In the realm of home gardening, there exists an inexhaustible wellspring of possibilities waiting to be explored. Yet, amidst the kaleidoscope of botanical wonders, one humble root vegetable often stands overlooked: the sweet potato.
Beyond its reputation as a staple ingredient in comfort food classics, the sweet potato possesses a remarkable potential to elevate the very essence of home gardening. It offers not only an abundant harvest but also a gateway to a deeper connection with the earth and the culinary delights it yields.
In this journey beyond the basics, we delve into the art and science of cultivating sweet potatoes in the comfort of your own garden. We'll uncover the secrets to nurturing robust vines that yield bountiful tubers, explore innovative cultivation techniques, and discover the myriad culinary possibilities that arise from a successful harvest.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener seeking to expand your horizons or a novice with a passion for homegrown goodness, join us as we embark on an enriching odyssey to elevate your garden with the unparalleled sweetness of homegrown sweet potatoes.
What is Sweet Potato?
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a starchy, root vegetable that belongs to the Convolvulaceae family, which also includes morning glory and bindweed. It is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and has been cultivated for thousands of years for its edible tuberous roots.
Sweet potatoes come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, including orange, white, yellow, and purple. They are often characterized by their sweet flavor and moist texture when cooked, which sets them apart from regular potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).
This sweetness is due to the presence of natural sugars, primarily sucrose, glucose, and fructose, as well as their high content of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
The varieties of Sweet Potato?
Beauregard: This is one of the most widely grown sweet potato varieties, known for its high yields and excellent flavor. Beauregard sweet potatoes have a reddish-orange skin and moist, orange flesh. They are versatile and suitable for various culinary uses.
Covington: A sweet potatoes are prized for their uniform shape, smooth skin, and sweet flavor. They have a reddish-copper skin and vibrant orange flesh. Covingtons are known for their resistance to diseases and cracking, making them a popular choice for commercial growers.
Georgia Jet: An early-maturing variety with dark orange skin and moist, deep-orange flesh. They have a sweet flavor and are often favored for their quick growth and high yields, making them ideal for short growing seasons.
Jewel: Renowned for their rich, sweet flavor and vibrant orange flesh. They have a reddish-orange skin and are prized for their excellent storage qualities. Jewels are versatile and can be used in a variety of culinary applications.
Hannah: Unlike most sweet potatoes, Hannah sweet potatoes have a pale, creamy skin and flesh. They have a mildly sweet flavor and creamy texture, making them a popular choice for roasting, mashing, and baking.
Purple Sweet Potatoes: These varieties, such as Purple Majesty and Okinawan sweet potatoes, have deep purple skin and flesh. They are rich in antioxidants and have a slightly sweet flavor with earthy undertones. Purple sweet potatoes add vibrant color and unique flavor to dishes.
Japanese Sweet Potatoes: Japanese sweet potatoes, such as Satsumaimo and Murasaki, are popular in Asian cuisine. They have reddish-purple skin and creamy white or pale yellow flesh. Japanese sweet potatoes are known for their chestnut-like flavor and creamy texture when cooked.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Your Own Harvest
Step 1: Preparing Soil
Choose a sunny location in your backyard with well-drained, loose soil. Sweet potatoes thrive in loose, sandy loam soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.2. Prepare the soil by tilling to a depth of 8-10 inches and incorporating organic matter such as compost or aged manure to improve fertility and drainage.
Step 2 : Starting Slips
Sweet potatoes are grown from "slips," which are small sprouts that grow from mature sweet potatoes. Start slips indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in your area. To do this, suspend a sweet potato in a glass of water, ensuring that half of it is submerged. Place the glass in a warm, sunny location and wait for the slips to grow roots and shoots.
Step 3: Transplanting Slips
Once the slips have grown to about 6-8 inches in length and have developed roots, they are ready for transplanting. Carefully remove the slips from the sweet potato and plant them in prepared soil, spacing them 12-18 inches apart in rows that are 3 feet apart.
Tip: Dig Deep
Simply starting with a well prepped site can allow a very respectable harvest with very little work after planting. Raised beds are ideal for sweet potatoes, not just because they encourage loose and un-compacted soil (which sweet potatoes love), but they are easy to harvest from.
