How to Grow Sweet Potato

Intermediate

Ipomoea batatas

A warm-season root crop grown from slips (rooted vine cuttings), not seed. Needs a long warm season and loose, well-drained soil. Sprawling vines make excellent ground cover.

Last updated: June 2026

Days to Maturity
90–120 days
typical
Per Square Foot
1
Plant Spacing
30 cm / 12"
Sun
6+ hours
Water
1.0" / 25 mm
Fertilization
moderate feeder

Growing Notes

Plant slips after soil reaches 15 °C and all frost danger has passed. Harvest before first frost. Cure at 29 °C and high humidity for 7–10 days to convert starch to sugar.

Varieties & Cultivars

5 cultivars in our database. Click any card to see growing details.

Copper skin

(1)
Jewel
100–110 days Open-Pollinated

stores very well; vigorous vines; reliable in most climates

Height
8–12" (20–30 cm)
Yield / plant
—
Avg fruit
8.1 oz (230 g)
Support
none
Harvest
once
USDA Zones
5–11
Seed saving
moderate
Seed viability
0 years

Earliest maturing sweet potato

(1)
Georgia Jet
85–90 days Open-Pollinated

developed at University of Georgia; good for northern short-season gardens; vigorous vines

Height
8–12" (20–30 cm)
Yield / plant
—
Avg fruit
9.2 oz (260 g)
Support
none
Harvest
once
USDA Zones
5–11
Seed saving
moderate
Seed viability
0 years

Japanese variety

(1)
Murasaki
100–110 days Open-Pollinated

less sweet than orange types; excellent roasted or tempura-fried; performs well in cooler climates

Height
8–12" (20–30 cm)
Yield / plant
—
Avg fruit
8.1 oz (230 g)
Support
none
Harvest
once
USDA Zones
5–11
Seed saving
moderate
Seed viability
0 years

Most widely grown commercial variety

(1)
Beauregard
90–100 days Open-Pollinated

orange flesh; high yield; good disease resistance

Height
8–12" (20–30 cm)
Yield / plant
—
Avg fruit
8.8 oz (250 g)
Support
none
Harvest
once
USDA Zones
5–11
Seed saving
moderate
Seed viability
0 years

Rose-copper skin

(1)
Covington
95–105 days Open-Pollinated

sweet flavour; compact vine habit; good disease resistance

Height
8–12" (20–30 cm)
Yield / plant
—
Avg fruit
8.5 oz (240 g)
Support
none
Harvest
once
USDA Zones
5–11
Seed saving
moderate
Seed viability
0 years

Companion Planting

What to grow alongside sweet potato, and what to keep apart.

Plant With

Oregano : Oregano deters pests and provides ground cover near sweet potato
Beans : Beans fix nitrogen that sweet potato vines use
Radish : Radishes mature before sweet potato vines spread and loosen soil
Thyme : Thyme provides aromatic ground cover that deters pests from sweet potato

Keep Apart

Potato : Both tuber crops share soil diseases and compete for root zone
Okra : Both vigorous spreaders that compete aggressively for space and nutrients
Squash : Both sprawling vines compete for space and may share fungal diseases

Square Foot Spacing

1 per sq ft

12" apart (entire square)

View full spacing chart →

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