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

03 Jun 16, Elizabeth (Australia - temperate climate)
I grew some this year, a friend of mine told me to fertilizer them ever 2 weeks and I gave them a bucket of water every night for quite a while, they are a little small but look to harvest them about a months time.
02 Dec 15, Genevieve (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Sydney and have been planting Kumara (red skin and white inside, as well as white skin and light purple inside) for the last 5 years. The leaves change shape and they are ready to harvest ( approx 3 months after they have been planted). Plucking the young leaves for greens doesn't seem to bother the plants. You can wrap individually in newspaper and store in an airy place and they have been known to last at least 5-6 months this way. The leaves don't go yellow much, the fruit in the ground are just re-sprouting.
16 Nov 15, Yvette Lama (USA - Zone 9b climate)
While recently visiting family in Auckland, New Zealand, we enjoyed the white flesh kumara...It was delicious!!! Looking for it here in America, specifically Southern California, has proven to be very difficult!!! We have orange flesh sweet potatoes, but nothing like the yummie taste of the white flesh kumara!!! Anyone here in the USA know where we can find it? I would LOVE to add it to my vegetable/fruit garden.
19 May 16, Gary (USA - Zone 9b climate)
For a white-fleshed sweet potato in southern California, look for "boniato." It's a variety much used in the Caribbean. I don't know if it's the same variety as is grown in NZ, but give it a try.
02 Nov 15, John Matthews (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I'm in tamborine Brisbane I would like some real Nz kumara that is red on the outside lemon on the inside,if you have any spare could you send me some quite willing to pay freight and pay for them. Regards John (A kiwi missing his kumara)
25 Apr 16, John Yarwood (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi John, i'm another Kiwi called John and really stressing for proper kumara, i don't like this sweet potato here it isn't even close to proper kumara, did you manage to get hold of any plants at all, i live in Park Ridge South not far from you at all, like to get in touch with you, thanks mate.
10 Jun 16, Janet (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i have a crop of kumara growing from some i purchased in Woolworths (though not seen often, but they have some at present) I cut the top off one, let it dry a bit and then put in small amount of water, grew several runners, which i then planted out. I did put some sand in the garden bed though, as I always remember my dad telling me the Maori used to grow their kumara in the sandhills. Seems to have worked well.
21 Jul 16, Stami (Australia - temperate climate)
Greenpatch Organic Seeds sells plants of the Kumara sweet potato - The original New Zealand variety if your still looking. https://www.greenpatchseeds.com.au/organic-nursery-plants/herbs-edibles/sweet-potato-kumara.html#fndtn-product_info
23 Nov 15, Martin (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi John, I have been growing Kumara in loganholme very successfully and can assist you with runners. Once you have growen them you can keep growing them from your own runners. If you would like to pick some up just give me an email
13 Jul 16, susan johnson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello Martin, Is your kumera the NZ variety - lemon flesh streaked with purple? The taste is nothing like sweet potato we have in Australia. If so I would dearly love to have some of yours! I'm very happy to pay! ! I'm in Maleny. Susan
Showing 201 - 210 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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