Wild sweet potato vines thrive as produce in a garden and in the wild, with invasive drought-resistant vines that grow up to 30 feet long. Since sweet potatoes can grow in almost any condition or type of soil, it is almost classified as a weed.
How do you control sweet potato vines?
Sweet Potato Vine Pruning Tips
- Prune back damaged stems.
- Save the cutting and add them to water to create new free plants.
- Trim the vines if you want a thicker, fuller-looking plant.
- Use scissors or pruners as a cutting tool.
How invasive are sweet potatoes?
Sweet potato is a very invasive creeper… But even though they can be a pain in the you know what if not managed (harvested regularly), you absolutely have to grow sweet potatoes!
Do sweet potato vines need a trellis?
A trellis can also be used for growing sweet potatoes vertically. This space-saving design can be utilized in the garden or with container-grown sweet potatoes. Since sweet potatoes tend to be creepers rather than climbers, choosing the correct trellis is essential for success.
Is there a difference between sweet potato and sweet potato vine?
Technically speaking a sweet potato plant and a sweet potato vine are the same specie Ipomoea Batatas that are part of the morning glory family. The difference is that sweet potato vines are usually cultivars that are grown as ornamentals for the appearance of their lush and colorful vegetation.
What happens if you trim sweet potato vines?
Harvesting the greens will also help you grow larger potatoes! In fact, cutting back your sweet potato vine allows the plant to put more energy into its roots. Cut back the vines, and teach your plants to focus on growing the tubers instead.
Is it OK to trim sweet potato vines?
The long vines of sweet potatoes can overrun a garden. In early to mid-September, feel free to cut them back by 25%. This simply makes the plants easier to deal with when digging.
Do sweet potato plants spread?
Sweet potato plants spread and quickly cover an area, and they will root into the soil at leaf nodes. Bush types may be 3 feet long while some vining types get up to 20 feet long. Space your plants accordingly. It’s generally recommended to space slips 12-18 inches apart.
How much space do sweet potato plants need?
about 12 to 18 inches apart
Plant sweet potatoes about 12 to 18 inches apart, and allow 3 feet between rows so the vines will have plenty of room to run.
How tall do sweet potato plants grow?
Sweet potatoes are a member of the morning glory family. Height: 1-2′ (and up to 16′ in length unless you grow a compact variety). Sweet potatoes are perennial in tropical areas but are typically grown as a frost-tender annual. Growing season: summer.
Will sweet potato vine choke out other plants?
For a similar trailing effect, you can plant your sweet potato vines in pots or hanging baskets. It can have the tendency to crowd other plants it’s planted with. To prevent this, you can trim your potato vine at any time to keep them from choking out the neighbors.
Will sweet potato vines come back every year?
In USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, sweet potato vines can be considered perennials and they’ll come back in the spring. In colder regions, the first frost will destroy the foliage above ground, but if you can protect the roots and keep them from freezing, they may come back in the spring!
How long will sweet potato vine last?
You can store sweet potato vine tubers for 6-8 months, if done properly. However, don’t try to store them much longer than that. It’s best to plant them every year, otherwise they will eventually dry out and die.
Is sweet potato vine poisonous to dogs?
Sweet potato vine plants are safe for dogs and puppies to eat as long as they don’t ingest any seeds. The seeds can be toxic if enough are eaten. Eating seed may cause hallucinations, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, or mouth dryness. Sweet potato vines are tropical plants.
Can you eat the sweet potatoes from sweet potato vines?
If you want sweet potatoes to eat, the tubers from your ornamental sweet potato vines are indeed edible. However, you’re better off choosing a variety that’s specifically developed as a food crop.
Is sweet potato vine poisonous to cats?
Although the sweet potato itself is not toxic to felines, the vines of the sweet potato plant contain the toxic principle LSD. Consuming a small portion of the sweet potato vine can cause a dermatitis-type reaction, causing the cat’s skin, mouth or throat to blister and swell upon contact.
What grows well with sweet potato vines?
Some of the best companion plants for sweet potatoes include beans, marigolds, nasturtiums, alyssum, yarrow, and spinach. Avoid planting squashes, tomatoes, and sunflowers near your sweet potatoes!
Does sweet potato vine grow fast?
How fast does sweet potato vine grow? These vigorous quick-growing vines can reach 6 feet wide and up to 10 feet long in a single growing season.
Why are my potato plants growing so tall?
Potato plants can grow too tall when they have been given too much fertilizer, especially when it’s rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen can encourage potato plants to develop more than usual, and this is evident in the overgrowth of their tall green shoots above the ground.
Can you keep sweet potato vines over the winter?
To overwinter the tubers, cut the vines to ground level, then dig them up before the first frost in autumn. Dig carefully and be careful not to slice into the tubers. Brush the soil lightly off the tubers, then store them, not touching, in a cardboard box filled with peat moss, sand, or vermiculite.
How fast does potato vine grow?
A fast grower, Chilean potato vine can grow 3 to 4 feet per season, reaching 12 feet tall by 5 feet wide. It develops woody stems, so growth needs to be renewed from the bottom of the plant occasionally.