If you want to grow your sweet potato vines as decorative plants, find a small three- or four-inch seedling pot with good drainage. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. A hanging basket is a good choice for this plant’s vining habit. Both edible and ornamental varieties of sweet potato grow quite well in large pots. The sweet potatoes will remain unspoiled at room temperature for up to a year if you've given them time to form a suberin coat. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Planting sweet potatoes in containers. Sweet Potato in Bags. Avoid compost that's rich in nitrogen fertilizer. As their popularity increases, more and more intrepid gardeners are trying their hand at growing their own. Sweet potato plants love the hot weather, but will grow more potatoes if they have plenty water. This allows the sweet potato to grow easily but not remain in a moist environment that encourages rot and disease. This beautiful, easy-to-grow herbaceous perennial has long tendrils that tumble over the edges and down the sides of containers. Sweet potatoes require full sun and a warm climate. It may take a few weeks or even a month before you see green growth sprouting from the top of the tuber. Lay down the slips across the mound with the roots at the lowest end of the soil. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. The sweet potato propagation process takes a couple of weeks but your yam plant will make a spectacular centrepiece in your home. By using The Spruce, you accept our, 10 Root Vegetables You Can Successfully Grow, 7 Fun Container Garden Projects Kids Will Love, How to Grow Organic Potatoes in Your Garden. Once the sweet potato tuber has sprouted, your next step is to separate the sprouts into individual "slips" that can be planted. Both types of sweet potato are widely available for sale as small container plants in the spring, but they are also easy to grow yourself by sprouting "slips" from pieces of the tubers, which is the method described here. Sweet potatoes will grow in poor soil, but deformed roots may develop in heavy clay or long and stringy in sandy dirt. To create the perfect environment, create long, wide, 10-inch-high ridges spaced 3½ feet apart. Only a few inexpensive items are required to propagate your own sweet potato plants: To get started, look for firm sweet potatoes without any major bad spots. Unglazed pots and grow bags transpire easily and in hot, windy areas, may lose water quickly. Sweet potatoes also like loose, well-drained soil. The sweet potato is suitable for growing in zones 3-11 as an annual, and zones 8-11 as a perennial. Tip: If your tap water is heavy with chlorine and other additives, it may prevent the tuber from sprouting. How to grow sweet potatoes in pots or containers Although the sweet potato is an exotic, tropical root crop from South America, it is becoming an increasingly common sight in our local supermarkets. References. Nutritious and easy to grow, you can plant it just about anywhere so long as the soil is free draining and the plant gets plenty of sun. Sweet potatoes come in two general forms: vegetable varieties bred for their edible roots, and as varieties bred specifically for their ornamental trailing foliage. Sweet potatoes are known for their sprawling habit, but … Sweet potatoes are known for their sprawling habit, but … Be careful not to cut or knick the stem of the slip while you’re trimming the leaves, as this can cause the potato to sprout from an undesirable spot on the slip. Soil Requirements. [1] Sweet potatoes love to … Once your sweet potatoes have sprouted, you have to separate them … Potato is placed in water to root, them slips will start to grow,cut these slips and place in water to root, then plant the rooted slips into ground. Water thoroughly. Leave all of the stems exposed. Planting Your Sweet Potato Crop. Make a hole in the center of the soil, deep enough to cover the roots of the slip. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. However, wet soil means root rot, so make sure your containers … To double check that the sweet potato is suitable to use, ask the farmer or booth worker if they’ve sprayed the potatoes with BudNip or other sprout inhibitor. Be sure to water them everyday. Simply buy a small organic sweet potato from your local grocer and place the tip in water. I’ve had a lot of success with growing sweet potatoes in a … So, that is the reason why setting up a … wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Supermarket sweet potatoes are often sprayed with a chemical called “BudNip” that stops slips from sprouting. To get the most flavor from your sweet potatoes and to extend their shelf life, cure them in a warm, dry place for 10 days to two weeks before eating. This article has been viewed 20,613 times. Avoid garden soil, which is too heavy and becomes compacted. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Grow-Sweet-Potatoes-in-Containers-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Sweet-Potatoes-in-Containers-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Grow-Sweet-Potatoes-in-Containers-Step-1.jpg\/aid10355061-v4-728px-Grow-Sweet-Potatoes-in-Containers-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"