Try to allow at least 2 feet between a sweet potato vine and the nearest shrub. So, when last summer I decided to leave a single leftover sweet potato that I was using to create slips for field planting in the starting tote, I knew I was going against the grain. (Regular potatoes belong to the nightshade family). Plant your sweet potatoes in rows spaced 48 to 54 inches apart with 12 to 14 inches between each plant. To help increase their sweetness, place harvested sweet potatoes in a dark, warm room for at least two weeks before eating. Cover the seed potatoes with one to four inches of soil. Each year, Americans eat an average of 125 pounds of potatoes per person. Sweet potatoes are planted in May or June as soon as they are available. Nematodes can sometimes be a problem in Florida, so consider having your soil tested before you plant. I don't know about you, but I am so excited to get this growing season underway! This skin is essential for storing your sweet potatoes for any length of time. Growing Them in the Ground. Just wondering if anyone has any new growing experiences with either sweet or regular potatoes. Growing Potatoes in Florida. They won’t hurt your plant but could affect the tasty harvest you’re hoping to grow! Sweet potatoes are usually ready to harvest four to five months after planting. How To Grow Potatoes in Florida. Guide to Growing Sweet Potatoes in a Container Step 1: Be Sure the Pot Has Four or More Holes for Drainage. The ideal conditions for curing sweet potatoes is roughly 85°F with 90 percent humidity. In the North, cover the raised rows with black plastic to keep t… Most Sweet Potatoes are sown using slips (small plants provided by nurseries that are started from a crop of Sweet Potatoes). This allows some of the starch in the roots to convert to sugar. You’ll want to sink the “slip” down far into the mound, but not so far that the bud (the vine stem) is covered by dirt. Growing Sweet Potatoes – by Mark Govan, host of “Florida Gardening” heard on 970WFLA. Come in from walks and drives 2-1/2 to 3 feet. 1). We have a lot of local resources that can help you, as well as some at the State and even the Federal level. It is a nutritious, filling food that is high in Vitamin C, Potassium, Fiber, and Vitamin B-6. Growing Potatoes in Containers vs. Grow a lush beautiful vine from a bottleneck vase (or a glass soda bottle!) In fact, they do their best work in soil that isn’t heavy with water. See how easy it is to grow delicious sweet potatoes with expert tips and guides. Work the soil loose down deep so the sweet potato tubers grow long and smooth. Place each section in a jar or glass of water with half of the potato below the water and half above. Each year, Americans eat an average of 125 pounds of potatoes per person. when they came up and got a few inches long i cut some of the runners and stuck them around also. Container growing on the corners I could convince landlords to let me use. Step 2: Choose a Sunny Area.. Sweet potatoes are very picky about their location. Storing your sweet … It certainly was an exciting journey in growing the sweet potatoes. Tips for Growing Potatoes in Containers: 1. A sweet potato contains around one-and-a-half times the calories and vitamin C of the ordinary garden potato. I like growing potatoes in these 40 gallon grow-bags. Typically, sweet potatoes are grown from purchased slips, but it’s possible to root a store-bought sweet potato, as well. Avoid grocery store potatoes, since they're treated to prevent sprouting. These growing containers are lightweight, environmentally friendly, and made of fabric, so your potatoes get air as they grow. They’re also a great choice for our Florida summers. When growing a potted sweet potato plant, the first thing to consider is the choice of a suitable container. If you’re new to Florida, or new to gardening, you may not realize that you can actually grow quite a lot of food in Florida in Winter. I enjoy having sweet potatoes growing in my garden during the summer because they have such lush green foliage to look at when most everything else is dead or dying. Try to allow at least 2 feet between a sweet potato vine and the nearest shrub. How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Straw Bales. Place about four inches of soil in your container, place your sweet potato slips on top, then add about three more inches of soil to secure them. Select a container that is at least 16 inches in diameter and 16 inches (41 cm) high. Look for "seed potatoes" at a feed store or online. (A 10-foot row will produce 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes.) Slips are