Everything to Know How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Containers

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[@derwynmdockenjr]

If you ever questioned the value of having your own garden you NEED to watch the recent episode of Joe Rogan where he talks to Sadhgaru. They are saying that the nutrients in most of the commercially grown food is grown in such depleted soil that the the vegetables and fruits we buy from the stores have on average only 10% of the nurrients they had 50 years ago. Everything living thing on this planet comes from the soil, including YOU. Growing your own garden is literally LIFE. Mad love and respect to all you gardeners out there and to all the gardening youtubers. You are bringing life to a starving planet!!!!❤❤❤

[@GardeningwithDave]

Thank you for sharing and I will give that a listen ❤

[@pamelaperry5382]

I've been using these for sweet potatoes for many years. Home depot sells them much cheaper.

[@TheDealfinder500]

I'd love to see more videos like this where you add in how your harvest from that container went. Maybe even a couple updates over time. It kind of helps a new grower to know what to expect.

[@GardeningwithDave]

Great suggestion!

[@karrieharbart9266]

This is my first year officially growing sweet potatoes. I experimented last year with a random slip I had from a store bought sweet potato. I have three different varieties, bouregaurd, a Japanese red, and Okinawan. I have two 30-35 gallon containers with 6 plants each. 8+ hours of sun and plenty of water. The weather lately has been hot and humid where I live and my sweet potatoes are looking gorgeous! I made some hoop trellises for some of the vines to grow up. I'm really looking forward to seeing what my harvest looks like!

[@Gardeningchristine]

I grow a very dark purple kind I got from the Asian market. Very smoky flavor and not as sweet but very good baked and the foliage tastes great in the heat of the summer!

[@timarheit7272]

Before the last frost I like taking cuttings, root them in water, then plant them in pots inside over the winter. Then in spring, I'll take cuttings from the overwintered plants, root them and plant them in the garden as well as the overwintered plants.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

all the sweet potato growing I researched showed when fertalized they grow plant and not tubers, most tubers from lowest fertility soils. Lazy Dog travis showed this on his vids. I hope you do a follow up to show your results good or bad in containers as that is the way I would try too vs his in-ground way. Thanks

[@ponytaclub5539]

☝️ this Many growers from different climates demonstrated exactly this

[@ericawhitfield9289]

I like Travis.

[@dcrosco1458]

I used coco coir for my sweet potatoes this year and they look great. I used chicken manure also

[@tombrown9460]

Sweet potato leaves, especially the new shoots are a very good source of high vitamin greens

[@yenquest]

My parents tried to grow sweet potatoes last year. The rabbits got to the greens within a few days, so it didn't even have a chance. Whatever we dug up, which is about 2, were the size of a regular/medium sized carrot.

[@TheSedevacantist]

Solid. I prefer your videos like this, shorter and to the point. Well done. o/

[@dianedazzle241]

I used dog food bags! Recycle, recycle, recycle. We filled them with good soil and a tiny bit of cow manure, then aged 3 small holes in the bottom for drainage. So for, it seems to be good. I'll be checking for harvesting next week.

[@almostoily7541]

I'm doing the same thing this year! Dog and chicken feed bags I ran out of bags so I have two buckets, too.

[@RoscheetaMonique]

I wish I had this when I planted mine. I have too many in my 15 gallon bags. Smh. Thank you I will definitely remember this.

[@juliehorney995]

Can you pull some out?

[@RoscheetaMonique]

@@juliehorney995I’m thinking about moving some into other containers and adding some perlite in all the containers. I wonder if that would disturb them too much.

[@AjArpopP52]

I have my grow bags on a high bench type table. Would that be ok just to let the vine cascade downward?

[@helenswanson1403]

Love it. Ive got sweet potatoes inn pots for the first time this year. The video was very timely.

[@JK_341]

I have some growing this year as well in some fabric containers just like those. In fact i just checked over them the other day and the soil around the base of the plants was bulging up, so i brushed some of the top of the soil away just to check, and sure enough im getting some starting to develop under there!

[@wjm1319]

To help keep the vines under control, harvest them. Unlike regular potatoes, the leaves of sweet potatoes are edible - and tasty! - as well as having a level of vitamins on par with spinach. I love growing sweet potatoes as much for the greens as the tubers.

[@joanl2057]

Good timing..... I started my own slips by putting 1 sweet potatoe in potting soil.

[@laurieanne9712]

I'm growing my usual : Beaureguard!! And we do have that heat/humidity combo thing going here in upstate SC! Thanks, Luke! I have a chocolate "cream" pie I make with sweet potatoes--you'd never know!

