Growing Sweet Potato, also Kumara

Ipomoea batatas : Convolvulaceae / the morning glory family

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

(Best months for growing Sweet Potato in Australia - temperate regions)

  • P = Plant crowns
  • Plant shoots or cuttings (Slips). Best planted at soil temperatures between 17°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 15-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best in Separate bed
  • New shoots on Kumara
  • Well grown Kumara

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 20 cm (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

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

Your comments and tips

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13 Jan 20, Paul (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I m interested in Sweet potato farming where can i get the seedlings or cuttings in the Western cape or eastern cape (NOTE - Gardenate is not intended for farmers )
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16 Jun 23, Dieter (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You can get sweet potato slips from Living seeds.
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15 Jan 20, Another gardener (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You would have to look around your local area and find some sweet potato growers. I assume you are just wanting to plant a few. If a lot then ring your agricultural department. You need the new fresh part of the vines, about 1/2 m long, take all the leaves off except the last 3-4 where the tip is growing. Make a furrow in the soil and place the slip along it and cover the vine but leave the last few leaves out of the ground. Lots of water for the first 10 days.
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23 Mar 19, Zukile (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where can i get seed for sweet potato in south africa or eastern cape ?
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09 May 18, Godfrey Ramatlhape (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
If my vine sweet potatoes are growing fast how must i prevent them to do so and how often must I watering them per a week or monthly?
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16 Oct 18, Marie (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Godfrey, did you know that you can harvest some of the leads and cook them like spinach? Watering depends on your soil type. Keep the soil moist, but never too wet, since your tubers will not.
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18 Dec 12, Nyasha (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am growing sweet potatoes for the first time. Got the tubers from the supermarket and kept them in my veggie drawer until they sprouted (approx. 1 month). I planted out 4 tubers in an area 3m x3m in August. I was told each vine would only reach 2 metres, but mine are growing a bit wild. I have had to cut the tips of the vines off because I have ran out of space. How often should sweet potatoes be watered?
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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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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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