baby plants that sprout from a mature sweet potato. You can grow them starting in mid-Spring and the vines will flourish during the heat of Summer while growing wonderful treats underground to harvest in the Fall and early Winter. They just do. Soil Requirements. Follow the basic principles for planting outlined below, and you can be successful no matter which container you choose. This allows some of the starch in the roots to convert to sugar. Use toothpicks to hold the potato in place (Image 1). If you live in a cooler climate, one to two inches is best. Their young leaves have a reddish tint to them. The potato is one of America's most popular vegetables. You’ll get the best results planting right away, but even if they sit around and become slimy and stinky, they will STILL do fine if you get them in the ground. I grew them in a raised bed. Soon you’ll have a gorgeous decorative vine! Separate his shoots with the help of a sharp edge knife to apply sweet potato in the container. Sweet potatoes need heat to grow, so if it's too cold outside, keep the potato indoors. Curing Sweet Potatoes. You get the best of both worlds from them. The most difficult part of … While sweet potato slips are pretty tough little things, they do need to quickly get to growing like they were born to do. To help increase their sweetness, place harvested sweet potatoes in a dark, warm room for at least two weeks before eating. Container gardening in Florida can produce a lot of veggies and is a great option to keep your gardening dreams alive if all you have to work with is a small patio or balcony. Growing potatoes in containers can save space and simplify the process. If it is windy, you’re better off waiting until the next afternoon. They want to … Sweet potatoes are planted in May or June as soon as they are available. The process takes up to 10 days. Whether you decide to plant in beds or in grow bags, choose a spot that provides full-sunlight for most of the day. Native to the Americas, sweet potatoes are known for their colorful and tasty tubers. Daytime temperatures in the upper eighties and low nineties severely limit choices we have to grow in the garden. You may also freeze or can the resulting container grown sweet potatoes if desired. Before you plant sweet potato slips, you have a little extra work to do. Sweet potatoes will grow in poor soil, but deformed roots may develop in heavy clay or long and stringy in sandy dirt. Sweet potatoes will grow in poor soil, but deformed roots may develop in heavy clay or long and stringy in sandy dirt. Plant potatoes throughout the state in January; you can still plant them in February in North and Central Florida. Solanum tuberosum--also called the Irish potato--is a cool season crop. Consider growing your sweet potatoes near a fence in your yard to give it some additional support. In Texas, the most common food varieties planted are Beauregard, Centennial, Jewell, and Vardaman; the most popular is Beauregard. Growing sweet potatoes in pots. Growing Sweet Potatoes in Containers:The sweet potatoes not related to potatoes family. After adding the soil and manure, the sweet potato plants and the starter potatoes are ready to plant. Sweet potatoes grow best within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and above. The many blunders and successes of my own gardening projects over the years have been invaluable to me. Leave 36 inches between rows of potatoes. When you buy from us, we give you a guide that is provided to us straight from the grower. It takes 100 to 140 days for sweet potatoes to grow harvestable tubers, depending on the variety. I Also Drilled the Sides of the Container.. The best part about gardening is that there is usually more than one way to grow something. It will be nearly four months before your sweet potatoes are Use large containers: The larger your container, the more room your plants have to stretch out their roots and form tubers.Consider the following: Large Pots: Large pots and planters are ideal for growing potatoes. The sweet potatoes, since I am really really looking forward to them, will be watered with compost tea twice a week. Select a container that is at least 16 inches in diameter and 16 inches (41 cm) high. Plant them as soon as you receive them. These plants make ideal container plants for window boxes, surrounding a tall center plant, or spilling out of hanging baskets. as a houseplant. 