Sweet Potato - Ipomoea batatas
Sweet Potato - Ipomoea batatas
Ipomoea batatas
Sweet Potato, Yam
I don't understand why you sent me a sweet potato tuber at this time, as it needs to be sprouted in March before planting. Disappointed.
Christine N., 04/05/2018
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Available in 2 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
Available in 2 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty
More information
We guarantee the quality of our plants for a full growing cycle, and will replace at our expense any plant that fails to recover under normal climatic and planting conditions.
Description
The sweet potato is a root vegetable native to South America. Its elongated tuber with a slightly sweet taste is cooked like a potato. The plant's foliage is highly decorative. In March, start it sprouting and then, depending on the climate, plant it in open ground or under a possibly heated shelter. It can also be grown in a large pot. Harvesting takes place from September to November.
Standing only about twenty centimeters tall, this perennial plant can spread over several meters wide thanks to its long creeping stems. Belonging to the Convolvulaceae family and the genus Ipomoea, it has highly decorative foliage. Some varieties have been selected for their foliage and can be grown in the garden as ornamental plants, such as the Ipomoea Illusion Midnight Lace or the Ipomoea Sweet Heart Purple.
Vegetable varieties produce elongated tubers with flesh that can be white, yellow, orange, or purple. This exotic plant needs warmth and water to grow. Therefore, after sprouting, it can be planted in open ground in regions with hot summers. In cooler regions, opt for cultivation under shelter or in pots.
In terms of cooking, the sweet potato can be prepared like a regular potato (mashed, gratin, etc.). Its sweet taste also makes it suitable for use in desserts, such as cakes, pies, or jams. The edible leaves can be consumed like spinach. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin B6, and minerals (copper and manganese).
Harvesting: Sweet potatoes are short-day plants. Tubers start forming in September-October, when the foliage turns yellow. Just before harvesting, cut the foliage. Gently dig up the tubers with a fork, being careful not to damage them. Let them dry in the sun for a few hours. Harvesting should be completed before the first frost.
Storage: Sweet potatoes can be stored like regular potatoes. Keep them in a cool, dry place away from light.
Gardener's tip: Even though the plant provides cover, mulch the soil to keep it moist and reduce weed growth, especially at the beginning of the growing season.
Harvest
Plant habit
Foliage
Planting and care
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.
Cultivation
Care
Intended location
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.)
It will vary according to where you live:- In zones 9 to 10 (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), flowering will occur about 2 to 4 weeks earlier.
- In zones 6 to 7 (Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and lower mountainous regions), flowering will be delayed by 2 to 3 weeks.
- In zone 5 (Central Europe, Scandinavia), blooming will be delayed by 3 to 5 weeks.
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions located in USDA zone 8 (France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands).
It will vary according to where you live:
- In Mediterranean zones (Marseille, Madrid, Milan, etc.), autumn and winter are the best planting periods.
- In continental zones (Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, etc.), delay planting by 2 to 3 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 2 to 4 weeks in autumn.
- In mountainous regions (the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, etc.), it is best to plant in late spring (May-June) or late summer (August-September).
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
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