When I was young, my gardening-enthusiast mom got me into growing sweet potatoes in her backyard.
They were quite easy to grow actually, but I just couldn’t ever get the timing right.
As the years passed, she taught me a lot about sweet potatoes and their growth cycle. Here’s everything I learned about growing sweet potatoes from start to finish:
So, How Long Does It Take For Sweet Potatoes To Grow?
I personally planted my sweet potatoes in late spring, and it felt like forever before I saw any real progress.
It took about 4 weeks for the vines to begin spreading, and roughly 3-4 months for the sweet potatoes to finally mature and become ready for harvest.
The wait is typically long, but the payoff is always worth it!
Factors That Affect Sweet Potato Growth
Before you even start… I believe it’s important to check some (important) factors that REALLY affect sweet potato growth. Take a look:
Stages Of Sweet Potato Growth
1 – Planting Stage
The process of growing sweet potatoes starts with planting sweet potato slips into the soil.
Most wise gardeners suggest planting these slips only after the risk of frost has passed, typically around mid-spring or summer.
2 – Root Development Stage
Once the slips are planted, they start developing roots in the soil in little time. This stage focuses on basic establishment.
The roots spread downwards, and the plant spreads out as the vines begin development.
3 – Vine Growth
Vine growth is rapid; a lot more rapid compared to plain plant growth. This stage involves the plant sending out runners that can spread across the ground and cover a large area.
The vines grow several feet long so you’ll be able to observe their growth very well.
4 – Flowering
Generally, sweet potato plants may begin to flower in late summer even though the flowers may not be as big or apparent initially.
These flowers can be slightly blue, purple, or white in color and appear on the tips of the vines.
5 – Tuber Formation
As your sweet potato plants grow, they will direct energy towards forming tubers underground, and these tubers will go on to become sweet potatoes.
They will absorb nutrients and resources from the soil and swell as they grow.
6 – Maturation
Around late summer or early fall, the tubers will reach their full size.
The plant will now focus on thickening and maturing the sweet potatoes rather than focusing on overall growth.
7 – Harvesting Stage
When the plant leaves start to brown, it’s time to harvest your sweet potatoes from the ground. Cut back the vines, carefully dig up the tubers, and pull them out.
Cure your freshly harvested sweet potatoes for a few weeks in a warm, dry location to improve flavor and storage life.
Tips For Growing Sweet Potatoes Faster
Final Words
While it took slightly longer to master than expected, growing sweet potatoes in my mom’s backyard was always a pleasant and rewarding experience.
Watching those vines stretch and, eventually, digging up the harvest was truly satisfying.
I hope this guide helps every one of you grow your own sweet potatoes with confidence and achieve delicious, bountiful harvests. Good luck fellas!
