The sweet potato's sweet taste and versatile uses in the kitchen make it a popular vegetable. But botanists don't just value their culinary qualities. The pretty flowers and extensive growth also make the exotic plant an attractive ornamental plant. Even if you don't have much space, you can still enjoy the vegetables. Keeping them in a pot even offers numerous advantages. Read for yourself!
How can I grow sweet potatoes in a container?
Growing sweet potatoes in a bucket saves space and is ideal for the terrace or balcony. Choose a pot of at least 30 liters, a full sun location and a loose, moist substrate. Combine with fast-growing plant partners and fertilize during the growth phase.
Benefits of keeping in a bucket
- can be cultivated on the terrace or balcony to save space
- the long shoots hang over the pot
- A suitable privacy screen as a tendril
- mobile (when early frost sets in)
Demands on the pot
The sweet potato does not only spread strongly above ground. Overhanging shoots are usually not a problem. You should rather ensure that the tubers have enough space to grow. Therefore the volume of your pot should be at least 30 liters.
The right location
Since the Batate comes from the tropics, it only develops well in fully sunny and warm locations. Is your terrace or balcony facing south? Perfect, your sweet potato will grow well here. Temperatures around 24°C are ideal. Below this value, the plant grows significantly slower. However, there are also varieties whose leaves burn in direct sunlight. You must store these in partial shade.
The substrate
If you keep your batate in a pot, it doesn't place any great demands on unusual substrate mixtures. Conventional potting soil is completely sufficient for the plant. It thrives even better in a mixture of sand and compost. However, the roots should never come into direct contact with the compost. Geranium soil has also been proven to promote he althy growth. However, make sure that no waterlogging forms in the bucket. Loose soil and additional drainage on the pot prevent root rot from occurring. On the other hand, you should keep the substrate constantly moist. It's best to enrich the soil with some fertilizer (€19.00 on Amazon). During the growth phase from March to September, a liquid fertilizer is recommended.
Planting partner
Your Batate will be even more attractive with additional plants in the pot. Summer flowers harmonize particularly well with sweet potatoes because of the colorful flowers. However, keep in mind that after an initial delay, the sweet potato will grow very quickly in a suitable location. Slow-growing plant partners are therefore out of place. It's better to choose plants that spread just as quickly.
