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How to Grow Sweet Potatoes from Slips

mediumGardeninghalf day

Learn how to successfully cultivate a bountiful harvest of sweet potatoes by planting high-quality slips. This guide is perfect for home gardeners looking to master soil preparation and planting techniques. You will discover how to optimize your garden plot and prepare your slips for maximum growth.

Safety Warnings

  • Sweet potato vines can be poisonous, especially to cats.

Tools Needed

Garden trowel — Hand-held digging tool
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Scissors — Sharp pruning or craft scissors
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Materials

Sweet potato slips — Healthy sprouts with roots at least 1 inch long(Multiple)
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Low-nitrogen fertilizer — High-phosphorus formula (e.g., 5-10-10)(As needed per plot size)
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Steps

1
Prepare a sunny garden plot that receives 8 to 10 hours of sunlight daily. Ensure the soil is loamy and quick-draining with a pH between 5.8 and 6.5.
2
Enrich the soil with a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer (such as 5-10-10) before planting. If the soil is heavy, create raised rows or mounds approximately 8 inches deep and 12 inches wide to keep the slips warm.
Tip: Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers as they encourage heavy vine growth but result in fewer, smaller tubers.
8" height 12" width Apply phosphorus Raised mound 5-10-10 Fertilizer Cross-section: Fertilize core then build mound for warmth and drainage
3
Prepare the slips by breaking off the lower leaves so that only the top leaves remain.
Keep top leaves Break off lower leaves Root ball Pinch and pull Prepare the slip by removing lower foliage to prioritize top growth
4
Plant the slips 12 to 24 inches apart. Dig holes just deep enough to cover the root ball and the stem up to the remaining leaves. For best results, plant on an overcast day when temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tip: Plant slips 3 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost when soil temperatures are consistently above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bury stem Top leaves only Root ball Planting depth Cross-section: Bury the root ball and stem up to the top leaves
5
Water the plants liberally for the first week to 10 days to help them become established. Once established, provide approximately 1 inch of water per week.
Tip: Water in the early morning or evening so leaves dry during the day.
6
Maintain the vines by training them onto a trellis or back into the garden bed if they become unruly. Do not prune the vines, as the leaves provide necessary energy for the tubers.
Guide vine toward support Trellis Growth tip Main stem Direct unruly vines toward trellis or bed to preserve leaf energy
7
Stop watering 3 to 4 weeks before harvest to prevent the tubers from splitting. Harvest the potatoes approximately 90 to 120 days after planting (depending on variety) when the leaves begin turning yellow.

Pro Tips

  • Crop rotate your garden and avoid planting sweet potatoes in the same location year after year to prevent fungi from persisting in the soil.
  • Stop fertilizing as you approach the harvest time.

When to Call a Professional

If slips fail to root or you suspect soilborne disease, submit a soil sample to your local extension office for testing.

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