Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Sweet potatoes are a tropical perennial grown as an annual in temperate climates. They demand a long warm season — at least 120 frost-free days — and are planted as slips (rooted cuttings), not seeds or tubers. Start slips indoors 6 weeks before planting time by placing a sweet potato half-submerged in water; rooted sprouts can be snapped off and potted once 10–15cm long. Plant slips outdoors only when soil has warmed above 18°C and all frost risk is long past. Grow in raised, mounded rows of loose, well-drained, low-fertility soil at pH 5.5–6.5 — excess nitrogen produces enormous vines and tiny tubers. Space slips 30–40cm apart in rows 90–120cm apart. Mulch heavily with black plastic to maximise soil warmth. Water moderately — 2.5cm per week — reducing irrigation in the final 3–4 weeks before harvest to allow skins to firm. The sprawling vines cover 1.5–2m² per plant — plan accordingly.