-sucking insects that can cause significant damage to sweet potatoes. They feed on the leaves of the plant, causing wilting and yellowing. To prevent sweet potato whiteflies:

   • Use yellow sticky traps to monitor and trap adult whiteflies.
   • Cover plants with floating row covers to exclude adult whiteflies.
   • Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to control the whiteflies.

3. Sweet Potato Scab

   Sweet potato scab is a fungal disease that causes raised, scabby lesions on the surface of sweet potato roots, making them unappealing and unmarketable. To prevent sweet potato scab:

   • Plant scab-resistant varieties of sweet potatoes.
   • Avoid planting in soils with a high pH or low organic matter.
   • Practice crop rotation to reduce the buildup of the scab fungus in the soil.

4. Sweet Potato Leaf Curl

   Sweet potato leaf curl is a viral disease that causes the leaves of the sweet potato plant to curl, twist, and become distorted. The leaves may turn yellow or white, and the plant may become stunted. To prevent sweet potato leaf curl:

   • Remove any infected plants immediately and destroy them to prevent the spread of the virus.
   • Use insecticides to control the whiteflies that spread the virus.
   • Avoid planting sweet potatoes in areas with a history of sweet potato leaf curl infections.

By following these prevention measures, you can minimize the risks of losing your sweet potato crop to pests and diseases and ensure a bountiful harvest.