Did you know that you can grow an entire harvest of sweet potatoes from a single sweet potato? My friend Jamie does it every year and this year I’m right there with her. For optimal results, you’ll want to start this project with a single sweet potato – store-bought is fine! – around mid-March. Look at the size of that potato!!
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
This process is so much easier than you might think. Have you ever grown new houseplants from clippings? That is exactly what you’re doing here, except with a sweet potato. Yep, sweet potato slips is all you need for an entire harvest of sweet potatoes.
Just six simple steps from beginning to harvest…
1. Take a sweet potato and drop it in a glass of water around mid-March. Soon it will start to grow slips.
2. Watch for slips to start to grow as well as roots. Each of the potatoes should produce about 20 slips. Once the slips are approximately 3-4 inches long, twist them from the potato and drop them in water. Baby food jars work perfectly, or something similar would suffice as well.
3. Wait for those slips to grow roots and once those roots are established (as in photo) they are ready to plant. In Kansas we typically wait until around June 1st (or whenever the weather is consistently warm) to plant them outside.
4. When planting, space them about 3 feet from each other as they are a vine that spreads. Treat them like any other plant in your garden and water as necessary.
5. The vines will produce flowers in September shortly before harvest. Once the leaves start to turn yellow (typically September to October) they are ready to harvest. Note that it is best to dig them up if there is a chance of frost in the forecast.
6. Once harvested, let them cure for 10 days outside in a shady place. I put mine in an open air garage. Yes, 1 potato has produced all of these!!
So, will you be harvesting your own sweet potatoes from a single sweet potato this year? Growing sweet potatoes is so much easier than it seems, and it costs less than a buck to try, so why not?
More home tips before you go:
How We Bought a Propane Grill for Just $4 + Tax
How to Remove the Bitterness from Cucumbers
17 Frozen Food Hacks to Get the Most Out of Your Freezer
Tips for Finding Deals on Organic, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Vegetarian and Vegan Foods
How to Make Balsamic Glaze
Why Every Household Needs a Low Inventory List
Is Your New Home in a Floodplain? + How to Check for Free
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