How to Grow and Care for Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) is a fast-growing annual and classic "spiller" plant commonly used for container gardening. Its long tendrils of varied leaf shapes and colors that include purple and burgundy spill over the edges of pots. Typically grown as an annual, sweet potato vine is a perennial in warmer regions. The plants are cultivars of the same species as edible sweet potatoes but these cultivars are strictly ornamental—the tubers are very bitter.

Sweet potato vine grows well in tropical and humid conditions with sun or some shade, prefers soil on the acidic side, and is best planted in the spring when temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It thrives in weather that hovers around 75°F.

Sweet Potato Vine Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing sweet potato vine:

• Plant in sun or partial shade.
• Use rich, well-drained soil.
• Water frequently without letting the plant become waterlogged.
• Frequently trim sweet potato vine to help keep this vigorous grower in check. Use the parts you trim back to propagate the plant elsewhere.

Light

Sweet potato vines love the sun but will also grow in partial shade and sometimes full shade. The more sun the plant gets, the more vibrant its leaf color will typically be.

Soil

These plants prefer moist, well-drained soil that's nutritionally enhanced with organic matter. They are prone to root rot if their soil remains too wet. Make sure that the container you choose has ample holes for drainage.

Water

Sweet potato vines are drought-tolerant, though they will grow more vigorously with frequent watering. Water enough to keep the soil consistently moist but not overly wet. Its leaves will wilt when the plant is thirsty.

Temperature and Humidity

These vines like the sun more than high heat. In hot climates, they will benefit from some shade, and they should be watched carefully, so their soil doesn't dry out. They thrive in many humid climates but don't need high humidity as other tropical plants do.

The plant grows best at an average temperature of 75°F and does not toleratefrost. It prefers sunny days and warm nights.

Fertilizer

Fertilize sweet potato vines if you want them to grow vigorously. A weekly feeding with a well-balanced fertilizer during their growing season will boost growth, but given their naturally robust habit, you may find that feeding also increases the need to cut them back.

Fertilizing Tip

If you do want your sweet potato vine to grow more quickly, the right fertilizer can help. These top-rated fertilizers are our favorites—and you can find them online.

Types of Sweet Potato Vine

• Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline’: Popular as a ground cover, this varietal is available in five different colors, including light green, yellow-green, bronze, purple, and red with maple-shaped leaves.
• Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’: It has dark purple, maple-like leaves and sometimes flowers with purple, trumpet-shaped blooms.
• Ipomoea batatas 'Ragtime': This is one of the varieties with narrow, divided leaves; its coloring is a pale purple with some attractive natural variation.
• Ipomoea batatas 'Ace of Spades': This plant has long trailing foliage and is tolerant of heat. It derives its common name from it's heart-shaped leaves.
  
• Ipomoea batatas 'Goldfinger': A hardy plant with good heat tolerance, this type does well in containers with foliage that can trail over the sides.
• Ipomoea batatas 'Midnight Lace': A tuberous perennial, this makes for a wonderful hanging basket or window box plant. It has deeply dissected dark purple palmate leaves laced with magenta.

Pruning

Prune sweet potato vine to remove broken or sickly vines. Cut back rapidly spreading vine tips that have exceeded their boundaries to prevent them from extending too far. Cut about 1/4 inch above leaf nodes to encourage new growth. Use bleach or rubbing alcohol to sterilize a pair of pruning shears between the pruning of different plants. The more the vine is pruned, the more it will try to regrow.

Pruning Tip

Looking for the best pruners for your sweet potato vines? We tested over 10 top-rated pruning shears in our Lab to make sure your plants stay happy and healthy.

Propagating Sweet Potato Vines

Sweet potato vines are easy to grow from existing plants. Cutting is the best way to propagate, but you can also plant the tubers in the spring.

Take the cutting in autumn before the first frost. The plant dies off when exposed to frost. You'll need pruning shears or snips, a jar of water, and a sunny spot.

Topropagate with cuttings:

1. Take a cutting from sweet potato vines. Cut off a branch that has several leaf notes using clean pruning shears. Remove the leaves off of the bottom few inches.
2. Submerge the stem in water. In a few days, the plant will grow roots.
3. Place in a sunny spot. The plant can live indoors in water in a sunny spot throughout the winter.
4. Refresh the water regularly. Keep the water level constant. Refill the jar with clean waterevery week to discourage bacterial growth.
5. Replant it in the garden. Once the roots are 3 inches long, plant the cutting in moist, well-draining soil in a sunny spot outdoors. Harden off the plant before placing it in the garden.

To propagate using its tubers:

1. Dig up the tubers. Before the first frost, dig up the tubers let them dry. Bury them in peat or vermiculite. Do not let them touch.
2. Place them in a cool, dry area. Set your buried tubers in a basement, crawl space, or root cellar for the winter.
3. Inspect the tubers. Inspect the sprouted tuber for signs of disease or infection in spring. Cut off and discard any blackish areas, visible wounds, puckered spots, or discoloration with a non-serrated, clean knife.
4. Divide the tubers. Divide the tuber with a knife so each tuber has at least one eye and some shoots or roots.
5. Plant the tubers. Plant tubers after the last frost in moist, well-draining soil. Plant them 2 inches deep at least 2 feet apart in a sunny spot.

