As early as January you can start growing the first vegetables and the sweet potato is one of them. Even though the normal potato is undoubtedly a must, more and more hobby gardeners are also considering the sweet alternative. Not only because it tastes incredibly delicious, but also because it actually performs better when it comes to nutrients. If you would like to grow the sweet potato yourself,follow our tipsand steps for growing, sowing, caring for and harvesting.
When is the right time to move forward?
From the end of January you can grow the sweet potatoes yourself and begin the preparations. But you still have thatuntil mid-FebruaryTime. And that means, first of all, growing the potatoes and allowing them to germinate for this purpose. For this you need whole potatoes, which you can buy in any shop/supermarket, but definitely organic.
Grow your own sweet potatoes outdoors or indoors?
Since it is still too cold to plant the tubers directly outdoors, you have to prefer them indoors in the warm. Why not just wait until spring and sow the potato tubers directly? Of course you can do that too, after the Ice Saints in May. However, we recommend the first variant because it allows you to harvest the first sweet potatoes earlier. It's best to use both variants to benefit from two harvests.
This is how you get them to sprout
Take a potato and halve it if necessary if it is large (you can also use the whole one, but then cut off the bottom tip). Prepare a jam or larger mason jar with water. Now insert toothpicks or other sticks into the sweet potato at approximately equal distances from each other and in the middle. These serve as a support so that the tuber does not fall completely into the water. So hang them in the glass, cut side down. Now place the glass in a bright and warm place so that you can germinate the sweet potato.
Depending on the potato, the process can take a different amount of time and can take up to several weeks. In the meantime, all you have to do is add water or change the water as needed. At some point the roots will appear in the water or several shoots will appear above the water.
Plant seedlings
As soon as the shoots are about 20 cm long, you can plant them. There are two options available to you, depending on whether you are looking for a harvest or would rather use the sweet potato plant as a decoration:
- Plant the whole potato, including shoots and roots, in soil. New tubers should be guaranteed here.
- Break off the shoots and plant them individually in soil. In this case, no tubers may be produced for harvesting and the plant serves more decorative purposes.
A notice:You can also put the broken shoots in water beforehand so that they form their own roots before you plant them.
Alternatively, directly in the pot with soil
Another way to propagate sweet potatoes is to plant the potatoes directly in soil. Use the whole tuber or cut it into 3- to 4-inch pieces (then let the cuts dry for a day). With both variants, you only plant half of the potato tuber. When the shoots are 10 to 15 centimeters long, break them out and plant them back in soil. You can also divide long shoots for several cuttings.
Plant sweet potatoes and grow them yourself – can you grow them in a pot?
As already mentioned, the plants can be outdoors without any problems after the long frost period. And you have the choice of whether you plant the tuber with the shoots directly in the bed or continue cultivating it in the pot. Either way, you need to offer it a sunny spot as this is important for its good development. Remember that temperatures below 10 degrees will temporarily stop plants from growing.
These plants need plenty of space. So plan a distance of at least 60 centimeters between the individual specimens in grooves in the bed. If you grow the sweet potato in a pot, give it enough space in the form of a large container. This should also be deeper because the potato plants have quite deep roots. If you grow sweet potatoes in the garden or bed, the soil should be loosened deeply enough.
Care for the plants properly
The plants are actually quite undemanding, but you should not neglect watering, especially in summer during the long dry phase. This is particularly important for potted plants, as the soil dries out more quickly. It is also recommended to do this every now and thenFertilize potatoesto provide them with the nutrients needed for growth.
Grow sweet potatoes yourself – When is the right harvest time for sweet potatoes?
As soon as the above-ground parts of the plant and more precisely the leaves begin to turn increasingly yellow, you can assume that the potatoes are ripe and can be harvested. This is usually what happensfrom September. However, if you want to harvest larger tubers, leave them in the ground for some time (at the latest until the first frost) to allow them to continue growing. Either way, a dry day is best for harvesting. A digging fork is best for digging things out.
In order for the sweet potatoes to last for a long time during storage, you should ensure that they form the typical skin. To do this, let them rest for two days, choosing an airy place. This also contributes to a better taste. In general, the sweet potato tubers should not be stored warmer than 15 degrees and only for a few weeks.
How to harvest early potatoesfind out here.