You can even grow sweet potatoes in large pots or buckets! If raised beds are not possible, dig down into your planned bed at least 12” and create mounded rows or hills for each plant. This adds extra inches for tuber development. As you prep your beds, make sure to incorporate plenty of organic matter. Rotted leaves, compost, and composted manure are excellent choices.
Step 4: Providing Proper Care
Water newly planted slips thoroughly to help them establish roots. Once established, sweet potatoes require consistent watering throughout the growing season, particularly during dry periods. Mulch around the plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Tip: Water Well
The first two weeks are crucial for establishment, so keep them well watered during this time. But don’t let them get too dry during their growth either. Sweet potatoes will be overly stressed if they get too dry, and a stressed plant will not put energy into tuber growth. Like the rest of your garden, about 1” of water a week is a good guideline.
Step 5: Fertilizing
Sweet potatoes are heavy feeders and benefit from regular fertilization. Apply Bone meal and kelp meal, a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10 or 12-12-12) or compost tea every 3-4 weeks during the growing season, taking care not to over-fertilize, which can lead to excessive vine growth at the expense of tuber development.
More Fertilizing Details
Sweet potatoes are the crop that made us a believer in having our soil tested as part of our pre-garden prepping. We got lucky the first year we planted them, and had a beautiful harvest of large, tasty tubers. The second year we were not so lucky, and while we had luscious and healthy greens, we got barely any potatoes, the ones I did pull were stunted and scrawny.
The culprit? Too much nitrogen in the soil! When you have high levels of nitrogen in your soil naturally or because of things you are adding, (wood chips and chicken poop for example) you will get lots of leaf growth, but very little fruit development. Do yourself a favor and contact your local agency to find out how to conduct your own soil test.
This will give you a good baseline on your soil health, and what you can safely add as a fertilizer without throwing things out of balance. You should read up on this if you’re not schooled on it, but for quick reference, nitrogen is the first # in the NPK sequence. Bone meal, kelp meal, and green sand are my favorite organic choices for sweet potatoes that are lower in nitrogen than potassium and phosphorus.
Don’t over-fertilize! Sweet potatoes are not heavy feeders, so these should just be an occasional snack if your soil is less than ideal.
Step 6: Managing Vine Growth
As sweet potato vines grow, they can become unruly. Train vines to grow along the ground or trellises to maximize space and prevent overcrowding. Remove any side shoots that emerge from the main vines to encourage energy to be directed towards tuber production.
Tip: Keep the Vines in Check
Most sweet potatoes are vining in nature, and enthusiastic ones at that. Left on their own to grow, they can quickly spread to every corner of your garden, which can be a lovely living mulch, but if you want big tubers, you’ll need to keep the vines snipped back to within 3 feet of the mother plant.
Keeping them regularly pruned also allows for easier harvesting as it’s easier to find where you originally planted. It’s not a waste though, sweet potato greens are delicious!
Step 7: Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are typically ready for harvest 90-120 days after planting, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Harvest sweet potatoes carefully to avoid damaging the delicate tubers. Gently dig around the plants with a garden fork, being mindful not to pierce or bruise the tubers.
Curing and Storing
Cure sweet potatoes by allowing them to dry in a warm, humid location for 7-10 days. This process helps to heal any cuts or bruises and improves flavor and storage life. Store cured sweet potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area, where they can last for several months if properly handled.
Enjoying Your Harvest
With your homegrown sweet potatoes harvested and stored, it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Whether roasted, mashed, baked, or incorporated into your favorite recipes, savor the sweet and nutritious bounty of your backyard harvest.
What are you waiting for? It's time to roll up your sleeves, pick up your gardening tools, and dig into the earth with anticipation. With each turn of the soil, you're not just preparing for the new season; you're sowing the seeds of a future filled with the sweet satisfaction of homegrown goodness.
As you plant, nurture, and tend to your sweet potato vines, envision the bountiful harvest that awaits you. Picture the warmth of the sun on your skin, the earthy scent of freshly turned soil, and the joy of plucking ripe sweet potatoes from the ground.
And when the time comes to harvest, imagine the delight of baking those sweet, caramelized tubers to perfection, filling your home with the irresistible aroma of wholesome goodness. So, let's get started – embrace the journey of growing your own sweet potatoes, and before you know it, you'll be savoring the fruits of your labor in every delectable bite.
