Sweet Potato Plants

Sweet potatoes thrive in the warm weather of the southern United States. The tubers and the sweet potato shoots are edible. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber and vitamins A and C.The vines grow along the surface of the soil, while tubers develop from the roots below ground.

Varieties
Edible sweet potato varieties include the popular orange-fleshed varieties, as well as yellow and white tubers. Yellow and orange sweet potatoes are grown as eating varieties. The white tubers are mainly grown as ornamental vines for use as ground cover, or as a hanging or trailing container plant. Ornamental tubers are edible, but not considered tasty.

Planting
Transplant sweet potato slips when the sun warms the soil in the spring. In cooler climates, cover the row with black plastic to keep the soil warm. Plant the slips 12 to 18 inches apart on raised rows spaced 3 feet apart. Sweet potatoes take 100 to 120 days to grow to maturity. Water them once or twice a week during dry weather for the first 10 weeks. Give them enough water to keep the soil from drying out, but do not allow it to become soggy. For the last three to four weeks before harvest, withhold water to harden the tubers for harvesting.

Harvest
Dig a few tubers, for immediate use as needed, in late fall. Harvest the rest of the crop in the fall just before the first frost occurs or when the leaves begin to turn yellow. Dig the tubers with a shovel or spading fork, digging around the outside and under the roots to avoid cutting or bruising the roots. Allow the roots to dry on the ground for two to three hours during dry weather, then finish curing them in a warm, humid space for approximately two weeks. Store the tubers in a cool location for up to 10 months.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
Sweet potatoes are actually a different plant than yams, but the terms are used interchangeably in the southern United States. Yams are the edible root of the Dioscorea species that originated in West Africa and Asia. Sweet Potatoes are from the Ipomoea batatas plant. They originated in Peru and Ecuador..