Sweet Potatoes: This Potato A’nit Like the Rest — What You Need to Know to Grow and Enjoy
If sweet potatoes had a personality, they’d be the life of the garden party—resilient, adaptable, and bursting with sweetness. And here’s a fun fact to start: Sweet potatoes aren’t actually potatoes! Unlike the starchy nightshade variety, sweet potatoes are members of the Morning Glory family. This means they’re technically a root vegetable with a flair for climbing and sprawling across gardens.
Sweet potatoes have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they’re more than a historical staple—they’re a superfood with a modern edge. With their ability to thrive in containers or small urban spaces, they’re perfect for the city gardener who’s looking to grow something both nutritious and delicious.
In this post, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about growing and enjoying sweet potatoes, from picking the right variety to preparing recipes that will make your taste buds sing. By the end, you’ll be ready to dig in—literally and figuratively.
Choosing the Right Sweet Potato Variety
The key to sweet potato success lies in selecting the right variety. Not all sweet potatoes are created equal, and the best choice depends on your taste preferences and growing conditions. Here are five standout varieties:
1. Beauregard
When we think of sweet potatoes, the Beauregard variety comes to mind. Its great taste and creaminess make it a versatile staple in many kitchens.
Flavor: Classic sweet and moist and perfect for baking or mashing.
Growing Conditions: The reliable and productive Beauregard thrives in most climates with full sun and will take 90-95 days to mature.
Urban Gardening Tip: This variety produces trailing vines that require ample space. It is an excellent choice for urban gardeners with a backyard that has planter boxes or an inground area for this plant to thrive.
2. Japanese Purple (Murasaki)
For all you heath-minded people, the purpleness of this potato makes it one of the healthiest varieties you can grow.
Flavor: Nutty and slightly dry, with a subtly sweet profile.
Growing Conditions: This plant takes 120 to 140 days to grow, and its vines spread quickly, making it suitable for ground cover. If you decide to grow them, ensure you have enough space.
Urban Gardening Tip: Use large containers to grow these beauties if you don’t have space to put them in the ground.
3. Covington
Flavor: Sweet and creamy, great for roasting or soups.
Growing Conditions: The reliable and productive Covington thrives in most climates with full sun and will take 100-115 days to mature.
Urban Gardening Tip: Like the Beauregard, this variety needs to have space to thrive. Use large containers with support if you decide not to plant in the ground or in raised planter boxes.
4. Porto rico
Flavor: Sweet and creamy flavor that’s great for mashing and baking.
Growing Conditions: The Porto Rico is a bush variety that, like all other sweet potatoes, loves the moist heat. Grow them in sandy loam soil with plenty of drainages for healthy growth.
Urban Gardening Tip: This and the Vardaman are great for containers due to their bushy growth habit. Just make sure to choose a container large enough to produce healthy tubers.
5. Vardaman
Flavor: Sweet and nutty flavor that’s great for sweet and savory recipes.
Growing Conditions: Grow them in sandy loam soil with plenty of drainages for healthy growth in a warm, moist environment.
Urban Gardening Tip: Sweet potatoes don’t require much attention, so avoid over-fertilizing. If they do need nutrients, use bone meal and wood ash as the growing season progresses.
Common Sweet Potato Pests and Diseases (And Natural Ways to Combat Them)
Sweet potatoes require relatively low maintenance, but pests and diseases can occasionally cause problems. Don’t worry—these natural remedies will keep your plants healthy without using harmful chemicals.
Pests
1. Sweet Potato Weevils
Signs: Small holes in tubers or leaves and discolored stems.
Solution:
Focus on prevention by keeping your space clean, using weevil-free plants, rotating crops, and promptly harvesting mature plants.
If you do get weevils try the following
Spray neem oil on plants to deter weevils.
Use pheromone traps to help monitor populations and possibly disrupt mating
Encourage natural enemies to the garden to help control them.
2. Aphids
Signs: Tiny bugs clustered on leaves, causing yellowing or curling.
Solution:
Prevention and acting early when there is a problem will do wonders for controlling this pest. to help prevent aphids from taking over, make sure your growing conditions are optimal so your plant will be as healthy as possible.
When the infestation is small, you will be able to shoot them off your plant with water. Repeat this for a few days until you don’t see them anymore. It is best to do it in the morning so the plant has time to dry throughout the day.
Encourage natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings.
3. Wireworms
Signs: Tunnels in the tubers, leading to rot.
Solution:
Rotate crops and keep the soil loose and well-aerated.
Use raw potato slices buried in the soil as bait, then remove them along with the pests.
Adding beneficial nematodes to your soil could help control their population
Diseases
1. Fusarium Wilt
Signs: Yellowing leaves that start on one side of the plant and then turn brown. It usually starts on the older leaves and moves its way through the plant.
Solution:
Prevention and destroying infected plants are the only ways to handle this fungus. To prevent the disease, do the following:
Rotate the crop species
Plant in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering.
Buy disease-resistant varieties from reputable nurseries.
