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

09 May 18, Godfrey Ramatlhape (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
If my vine sweet potatoes are growing fast how must i prevent them to do so and how often must I watering them per a week or monthly?
16 Oct 18, Marie (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Godfrey, did you know that you can harvest some of the leads and cook them like spinach? Watering depends on your soil type. Keep the soil moist, but never too wet, since your tubers will not.
12 Apr 18, Dale Westergard (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
I live in Utah, USA. We grow most vegetables here, and potatoes do well. Where could we obtain some starts (slips), etc. to start growing kumara? I've been to NZ several times, enjoying everything about Aotearoa, especially, Kumara. Would appreciate any helps/suggestions. thank you. Dale Westergard.
25 Mar 18, Julie Casidy (New Zealand - temperate climate)
When should I dig up Kumara? I didn't get them into the ground until late in spring. Should I do so before the first frost? I live in Wellington and never grown them. Yours thankfully Julie
30 Mar 18, Prakash Chandra (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
You can dig out Kumasi when you see the end of vines and the leaves are turning yellow or just take a hand fork and dig around one plant carefully and see but do not dig the plant outright
21 Mar 18, Kathy charles (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted 3 tubers of yellow and 1 purple sweet potato in October 2017 now March have picked first purple one but cannot find even a little yellow tuber. Healthy looking plants but WHY no s/potato. Thank you in advance
23 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Cut off some runners/vine and plant them - better than tubers. About 18
10 Mar 18, Greg (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm in Ipswich , SE QLD. I planted five purple sweet potato slips back at the beginning of August (2017). They have been in the ground seven months. They have grown well but have not flowered or died back at all, unlike the normal orange ones i grew the previous year. I've had a little bit of a dig around but have not found any tubers at all. Has anyone grown these before in my climate and should i be expecting to find tubers by now? Perhaps they went in at the wrong time of year? If i could upload a photo here, i would. Thanks for your help!
11 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I planted the orange ones one summer and they produced heaps. The next year nearly nothing. I talked to a farmer a few months ago and they plant slips. That is they go onto an existing growing crop about 6-8 weeks old and they take slips/runners/vine
13 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
They cut this off from my post. You need a slip about 18
Showing 121 - 130 of 309 comments

I live in the Redlands on the sourthern outskirts of Brisbane. I am trying to grow sweet potatoes for the first time. I have grown my own slips and planted them out and the vines are growing nicely. What I would like to know is where do the tubers grow from. Is it from the base of the slip or from the vines. Also I only have one vine growing from each plant. Do I need more than one vine and if so how do I encourage the extra vines.

- bernie

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