Unlike potatoes (which are tubers), sweet potatoes are roots and, as such, are propagated via a slip. What is a sweet potato slip? A slip from a sweet potato is simply a sweet potato sprout. Sounds simple enough, but how do you get sweet potato slips? If you’re interested in sweet potato slip growing read on to learn more.

What is a Sweet Potato Slip?

Sweet potatoes are members of the morning glory or Convolvulaceae family. They are grown not only for their edible, nutrient-rich roots but for their trailing vines and colorful blooms. Given that sweet potatoes are from a different family than regular spuds, it’s no wonder that propagation is different.

Regular potatoes are grown from ‘seed’ potatoes, but sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are grown from sweet potato sprouts or slips. Sweet potato slip growing is really just coaxing a rooted sprout from a mature sweet potato. Slips can be purchased, or you can learn how to get sweet potato slips to grow yourself.

How to Make Sweet Potato Slips

Sweet potato slips can be started in two ways, in water or in the dirt. Of course, both propagation methods work, but starting a slip from a sweet potato in dirt is the more rapid method. If using a sweet potato from the store, buy an organic one that is less likely to have been treated.

A single sweet potato can grow around 15 slips or more which, in turn, equals 15 plants that will produce about 60 sweet potatoes.

The first method of starting in water is a bit reminiscent of starting an avocado from a pit. Submerge half a sweet potato in water, root end in the water. Use toothpicks to keep the entire potato from becoming submerged.

Not sure which end is the root end? The rooting end will taper and have small roots and the other end of the potato will be larger with more ends. Roots will form in the submerged rooting end and sprouts will appear in the top end.

Place the sweet potato in water on a germination mat or atop the refrigerator. Keep an eye on the water and replenish it as needed. In a few weeks or so you should see the beginnings of roots. A week or so from then, sprouts should begin to form.

The other method of starting slips is to lay a sweet potato lengthwise on a bed of seedless soil mix or potting soil and bury half the sweet potato in the medium. Keep the soil moist and in a warm place or atop a germination mat.

Sweet Potato Slip Growing

In either case, once sprouts are 5 to 6 inches long (13-15 cm.), it is time to move on to the next step. Gently remove the sprouts from the sweet potato by twisting or cutting them off. Remove the lower leaves from the sprout and place the partially denuded sprout in water in a warm area with plenty of sunlight or with a grow light. Keep the water replenished as needed.

Once the roots are 4 inches (10 cm.) long, it is time to plant them. Plant your slips 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm.) apart and 4 inches (10 cm.) deep. Water the plants in well and feed them with a fertilizer that is rich in phosphorous.

Once you harvest your sweet potatoes, remember to save a couple to start slips for the next season’s crop.

Have you ever considered growing sweet potatoes vertically? These ground-covering vines can reach 20 feet (6 m.) in length. For gardeners with limited space, growing sweet potatoes on a trellis may be the only way to include this tasty tuber among their homegrown vegetables.

As an added bonus, these vines make attractive patio plants when planted as a vertical sweet potato garden.

How to Plant a Vertical Sweet Potato Garden

• Purchase or start sweet potato slips. Unlike most garden vegetables, sweet potatoes aren't grown from seeds, but from seedling plants which have sprouted from the root tuber. You can start your own slips from grocery-store sweet potatoes or purchase specific varieties of sweet potato slips from gardening centers and online catalogs.
• Select a large planter or container. Sweet potato vines aren't vivacious climbers, preferring instead to crawl along the ground. As they crawl, the vines set down roots along the length of the stem. Where these vines root in the ground, you'll find sweet potato tubers in the fall. Although you can use any pot or planter, try planting sweet potato slips on the top of a vertical flowerpot container garden. Allow the vines to root in the various levels as they cascade downward.
• Choose the proper soil mixture. Sweet potatoes prefer a well-draining, loamy or sandy soil. Incorporate compost for added nutrients and to keep the soil loose. When growing root vegetables, it's best to avoid heavy soils which easily compact.
• Plant the slips. After danger of frost, bury the stems of the slips in the planters with the leaves sticking above the soil line. Multiple slips can be grown in a large container by spacing the plants 12 inches (31 cm.) apart. Water thoroughly and keep the soil evenly moist during the growing season.

How to Grow a Trellised Sweet Potato Vine

A trellis can also be used for growing sweet potatoes vertically. This space-saving design can be utilized in the garden or with container-grown sweet potatoes. Since sweet potatoes tend to be creepers rather than climbers, choosing the correct trellis is essential for success.

Choose a design which is strong enough to support the trellised sweet potato. Ideally, it will also have ample room to gently weave the vines through the openings of the trellis or to tie the vines to the supports. Here are some suggestions for trellis materials to use when growing sweet potatoes vertically:

• Large tomato cages
• Livestock fence panels
• Welded wire fencing
• Reinforced wire mesh
• Discarded garden gates
• Lattice
• Wooden trellises
• Arbors and gazebos

Once the trellis is in place, plant the slips 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm.) from the base of the support structure. As the sweet potato plants grow, gently weave the stems back and forth through the horizontal supports. If the vine has reached the top of the trellis, allow it to cascade back to the ground.

Excess length or vines growing away from the trellis can be trimmed. When the vines begin to die back in the fall, it's time to harvest your vertical sweet potato garden!

Over the course of the last decade or so, ornamental sweet potatoes have become almost a staple in many hanging baskets or decorative containers. As with many good things, the plants time comes to an end and is invariably jerked out of the container to be tossed in the compost. Wait though, what about the ornamental sweet potato tubers? Can you eat ornamental sweet potatoes?

Are Ornamental Sweet Potatoes Edible?

Yes, ornamental sweet potatoes are edible! Ornamental sweet potato tubers are, indeed, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas). That said, ornamental sweet potato tubers are planted for their lovely chartreuse, purple, or variegated trailing foliage that serves as the perfect counterpoint to offset annual blooms. What that means regarding eating ornamental sweet potatoes is that, yes, while you can eat ornamental sweet potatoes, they are not necessarily the tastiest of sweet potatoes and are, in fact, much more bitter. It may take a heavy hand on the brown sugar and butter to make them palatable. Also, you may want to think again about eating ornamental sweet potatoes if they have been sprayed with pesticides not suitable for use on vegetables. So, when fall arrives and it’s time to tidy up the garden, don’t just throw the ornamental potato vines out. There are two better options. You can either try eating the ornamental sweet potatoes or dig them up and store them in a cool, dry area and then use them in the spring to propagate new ornamental potato vines.

Sweet potatoes with nematodes are a serious problem in both the commercial and home garden. Nematodes of sweet potatoes may either be reniform (kidney-shaped) or root knot. Symptoms of root knot nematodes in sweet potatoes are easier to identify than those caused by reniform nematodes, which are usually not discovered until harvest, but the damage can still be severe. How then can sweet potato root knot nematodes be controlled? Read on to learn more.

Symptoms of Sweet Potato Root Knot Nematodes

Root knot nematodes of sweet potatoes are white to yellow and live amongst the storage roots. Although tiny, these nematodes can be seen without a magnifying glass. They overwinter as eggs in the soil and complete their life cycle in about 30 days. Since a single female can lay up to 3,000 eggs, a severe infestation of root knot nematodes in sweet potatoes can seriously damage a crop. Root knot nematodes are most abundant in sandy soils. Signs of root knot nematodes include stunted vines and yellowing. The symptoms often mimic those of a plant with a nutrient deficiency. Roots will be distorted and cracked with a tough texture. If they infest the plants early in the growing season, small galls may be seen; if they attack later in the season, they can be found in the larger storage roots. For a sure diagnosis, split the small roots lengthwise and look for a swollen female nematode embedded in the root. Usually, the area surrounding the nematode is dark and the nematode itself looks a bit like a pearl nestled into the flesh of the root.

Management of Sweet Potatoes with Nematodes

Commercial growers may resort to the use of nematicides. However, there are no nematicides suitable for use in the home garden. The home gardener must then use other management methods to control the nematodes. To control root knot nematodes, use disease resistant stock. Evangeline and Bienville are commercially available sweet potato varieties with resistance to root knot nematodes. Practice crop rotation. Following a sweet potato crop, a different vegetable should be planted for the next two years, although that being said, most vegetables are susceptible to root knot nematodes. Some varieties of tomato or southern pea are resistant.

