Growing Guide for Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are tropical drama queens and need lots of heat and pampering to perform in the North. They prefer rich, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5 to 6.5).

Upon Arrival

Slips that can’t be planted right away should be put in a vase of water in a warm sunny location. Slips that arrive with few leaves or roots are still likely to perform well; if the slips arrive slimy and rotten, please email us with pictures.

Planting Out

Sweet potatoes like a loose soil bed with plenty of organic matter and micro-nutrients—think Kelp Meal and Azomite. Plant slips 18" apart in rows 36" apart. We recommend planting after all danger of frost into hills or raised beds covered with IRT plastic mulch. Protect the plants with slitted plastic row cover over wire hoops and drench the plants regularly with Fish Hydrolysate with Kelp.

Harvest and Curing

Harvest just before frost. Before storing, spread in a single layer in a greenhouse or room above 70° for 10-14 days. After curing, store above 55°, and enjoy!