To propagate in water:

1. Place sweet potato in jar of water. Drop the sweet potato in a container of water with the third top of it exposed to the air. The tapered end should be down.
2. Place in sunny spot. Keep the container in a spot that receives plenty of bright sunlight.
3. Support with toothpicks. If the sweet potato keeps falling too far into the water, stick toothpicks in the sides of the sweet potato so that the toothpicks are propped on the edge of the propagation glass.
4. Prune leggy vines. Cut back the vine if it becomes too leggy to promote fullness.
5. Let the vines grow. Wait about 2 weeks for the sweet potato to bud and watch the vines grow from there for the next few months.

How to Grow Sweet Potato Vine From Seed

Sweet potato vines are rarely grown from seeds, since they can grow more easily from cuttings and their tuberous roots. It can be tricky to get seeds since they don't flower regularly and many varieties are sterile. If you still want to try going sweet potato vine from seeds, follow these steps:

1. Presoak seeds for 12 hours in warm water to help with germination.
2. Fill a seed-starting tray with a light, soilless starting mix. Sprinkle the seeds over the tray, spacing them 3 inches apart. Cover them with a light dusting of starting mix.
3. Spray the mix with water from a spray bottle and cover the tray with plastic wrap.
4. Store the tray in a warm place. Keep the starting mix evenly moist.
5. Remove plastic wrap once you see seedlings and move the tray to a sunny window or under a grow light.
6. Transplant immediately after sprouting; sweet potato vines dislike root disturbance.
7. Harden off seedlings before transplanting them in the ground or outdoor container.

Potting and Repotting Sweet Potato Vine

For sweet potato vine, choose a taller pot or basket (hanging or otherwise) of any material so the vines have ample room to spill and trail over the edge of the container. Make sure your container or window box has ample drainage holes. Fill the pot with good-quality potting soil mixed with compost. Water the container once a week until the water begins leaking from the drainage holes. Plants will thrive if the container is kept in full sun rather than shade.

Get Your Repotting Gear

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Overwintering

Cutting is a good way to overwinter sweet potato vines because they will last all winter in the water and be ready to plant in the spring. Another way to overwinter sweet potato vine is to dig up the sweet potato vine's tuberous roots and store them in a cool, dry space in peat or vermiculite. Come spring, you can plant the sprouting tuber.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

The golden tortoise beetle likes to feast on sweet potato vines. The insect looks like a teardrop of molten gold. While interesting to look at, the beetle will munch holes in the leaves, making them look like Swiss cheese. Aphids also favor sweet potato vines.

Depending on where you live, other common pests include the sweet potato looper, a caterpillar that chews on the leaves; the sweet potato whitefly, which can drain the plant of nutrients and stunt its growth; and sweet potato weevils can cause yellowing of the vines.

Rotate the planting location of sweet potato vines every season to avoid leaf fungus. The most common fungi are verticillium or fusarium, which can cause yellowing at the base of the plant.

Planting sweet potato vine with ample space to spread and allow air circulation will help prevent disease. If soil pH, nutrition, sun exposure, and water needs are met, it can fight off disease more readily if it occurs.

Pest to Watch

Sweet potato whitefly, or silverleaf whitefly, can not only damage plants, but can also introduce viruses to your plant. They are particularly concerning because silverleaf whitefly is resistant to most pesticides. The best treatment for whitefly is prevention: destroying infested plants, avoiding overwatering and overfertilizing, and using mesh in greenhouses.

How to Get a Sweet Potato Vine to Bloom

Bloom Months

Sweet potato vines rarelyflowerwhen the daylight is longer than 11 hours, which normally occurs outside thetropics. However, if you do find blooms, you'll see them in the spring or summer.

What Do Sweet Potato Vine Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Sweet potato vines rarely bloom, but when they do, they're glorious. And, they look like purple or pink trumpeting morning glories. The plant is better known for its foliage which comes in various colors including purples, greens, and bronze. The plant does not have a scent.

How To Encourage More Blooms

Sweet potato vines need perfect conditions in the spring or summer months to flower, and that often means sufficient water—moist but not waterlogged—ample sun and a good nutritional balance.

For optimal flowering, use a low-nitrogen, bloom-enhancing fertilizer with a 7-9-5 ratio. Alternatively, a balanced fertilizer may also be used. Pluck off spent flowers to encourage more flower growth if they flower at all.

Common Problems With Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet potato vine is prone to pests and diseases that are often the cause of browning or blackening of leaves, wilting, and ultimately, death. Here are signs to look for and what they may mean:

Leaves Turning Yellow or Brown

Root rot and fungal infectionmay cause sweet potato vines to develop yellow or brown leaves that wither and drop. Be careful not to overwater as this is the most common cause of infection.

Plant in containers with drainage holes and keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Pull any infected plants to prevent the spread to neighbors. Plant in a different location to prevent fungal infection from recurring the next year.

Blackened Leaves

Sweet potato vines are frost-sensitive. Blackened or mushy leaves can indicate that the plant has frostbite. Pull it up and discard it.

Leaves Wilting or Curling

Keep its soil consistently moist. When watering sweet potato vine, water the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Sweet potato vines will wilt or curl their leaves when lacking water.

Holes in Leaves

Holes in leaves are the sign of an insect feasting on your sweet potato vine, likely tortoise or flea beetles. To get rid of beetles, shake them off into a bucket of soapy water. Spread diatomaceous earth around the plant. You can also apply neem oil to the affected area. Use a plant-based pyrethrin insecticide but only as a last resort since it will also kill beneficial insects.

From: thespruce