For the first months, your crop of sweet potatoes looks picture perfect, then one day you see cracks in a sweet potato. As time passes, you see other sweet potatoes with cracks, and you wonder: why are my sweet potatoes cracking? Read on for information about why sweet potatoes crack when they grow. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are tender, warm season crops that need a lengthy growing season to develop. These veggies are native to Central and South America and important food crops for many countries there. In the United States, commercial sweet potato production is mainly in the southern states. Both North Carolina and Louisiana are top sweet potato states. Many gardeners throughout the country grow sweet potatoes in home gardens. Sweet potatoes are planted in early spring as soon as the soil warms. They are harvested in autumn. Sometimes, sweet potato growth cracks appear in the final weeks before harvest.

Why are My Sweet Potatoes Cracking?

If your sweet potatoes crack when they grow, you know there is a problem. Those cracks that appear in your beautiful, firm vegetables are likely sweet potato growth cracks. They are usually caused by excess water. Sweet potato vines die back in late summer, as harvest approaches. The leaves turn yellow and look parched. You may want to give the plant more water but that’s not a good idea. It can cause cracks in a sweet potato. Excess water at the end of the season is the primary cause of split or cracks in a sweet potato. Irrigation should stop a month before harvest. Abundant water at this time causes the potato to swell and the skin to split. Sweet potato growth cracks from fertilizer also occurs. Don’t toss a lot of nitrogen fertilizer on your sweet potatoes since this can also cause sweet potato growth cracks. It does produce lush vine growth but splits the roots. Instead, use well-aged compost before planting. That should be plenty of fertilizer. If you are sure more is required, apply a fertilizer low in nitrogen. You can also plant split-resistant varieties. These include "Covington" or "Sunnyside."

The fungus that causes sweet potato stem rot, Fusarium solani, causes both field and storage rot. The rot can affect leaves, stems, and potatoes, creating large and deep lesions that ruin the tubers. You can prevent and control this infection with some simple measures.

Sweet Potatoes with Fusarium Rot

The signs of a Fusarium infection, also known as root rot or stem rot, may be seen in the plants in your garden or later in the potatoes that you store. Rotting sweet potato plants will show early signs on the tips of young leaves, which turn yellow. Older leaves will then begin to drop prematurely. This can result in a plant with a bare center. The stems will also begin to rot, right at the soil line. The stem may appear blue. Signs of the disease in the sweet potatoes themselves are brown spots that extend well into the potato. If you cut into the tuber, you’ll see how deeply the rot extends and you may also see white mold forming in cavities within the areas of rot.

Controlling Rot Disease in Sweet Potatoes

There are several ways to prevent, minimize, and control this fungal disease in sweet potatoes to reduce crop losses:

• Start by using good seed roots or seed potatoes. Avoid using any that look diseased. Sometimes the disease signs are not visible in seed potatoes, so a safer bet is to go with resistant varieties.
• When cutting transplants, make the cuts well above the soil line to avoid transferring the infection.
• Harvest your sweet potatoes when conditions are dry and avoid damaging the potatoes.
• If you do get stem rot of sweet potatoes, rotate the crop every few years to prevent the fungus from really taking root in the soil. Use a fungicide such as fludioxonil or azoxystrobin.

It is important to watch for signs of this infection because, if left unchecked, it will ruin many of your sweet potatoes, rendering them inedible.

Sweet potatoes provide us with a variety of nutritional benefits, such as vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as manganese, fiber, and potassium. Nutritionists and dieticians boast sweet potatoes’ ability to help us lose weight, boost immunity, control diabetes, and help ease the discomfort of arthritis. With all these health benefits, growing sweet potatoes in the home garden has become popular. However, like any plants, growing sweet potatoes can have its own challenges. Scurf on sweet potato plants is perhaps the most common of these challenges. Read on for sweet potato scurf information.

Sweet Potatoes with Scurf

Sweet potato scurf is a fungal disease caused by the fungus Monilochaeles infuscans. It grows and produces spores on the sweet potato skin. This scurf only affects sweet potatoes and their close relative the morning glory, but does not affect other crops. For instance, silver scurf, caused by Helminthosporium solani, only affects potatoes. This fungal disease is also only skin deep and does not affect the edibility of sweet potatoes. However, sweet potatoes with scurf have unsightly purple, brown, gray to black lesions, which causes consumers to shy away from these sick-looking sweet potatoes. Sweet potato scurf has also been called soil stain. High humidity and heavy periods of rain contribute to the growth of this fungal disease. Scurf is usually spread by sweet potatoes coming into contact with other affected sweet potatoes, contaminated soil, or contaminated storage crates and the like. Scurf can remain in the soil for two to three years, especially in soils rich with organic material. Its spores can even become airborne when infected plants are harvested or contaminated soils are tilled. Once infection occurs, there is no sweet potato scurf treatment.

How to Control Scurf on a Sweet Potato Plant

Prevention and proper sanitation are the best ways to control scurf on sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes should only be planted in scurf free locations. Crop rotation is recommended to ensure that sweet potatoes are not planted in the same area within a three to four year period. Crates, baskets, and other storage places of sweet potatoes should be sanitized before and after holding sweet potatoes. Gardening tools should also be properly sanitized between uses. Buying certified sweet potato seed can help reduce the spread of scurf on sweet potatoes as well. Whether certified seed or not, sweet potatoes should be thoroughly inspected for scurf before planting them. Wetting down sweet potato roots helps the fungal disease to be more visible for thorough inspection. Many gardeners choose to just dip all sweet potato roots in a solution of fungicide for one to two minutes before planting as a preventive. Be sure to read all fungicide labels and follow their instructions.

Sweet potatoes are one of the major cultivated root crops in the world. They need 90 to 150 frost-free days to harvest. Sweet potato black rot is a potentially damaging disease caused by a fungus. The disease is easily transmitted from equipment, insects, contaminated soil or plant material. Black rot on sweet potato can be easily prevented in most cases, but chemical control of already infected plants is not available.

Signs of Black Rot on Sweet Potato

Dark, dry, bruise-like lesions on sweet potato may be a symptom of a common disease of Ipomoea. The disease can also affect such plants as cacao, taro, cassava, coffee, and mango. The fungus essentially breaks down the outer vascular layer of the root, rarely infecting the interior of the tuber. Sweet potatoes with black rot are essentially animal fodder or garbage once infected. Small round spots that appear to be slightly sunken are the initial symptoms of the disease. Sweet potatoes with black rot will develop larger spots that darken and have tiny black fungal structures with stalks. These cause a sweet, sickly fruit smell and may invite insects to transmit the disease. The rot can occasionally spread to the cortex of the sweet potato. The dark areas have a bitter taste and are not palatable. Sometimes, the entire root rots. The disease may be noticeable at harvest or well into storage time or even market.

Preventing Sweet Potato Black Rot

Black rot of sweet potatoes comes most often from infected roots or splits. The fungus can also live in soil for several years and enter through wounds in the tubers. Additionally, it overwinters in sweet potato plant debris or certain host plants, such as wild morning glories. The fungus produces prolific spores, which contaminate machinery, washing bins, gloves, and crates. Often, one infected potato can spread the disease through an entire cured and packed lot. Insects are also vectors of the disease, such as sweet potato weevils, common pests of the plants. Temperatures above 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 C.) encourage the formation of spores and enhance the spread of the disease. Black rot cannot be controlled with fungicides or any other listed chemical. The best cure is prevention. Purchase disease free roots and slips. Do not plant sweet potatoes in the same place but once every 3 to 4 years. Remove host plants. Wash and cure the harvest immediately and do not store potatoes until completely dry. Cull diseased or suspicious roots at harvest. Decontaminate any equipment and avoid damaging slips or roots. Slips or roots can be treated with a pre-planting dip of fungicide. Exercise good care of plants and sanitation practices and most of the sweet potatoes should escape significant damage. Sweet potatoes are one of the major cultivated root crops in the world. They need 90 to 150 frost-free days to harvest. Sweet potato black rot is a potentially damaging disease caused by a fungus. The disease is easily transmitted from equipment, insects, contaminated soil or plant material. Black rot on sweet potato can be easily prevented in most cases, but chemical control of already infected plants is not available.

