Sweet Potato Beauregard Plants - Ipomoea batatas

The Beauregard sweet potato is a variety that produces tubers with pinkish skin and orange flesh, of excellent taste quality. The sweet potato is a root vegetable native to South America. Its elongated tuber with a slightly sweet taste can be cooked like a potato. The plant's foliage is very decorative. The plug plants of this variety can be planted from April to June, after the last frost, in open ground, under shelter or in pots, depending on the climate. Harvesting takes place from September to November.

Standing at only about twenty centimetres tall, this perennial plant can spread over several metres wide thanks to its long creeping stems. Belonging to the family Convolvulaceae and the genus Ipomoea, it has very decorative foliage. Some varieties have been selected for their foliage and can be grown in gardens 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. It can be planted in open ground in regions with hot summers. In cooler regions, choose to grow it under shelter or in pots.

In terms of cooking, the sweet potato can be prepared like a regular potato (mashed, gratins, 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 such as copper and manganese.

Harvesting: Sweet potatoes are short-day plants. The formation of tubers begins in September-October, when the foliage turns yellow. Just before harvesting, cut the foliage. Gently lift the tubers with a garden fork, taking care not to damage them. Let them dry in the sun for a few hours. Harvesting should be completed before the first frosts.

Storage: Sweet potatoes can be stored like regular potatoes. Store them in a cool, dry place away from light.

Gardener's tip: Although the plant provides ground cover, mulch the soil to keep it moist and reduce weed growth, especially at the beginning of the growing season.