🥕 Sweet Potato

Ipomoea batatas

vegetables tuberous root (root vegetable)

☀️ Sun

Full sun (6–8+ hours); very heat-loving — thrives in temperatures 75–95°F

💧 Water

Medium; 1 inch per week; drought-tolerant once established; reduce water 3–4 weeks before harvest to prevent tuber cracking

🗺️ Zones

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

🪴 Soil Type

Loose, well-drained sandy loam; tolerates poor soil better than most vegetables; too much nitrogen produces excessive vines at expense of tubers

🧪 Soil pH

5.5–6.5 (slightly acidic)

💧 Drainage

Excellent drainage essential; raised ridges 8–12 inches high ideal; clay soils cause misshapen roots

📏 Spacing

Slips 12–18 inches apart in rows 36–48 inches apart; vines spread 4–8 ft

📅 Days to Maturity

90-120 days (from slips); 100-150 days from planting slips to harvest

🍴 Edible Parts

🍽️ ["Tuberous roots (skin is edible)"🍽️ "Leaves and young shoots (highly nutritious \u2014 commonly eaten in Africa🍽️ Asia🍽️ and the American South as a cooked green)"🍽️ "Vines (fodder)"]

🤝 Companions (6)

🤝 Bush Bean

Beans fix nitrogen; sweet potatoes are less nitrogen-demanding but benefit from the boost; minimal root competition

🤝 Oregano

Aromatic oils repel sweet potato weevil and flea beetles; low ground cover

🤝 Dill

Attracts parasitic wasps and hoverflies that prey on sweet potato pests

🤝 Marigold (French)

Suppresses nematodes (especially root-knot nematodes that attack sweet potatoes)

🤝 Summer Savory

Repels sweet potato weevil; improves growth

🤝 Radish

Quick-growing intercrop; harvested before sweet potatoes need the space

⚠️ Keep Apart (4)

⚠️ Squash

Both are aggressive sprawlers competing for space; squash can shade out sweet potato vines

⚠️ Tomato

Both attract similar pests; tomatoes can promote fungal diseases near sweet potatoes

⚠️ Fennel

Allelopathic

⚠️ Okra

Okra and sweet potato compete heavily for nutrients, water, and root space — mutual growth inhibition.

💊 Medicinal Uses

["Extremely high in beta-carotene (vitamin A) \u2014 one of the best plant sources; orange-fleshed varieties used to combat vitamin A deficiency globally", "Rich in vitamin C, manganese, copper, and B vitamins", "Lower glycemic index than white potatoes; contains adiponectin which may help regulate blood sugar", "Leaves: very high in lutein, vitamins, and polyphenols; studied for antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties"]

📝 Notes

Sweet potatoes are NOT related to regular potatoes or yams — they're a morning glory relative (Convolvulaceae). Grown from 'slips' (rooted sprouts), not seed pieces. Requires 90–120 frost-free days. Cure after harvest: 85°F, 85% humidity for 7–10 days — converts starches to sugars and heals skin for storage (6+ months). Do NOT refrigerate raw sweet potatoes. Leaves are edible and more nutritious than spinach!