Growing Sweet Potato, also Kumara

Ipomoea batatas : Convolvulaceae / the morning glory family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Plant shoots or cuttings (Slips). Best planted at soil temperatures between 63°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 15-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best in Separate bed

Your comments and tips

07 May 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Claudie in Australia cool/mountain, I assume you have already planted by now. Lettuce is good this time of year, and so too are broccoli, bok choy, sugarsnap peas and broad beans. Pumpkin and sweet potato both take a looong time, and need warmer weather. Pumpkin takes up heaps of space, so not very practical in a mini garden.
31 May 09, Meredith.Baillie (Australia - temperate climate)
I am also wanting to find New Zealand Kumera. The purple one..(they are really delicious). As you cannot, as far as I know buy the tubers here in Australia, would anyone know where I could buy the seeds?
26 Jul 10, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
There are no seeds to grow kumara. To get nz kumara one can buy the kumara but there are no seeds
28 Jul 10, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
If you cut the eye end off a kumera or sweet potato you can grow a new plant from this. Just as with regular potatoes.
21 Jun 09, elly (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I have had my sweet potato in the ground for about 6 mth, and it has rained non stop since Feb. Will they be ok? how do I know when to harvest?
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
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.
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
28 Sep 10, Lana (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Santy, The fresh food markets (belconnen markets and fyshwick markets) have sweet potato. Most often they only stock the orange variety, but I have seen white and purple (purple skin, white flesh) there also. I am going to try to grow them this year, but keep in mind that they are not really suited to our climate!
10 Jan 22, Cindy (Canberra) (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Have seen them at Kim's groceries (around the corner from Maccas in civic), also sometimes at "Asian Supa grocery" at Belconnen. You can also get seedling from Daleys fruit trees. Good luck :)
Showing 11 - 20 of 303 comments

Hi there :-) found this thread while looking for a diagram of kumara (sweet potato) and thought this info might help you Jason. In early Feb, had this awesome fella come show us how to plant kumara in the traditional way, used successfully by Maori before European colonisation. I recently emailed him asking for general care and cultivation tips... this was his reply: "Kia ora ano sis, chur mean, glad to hear the kumara are in abundance! Have y'all pulled the runners up yet? - about 3 weeks ago you shouldve pulled up the runners on a sunny day and exposed the roots to the sun for a few hours to kill them. Otherwise the plants direct energy away from the tubers and into setting down new roots via the runners and your kumara wont be as big as they could. If you havent done it yet, still do! At that point you can also start harvesting the new shoots of vine growth - pick leaves and vines that are still that brighter green and use it like puha or watercress. If you eat mature leaves it might upset your stomach so kia tupato! (you probably already know all this!). This has same effect of directing energy to the tubers." For your reference, "puha and watercress" are greens that can be added to salads or boiled/blanched similar to spinach and silverbeet and "kia tupato" means I need to "be careful" - eating mature leaves can be harmful! Well, I am off to pull up the runners and expose them to the sun! Glad there is some today :-) Good luck with the kumara growing!! "As the garden grows so does the gardener." - Proverb

- Starrlite

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