'Centennial' and 'Beauregard' are two varieties that grow well in Florida gardens. I’m an over-educated, passionate, gardening and pet enthusiast, and I have found the perfect job! Be sure the pot has four or more holes for drainage. Container potatoes are also a really fun project to do with kids.The plants grow fast and produce a good yield for the space required. And remember, while the word "yam" is sometimes used to describe the sweet potato, a true yam comes from a totally different plant. Special thank you to Abby’s Organic Community Farm. The plant bears a heart shaped or palmately lobed leaves with flowers. First, the sweet potato foliage will spread far beyond the container. Like what you’re reading? These slips are about nine inches long and should be set in rows about one-foot apart with around four feet between rows. Remember to keep them away from onions and garlic which can make sweet potatoes rot quickly! Growing Sweet Potatoes In A Container. You can also find more information I’ve put together from my research on our website, Easy Eating: Top Container Garden Recipes. Planting Sweet Potato Container Crops. Growing sweet potatoes for a delicious harvest, and a beautiful plant in your garden. Not only do sweet potatoes grow well directly in the ground, but they also can grow in large containers or … Autumn Leaves in Florida may not be the idyllic multicolored leaf-fireworks show that it is in our northern neighboring states. Ideal spacing is 10-18” between each slip as you plant. Some of the varieties used are bush rather than regular vining sweet potatoes, while others are dwarf versions of … Patience will pay off with delicious and healthy sweet potatoes that will be equally at home on the dinner plate as a vegetable side or in a sweet pie served for dessert. Both types belong to the Ipomoea batata species, a tender perennial normally grown as an annual, and both ornamental and edible varieties are quite easy to … For some reason sweet potatoes intuitively know the weather. It is best to have about five inches of soil underneath them. Lots of water can even encourage fungus, which any Florida gardener know is an enormous problem for any garden plants. Choose trash cans, compost sacks, or burlap bags. Avoid plastic or metal containers, but clay is great and a whiskey barrel makes a fine choice. Once your sweet potatoes have sprouted, you have to separate them i… They require a long growing season, but will reward you greatly for your patience. In the next 3 months, the plant should grow more and more leaves and vines. Use large containers: The larger your container, the more room your plants have to stretch out their roots and form tubers.Consider the following: Large Pots: Large pots and planters are ideal for growing potatoes. Check out some more! Sweet potatoes don’t require a ton of water. Each sweet potato can produce up to 50 slip sprouts. Potatoes aren’t picky about which container they are grown in. I have toyed with the idea of turning one into a topiary just for fun! Growing Potatoes in Florida. Sweet potatoes can be planted in the spring through the end of June. To start your slips, you need several healthy, clean sweet potatoes. You can reduce disease problems with your sweet potatoes by having a two-year rotation between your crops. Sweet potatoes aren’t started by seed like most other vegetables, they’re started from slips—small rooted pieces of tuber which are sliced right off the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes aren’t finicky about the texture of the ground they grow in, but if your soil is full of rocks and clumps, you may end up with oddly shaped potatoes at the end of the season. I’ve always thought they make a lovely plant, even if you didn’t want to harvest the potatoes. Water and fertilize on a regular basis, and mound soil around the stems as the plants grow. This is my first attempt at growing sweet potatoes in my Florida back yard garden. Knowing your first and last frost dates will help you start your vegetable seeds at the right time. Sweet potatoes aren’t grown from seed like many other vegetables, they are started from slips – rooted sweet potato shoots grown from a mature sweet potato. The mighty potato is a staple root crop in most of the world. Solanum tuberosum, the scientific name for potato, also called the Irish potato, is a cool-season crop.It is grown commercially in Florida for both fresh market and chipping in the winter and spring months when the days are warm and the nights are cool. I don’t recommend storage in the refrigerator either, because any temperature below 55 degrees Fahrenheit changes the starches and sugars in the potato and degrades a lot of the nutritive value of this very tasty tuber. I live on Sanibel in SW Florida 10a. There are lots of dwarf varieties that you can choose to grow in