Sweet Potato - Ipomoea batatas

The sweet potato is initially grown in a pot and, once sprouted, can be planted in open ground if the summers are warm. For cooler regions, prefer growing under cover (heated if necessary) or in a pot.

Germination occurs in March. Transplanting into open ground in sunny regions takes place around mid-May, when the risk of frost is eliminated and the soil is sufficiently warmed. Sweet potato cultivation requires average temperatures above 20°C (68°F), ideally around 25°C (77°F).

Germination: place the sweet potato, pointed end down, in a jar of water. Insert 4 matches into the middle of the tuber to hold it on the container, as with an avocado. The water should reach halfway up the sweet potato. Place the jar near a window, in the light, in a room at 20°C (68°F). You can also germinate the sweet potato under a cold frame or in a greenhouse. Lay the sweet potato flat, half-buried in sandy soil. When the buds reach 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in), remove them with a small piece of tuber. Transplant them into buckets, still kept warm.

From mid-May, transplant the plants into open ground in hot summers regions, under cover for cooler regions, or place them in a large pot.

In open ground and under cover: The sweet potato grows well in most types of soil, with a preference for loose, slightly sandy, well-drained, and fertile soil. Choose a very sunny location. Add well-rotted compost in the previous autumn. Loosen the soil deeply. Space the rows 90 cm (35in) apart. Mound up the soil along the entire row to form a 15 cm (6in) high ridge. Flatten the top and plant the obtained plants every 30 cm (12in). Hill up the plants when the stems are well-developed. Water very regularly. In our regions, the sweet potato is grown as an annual.

In pots: transplant the plants into pots with a diameter of at least 30 cm (12in), filled with a mixture of potting soil and garden soil. Place the pots in full sun. Water regularly. Mound up the plants by adding potting soil. This way, you will obtain a beautiful plant and a small harvest will be possible in the same autumn, although it will be low.