Signs of Black Rot on Sweet Potato

Dark, dry, bruise-like lesions on sweet potato may be a symptom of a common disease of Ipomoea. The disease can also affect such plants as cacao, taro, cassava, coffee, and mango. The fungus essentially breaks down the outer vascular layer of the root, rarely infecting the interior of the tuber. Sweet potatoes with black rot are essentially animal fodder or garbage once infected. Small round spots that appear to be slightly sunken are the initial symptoms of the disease. Sweet potatoes with black rot will develop larger spots that darken and have tiny black fungal structures with stalks. These cause a sweet, sickly fruit smell and may invite insects to transmit the disease. The rot can occasionally spread to the cortex of the sweet potato. The dark areas have a bitter taste and are not palatable. Sometimes, the entire root rots. The disease may be noticeable at harvest or well into storage time or even market.

Preventing Sweet Potato Black Rot

Black rot of sweet potatoes comes most often from infected roots or splits. The fungus can also live in soil for several years and enter through wounds in the tubers. Additionally, it overwinters in sweet potato plant debris or certain host plants, such as wild morning glories. The fungus produces prolific spores, which contaminate machinery, washing bins, gloves, and crates. Often, one infected potato can spread the disease through an entire cured and packed lot. Insects are also vectors of the disease, such as sweet potato weevils, common pests of the plants. Temperatures above 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 C.) encourage the formation of spores and enhance the spread of the disease. Black rot cannot be controlled with fungicides or any other listed chemical. The best cure is prevention. Purchase disease free roots and slips. Do not plant sweet potatoes in the same place but once every 3 to 4 years. Remove host plants. Wash and cure the harvest immediately and do not store potatoes until completely dry. Cull diseased or suspicious roots at harvest. Decontaminate any equipment and avoid damaging slips or roots. Slips or roots can be treated with a pre-planting dip of fungicide. Exercise good care of plants and sanitation practices and most of the sweet potatoes should escape significant damage. Sweet potatoes are one of the major cultivated root crops in the world. They need 90 to 150 frost-free days to harvest. Sweet potato black rot is a potentially damaging disease caused by a fungus. The disease is easily transmitted from equipment, insects, contaminated soil or plant material. Black rot on sweet potato can be easily prevented in most cases, but chemical control of already infected plants is not available.

Signs of Black Rot on Sweet Potato

Dark, dry, bruise-like lesions on sweet potato may be a symptom of a common disease of Ipomoea. The disease can also affect such plants as cacao, taro, cassava, coffee, and mango. The fungus essentially breaks down the outer vascular layer of the root, rarely infecting the interior of the tuber. Sweet potatoes with black rot are essentially animal fodder or garbage once infected. Small round spots that appear to be slightly sunken are the initial symptoms of the disease. Sweet potatoes with black rot will develop larger spots that darken and have tiny black fungal structures with stalks. These cause a sweet, sickly fruit smell and may invite insects to transmit the disease. The rot can occasionally spread to the cortex of the sweet potato. The dark areas have a bitter taste and are not palatable. Sometimes, the entire root rots. The disease may be noticeable at harvest or well into storage time or even market.

Preventing Sweet Potato Black Rot

Black rot of sweet potatoes comes most often from infected roots or splits. The fungus can also live in soil for several years and enter through wounds in the tubers. Additionally, it overwinters in sweet potato plant debris or certain host plants, such as wild morning glories. The fungus produces prolific spores, which contaminate machinery, washing bins, gloves, and crates. Often, one infected potato can spread the disease through an entire cured and packed lot. Insects are also vectors of the disease, such as sweet potato weevils, common pests of the plants. Temperatures above 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 C.) encourage the formation of spores and enhance the spread of the disease. Black rot cannot be controlled with fungicides or any other listed chemical. The best cure is prevention. Purchase disease free roots and slips. Do not plant sweet potatoes in the same place but once every 3 to 4 years. Remove host plants. Wash and cure the harvest immediately and do not store potatoes until completely dry. Cull diseased or suspicious roots at harvest. Decontaminate any equipment and avoid damaging slips or roots. Slips or roots can be treated with a pre-planting dip of fungicide. Exercise good care of plants and sanitation practices and most of the sweet potatoes should escape significant damage. Sweet potatoes are one of the major cultivated root crops in the world. They need 90 to 150 frost-free days to harvest. Sweet potato black rot is a potentially damaging disease caused by a fungus. The disease is easily transmitted from equipment, insects, contaminated soil or plant material. Black rot on sweet potato can be easily prevented in most cases, but chemical control of already infected plants is not available.

Signs of Black Rot on Sweet Potato

Dark, dry, bruise-like lesions on sweet potato may be a symptom of a common disease of Ipomoea. The disease can also affect such plants as cacao, taro, cassava, coffee, and mango. The fungus essentially breaks down the outer vascular layer of the root, rarely infecting the interior of the tuber. Sweet potatoes with black rot are essentially animal fodder or garbage once infected. Small round spots that appear to be slightly sunken are the initial symptoms of the disease. Sweet potatoes with black rot will develop larger spots that darken and have tiny black fungal structures with stalks. These cause a sweet, sickly fruit smell and may invite insects to transmit the disease. The rot can occasionally spread to the cortex of the sweet potato. The dark areas have a bitter taste and are not palatable. Sometimes, the entire root rots. The disease may be noticeable at harvest or well into storage time or even market.

Preventing Sweet Potato Black Rot

Black rot of sweet potatoes comes most often from infected roots or splits. The fungus can also live in soil for several years and enter through wounds in the tubers. Additionally, it overwinters in sweet potato plant debris or certain host plants, such as wild morning glories. The fungus produces prolific spores, which contaminate machinery, washing bins, gloves, and crates. Often, one infected potato can spread the disease through an entire cured and packed lot. Insects are also vectors of the disease, such as sweet potato weevils, common pests of the plants. Temperatures above 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 C.) encourage the formation of spores and enhance the spread of the disease. Black rot cannot be controlled with fungicides or any other listed chemical. The best cure is prevention. Purchase disease free roots and slips. Do not plant sweet potatoes in the same place but once every 3 to 4 years. Remove host plants. Wash and cure the harvest immediately and do not store potatoes until completely dry. Cull diseased or suspicious roots at harvest. Decontaminate any equipment and avoid damaging slips or roots. Exercise good care of plants and sanitation practices and most of the sweet potatoes should escape significant damage. Slips or roots can be treated with a pre-planting dip of fungicide. Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Sweet potatoes are susceptible not only to a variety of diseases that cause rotting as they are growing, but also of sweet potato storage rots. A number of bacterial and fungal pathogens cause storage rot of sweet potatoes. The following article contains information on diseases that can result in sweet potatoes rotting after harvest and how to control sweet potato rot during storage.

Fusarium Sweet Potato Storage Rots

As mentioned, there are several pathogens that can cause storage rot of sweet potatoes, but the fungal diseases caused by Fusarium are the most common reasons for post-harvest losses. Fusarium surface rot and Fusarium root rot are caused by the fungi Fusarium. Fusarium surface rot – Fusarium surface rot is common in sweet potatoes stored post-harvest. Surface rot may also afflict tubers that have been damaged by mechanical injury, nematodes, insects, or other pests, prior to harvest. The disease presents as brown, firm, dry lesions on the roots. These lesions stay fairly close to the surface of the root. As the tuber is stored, the tissue surrounding the lesion shrinks and dries, resulting in a hard, mummified tuber. Surface rot is most prevalent when tubers are mechanically harvested when the soil is cold and wet or overly dry. Fusarium root rot – Fusarium root rot is a little more difficult to diagnose since it looks much like Fusarium surface rot. In fact, sometimes surface rot is a precursor to root rot. The lesions of root rot are round and mottled with light and dark concentric rings. Unlike surface rot, root rot extends deep into the center of the root, eventually affecting the entire root. The lesion is spongier and moister than healthy tissue. When root rot begins at the end of the tuber, it is called Fusarium end rot. As with surface rot, the infected tissue shrinks, dries, and mummifies during the course of storage, and the infection occurs through wounds or growth cracks. Fusarium can reside in the soil for years. Both surface and root rot can spread to healthy stored roots if they are damaged by mechanical means or pests. To reduce the incidence of Fusarium disease, practice good sanitation and handle the roots with care to minimize injury. Control root-knot nematodes and other insects that can damage the skin of the sweet potatoes and only plant disease-free roots that have been treated with fungicide.