pots, from lettuces to tomatoes to cucumbers to beans. Sweet potatoes. The sweet potato is a warm-season crop that requires a long growing season, ample sunlight and light-to-medium, well-drained soils to perform well. Happy Thanksgiving To All! Visit their website here. Plant the seed pieces with the cut sides down and the eyes or developing sprouts facing up 4 inches below the soil and 6 to 8 inches apart. The perfect crop for lazy gardeners like me! They easily damage (even a strong wind can hurt them!) Even dropping the potatoes into a harvest bucket will injure the skin. Once your sweet potatoes are done curing, store them in a cool, dry pantry—not the refrigerator! Growing sweet potatoes works best in loamy, well-drained soil that is not too rich. You start with a seed potato. Sweet potatoes come in two general forms: vegetable varieties bred for their edible roots, and as varieties bred specifically for their ornamental trailing foliage. Check if they are healthy, by looking at their color. Growing Sweet Potatoes In Florida. The principles are the same. they're all growing vines. Easily grow Sweet Potatoes in your home garden in Containers. Growing sweet potatoes is an adventure, and we hope that you will dive in and have fun with it! They grow well in sandy soil and don't require much fertilizing. Tips for Growing Potatoes in Containers: 1. Delaying planting means it will just take them a little longer to get going. They also have great natural drainage, ensuring your potatoes will … Look for transplants that are about 6 to 9 inches long. Via mail-order, you can purchase rooted cuttings called “slips” that are small, ready-to-grow plants. Recommended varieties of sweet potatoes for Florida are Porto Rico, Georgia Red, Jewel, Centennial, Coastal Sweet, Boniato, Sumor, Beauregard, Vardaman. The potato is one of America's most popular vegetables. Growing potatoes in containers is not that different than growing them in the ground. Sweet potato varieties that can be grown in Florida are Beauregard, Boniato, Centennial, Hernandez, and … (also known as): Ornamental Sweet Potato Place a slip in the vase, add some water, and place in a sunny spot. The sweet potato is often considered a garden plant, but it can actually be used as a house plant or grown in containers in most USDA Zones. Not only are they nutritious, the young leaves and shoots can provide you with a source of tender and mild-tasting leafy greens through the hot Florida summer. Shell’s Feed & Garden Supply sponsors the chickens and chicken coops there. You can grow almost any vegetable in a container. My writing is based on my studies in Biology and Health, and my experiences from gardening with my family as a child. Store in a cool, dry place between 55-60 F. (13-16 C.). For home gardeners, the best time to harvest sweet potatoes is immediately before or just after the first fall frost. Poke a hole in the mound, pour a little water into the hole, place the slip, then firm up the soil around it. Don’t ask me how they know. Many folks find it helpful to mulch the 3’ space between rows/beds to help the leaves in their efforts to keep weeds from encroaching on the grow mounds. In some parts of the country, that means that propagating your own plants will need to start about 6 to 12 weeks before the last frost date. Cut your seed potatoes, leaving at least one eye per section, and let them dry for a few days. I’ve had a lot of success with growing sweet potatoes in a container and hanging basket. and that can be an invitation for pests and disease to enter the plant and wreak havoc. Daytime temperatures in the upper eighties and low nineties severely limit choices we have to grow in the garden. In about three months, you'll be able to enjoy delicious homegrown potatoes. Sweet potatoes also like to remain moist, but don't like to sit in water. Americans eat an average of 125 lb. This variety is called Beauregard. Work in plenty of compost, avoiding nitrogen-rich fertilizers that produce lush vines and stunted tubes. The potato is one of America's most popular vegetables. Plant these slips deep enough to cover all of the roots and about 1/2 inch of the stem. You may choose to grow potatoes on the deck in order to have quick access to the smallest new potatoes. A.K.A. This guide will show you how to successfully grow this tasty vegetable in a variety of different mediums, including garbage bags, trash cans, and old tires. It is widely grown throughout warmer climates and is now gaining popularity in the UK using hardier cultivars and growing under protection in cooler regions. “True yams” are rarely found in U.S. grocery stores and are starchy, dry tubers from Africa. I always recommend working Shell’s Organic 3-3-3 into the mound as you work because it helps create a natural, bioavailable nutrient source for hungry plants. Florida: Vegetable Planting Calendar Planting vegetable seeds or transplants at the correct time is important to getting the most out of your garden. Loose soil is more critical than almost any other factor when it comes to growing sweet potatoes successfully. Submerge the bottom of the potato in the water. Slips or Store Bought Potatoes. