Sweet potatoes not only look beautiful as an ornamental plant, but if cared for conscientiously they also produce a productive harvest. Cultivation is quite undemanding, so you only have to invest a little time in caring for the plant. Whether you grow your sweet potatoes in a bed or in a bucket, you can read here which care measures are necessary in each case.
How do I properly care for a sweet potato?
Sweet potato care includes watering according to outside temperature, irregular cutting and regular fertilizing with horn shavings or complete fertilizer every three weeks from March to September. Sweet potatoes are annuals and are sensitive to frost, so overwintering them doesn't make sense.
Important measures
Your sweet potato will feel right at home in a sunny location with warm temperatures. However, some precautions improve their growth:
- the right watering
- cutting
- the fertilizer application
Pouring
The watering should depend on the outside temperature and location. However, since sweet potatoes should be stored in a very sunny place, they generally require a relatively high water requirement. Add a layer of mulch to the substrate. This prevents the irrigation water from evaporating quickly. However, waterlogging must not form. Although this does not damage the plant so much that it dies, it does inhibit growth considerably.
Cutting
The sweet potato is a morning glory family and therefore spreads over large areas. However, pruning is not necessary. Many gardeners enjoy the sprawling shoots, which are ideal for growing around house walls. If the long shoots bother you, you can still cut them off without worry. Alternatively, stick a wooden stick into the ground for the plant to climb.
Fertilize
Regular fertilizer application is beneficial to promote growth. Every three weeks you should give your sweet potato horn shavings (€12.00 on Amazon) or complete fertilizer. Limit yourself to the period from March to September. If you keep your sweet potatoes in a bucket, liquid fertilizer is better. Here too, the dose is given every three weeks.
Does overwintering make sense?
Sweet potatoes are annual plants and do not come back after they shed their leaves in autumn. They are also very sensitive to frost. However, there is little point in bringing the plant indoors over the winter. If you still want to cultivate a sweet potato next year, take cuttings from the plant before the onset of winter, then germinate them in a water bath and plant them in the ground again the following year.