Other Sweet Potato Rots

Rhizopus soft rot – Another common fungal disease, Rhizopus soft rot, is caused by the fungus Rhyzopus stolonifer, also called the bread mold fungus. The infection and resulting decay usually start at one or both ends of the root. Humid conditions foster this disease. Infected potatoes become soft and wet and rot within a few days. The sweet potatoes become covered with grayish/black fungal growth, an obvious sign of Rhizopus soft rot vs. other sweet potato rots. This rot also comes with an accompanying odor that attracts fruit flies. As with Fusarium, spores can survive in crop debris and soil for an extended time and also infects roots through wounds. Roots are most susceptible to the disease post-harvest when the relative humidity is 75 to 85% and the longer the roots are stored. Again, handle the tubers with care to prevent injury that will act as a portal to disease. Cure the sweet potatoes before storing them and store the roots at 55 to 60 degrees F. (13-16 C.). Black rot – Other diseases may result in sweet potatoes rotting after a harvest. Black rot, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, not only causes rotting but gives the sweet potatoes a bitter flavor. Small, roundish, dark brown spots are the first signs of black rot. These spots then enlarge and change hue with visible fungal structures apparent. Roots may look healthy at harvest but rot post-harvest where spores are produced prodigiously and can rapidly infect an entire crate of tubers as well as everything that comes in contact with them. Again, the pathogen survives in the soil in crop debris. The disease can be controlled by practicing crop rotation, disinfecting equipment, and proper curing. Propagate plants from healthy cuttings only. Java black rot – In the southern regions of the United States, java black rot, caused by Diplodia gossypina, is one of the most destructive storage rots. Infected tissues become yellowed to reddish brown, turning black as the disease progresses. The decaying area is firm and moist. Infected roots often decay completely within a couple of weeks, then mummify and harden. This is yet another fungus that survives for years in soil or crop debris as well as on equipment from year to year. As with the above fungal diseases, java black rot requires a wound for infection. Increased storage time and/or an increase in temperature foster the disease. Again, to control this disease, minimize injury to the sweet potatoes, apply a fungicide to harvested roots, cure the tubers properly, and store the potatoes at 55 to 60 degrees F. (13-16 C.) with a relative humidity of 90%. Bacterial soft rot, scurf, and charcoal rot are other post-harvest rots that can afflict sweet potatoes, although less commonly.

If your sweet potato crop has black necrotic lesions, it may be pox of sweet potato. What is sweet potato pox? This is a serious commercial crop disease that is also known as soil rot. Soil rot of sweet potatoes occurs in soil, but the disease progresses when roots are stored. In fields that have become infected, planting cannot occur for many years. This leads to economic loss and reduced yields. Know the signs and symptoms of this disease to prevent its spread.

Sweet Potato Soil Rot Info

Sweet potatoes are a high source of Vitamins A and C, and are one of the largest crops in the southern United States. China produces half of all the sweet potatoes for global consumption. The root has become popular as an alternative to traditional potatoes because of the high nutrient and fiber content. Diseases of sweet potatoes, such as pox, cause millions of dollars in economic losses. In the home garden, such infections can render the soil unusable. Good sanitation practices can help prevent sweet potatoes with soil rot. Above ground signs of infection are yellowing and wilting of plants. In extreme cases, the plants may even die or fail to produce tubers. The tubers themselves develop black crusty lesions, become distorted and have dents in places. The fibrous feeder roots will rot at the ends, interrupting plant uptake. The underground stems will also blacken and turn soft. Sweet potatoes with soil rot have distinct corky lesions. If the disease progresses, tubers will become inedible and plants will die. The pathogen that causes all this trouble is Streptomyces ipomoea.

Conditions for Pox of Sweet Potato

Once we answer the question, what is sweet potato pox, we need to know when it occurs and how to prevent it. The most common conditions that promote the disease are a rise in soil pH above 5.2 and grassy, light, dry soils. The pathogen survives for years in soil and also infects weeds in the morning glory family. The pathogen can spread from field to field on contaminated equipment. It can also spread when infected tubers are used as transplants to start new plants. The disease can even survive on stored sweet potatoes and infect a field if used later as seed.

Preventing Sweet Potato Pox

Soil rot of sweet potatoes can be prevented with some careful measures and tricks. The easiest way to avoid contaminated soil is through good sanitation practices. Decontaminate all hand and mechanical tools before moving into another field. Even soil or storage boxes can harbor the disease. Crop rotation can help prevent the movement of the pathogen, as can fumigating soil. Probably the best method of control is to plant resistant varieties of sweet potato. These might be Covington, Hernandez, and Carolina Bunch. Checking soil pH can also be beneficial where management can be obtained to keep pH from getting too acidic. Incorporate elemental sulfur in soil that is above a 5.2 pH.

Ornamental sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) are attractive, decorative vines that trail gracefully from a pot or hanging basket. Greenhouses and nurseries charge a fairly hefty price for sweet potato vines, but splitting sweet potatoes is one way to create new vines with very little investment of time or money. Dividing sweet potato vines to propagate new vines is easy, as the vines grow from fleshy underground tubers. Read on for tips on sweet potato vine division.

When to Divide Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes grow year-round in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, but in cooler climates, sweet potato tubers must be stored in a cool, dry area for the winter. Either way, spring is the best time for splitting sweet potatoes. Divide in-ground sweet potatoes as soon as new shoots measure 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm.). Divide winter-stored sweet potatoes as soon as you remove them from storage – after all danger of frost has passed.

How to Divide a Sweet Potato Vine

Carefully dig in-ground tubers from the ground with a garden fork or trowel. Rinse the freshly dug tubers gently with a garden hose to remove excess soil. (Winter-stored sweet potatoes should already be clean.) Discard any soft, discolored, or rotted tubers. If the damaged area is small, trim it off with a knife. Cut the tubers into smaller chunks. Be sure every chunk has at least one “eye,” as this is where new growth begins. Plant the tubers into the soil, about 1 inch deep (2.5 cm.). Allow about 3 feet (1 m.) between each tuber. Sweet potatoes benefit from full sunlight, but afternoon shade is helpful if you live in a climate with hot summers. You can also plant tubers in a pot filled with well-drained potting mix. Water the tubers as needed to keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy. Overly wet soil can rot the tubers.

Sweet potato vines add tons of interest to a standard flowering basket or hanging container display. These versatile plants are tender tubers with zero tolerance for freezing temperatures and are often grown as throw-away annuals. You can save your tubers, however, and save a buck by planting them anew the following spring. There are three different methods for overwintering sweet potato plants. Which way you save your sweet potato vines over winter depends upon how much work you want to do and how cold your region becomes during winter.

Ornamental Sweet Potato Winter Care

Ipomoea batatas, or sweet potato vine, thrives in hot, tropical climates and is an ornamental foliage plant often used as a foil for flowering displays. This heat-loving perennial will die back if the plant experiences hard freezes below 32 degrees F. (0 C.). Yet, the tubers and even the plant in some cases, are easy to save for another season. Overwintering ornamental sweet potatoes can be done by heeling them in where temperatures don't often stay chilly, bringing them indoors, or by harvesting and storing the tubers.

Heeling in Sweet Potato Vines over Winter

If your region doesn't often receive sustained freezes, you can simply bury the container in which the vines grow in mounded soil. Then cut back the vine to just a couple of inches (5 cm.) and spread a thick layer of mulch around the container to act as a blanket to protect the roots. This is one way of winterizing a sweet potato vine. So long as the tubers don't freeze, the plant should spring back when warm temperatures arrive. The greenery may shrivel back, but the tubers are the source of the following spring's leaves and stems. You may also simply cover the buried container with burlap or a thick blanket at night when brief freezes occur. Pull it away during the day so the plant can harvest solar energy. Remember that occasional watering is part of heeled in ornamental sweet potato winter care. The plants will only need water once or twice per month in winter, as they are not actively growing.

How to Overwinter Sweet Potato Plants Indoors

Another way of winterizing a sweet potato vine is to simply bring them indoors. Again, in areas without sustained freezing, you can often simply bring them into a shed, garage, or another structure that is unheated but will prevent the tubers from freezing. In cooler climes, it is wise to bring the vines inside the home but, before you do, inspect them for insects. Treat with horticultural soap and a good rinsing if any little bugs are spotted. Then cut the vines back to 6 inches (15 cm.), dig up the tubers, and repot in good potting soil. Water them in and place the containers in a sunny window. Keep sweet potato vines over winter moderately moist and gradually reintroduce them to the outdoors when all danger of frost has passed.