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are grown as annual garden crops for their sweet, fleshy tubers, although they are … Solanum tuberosum--also called the Irish potato--is a cool season crop. And after all that hard work, you don’t want to do that. They only need about 1” of water once a week if it hasn’t rained. Last year’s leftover sweet potatoes are sprouting by spring and ready to become this year’s crop. Sweet potatoes are known to do better in poor, sandy soil and may in fact produce a great deal of vines at the expense of tubers in overly rich, over-fertilized soils. Growing Sweet potatoes Planting & Growing from Slips. How To Grow Potatoes in Florida. (Some people use potatoes right … Gardeners with less space should consider 'Vardaman', a bush type of sweet potato that's great for smaller gardens. The leaves of the sweet potato plant can be attractive. I grow and sell Georgia Jets which is an early variety need about 90-120 days from transplanted slips until the full size tubers can be harvested. Sweet potatoes are sometimes confused with yams. Thanks for reading! Within a few weeks these slips will grow into sprawling vines.Cutting from vines can also be used to start new plants. Storing your sweet potatoes at temperatures below 50°F can cause them to have an off flavor, or worse, rot. To create sprouts, carefully wash your potatoes and cut them either in half or in large sections. One of my favorite plants, the sweet potato, is easy to grow and a great choice for summer gardens. Anyone else growing sweet potatoes in plastic containers? We hope you are safe and happy celebrating home, and hearth, and food, and togetherness - even if it’s over video through the... Today, we’re going to talk a little bit about composting - because it’s trending right now! Over 3-4 weeks, slips will grow from the top of the potato, as long as the temperature of the jar never drops below 50 °F (10 °C). To keep them as nourished as possible, you’ll need to keep the area free of any other competition that would steal the precious nutrients they need. For the crafty. But we still get leaves that fall to the ground during this time of year. The Center for Landscape Conservation & Ecology, Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program, UF/IFAS Extension: Solutions for Your Life, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). For the tastiest sweet potatoes, always dig up the previous crop and start a new planting. In South Florida, plant them from October to January. Sweet potatoes need loose, well-drained soil to form large tubers. The sweet potato leaves are edible and they stay green all summer long, making them a beautiful hanging basket. I am slowly installing a food forest on my property and am currently doing a banana ring- papaya in the center, sweet potato as a ground cover and banana plants around the papaya. Sweet potatoes are an amazing vegetable. How to grow Sweet potatoes in the container are easy, if you are growing sweet potato in the container, First fill the container with the potting mix, and sand, and add about half a cup granulated organic fertilizer. Ideally, the pH is between 5.8 and 6.2, although, they will tolerate a more acidic pH to 5.0; Plant slips 10-12 inches apart and allows room for the vines to grow, they will create their own tropical ground cover. Grow your own slips from sweet potatoes or purchase slips. To sterilize a knife, soak the blade for five minutes in a solution of 1 part household bleach to 3 parts of water. Step Two: It is important to select the right container as all are not created equal. It’s important that when you pick them up from the store you plant them as soon as possible. This is usually about 6”. there is one more fun thing you can do with sweet potato slips beyond tasty garden treats. Thanks for stopping by. ... You Can Grow It: Sweet potatoes are easy to grow in your garden or containers. of potatoes per person each year. Irish potato varieties that can be grown in Florida are Gold Rush, Red Pontiac, and Yukon Gold. Most of us here in Florida don’t