Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

Height: 10 –1 2 "

Width: 4–8' square

Depth: 6–8"

Sweet Potato

Perennial/Annual/Warm Season
Wat e r : Low
Sun : Full
Companion Planting :
pro: Marigolds (this is a personal observation—seem
to help ward off common pests)
con: Beets, parsnips
Pests : Aphids, flea beetles, wire worms
Diseases : Fungus (black rot, root rot)
Soil: Well-drained sandy loam
Fertilizer: Good compost; low nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium (avoid high nitrogen—it pays the leaf and
robs the root)
pH: 5.0–6.5

Varieties :

moist varieties (warm weather): Allgold,

Jewel, Vineless Puerto Rico (soft, sugary, yellow orange

fl esh)

dry varieties (cooler weather): Onokeo,

Waimanalo Red, Yellow Jersey

Zones : 6–12

Planting : 2 weeks after last frost, when soil is at least

70ºF–85ºF; slips, 2–3 inches deep, 10–12 inches apart

in raised ridges

Harvest: From slip, 150–175 days; from transplant,

100–125 days

Rotation: Don’t follow other root crops; don’t plant

in same bed for 4 years

Edible: Swollen root (tuber)

SWEET POTATO • 249