Overwintering Ornamental Sweet Potatoes as Tubers

If you lack space or motivation to care for a vine over winter, you can always dig up and store the tubers. The tubers must be kept lightly moist, or they dry up and will not sprout again. Remove tubers from the container and separate them away from each other. Take off any greenery that still remains. Pack the tubers in some well-moistened peat moss or newspaper and place them in a cool, dark place. Check the tubers every week to ensure they stay moist and mist them if necessary. This is a bit of a balancing act, as the tubers cannot dry out entirely but too much moisture can cause mold and damage the tubers. Moderation is the word of the day. In spring, prepare containers or beds with plenty of organic material and replant the tubers. In no time you will again have the deep colors and attractively cut foliage of your sweet potato vines.

You may not know it, but if you've ever had sweet potatoes, you have had yams. Sweet potatoes are called yams in the south and are a cultivated orange variety (for the most part). Yam companion plants must share the same growing conditions as the tuber and have the ability to repel certain pests. When you are starting your tubers is the best time to decide what to plant next to yams. While many herbs are beneficial to yams and can be started from starts or seed later, if you plant them at the same time, their assistance is available early in the yam plant's life to assist in repelling certain damaging pests of seedlings.

What to Plant Next to Yams

Golden yams are native to South America and have been grown as a crop for over 5,000 years. These easy-to-grow tubers prefer USDA zones 9 through 12. Yams may be white, purple, brown, reddish, or the classic, sweet, orange-fleshed variety grown in southern regions of the United States. Plants that grow well with yams might be those that are also in the morning glory family, pest deterrents, or simply those that complement the attractive foliage and starry purple flowers of sweet potatoes. When coming up with a crop planting scheme, don't forget the importance of rotating crops. Many plant pests that are specific to a certain crop will overwinter in the soil and refuse and rise like Lazarus in spring to plague your plants. Rotating helps reduce pest incidences by moving those insects’ favored foods and replacing them with something the pests don't eat. One terrific species of plant that grows well with yams is any of the legumes. These plants actually enhance soil and crop growth because they harness nitrogen, a crucial nutrient for leafy growth and plant health. Pole-type beans or peas are best because they can be trained to rise above the sweet potatoes. Companion planting with yams should also take into consideration the plot size and size of the plants. Yams will sprawl with vine-like growth, so using plants such as squash nearby is not advised.

Common Companion Plants for Yams

Yams are tropical and subtropical species. As such, they need full sun, consistent moisture, and loose, rich soil. Since the edible part of the plant is underground, the yams need protection from larvae and insects that live in the soil.

• Summer savory is an herb that seems to repel sweet potato weevils and also enhances soil fertility.
• Dill attracts hoverflies and some predatory wasps, which in turn eat unfavorable insects such as aphids and spider mites.
• Oregano is also useful in repelling several pest species.

Plants to put at the edge of a sweet potato bed can also be culinary yam companion plants that share the same growing requirements, such as cilantro and basil. Any crop that can grow vertically is the ideal companion plant for yams. Think tomatoes or peppers.

Rotating Crops with Yam Companion Plants

Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be difficult to harvest in their entirety. Even though crop rotation is essential, a stray potato left behind is likely to result in a volunteer plant. Rotational crops should not compete with your volunteers and should enhance the soil. Legumes are a good choice to juice up the soil again as is alfalfa. Simply planting a cover crop to enrich the soil for the next season is another option. Red clover fixes nitrogen and composts into the soil quickly, loosening the composition. Choose other root crops or broadly rooted plants to rotate into the planting space such as radishes, beets, or corn. These will further loosen soil for an even better future yam crop. Companion planting with yams can enhance soil, provide rotation options, and help prevent many pest species.

We’ve been hearing a lot about “super foods” of late, those purported to be high in certain vitamins and minerals, often with antioxidant properties. Among these “super foods” the sweet potatoes have found a niche, and with good reason. Sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A, are a great source of beta carotene, and antioxidants. Even so, this “super food” has its share of growing problems such as yellow leaves on sweet potatoes. Read on to learn why sweet potato leaves turn yellow.

Why Sweet Potato Leaves Turn Yellow

This vining, herbaceous perennial, of the family Convolvulaceae, is usually grown as an annual and harvested at the end of its first growing season. The plant is cultivated for its delicious nutritious edible tubers, which may be red, brown, yellow, white, or even purple in color. The spectacular vines are dotted with lobed, heart-shaped leaves that may reach up to 13 feet (4 m.) in length. Yellow sweet potato leaves may be caused by several factors. If you see that your sweet potato leaves are turning yellow, you need to identify the source and act immediately, lest the problem spreads to the entire garden. This is especially true if you suspect the yellow leaves on your sweet potatoes might be caused by an infection, usually a fungal infection.

• Wilt diseases – Sweet potatoes with yellow leaves might be the result of verticillium or fusarium, two of the most common sweet potato diseases. In either infection, the plant begins to yellow at the base and works its way up the plant. These fungal diseases can be spread by infected transplants. Practice excellent garden sanitation, crop rotation, use cut transplants rather than slips, and treat root seed with fungicide before planting.
• Black root – Black root is another fungal disease that stunts and wilts plants, yellows leaves, rots tubers, and eventually kills off the plant. Unfortunately, if the plant is afflicted, the tubers, even if they look fine, will become increasingly affected by rot in storage. Use disease free seed, practice crop rotation (allow three or four years between sweet potato crops) and treat the seed with fungicide prior to planting.
• Alternaria – Alternaria leaf spot and leaf stem blight are fungal diseases that cause brown lesions on older leaves surrounded by a yellow halo. Stems and petioles become afflicted with large lesions that my result in defoliation of the plant. Again, plant disease resistant or tolerant seed that is certified disease free. Destroy all sweet potato detritus once harvesting is completed as well.
• Leaf and stem scab – Leaf and stem scab causes small brown lesions on the leaf veins, resulting in both curling and raised lesions with a purple-brown center. This disease is one of the most severe in areas of frequent fog, rain, or dew. Water from the base of the plants, rotate crops, use disease free seed, destroy residual sweet potato crop detritus, and apply fungicide to aid in control of the disease.

Other Reasons for Sweet Potatoes with Yellow Leaves

Nutritional deficiencies may also contribute to sweet potato leaves turning yellow.

• The most common deficiency is lack of nitrogen, which can be treated with a nitrogen rich fertilizer.
• A magnesium deficiency will also show as yellowing leaves since magnesium is used by the plant to make chlorophyll. Use an all-around fertilizer to treat a magnesium deficiency.

The best way to avoid yellowing leaves on sweet potatoes is to start them out correctly.

• Use disease free seed tubers and amend the soil with compost.
• Water from the base of the plants to avoid spreading disease and keep the area around the plants free from weeds and plant detritus.
• Rotate your sweet potato crops every three to four years, practice good garden sanitation, and immediately treat with the appropriate fungicide at the first signs of fungal infection.

Sweet potatoes are long, vining, warm season plants with sweet, delicious tubers. Technically perennials, they are usually grown as annuals due to their warm weather requirements. Depending on variety, sweet potatoes need between 100 and 150 days of good hot weather – above 65 F. (18 C.) but easily up to 100 F. (38 C.) – to mature, meaning they often have to be started indoors early in the spring. But once you get them out in the garden, what are the plants that grow well with sweet potato vines? And what are those that don’t? Keep reading to learn about companion plants for sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Companions

So what are some of the best companion plants for sweet potatoes? As a rule of thumb, root vegetables, such as parsnips and beets, are good sweet potato companions. Bush beans are good sweet potato companions, and certain varieties of pole beans can be trained to grow along the ground intermingled with sweet potato vines. Regular potatoes, though not actually closely related at all, are also good sweet potato companions. Also, aromatic herbs, such as thyme, oregano and dill, are good sweet potato companions. Sweet potato weevil, a pest that can wreak havoc on crops in the Southern United States, can be deterred by planting summer savory nearby.