have root cellars so we usually store them in a cool dark spot. Some of the varieties used are bush rather than regular vining sweet potatoes, while others are dwarf versions of their … They're an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a great warm season crop for Florida. Each plant yielded 2 to 6 potatoes of varying sizes. Young sweet potatoes are using every ounce of energy to put up leaves that will generate more energy through photosynthesis. You can keep your sweet potatoes going throughout the season by using vine cuttings to create new plants. Soil prep is best done in advance, so that when the slips are brought to the garden they are ready to pop right into the ground. Next year I will save them some garden space and try again but in open ground this time. Sweet potatoes are typically started from transplants called "slips." The late, great, J.C. Raulston once said, “If you’re not killing plants, you’re not stretching yourself as a gardener.” Learn by doing, gain knowledge from the failures, but more importantly, relish the successes, (because they’re delicious!) Growing sweet potatoes can require a lot of space however, with the use of containers and compact varieties any gardener is able to grow their own. The ideal conditions for curing sweet potatoes is roughly 85°F with 90 percent humidity. Growing Sweet Potatoes – by Mark Govan, host of “Florida Gardening” heard on 970WFLA. Take care not to bruise the roots with a hoe, shovel, or other harvesting tool. While you could grow sweet potatoes slips yourself, it is always a good idea to start out with certified disease-free plants or vine cuttings from a reputable garden supply. It even has some protein! Rotating where you plant can help prevent problems with a major pest, the sweet-potato weevil (Cylas formicarius). Here’s our Top 5 Pro-Tips for growing Sweet Potatoes here in Florida. Once the vines are established, they are naturally multipurpose! Once your sweet potatoes are done curing, store them in a cool, dry pantry—not the refrigerator! It’s important that when you pick them up from the store … While sweet potatoes can be grown in tropical regions year-round, plants that are left to grow for too long can encourage pest populations, and the sweet potatoes eventually become too large and tough for most people's tastes. The blog this week is to help encourage you to pick out some fine Winter crops to grow this year, to give you a little time to... ©2020 Shell's Feed & Garden Supply | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Web Dev by Design Formare Inc. “Shell’s – Family Owned & Operated Since 1961”, Those are the top 5 Pro-Tips I have for sweet potato growing. Gina Welds Hulse (author) from Rockledge, Florida on July 22, 2017: Thank you, Martha and Chitrangada Sharan. Have you seen my hub: 'How to grow sweet potatoes in a container', published in April last year? This will take nutrients and effort away from the main tubers you are growing back at the original planting hole, making those smaller. Here are the necessary steps to grow sweet potatoes in containers: Step One: Select a variety of sweet potato that is ideal for growing in containers. This root crop has hundreds of varieties, some bred for their showy vines and others for the tasty potatoes (Fig. If you have a raised deck, fence, wall, or similar spot, the vines would serve as a lovely seasonal decoration as they spread and grow. Harvesting potatoes in a container is like a treasure hunt for kids: just turn over the container, and let them sort through the soil for delicious rewards! Sweet potato bloom. If you would like to know how to grow a big harvest of sweet potato watch this video for my five top tips on sweet potato growing! It is a nutritious, filling food that is high in Vitamin C, Potassium, Fiber, and Vitamin B-6. The ones in the smallest container grew all curly so I guess they needed more room to spread. above the ground. This is a very undemanding crop to grow; sweet potatoes are drought- and heat-tolerant and have few pests or diseases. Sweet potato weevils can be a serious problem and starting out with certified-free transplants can help you avoid issues. Plant the potatoes pieces about four inches apart in the container in late spring. good looking Sweet taters David,i'm hoping for a few myself but i planted very late.I bought some sweet taters from Tim sometime over the summer, cut the ends off them, and stuck them in the ground all around. After the threat of frost is gone, choose a spot for your container that gets full sun throughout the day. Marissa. You don't want the roots to face resistance when they try to expand within the soil. The only time to fuss with the vines is to lift the vine “elbows” out of the soil. Plant the sections in a six-inch deep trench in a spot that receives full sun. The root comes with smooth skin color ranges between yellow, red, brown, purple, and beige. It even has some protein! Sweet potatoes are ideal for growing in the South because they love to be warm at all times. 