Growing sweet potatoes in Florida is as simple as placing a sweet potato in the dirt and watching it grow. I planted one store-bought sweet potato two years ago and I now have many square feet of groundcover and plenty of sweet potatoes underneath.
Sweet potato | Ipomoea batatas |
Season (FL) | Spring, Summer |
Soil type | Sandy, well draining |
Light | Full sun to partial shade |
Water | Moderate |
Mature plant size | Spreading |
Harvest in | 16-18 weeks |
Growing sweet potatoes in Florida
Sweet potatoes are an easy crop to grow in Florida’s summer heat. Sweet potatoes should be a staple crop, one to always keep around, for their caloric density and ease of growing. Not to mention, their lovely trailing vines.
Recommended varieties for Florida
- Centennial
- Beauregard
- Vardaman – a bush type, suitable for smaller gardens
When to plant sweet potatoes in Florida
Sweet potatoes are best planted in spring through June. In my experience, sweet potatoes will grow whenever. While sweet potatoes will grow year round, you’ll get the tastiest crop by digging them all up and starting fresh each spring.
What you’ll need
Buy a sweet potato from your local farmer’s market and either cut it into sections or allow it to start growing in your kitchen. I’ve tried both, with success.
You can also purchase slips – baby plants that sprout from a mature sweet potato – from your local nursery.
How to plant sweet potatoes
I’ve found it as simple as placing a whole sweet potato in the dirt, where they’re so happy that they begin sprouting in just a few days.
However if it’s winter in Florida, it may be best to start your sweet potato in a pot indoors, and transfer it outside when it warms it.
Growing sweet potatoes in containers
Sweet potatoes make an excellent container plant. Their showy vines will liven up a bright windowsill. Did you know the leaves are edible too? A great addition to your kitchen garden.
3 tips on caring for your sweet potatoes
- Use vine cuttings to propagate, allowing the sweet potatoes underground to continue growing.
- Minimal water is required once they’ve been established – especially in rainy Florida summers.
- Check often for pests and disease, and remove manually before things get out of hand.
Harvesting sweet potatoes
While it takes at least 4 months for mature sweet potatoes to develop, any time after is a good time to harvest. Pick your sweet potatoes as needed and allow the tubers to continue spreading. The leaves are also edible, so cut off leaves as needed and add to any sauteed dish.
Once harvested, place the potatoes in a dark area for a couple weeks for “curing’ to increase their sweetness.
Suggested recipe for sweet potatoes
Boiled, steamed, mashed and fried, just like ‘regular’ potatoes. Sweet potato fries anyone?