What You Shouldn’t be Planting Next to Sweet Potatoes

The biggest problem with planting next to sweet potatoes is their propensity to spread. Because of this, one plant to avoid, in particular, when planting next to sweet potatoes is squash. Both are strong growers and fierce spreaders, and putting the two next to each other will only result in a fight for space in which both will likely be weakened. Even in the case of companion plants for sweet potatoes, be aware that your sweet potato vine will grow to cover a very large area, and take care that it doesn’t crowd out its beneficial neighbors.

If you live in a warm climate between USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and 11, sweet potato vine winter care is simple because the plants will be fine in the ground year round. If you live north of zone 9, however, take steps to care for sweet potato vines over winter to prevent them from freezing. Read on to learn how.

Sweet Potato Vine Winter Care

If you have space, you can simply bring the plants indoors and grow them as houseplants until spring. Otherwise, there are several easy ways of overwintering a sweet potato vine.

Overwintering Sweet Potato Tubers

Bulb-like tubers grow just beneath the surface of the soil. To overwinter the tubers, cut the vines to ground level, then dig them up before the first frost in autumn. Dig carefully and be careful not to slice into the tubers. Brush the soil lightly off the tubers, then store them, not touching, in a cardboard box filled with peat moss, sand, or vermiculite. Place the box in a cool, dry location where the tubers won’t freeze. Watch for the tubers to sprout in spring, then cut each tuber into chunks, each with at least one sprout. The tubers are now ready to plant outdoors, but be sure all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, instead of storing the tubers over the winter, pot them up in a container filled with fresh potting soil and bring the container indoors. The tubers will sprout and you’ll have an attractive plant that you can enjoy until it’s time to move it outdoors in spring.

Winterizing Sweet Potato Vines by Cuttings

Take several 10 to 12 inch (25.5-30.5 cm.) cuttings from your sweet potato vines before the plant is nipped by frost in autumn. Rinse the cuttings thoroughly under cool running water to wash away any pests, then place them in a glass container or vase filled with clean water. Any container is suitable, but a clear vase will allow you to see the developing roots. Be sure to remove the lower leaves first because any leaves that touch the water will cause the cuttings to rot.

Care for Sweet Potato Vines Over Winter

Place the container in indirect sunlight and watch for roots to develop within a few days. At this point, you can leave the container all winter, or you can pot them up and enjoy them as indoor plants until spring. If you decide to leave the cuttings in water, change the water if it becomes cloudy or brackish. Keep the water level above the roots. If you decide to pot the rooted cuttings, place the pot in a sunny spot and water as needed to keep the potting mix lightly moist, but never soggy.

There are more than 6,000 different varieties of sweet potatoes worldwide, and growers in the United States can select from more than 100 different types. Sweet potatoes are versatile veggies that may be mild or extra sweet, with flesh of white, red, yellow-orange or purple. Skin color of sweet potato types vary widely from creamy white to rosy red, tan, purple or yellow-orange. If that isn’t enough to think about, sweet potato vines can be compact, vigorous, or semi-bush. Read on to learn about a few of the most popular sweet potato varieties.

Varieties of Sweet Potato

Here are some common sweet potato types:

• Covington – Rosy skin with deep orange flesh.
• Darby – Deep red skin, deep orange flesh, vigorous vines.
• Jewel – Coppery skin, bright orange flesh, semi-bush.
• Bunch Porto-Rico – Yellow-orange skin and flesh, compact bush.
• Excel – Orange-tan skin, coppery orange flesh, average to vigorous vines.
• Evangeline – Rosy skin with deep orange flesh.
• Heartogold – Tan skin, deep orange flesh, vigorous vines.
• Red Garnet – Reddish-purple skin, orange flesh, average vines.
• Vardaman – Pale orange skin, reddish-orange flesh, short vines.
• Murasaki - Reddish purple skin, white flesh.
• Golden Slipper (Heirloom) – Pale orange skin and flesh, average vines.
• Carolina Ruby – Deep reddish-purple skin, dark orange flesh, average vines.
• O’Henry – Creamy white skin and flesh, semi-bush.
• Bienville – Pale rose skin, dark orange flesh.
• Envy – Pale orange skin and flesh, average vines.
• Sumor – Creamy tan skin, tan to yellow flesh, average vines.
• Hayman (Heirloom) – Creamy skin and flesh, vigorous vines.
• Jubilee – Creamy skin and flesh, average vines.
• Nugget – Pinkish skin, pale orange flesh, average vines.
• Carolina Bunch – Pale coppery, orange skin and carrot-colored flesh, semi-bush.
• Centennial – Medium-large, semi-bush potatoes with copper skin and pale orange flesh.
• Bugs Bunny – Pinkish-red skin, pale orange flesh, vigorous vines.
• California Gold – Pale orange skin, orange flesh, vigorous vines.
• Georgia Jet – Reddish-purple skin, deep orange flesh, semi-bush.

Sweet potatoes are versatile tubers that have fewer calories than traditional potatoes and are a perfect stand-in for that starchy vegetable. You can have homegrown tubers for months past the growing season if you know how to store sweet potatoes after the harvest. Sweet potato storage requires careful curing to prevent mildew and to trigger the formation of sugar-producing enzymes. Curing is the key to harvesting and storing sweet potatoes for months of enjoyment.

Storing Sweet Potatoes for Winter

Sweet potatoes are delicious eaten right after harvest, but their true flavors deepen as they cure. During the curing process, the starches in the tuber turn into sugar, intensifying the buttery sweet flavor and texture of the potato. Once the curing process has been finished, the sweet potatoes are ready to be packed for long-term storage. Traditional methods recommend storing sweet potatoes in some sand, but you can also use a box or perforated plastic bag in the right temperatures and conditions. Curing is crucial to storing sweet potatoes for winter successfully. Harvest the potatoes in a dry period if possible. Try to minimize any damage to the tuber, as it invites mold, insects, and disease. Lay out the tubers carefully and let them dry for 10 days to 2 weeks in a warm location with high humidity. Ideal temperatures are 80 to 85 F. (26 to 29 C.) with a humidity level of 80 percent. To cure the potatoes indoors, store them near the furnace, packed in boxes covered with a cloth to enhance humidity. Temperatures indoors generally range from 65 to 75 F. (15 to 23 C.), so a longer period of 2 weeks curing is recommended.

How to Store Sweet Potatoes After Harvest

Provided proper steps are taken during harvesting and storing sweet potatoes, the tubers should last well into winter. After the curing period is up, brush off any dirt that may still remain on the potatoes. Pack them in paper boxes or wrap them in newspaper and store them in a cool pantry or closet. The best temperature to keep the roots fresh is 55 to 60 F. (12 to 15 C.) but don’t refrigerate them for more than a few days, as they are susceptible to cold injury. Check the sweet potatoes often and remove any that may start to mildew to prevent the fungus from spreading to the other tubers.

Traditional In-Site Banking

Our grandparents would place the tubers in a situation called banking. This required circular beds with foot-high (0.5 m.) earthen walls to be prepared. The base of the circle was covered with straw and the potatoes piled up in a cone structure. Then a tepee structure of boards was erected over the pile and more straw packed on top. Earth was gradually mounded over the 6 to 10 inches (15-25.5 cm.) of top straw with more boards placed over the apex of the tepee to prevent moisture from running into the pile. The key with this type of sweet potato storage was to provide ventilation, prevent water from entering and keep the tubers cool but not allow them to freeze.

Storing Sweet Potatoes in Sand

It is not recommended to bank the tubers in sand because it doesn’t allow for adequate ventilation. However, you can store them in sand packed in layers in barrels or crates. The sand cushions them and prevents injury and keeps the sweet potatoes cool enough while preventing a freeze. This method works best if the barrel is stored in a warmish basement or modestly warm garage. Root cellars may also work well if they are not in a zone where deep freezes are common.

In the United States, most gardeners grow sweet potatoes for the big, sweet tubers. However, the leafy green tops are edible too. If you’ve never tried eating potato vine leaves, you’re missing out on a tasty, highly nutritious veggie.

Are Sweet Potato Leaves Edible?