1 Choose a container that measures between 18 and 24 inches in width and 24 to 36 inches deep. Most varieties do well in the long growing season of the low desert. You can use this for amazing landscaping effect – sweet potatoes vines and flowers are beautiful (and the leaves are edible!). Often, people say you can’t grow certain things certain ways. Put the sweet potato in the jar and wait for 3-4 weeks. The sweet potato is suitable for growing in zones 3-11 as an annual, and zones 8-11 as a perennial. I am so glad you found the article helpful. Bonus Tips for growing sweet potatoes. The mighty potato is a staple root crop in most of the world. I bought the sweet potato plants at Home Depot. In the wheelbarrow are topsoil and composted manure which will go on top of the mulch. From our family to yours, we wish you the best of everything this holiday season, our Gratitude knows no end. These plants make ideal container plants for window boxes, surrounding a tall center plant, or spilling out of hanging baskets. Come in from walks and drives 2-1/2 to 3 feet. Around one week after you have planted the sweet potatoes in a pot, you should see some leaves growing. Give the container a through watering. Their flesh can be yellow, orange, or even purple. Let it air-dry. Thanks for reading, The sweet potato is often considered a garden plant, but it can actually be used as a house plant or grown in containers in most USDA Zones. Sweet potato grown from slips generally need at least 4 months of frost-free growing. They act as a natural mulch, shade the ground, and choke out the competition, while harboring moisture the plants need to grow strong and healthy. In warmer climates, three to four inches is good. Full sun conditions with six to eight hours of light and ambient temperatures of around 60 F. (16 C.) will provide the best conditions for growing potatoes in containers. Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams. Skip Navigation. The great thing about gardening is that it is a life-long learning process. They not only grow sweet, nutritious tubers under the ground, but also have beautiful foliage (and flowers!) Try to avoid disturbing the vines as much as you can. Want to grow more delicious vegetables? The sweet potato root has a delicate skin that is easily bruised at harvest. When growing potatoes, it is important to take into consideration the time it … As the stems grow upward, continue to add more of you soil mix until the level reaches the top of the container. For more information on growing sweet potatoes, contact your county Extension office. The sweet potato is a large, sweet-tasting root of the morning glory family. Composting Is The New Trendy Socially-Responsible Practice, Top 5 Winter Crops You Will Want To Plant In Florida This Year. Sweet potatoes will do best when they receive a consistent supply of water often; inconsistent watering can cause your sweet potatoes to split while growing. Those elbows, if left in the soil, will set new plants, which will set new tubers. Written by Trish Michaels June 25, 2013 4 Comments. Join our gardening community, and sign up for our email newsletter, for helpful free articles, resources, inspiration, and more! To create the perfect environment, create long, wide, 10-inch-high ridges spaced 3½ feet apart. Via mail-order, you can purchase rooted cuttings called “slips” that are small, ready-to-grow plants. Plant in full sun and compost-enriched, well-draining soil. Sweet potatoes need a loamy soil with a pH between 5.0-6.5. Once you’ve harvested your sweet potatoes they will need to dry in a well-ventilated and shaded area to grow a thick skin. They will grow best when they are set in the ground in the late afternoon on a sunny day that is NOT windy. ready to harvest. Where to Grow Potatoes in a Container. To increase the humidity, place the sweet potatoes in boxes or crates and cover them with paper or cloth or pack in perforated plastic bags. That's the plan, and subject to change of course. Something you may not know about these popular potatoes is that the leaves are edible as well! 9513 N. Nebraska Ave. Tampa, FL 33612 (813) 932-9775, Monday thru Friday 8:00am- 5:30pm Saturday 8am - 3:30pm Closed on Sundays.