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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26 Sep 13, Debbie (Australia - temperate climate)
We are ex-pat Kiwis and now live near Port Macquarie NSW. Could you please tell us where we can access some real NZ Kumara plants?
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09 Apr 14, David (Australia - temperate climate)
I believe that it is illegal to import NZ kumara to Australia, so you will only be able to obtain propagating material from someone who has been growing it for years or has obtained it illegally. That said, it is certainly not impossible to find people growing it, but they probably won't be advertising it. Keep putting feelers out in forums like this. (0r you might be able to buy some from a supermarket and sprout that - Liz)
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08 May 14, Glen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi David. Not sure if it's kiwi kumera they have but check out The Diggera Club online. They even have NZ yams on there and post plants nationwide from Victoria. Hope this helps
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18 Feb 13, D JAMES (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can anyone tell me if all sweet potatoe vines leaves are edible I am a bit of a collector and have now about 5 different types of these real streetfighting trifods. They are such a wonderful tasty sustainable easy to grow plant everyone should have some in their garden.
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23 Feb 14, Elisabeth (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi D James, I just harvested the tips for my vietnamese friend, she just loves them, but made it clear the fresh tips. You can use them in soups as well. She stir fries them with wood ear mushrooms and other yummy flavours. She also eats the fresh tips of the pumpkin vines as well and does something similar. I think that we need to tap into these cultures that still have a lot of their traditional foods. E Rajesh
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13 Apr 14, Pat (Australia - temperate climate)
The leaves are edible. In Asia, people eat mostly the leaves. You can stir fry them with chilli and oyster sauce, or with curry powder.
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18 Dec 12, Nyasha (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am growing sweet potatoes for the first time. Got the tubers from the supermarket and kept them in my veggie drawer until they sprouted (approx. 1 month). I planted out 4 tubers in an area 3m x3m in August. I was told each vine would only reach 2 metres, but mine are growing a bit wild. I have had to cut the tips of the vines off because I have ran out of space. How often should sweet potatoes be watered?
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17 Dec 12, Simone (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have wanted to grow sweet pot for few years now. What size plot do we need for sweet potato? How big does a single tuber grow to?
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27 Nov 13, Elizabeth (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grow mine in a 1m square bed they grow as much as you let them. the tubers can grow huge depending on how long they have in the ground at the right temperatures. My last lot seemed to be fairly small but i think i dug them up to soon, 20 cm long and 5cm diameter.
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20 May 13, Wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
You can also grow in a very small plot - they grow suprisingly well suspended in a glass of water on the window sill. Use a few toothpicks to support on surface of water
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Hi there :-) found this thread while looking for a diagram of kumara (sweet potato) and thought this info might help you Jason. In early Feb, had this awesome fella come show us how to plant kumara in the traditional way, used successfully by Maori before European colonisation. I recently emailed him asking for general care and cultivation tips... this was his reply: "Kia ora ano sis, chur mean, glad to hear the kumara are in abundance! Have y'all pulled the runners up yet? - about 3 weeks ago you shouldve pulled up the runners on a sunny day and exposed the roots to the sun for a few hours to kill them. Otherwise the plants direct energy away from the tubers and into setting down new roots via the runners and your kumara wont be as big as they could. If you havent done it yet, still do! At that point you can also start harvesting the new shoots of vine growth - pick leaves and vines that are still that brighter green and use it like puha or watercress. If you eat mature leaves it might upset your stomach so kia tupato! (you probably already know all this!). This has same effect of directing energy to the tubers." For your reference, "puha and watercress" are greens that can be added to salads or boiled/blanched similar to spinach and silverbeet and "kia tupato" means I need to "be careful" - eating mature leaves can be harmful! Well, I am off to pull up the runners and expose them to the sun! Glad there is some today :-) Good luck with the kumara growing!! "As the garden grows so does the gardener." - Proverb

- Starrlite

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