So, are sweet potato leaves edible? Yes, definitely! Next question: what are “camote tops?” The vines of sweet potatoes (especially the deep purple varieties), are known as camote tops (or kamote tops) in Spanish-speaking countries. No matter what you call them – sweet potato leaves, camote tops, or kamote tops – the vines are rich and flavorful, although like most greens they may be somewhat bitter. The leaves are prepared much like spinach or turnip greens. Boiling the sweet potato vine leaves in a small amount of water removes any toughness or bitterness. Once the sweet potato greens are tender, chop the leaves and use them in recipes or sauté them with butter and garlic, then splash the hot sweet potato greens with soy sauce or vinegar and a dash of salt.

Why Eating Potato Vine Leaves is Good for You

Potato vine plant leaves are packed with nutrients. For starters, the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants and contain high levels of vitamin A and C, as well as riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid, and niacin. Sweet potato vine leaves also provide impressive amounts of fiber, along with calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium, and iron.

Growing Sweet Potato Greens

Of all the potatoes, sweet potatoes are easiest to grow. Plant the sweet potato “slips” in spring because sweet potatoes need four to six months of consistently warm weather. Sweet potatoes prefer sandy, well-drained soil, full sun, and plenty of space for the vines to spread. They love heat and won’t tolerate chilly weather or heavy, soggy soil. Give the plants a head start by digging a little compost into the soil before planting, but avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. Newly planted potatoes like regular water, but once established, the plants require little moisture. Mulch between the plants to keep weeds in check. You can harvest sweet potato greens or young shoots any time during growth.

To say that growing ornamental sweet potato vines is a piece of cake may be a slight exaggeration, but they are an excellent plant for beginning gardeners. They're also a good solution for those out-of-the-way spots that you'd like to fill with color, but not mess with too much. Sweet potato vines are very hardy and suffer from few problems, but occasionally white spots on sweet potato foliage appear. It's unlikely to be a serious problem but read on to learn how to cure a sweet potato with white leaves.

Causes of White Spots on Sweet Potato Foliage

The most common causes of white bumps on sweet potato leaves are edema, mites, and mealybugs, which are all garden problems that are easy to control.

Edema

Edema occurs when the water distribution and intake systems in sweet potatoes get out of balance, causing high amounts of water retention. It may be caused by environmental problems, such as high humidity during cool, cloudy weather, or cultural conditions, like over-watering under high light where air circulation is poor. Sweet potato vines usually present with white, crusty growths along their leaf veins that resemble grains of salt on closer inspection. Control edema in sweet potato vine by controlling the plant's environment as much as possible. If it's potted, move it to an area where air circulation is better, discarding any saucers that may be holding water close to the roots. Water the plant only when the top two inches (5 cm.) of soil are dry to the touch - sweet potato vine thrives on neglect - and allow the water to run out of the bottom of the pot. Affected leaves won't heal, but soon healthy-looking leaves will begin to take their places.

Mites

Mites are tiny sap-feeding arachnids, distant cousins to the spiders. Leaves with mite damage often develop a light-colored stippling that may grow into larger bleached areas. Many mite species also leave behind fine silk strands that make identification easier - you're unlikely to see a mite with your naked eye. Spray mite-infested sweet potato vines with insecticidal soap or neem oil weekly until you no longer see new damage on your vines. Mites can be kept at bay by keeping dust levels low, a quick spray of water on the leaves of your vines when you're watering in the morning goes a long way to preventing mite problems.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs look like tiny, white pill bugs when they're moving around on plants and leave behind impressive clumps of white waxy material as they feed. Ornamental sweet potatoes with bumpy leaves may be suffering from mealybugs, especially if white material covers the undersides of leaves and extends to branch crotches. These insects feed on plant juices, causing discoloration, distortion, and leaf drop in severe cases. Like mites, mealybugs are easily dispatched with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Spray weekly until you stop seeing the bugs. Waxy clumps may be either egg sacs or discarded filaments. Wash these off to prevent reinfestation.

A perennial in its native environment, growing sweet potatoes in containers is actually an easy endeavor but the plant is usually grown as an annual this way. Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and come in two different varieties -- dry flesh types and moist flesh types. The moist fleshed types convert more starch to sugars when cooked, thus becoming softer and sweeter than their dry kin and are more often referred to as yams, although true yams can only be cultivated in tropical climes. Either variety has roots variously hued from white to orange to red, depending on the cultivar. With its trailing vine, the sweet potato has a root system that trails down into the soil along this vine. When harvesting sweet potatoes in pots or in the garden, some of these roots swell and form the storage root, which is the part of the plant we harvest and eat.

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in a Container - Producing Slips

Whether grown in the garden or as container grown sweet potatoes, these vegetables prefer warm days and nights and are planted from slips or transplants. Slips or transplants for growing sweet potatoes in a container may be purchased from the local nursery or grown yourself. Be sure to select bush varieties, which produce shorter vines when growing a potted sweet potato plant. Likely varieties for sweet potato container crops are Puerto Rico and Vardaman. Avoid grocery store purchased sweet potatoes, as there is no way of knowing what variety they are, what climate they are most suited to, or if they harbor disease. To grow your own slips for sweet potato container crops, select an unblemished, smooth root of about 1 ½ inches (4 cm.) in diameter from the last year's harvest. Each root produces several slips. Put the selected root in clean sand and cover with an additional 2 inches (5 cm.). Water thoroughly and regularly while keeping the temperature between 75 and 80 degrees F. (24-27 C.) when rooting. Slips are ready in six weeks or when six to ten leaves have sprouted, whereupon you will then gently separate the slips from the seed root. You are now ready to plant your container grown sweet potatoes.

Planting Sweet Potato Container Crops

When growing a potted sweet potato plant, the first thing to consider is the choice of a suitable container. Avoid plastic or metal containers, but clay is great and a whiskey barrel makes a fine choice. Be sure the pot has four or more holes for drainage. Potted sweet potatoes prefer well-draining, sandy soil to which you should add compost. Plant your yam slips 12 inches (31 cm.) apart. Keep the potted sweet potato start indoors for 12 weeks before moving it outside, at least four weeks after the last frost. Water the potted sweet potato once a week or as needed depending on rainfall. Do not overwater!

Harvesting Container Grown Sweet Potatoes

Container grown sweet potatoes should be ready for harvest after 150 days and certainly just after a vine killing frost. Gently dig up with a garden fork and allow drying and curing for ten days, ideally in an area with a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees F. (27-29 C.) (possibly near a furnace) and with high relative humidity. 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. Store in a cool, dry place between 55 and 60 degrees F. (13-16 C.). You may also freeze or can the resulting container grown sweet potatoes if desired.

Sweet potatoes may seem like a relative of the common white potato, but they're actually related to morning glories. Unlike other potatoes, sweet potatoes are grown from small seedlings, known as slips. You can order sweet potato plant starts from seed catalogs, but it's very simple and much less expensive to sprout your own. Let's learn more about starting sweet potato slips for the garden.

When to Start Sweet Potato Slips

Growing a sweet potato plant starts with producing slips from a sweet potato root. The timing is important if you want to grow large and tasty sweet potatoes. This plant loves warm weather and should be planted when the soil reaches 65 degrees F. (18 C.). The slips take about eight weeks to mature, so you should be starting sweet potato slips about six weeks before your last frost date in the spring.

How to Start a Sweet Potato Slip

Fill a box or large container with peat moss and add enough water to make the moss damp but not soggy. Lay a large sweet potato on top of the moss and cover it with 2 inches (5 cm.) of sand. 

Sprinkle water on the sand until it's thoroughly moist and cover the box with a sheet of glass, a plastic lid, or another cover to keep in the moisture. Check your sweet potato after about four weeks to make sure the slips are growing. Keep checking them, pulling from the sand when the slips are about 6 inches (15 cm.) long.

Growing Sprouting Sweet Potato Slips

Take the slips from the sweet potato root by twisting them while tugging on the slip. Once you have the slip in hand, place it in a glass or jar of water for about two weeks, until fine roots have developed on the slip. Plant the rooted slips in the garden, burying them completely and spacing them 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm.) apart. Keep the slips well-watered until you see green shoots appear, then water normally along with the rest of the garden.

So you've decided to grow some sweet potatoes in the garden and now you need information about when and how to harvest sweet potatoes once they've matured. Read on to learn more.

