How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
I had a desire for to grow my own sweet potatoes for the first time in 2020. A sweet potato slip or plant had already started sprouting from my sweet potato that I had stored in the kitchen. The sweet potato was an organic potato that come from a farmer at the farmer’s market. In the past he had explored heirloom varieties so I had hoped that was the case with this particular potato.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have many benefits. According to Healthline, they contain vitamins A and C, along with a ton of antioxidants.
I like to follow the blood type recommendations for beneficial nutrition. In this plan, sweet potatoes are excellent for O blood types.
How to start to grow
Growing this potato started with what many call “slips”. They are the tiny little plants that form on the potato. I took the potato I had in my kitchen that had already seemed to be sprouting, similar to how regular potatoes sprout. I took my sweet potato and cut it in half, keeping the sprout side up, and placing the cut base in the dish. For several weeks I would gently take the sprouts as they grew on the potato, and put them into a cup of water to let the roots develop. When the roots have a large root ball in the cup, they are ready to plant. I will post a photo of the roots as we get closer to spring.
Depending on your zone, it is best to plant after the frost is completely out of the ground.
As your plants grow, you may see sweet potato blooms grow in between the green foliage. It may not always happen. If you see the blooms, they look like this.
Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Once the greenery starts to turn yellowish or around 100-110 days growing in the soil, it is time to harvest. Gently dig the potatoes out of the soil. They will be connected to the roots, often together. However tempting it can be to wait, do not wait for frost to harvest! Try to harvest during a cloudy day.
Do not wash the sweet potatoes. The will need to be stored, covered in a warm humid space for 2 weeks. During this curing time, the skins will toughen and skin over some of the damaged areas. After 2 weeks, store them in a cooler dark space. As a side note, properly cured sweet potatoes can last over 6 months!
This is a great link (Gardening Know How) to describe more of why you have to be really care to harvest properly.
Serve as a meal or side dish! Don’t forget to add a little maple syrup and lots of butter!
Equipment that may be helpful:
Gardening gloves (these are awesome)
Plant Propagation Station for root sprouting
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Sweet potatoes have many benefits. They contain vitamins A and C, along with a ton of antioxidants. Even though they take a little effort, they are SO worth it to grow!