Sweet potatoes, also known as Ipomoea batatas or kumara are a starchy root vegetable known for its deliciously sweet and creamy flesh. Considered the ‘healthier’ sibling of potatoes, it has fibre, vitamins A and C, potassium and antioxidants. Not only is it tasty and nutritious, but it is also versatile and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, making it a great plant to learn how to grow.
Aussies grow a whopping 100,000 tonnes of sweet potatoes each year, but have you ever thought of growing them at home?
Sweet potatoes are great for new green thumbs as they are easy to grow and aren’t fussy with the ability to thrive in a garden bed or pots. Here’s everything you need to know plus a guide on how to grow sweet potatoes at home.
How to grow sweet potatoes in Australia
Growing sweet potatoes in Australia is quite common, especially considering how easy they are to care for.
Climate
Most of Australia has optimal growing conditions for sweet potatoes year-round, so there is no real best time to plant sweet potato. The only exception to this rule is if you’re in an area that is prone to frost.
Frost is the one thing sweet potatoes won’t tolerate and for this reason, most sweet potatoes grown in Australia are in Queensland.
However, home gardeners shouldn’t have any trouble growing sweet potatoes as far south as Melbourne, just be wary in winter.
Aspect
When it comes to growing sweet potatoes they like full sun.
Sweet potatoes are generally quite resilient and don’t mind rough, sandy soil but they’d prefer to be more dry than wet.
Growing sweet potatoes in water
Growing sweet potatoes in water is easier than you think. It can be done in 2 simple steps.
Step 1
Buy a small organic sweet potato from your local grocer and place the tip in water.
Step 2
Leave it in a sunny spot and watch it grow roots and leaves.
The sweet potato propagation process takes a couple of weeks but your yam plant will make a spectacular centrepiece in your home.
How to plant a sweet potato in a garden bed or pot
You can follow the process above and then plant the tuber in the ground, or you can grow sweet potatoes from a seedling.
To plant seedlings, simply follow these two steps.
Step 1
Grab seedlings from your local garden centre.
Step 2
In a garden bed, place seedlings in holes 15cm deep and around 30cm apart. If you’re growing them in big pots, make sure there is enough room for the vines to grow so we recommend no more than one seedling per 50cm pot.
How to harvest sweet potatoes
If the sweet potatoes are ready for harvest, their leaves will turn yellow and die down. Here’s what to do when this occurs.
Step 1
To harvest, gently loosen the soil with a spade or fork around the plant.
Step 2
Lift the plant out gently, ensuring no to damage the skin.
Once they’re out of the soil, cure the potatoes for about 10 days in a warm and well-ventilated area. This will make them sweeter and increase their shelf life.
How many sweet potatoes will I get from one plant?
On average, you’ll get between five and ten sweet potatoes per plant.
How long does a sweet potato take to grow?
It will take sweet potatoes between 90 and 170 days to grow depending on the variety.
Sweet potato varieties
Australia is home to a plethora of types of sweet potato, here are seven of the most common varieties.
- Beauregard – also known as Bonita or Bellevue has orange flesh and red/brown skin. The most common sweet potato variety in Australia.
- Centennial – grows fast and has a high yield. It has copper skin and dark orange flesh.
- Jewel
- Kestle – has pale flesh and pale skin. Perfect for roasting and mashing.
- Northern Star – accounting for almost 10 per cent of Australian sweet potato sales. Northern star has reddish-purple skin.
- Stokes – is the purple sweet potato and a bit of a wildcard.
- WSPF – white skin purple flesh, yes that’s really their name.
You’ll know when your sweet potatoes are ready to harvest when the leaves start to turn yellow. Keeping in mind that the longer you keep them in the ground the more vitamins they’ll absorb and the bigger they’ll grow. Dig tubers up, being careful not to pierce the skin and leave in the sun for a couple of hours to partially cure.
Don’t forget you can eat sweet potato leaves! They are delicious and packed with nutrients.
Plant Care & Troubleshooting
Water
We can’t mention it enough. Sweet potatoes don’t need a lot of water. If the leaves are starting to wilt this is a sign that they need more water. Overwatering can cause root rot and encourage unwanted pest guests.
Pests
Be on the lookout for sweet potato weevils, they will lay eggs in the stems and tubers if they’re left for too long. If you see weevils act quickly as they can multiply within a couple of days. Destroy the infected plants and spray the rest with a natural bug repellant.
Companion plants
The best companion plants for sweet potatoes are other root vegetables like parsnips and beets. Thyme is also a good herb to plant nearby as its strong smell keeps pests away.
