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 USA - Zone 5a 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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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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09 Feb 17, eric pearson (Australia - temperate climate)
Do you cut the end of runners off
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09 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You certainly can cut the runners back. Kumera/sweet potato is a member of the same family as the blue flowered Morning Glory vine and needs containing to stop it spreading. Do not cut it back too hard as the leaves are also feeding the plant. the runners will form more sweet potatoes where they are in contact with the ground and can form roots. You could also put a stake in when you plant them next time and tie all of the growth to the stake then at the end of the season cut the growth off, let it dry and use it for mulch or compost. Trust this helps.
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16 Feb 17, Africanaussie (Australia - tropical climate)
You can eat the tender shoots like spinach!
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29 Dec 16, Robwyn Mugg (Australia - temperate climate)
When is the best time to plant sweet potato for Adelaide, S.A.? I have grown them in the past and only got a few as Curl Grubs ate the rest of my produce, they were planted in a raised bed.
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26 Nov 16, Sherry (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Where can I buy NZ Kumura to grow in my garden?
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24 Sep 16, Kay (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have planted slips that I grew about 2-3 months ago, The slips are in soil, in large plastic tubes with holes in the bottom & sides to drain as much water I can. We have had soooo much rain, & I checked the top & bottom soil. The top soil is dry, but the bottom soil is very wet. Should I leave them to do what it automatically do itself to grow, or remove the soil & slips & start again? I dug to bottom of the vines to see how they have been growing. The slips have lots of roots.
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19 Sep 16, gwen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
how long does it take to harvest the sweet potato, i planted mine in august and they are starting to grow now
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19 Sep 16, Gabrielle (Australia - temperate climate)
Lol... Not suitable for growing in Oz? Yams are a staple diet for our Indigenous Peoples, they've been growing them for centuries in Australia.
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Showing 181 - 190 of 307 comments
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I have had for over one year a half 200 litre plastic drum with a sweet potatoes growing in it. Just this past weekend I have dug around in the totally dry soil looking to see what was there. I did this with my hands after loosening it up with a garden fork all around the side of the drum. The leaves were not dying off in fact new shoots are forming. I only did this as we have had 1 week of dry hot weather. I harvested 3 very good sized spuds and put the rest back and topped up with well mulched soil. No extra fertilizer has been used and this is the second time I have turned this drum. As the soil lowers and parts of tubers show I top up with more well mulch soil. With watering and good old mother nature we have bought no sweet potatoes at all for quite some time. I have no idea how long they have been growing I don't garden like that.

- Garden Gnome

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