When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes

When to harvest sweet potatoes depends largely on the seasonal growing. If the growing season has been good with adequate water and sunshine, harvesting sweet potatoes should begin about 100 to 110 days after planting depending on the variety. A good rule of thumb is to watch for the first signs of yellowing leaves. Usually this occurs in late September or early October before the first frost. Many people think frost won't affect your harvest. Sweet potatoes are well insulated underground after all. The truth is once those vines blacken with frost bite, the answer to when to dig sweet potatoes becomes-- Right Now! If you can't harvest sweet potatoes right away, cut those dead vines off at the ground so the decay doesn't pass to the tubers below. This will buy you a few more days for harvesting sweet potatoes. Remember, these tender roots freeze at 30 degrees F. (-1 C.) and can be injured at 45 degrees F. (7 C.). When deciding when to harvest sweet potatoes, choose a cloudy day if possible. The thin skins of the newly dug potatoes are susceptible to sunscald. This can open the way for infection to enter the tubers and cause damage during storage. If you must harvest sweet potatoes on a sunny day, move the roots to a shaded spot as quickly as possible or cover them with a tarp.

How to Harvest Sweet Potatoes

How to harvest sweet potatoes is every bit as important as when to harvest. Sweet potatoes have delicate skin that is easily bruised or broken. Be sure you sink your garden fork far enough out from the plants to avoid striking the tender roots. Don't toss the freed potatoes into your carrying container. Place them carefully. A potato that has been damaged by cuts and bruises will leak a milky juice over the injury. Some people believe this juice seals the injury. It doesn't. Minor scrapes will heal during the drying process, but the best practice when harvesting sweet potatoes is to set deeply cut roots aside to be eaten first. Washing the newly dug roots is another common mistake made by many home gardeners when harvesting sweet potatoes. Newly dug roots should be handled as little as possible and moisture should never be added.

What to Do After Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

When we talk about how to harvest sweet potatoes, it's important to note that it's more than just knowing when to dig. Sweet potatoes must be cured after harvest and before they are stored. After digging, allow the roots to dry for two to three hours. Don't leave them out overnight where cooler temperatures and moisture can damage them. Once the surface is dry, move them to a warm, dry, and well ventilated place for 10 to 14 days. This will not only allow the skins to toughen, but will increase the sugar content. You'll notice the color change to a deeper orange after several days. When your potatoes are thoroughly cured, pack them carefully in boxes or baskets and store in a cool, dry, darkened place for the winter. Properly cured sweet potatoes can be stored for six to ten months. Knowing how to harvest sweet potatoes properly can increase your storable yield as well as the pleasure derived from enjoying your harvest all winter long.

Growing sweet potato vines is something every gardener should consider. Grown and cared for like average houseplants, these attractive vines add a little something extra to the home or patio. Keep reading for more ornamental sweet potato info.

Ornamental Sweet Potato Info

The ornamental sweet potato plant (Ipomoea butatas) is somewhat different from its southern-grown vegetable sibling. While it does produce edible sweet potato tubers (albeit not very palatable and bitter), the ornamental variety bears more colorful foliage, making it a popular houseplant.

This plant produces vine-like stems similar to the philodendron and requires similar care to that of ivy when grown indoors. The vigorous growth and drought tolerance of ornamental sweet potato vines makes them great choices for mixed containers and hanging baskets. They can also be grown outdoors as annual ground cover in flower beds.

Types of Ornamental Sweet Potatoes

When growing ornamental sweet potato vines, there are a number of varieties to choose from. Popular types of ornamental sweet potatoes include:

• Sweet Carolina Purple- Dark purple foliage and smaller tubers. Also a less vigorous grower. Suitable for small containers.
• Blackie - Nearly black foliage with deep-cut leaves.
• Marguerite - Bold, chartreuse green foliage with heart-shaped leaves.
• Tricolor - Another less vigorous grower with small pointy leaves that are multicolored and variegated in shades of green, pink, and white.

How to Grow an Ornamental Sweet Potato Plant

You might be asking yourself how to grow an ornamental sweet potato plant. Growing sweet potato vines is not too difficult. They are easily propagated either from small rooted pieces from the eye buds of the tuber or by stem cuttings--no plant seeds to worry with as with their morning glory cousin.

Place your sweet potato tuber in a glass of water with the top third exposed by securing it in place with toothpicks. Stem cuttings can also be placed in water with rooting taking place within a few weeks.

Sweet potato vines enjoy a bright, sunny location outdoors with similar conditions in the home. They also thrive in the heat. Give them well-draining soil whether they are grown in pots or in the ground. In containers, make sure there are adequate drainage holes.

Care of Sweet Potato Plants

The care of sweet potato plants is similar to most other vining houseplants in the home, spending summers outdoors. While tolerant of drought, these plants prefer to be kept moist (not soggy).

Though prolific growers, you may fertilize monthly, if desired, using a general all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer. Overgrown or leggy-looking plants can be cut back to encourage bushier growth and keep them under control. New plants can be started with these cuttings to keep an endless supply year-round.

In the United States, sweet potatoes are a common part of soul food and southern cooking. The tubers are also popular in the Pacific islands, South India, and many African countries. Baked or boiled, stewed, or fried, the sweet potato is a delicious component of many meals. The sweet potato plant is a perennial in tropical to subtropical regions. In North America and other countries, it is often treated as an annual due to its lack of cold hardiness. Slips are required for growing sweet potatoes. Slips are sprouts from the root. Read further for tips on how to grow sweet potatoes right in your garden.

Sweet Potato Plant Care

Sweet potatoes are fun and pretty to grow. Let's dig in!

Light

As a warm region plant, sweet potato plants need plenty of sunshine. The optimum is at least 8 hours of bright light per day. Because the plants are vines, they should be placed where taller crops don’t shade them during the day.

Water

These tubers are drought tolerant once established. That being said, the best growth will occur with even soil moisture. Water the slips well at transplant. Once the plant is established, give it 1 inch ( 2.54 cm.) of water per week. In sandy soils, the plants will need to be watered more frequently to maintain some moisture.

Temperature & Humidity

To sprout your own slips, plant smaller tubers in soil in a box and cover it with black plastic. Keep the box where temperatures are at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit ( 24 C.). When planting slips, the soil should be between 60-85 F ( 15.56-27 C.). Sweet potatoes tend to grow best where there is plenty of humidity and do not like dry air. Ideal humidity is between 40-50 percent.

Soil

Well-drained, sandy loam, or silt loam is the best soil for planting sweet potatoes. Heavy soil will produce small, malformed tubers. In soils with poor drainage, the potatoes will crack, have rough skin, and be misshapen.

Fertilizer

Prior to planting, incorporate a 5-10-10 directly into the soil. Side dress the plants with a nitrogen food such as 21-0-0 in early July.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

Heavy soils and overwatering can cause the roots to become malformed, develop mold spots, or develop bacterial soft rot. The primary pests are weevils, cutworms, beetles, and root knot nematodes. Deer will graze on sweet potato vines. Leaf spots are common. Avoid overhead watering.

How to Plant Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are grown in peaked rows 12 inches ( 30.48 cm.) wide and 10 inches ( 25.4 cm.) tall and 3 feet ( .91 m.) apart. Plant the slips when the soil has warmed and there is no danger of frost. Set the cut end down 5 inches ( 12.7 cm.) deep and space them 15 inches ( 38 cm.) apart. Water the slips well after installation. Short on space? Try a vertical sweet potato garden.

How & When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes need 90-120 days from installation to harvest. Harvest sweet potatoes before a killing frost and when the leaves are beginning to yellow. Find the crown and dig the tubers out by hand to avoid damaging them. The roots are in the top 10 inches ( 25.4 cm.) of the soil. Store sweet potatoes only after they have air dried.

Propagation

Slips are how to plant sweet potatoes. If you only want a couple of plants you can suspend a tuber in water until the side roots form. If you want many plants, place small potatoes in a container covered with a couple of inches ( 5 cm. ) of moderately moist soil. Add more soil to cover shoots as they appear. Keep the container where soil can maintain at least 70 degrees F. ( 21 C.). Slips are ready to plant in about 6 weeks or when they are 6-8 inches ( 15-20 cm.) long.

Varieties

There are many varieties of sweet potato, some of which have resistance to certain diseases or pests.

• Evangeline: resists root knot nematode, Fusarium, Rhizopus, and root rot.
• Jewel: resists root knot nematode and Fusarium.
• Bonita: resists root knot nematode and Fusarium.
• Centennial: resists wireworm and Fusarium.

Frequently Asked Questions