| Sweet potatoes grow best in the southern states where the days are long, warm and humid. 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. 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. 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. |
