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Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
								P	P	P

(Best months for planting Sweet Potato/Kumara in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

P = Sow direct in garden where they are to grow.

• Harvest in 15-17 weeks.
• Plant shoots or cuttings (Slips).
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 17°C and 35°C.
• Space plants: 40-60cm

Frost tender Sweet Potatoes require a long warm growing season. Plant in free draining loose soil . Fertilise before planting but no more when the plants are growing as it will encourage vine growth. They will go for miles and you will get no tubers. If they do start spreading, lift the vines off the ground to prevent them rooting.

Mound up the soil about 20cm (8 in) before planting Let the plants die down, (leaves die or turn yellow) before harvesting the tubers. Dry them in the sun for a few days . then store in a cool dry place for up to five months.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Sweet Potato/Kumara

Use mashed, boiled, roasted, baked or fried. Or use in soups, pies, casseroles, curries and salads.

Your comments and tips

19 Jul 10 Joanne Lockyer (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi we recently went to NZ for a holiday and were quite impressed by Kumara. Where can I located some plants in Australia as we would like to try and grow our own. thanks

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13 Jul 10 ben (Australia - temperate climate)

hi everybody i live in western Australia and you can get the orange(anytime), purple(most times) and sometimes the cream coloured ones. I buy them more than normal potatos

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23 Jul 10 Karl (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Ben when you say you can get purple most of the time is that purple on the inside?

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15 Jun 10 Michele -- Launceston (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I found a sweet potato tuber with shoots about 2cm long in the vegetable storer in the cupboard. I want to know if it will keep for a couple of months so I can plant it out when the threat of frost has gone . I paln to plant tomatoes, capsicum, peas and chiilis at the same time..... mid October ish.

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09 Jul 10 CC (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

My brother grows sweet potato & they grew from shoots, which he planted in the ground.

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11 Feb 10 Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Sandra, have a look at this site www.bbc.co.uk/search/sweet_potato

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10 Feb 10 Sandra Rowland (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)

Is it possible to grow sweet potatoes in the uk?

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31 Jul 09 Santy Bruwr (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Does anyone know where I can buy them in Canberra? I will check at our Asian grocery/veg shop.. but I have not seen any in Australia.. and nothing beats the taste... will buy if anyone has stock pleez - just not possible to get it here from NZ

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26 Jul 09 Barry Hayes (Australia - temperate climate)

For Meredith. The purple sweet potato appears in asian grocery/veg shops when in season. Keep watch. If you break off the stalk when nobody is looking you'll see the purple. I agree - they're the best variety. Put the ends (about 2") in a box on some potting mix, cover with damp potting mix to about 3" and put in a warm place for 3 weeks. They'll shoot. Break the shoots off and plant them - or cut a bit of the spud off with the shoots. Good luck. P.S. They hate frost and cold wind. Put wind guards around them until it warms up.

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24 Jul 09 Mel (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)

I'm looking for Maori potatoes in the UK can anyone suggest a source please ? Thanks

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