Remove and dispose of the infected plants immediately to prevent the spread.
2. Black Rot
Signs: Blackened spots on tubers and stems.
Solution:
Like with Fusarium Wilt, prevention is key. To prevent do the following:
Use disease-free slips from a trusted supplier. Handle homegrown slips carefully to avoid damaging them.
Avoid planting in the same spot two years in a row.
Cure and store healthy harvested tuber promptly and properly.
How to Grow, Care for, and Harvest Sweet Potatoes
1. Getting Started: Planting Sweet Potatoes
Start with Slips: Sweet potatoes grow from slips (sprouts from a mature sweet potato), not seeds. Decide if you want to grow them from the sweet potatoes you have or if you want to purchase them from a nursery. To grow your own slips, do the following:
DIY Sweet Potato Slips, The Water Method:
There are two common ways to grow sweet potato slips: the water method and the soil method. We are going to grow our slips using the water method because, in my opinion, it’s the easiest of the two. Let’s get started!
Start with a healthy sweet potato that is free of disease.
Place the sweet potato in a jar of water, using toothpicks to hold it so that it is halfway submerged.
Put the jar in a sunny window. In about 3-4 days, you should see roots beginning to emerge. Sprout leaves will appear a few weeks after the root system is nicely developed.
Once each sprout has 2-3 leaves and has grown 5-6" inches, carefully snap them off and place them in clean water to allow their roots to develop.
When the roots grow to about 4-5 inches long and are well-established, they are ready for planting in soil.
Remember to keep your sweet potatoes and slips in clean water throughout the process.
Site Selection:
When selecting a place for your sweet potatoes to live for the season, make sure they have full sun and protection from wind. If you are using containers, make sure they are at least 12” deep, but deeper is better. You want to make sure they have enough space to develop nice-sized tubers. You also want to keep in mind support for varieties that will need it. Trailing varieties like Japanese Purple (Murasaki) and Covington will need a trellis if you don’t have the space to let them sprawl.
Soil Preparation:
Use well-draining loose sandy loam soil with good drainage. It may be tempting but don’t over-amend the soil with fertilizers and compost before and during the growing season. If you need anything, use bone meal and/or wood ash.
Planting Tips:
In garden beds: Space slips 12-18 inches apart and bury them up to the first set of leaves.
2. Caring for Your Plants
Sunlight: Sweet potatoes love full sun—aim for at least 6 hours daily but 8 is even better.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist during the first few weeks, then water sparingly as the tubers mature. DO NOT OVER WATER! Doing so will increase your chances of the diseases we talked about earlier.
Mulching: Add a layer of mulch to retain soil moisture and keep weeds at bay. This is especially helpful in hot, dry climates where it’s more difficult to retain moisture.
Fertilizer: If needed, you can amend the soil with bone meal and wood ash at the beginning and throughout the growing season up to 4 weeks before the expected harvest.
3. Harvesting Your Sweet Potatoes
When to Harvest: Sweet potatoes are ready 90-120 days after planting, depending on the variety. When the leaves start to dye back, it is a good sign that it’s time to harvest.
How to Harvest: Use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil and lift the tubers out without damaging them. One advantage of growing in bags is that you can harvest without damaging the tubers by gently dumping them out and sifting through the soil. Additionally, you can save the soil for future planting if it’s in good condition.
Curing: Let the tubers sit at 80-85 F and at 85-90% humidity for 7-10 days to enhance sweetness and improve storage. Check out The Millennial Gardener’s video on curing your sweet potatoes inside your house.
Relatable Tip: Harvesting sweet potatoes feels like digging up treasure. The thrill of unearthing a big, plump tuber is unmatched!
Enjoy Your harvest!
Now that all the work is complete and you've successfully grown and harvested your sweet potatoes, it's time to prepare a simple and delicious dish the enjoy.
Sweet Potato Recipes
1. Quick and Easy: Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Perfect for busy gardeners who want something fast, healthy, and delicious.
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut sweet potatoes into wedges and toss with olive oil and seasonings.
Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
ConCLusion
Sweet potatoes are more than just a crop—they’re a lifestyle. From growing slips in your kitchen to digging up tubers in your backyard or balcony, these resilient plants bring joy, nourishment, and a sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re roasting them for a quick snack or crafting a fancy gnocchi dinner, sweet potatoes are here to remind us that gardening and eating healthy can be just as fun as it is rewarding.
So grab a sweet potato, a sunny spot, and a little bit of patience, and get started. Who knows—you might just fall in love with this spunky, delicious root veggie!
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Happy growing!
With love & gratitude,
Jennifer & Janet
Sources:
UCIPM: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/fusariumwlt.html#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20effective%20fungicide,previously%20infected%20there%20by%20Fusarium.
NC State Extension: https://plantpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/10/how-to-control-black-rot-of-sweetpotato/#:~:text=Black%20rot%20of%20sweetpotato%20is,cortex%20of%20the%20sweetpotato%20root.
