Sweet potato

As its name itself suggest, sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet flavor. This crop is mainly grown because of its sweet taste and starchy roots. The tubers are a rich source of beta-carotene and are used as anti-oxidants. It is an herbaceous perennial vine having lobed or heart-shaped leaves. Sweet potatoes generally mature in 85 to 120 days. Check root size after 80 to 85 days because they don’t stop growing and can start to split when overgrown.
Sweet potatoes are always planted in the spring. They are slow-growing and require warm temperatures to develop full-size tubers. You can usually get three to five tubers per plant and more in a warmer climate. Sweet potato plants return yearly if you live in a more hospitable growing zone. sweet potatoes can be white, yellow, and even purple.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though fungus can become an issue. Be sure to rotate crops if you are planting in the same area each year as flea beetle and thrips populations can build up.

Cooking tips

  • Roast sweet potatoes to bring out their natural flavor, and eat them without toppings. Sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet and creamy taste.
  • To roast them around a campfire or on a barbecue, wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in the dying coals. Leave for around 50–60 minutes, until a fork slides into them easily.
  • People who do not plan to eat the skins can put the potato into the coals without wrapping it in foil.
  • To prepare a sweet potato quickly, prick it with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel, and put it in a microwave on high heat until soft.

Nomenclature

Botanical Name Ipomoea batatas
Family Convolvulaceae
Genus Ipomoea
Species batatas
Types Beauregard, Bush Porto Rico, Centennial, Georgia Jet, Patriot

Planting Guide

Flowers

Flower Color: Pink
Flower Bloom Time: Spring, Summer
Flower Shape: Funnel
Flower Petals: fused petals

Fruits

Fruit Color: white, cream, yellow, reddish-purple, and deep purple.
Display/Harvest Time: Early autumn, before the first frost
Fruit Length: 20cm long and 4cm wide.

Leaves

Leaf Color: Gray/Silver, Green, Purple/Lavender, Variegated
Leaf Value To Gardener: Showy
Leaf Type: Simple
Leaf Shape: Cordate
Leaf Margin: Entire
Hairs Present: No

Collect Seeds

Sweet potatoes aren’t grown fro seeds. They are grown from slips, which are a rooted portion of a mature sweet potato.

Harvest  

Sweet Potato ready to harvest in approximately 120 days.

Soil Texture High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)
Soil Drainage Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry, Occasionally Wet
Soil Chemistry

pH ranging from 5.8-6.7

Cultivation

Germination 1 week
Bloom 2 week or more

Temperature (Climate)
Temperature 85° and 95°F
Light Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) or Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Health Benefits

✓ Sweet potatoes are rich in fibers, vitamins A, C, B3, B5, and B6 that have numerous health benefits like boosting our immune system. These vitamins improve our brain functions.
✓ Sweet potatoes (mainly the purple and orange varieties) are highly antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals in our bodies and decrease the risks of aging, heart disease, and cancer.
✓ Sweet potatoes improve insulin sensitivity and maintain blood sugar levels.
✓ The orange color of sweet potatoes is due to a large amount of beta-carotene. This beta-carotene gets converted into vitamin A in our body, which is good for our vision.
✓ Purple variety of sweet potatoes contains anthocyanin (a group of antioxidants) that reduces the growth of certain types of cancer such as stomach, colon, breast, and bladder cancer. Anthocyanin also protects our eye cells from oxidative damage.
✓ Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fibers. Both types of fiber are excellent for our gut health.