Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato is a vegetable in the Convolvulaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-11. Plants reach harvest about 90–120 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Sweet Potato90–120 days
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tuber (not currently in seed catalog). Use: Edible storage root; tender vining greens also edible. Harvest: Lift tubers before first fall frost.
Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a warm-season vine grown for its sweet, starchy storage roots; the leaves are also edible. Started from rooted 'slips' rather than seed, and needs a long, warm growing season. Perennial in zones 9-11, grown as an annual elsewhere.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Ipomoea batatas|Hardiness zones: 9-11|Propagation: slips (vine cuttings)|Sun needs: Full sun|Water needs: Medium|Mature height: 6-12 inches (vines to 10 ft)|Spacing: 12 inches|Harvest: Lift tubers before first fall frost
Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space sweet potato about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your sweet potato planting
Add sweet potato to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Cure briefly, then store cool, dark, and humid — keeps for months.
- Cold store: Keep dark to prevent greening; don't refrigerate raw.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Companion planting — with cited sources
From US/Canada cooperative-extension publications and peer-reviewed studies. Evidence-tier dots show how strongly each recommendation is backed: ●●● peer-reviewed mechanism · ●● extension consensus · ● traditional knowledge with a plausible mechanism.
Avoid planting near (8)
- Aji PepperEvidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismalternate-host-pest
Shared root-knot nematode host status is documented for pepper as well as tomato and potato.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- Chiltepin PepperEvidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- Ground CherryEvidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Timing: Maintain ≥2-year rotation between sweet potato and Solanaceae.
Region: Southeast, especially sandy nematode-prone soils.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- Pepper (Habanero)Evidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- Pepper (Hot)Evidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- Pepper (Sweet & Hot)Evidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- TomatilloEvidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Timing: Maintain ≥2-year rotation between sweet potato and Solanaceae.
Region: Southeast, especially sandy nematode-prone soils.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
- TomatoEvidence tier A: Peer-reviewed studies in US/Canada production conditions with a clear mechanismdisease-host, alternate-host-pest
Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damages sweetpotato, tomato, pepper and potato alike, and soil inoculum builds whichever crop is planted first, so the hazard is mutual.
Timing: Maintain ≥2-year rotation between sweet potato and Solanaceae.
Region: Southeast, especially sandy nematode-prone soils.
Source: S11, NC State Extension
Sources cited
- S11
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
- S12
- NC State Extension
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your sweet potatoand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Spider mites
Pestmoderate- CulturalHose down and raise humidity· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Mites thrive in hot, dry, dusty conditions. Spray foliage (especially undersides) with water to dislodge them and reduce dust.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap or horticultural oil - label use only· every 5 days · ~2 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Apply to undersides per label; mites resist many products, so soaps/oils are preferred. Not in extreme heat.
Japanese beetles
PestmoderateUnusual this time of year.
- CulturalHandpick into soapy water· every 1 days · ~4 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
In early morning when beetles are sluggish, knock them into a bucket of soapy water; daily removal also reduces the scent that draws in more beetles. Skip the lure traps, which tend to attract more beetles than they catch.
- CulturalCover plants past bloommoderate evidence — extension confidence
On crops that have finished flowering and set fruit, drape a row cover or netting to keep beetles off without blocking pollination during bloom.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.
Leaf miners
Pestlow- CulturalPick mined leaves + row cover· every 5 days · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Remove and bag leaves with tunnels, and cover plants with insect netting to block the egg-laying flies. Damage is mostly cosmetic on leafy crops.