| Sweet potatoes grow best in the southern states where the days are long, warm and humid. You can try to grow them, but choose a quick-maturing sweet potato that will have a chance to mature in your area (most sweet potatoes need 90-120 warm days to mature). Sweet potatoes for the garden are usually started by planting slips or prestarted plants that are sold bareroot (Burpee offers several types). They require a warm soil so they are planted in late spring or early summer. To help the soil warm faster you can use a raised bed and cover it with black plastic. Sweet potatoes form best when they're given a light textured soil with lots of organic matter. If your soil is too sandy, they'll be stringy, and if the soil is too clayey, the roots will be deformed. To create the perfect environment, build long, wide, 10" inch high ridges spaced 3 1/3 feet apart. Work in plenty of compost and plant the sweet potato pips 6" inches deep and 12" inches apart. Avoid the use of fertilizers high in nitrogen, or you'll have luxurious tops and very little tuber production. Use a 5-10-10 or 8-8-8 formulation as a side-dress about 6 weeks after planting. Apply about one-inch of water to the plants every week. Enjoy! |
