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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28 Jan 13, Kevin (Australia - temperate climate)
You need an area that will allow the runners that will grow from the cut pieces of tubers to run over a large area, Mine grow over approx 6x6 metres and still want to spread. Tubers can grow up to at least around 2 kilos or more.
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01 Jul 12, Peter Jakob (Australia - temperate climate)
i am living in melbourne has anyone grown maori kumara in Australia or is it possible to do so?
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23 Aug 12, Ferry (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i have been growing sweet potatoes for about two years i am still tweaking things to see what works best but it is defiantly possible. i live in the central coast and i harvested my first two of the season two days ago. i found it easier to start from a roots i got from a friend, that had started sprouting rather than planting seeds. they need quite a bit of sun but not full sun through the hottest of summer. i started with 3 roots with multiple spouts and harvested none in the first year to double my plants. this year i had to cut back half of them as i did not have room! some garden shops sell ornamental sweet potato that is not edible. my ones tasted just like sweet potato but fresher. my favorite way of eating them are peeled raw in salads, in pumpkin soup or lightly fried as a side
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17 May 12, Aaron (New Zealand - temperate climate)
hi what is the best way to store kumara thanks
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28 Mar 12, Raelene (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm not sure if it's the same type of sweet potato, but in Asia we eat the leaves - cook them lightly like spinach. From the photo on right it looks the same - I have just been given some shoots.... (Bear in mind this is different to potato leaves which cannot be eaten!)
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21 Mar 12, Malina Beatrice (USA - Zone 10a climate)
I found Kumara at Whole Foods in Encino, but they had them labeled "Japanese Sweet Potato." If I hadn't just seen them on a trip to NZ, I never would have known! Hope it helps.
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02 Jan 12, Lisa Baird (USA - Zone 6a climate)
I also long for NZ Kumara, and have been unable to find them in the states. Where can I order tubers for growing or for eating? I'll start a greenhouse if needed. Thank you.
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18 Nov 11, graham (USA - Zone 5a climate)
I would like to try to grow kumara potatoes in our green house as you say they need a long growing season. Can you advise me where I can buy tubers/seeds? Many thanks Graham
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26 Jun 18, timothy (USA - Zone 5b climate)
I get my slips from Pioneer Garden and Seed in Villa Park IL. I grew sweet potatoes for two summers with great harvests. I am not sure why they say 5b is not good for sweet potatoes.
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12 Oct 11, Sean Gallagher (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can you grow from store bought Sweet Potato
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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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