[@lr8868]

From Aiken SC here, am trying Carogold variety this year, and would kill for that recipe for your chocolate cream pie.🧑‍🌾

[@luvbreable]

Thanks Lucy, going to try this next year

[@crochetallday43]

Great content! I'd love to see how you grow a sweet potato from another sweet potato.

[@garden_geek]

I’ve actually found that I get the biggest sweet potatoes when I grow them in grow bags vs in a raised bed. They are shockingly tolerant to high heat, dry conditions and lack of nutrients. It feels like the less attention I give my sweet potatoes, the better they do lol

[@julie4613]

Can you trellis the sweet potato vines if you don't have 10 ft to grow them on the ground

[@LauraBeeDannon]

They have beautiful vines and flowers.

[@Gardeningchristine]

Absolutely, and you can eat the leaves and vines of some varieties. I’m growing a very purple one I got at my Asian market a couple years ago. The vines grow very fast though so if you trellis them you have to do a lot of tucking. They try to grow to the ground to set more roots.

[@wjm1319]

@@Gardeningchristine Please make sure your 'very purple' sweet potato is actually sweet potato and not ube before you try eating the leaves. I have both and the ube leaves are similar enough to maybe be mistaken (but different enough if you're paying attention). They're very different plants and ube leaves are NOT safe to eat.

[@Gardeningchristine]

@@wjm1319 thanks. I’ve eaten the leaves and vines the last 2 years with no ill effects. I’m fairly certain it’s Japanese sweet potato because I only have a 6 month growing season and ube takes a year.

[@wjm1319]

@@Gardeningchristine Ok. Just wanted to pass on the warning. I like the purple sweet potatoes too, but you wouldn't want to get them and ube confused if you're eating the leaves...and some people don't realize there are 2 purple root veges to watch for :)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Very good to know! I had the chance to grow purple sweet potatoes this year and didn't because I thought they wouldn't grow in North Dakota. I never thought of using a container.

[@katipohl2431]

Very useful information.

[@slackermodenation1653]

This was right on time. I'm propagating slips right now lol

[@joanl2057]

Me too.... I started my own slips by putting 1 sweet potatoe in potting soil.

[@patricecarter5096]

Ghee...I was just thinking abt that and there pops up your video...thanks Luke

[@glcs3068]

I second the call for seeing a harvest video when the time comes. Some of the fertilizer advice in this is contrary to my understanding but I'm happy to be proven wrong with a harvest video! Over fertilizing produces pencil-thin tubers in my experience.

[@emelle7956]

I love that this method works for you, but just to prevent loss of interest from beginning or low-income gardeners I'd like to say I have always grown my sweet potatoes in low quality, almost inert substrate (mine is a mix of steer manure, coco coir, peat moss, and perlite) and I get decent foliage but amazing root/tuber development in 5 gallon containers! The variety is beauregard just FYI! Try it!

[@margaret2222]

This is my first year to try growing sweet potatoes. I am in Ohio and didn't know if they would grow here or not. I got some slips and they looked almost dead. I put them in a glass of water for a week or so and a few of them looked better but not much. So thinking they would probably die I put them all in a 20 gallon grow bag. I think there were 7 of them. Well it appears they have all lived and are starting to grow. Yikes, I think I am going to have a mess. Thanks for the info, I will know better next year.

[@krma7251]

I planted sweet potatoes for the first time about 6 in a 20 gallon before seeing this obviously so we will see what happens..

[@79PoisonBreaker]

I wanted to try this this year but the only slips I found for sale were 5 for 30$. That to me was not acceptable cost for 100 day summer my zone 3 gives as risky to even get a crop nevermind trying to get 30$ worth off 5 slips. Any short season zone 3 growers have good harvests of sweet potatoes and how many would you expect to get from 5 slips?

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

You can start your own slips indoors during winter. I used organic sweet potatoes in sifted woodchips kept slightly damp, and it gave me plenty of slips. Getting the sweet potatoes to grow though was another matter. I'm in zone 7b and still made the mistake of leaving them in the ground through the first frost, which completely ruined them.

[@Gardeningchristine]

Next spring, 1-2 months before your last frost, go to your local ethnic/asian market and get some organic sweet potatoes, one or two should get you more slips than you need. Maybe try a couple varieties. Bury them 1/2 sideways in a milk carton and you should have rooted slips by planting time, and probably only $1-2 for the potatoes. And don’t put them out too early! They hate 45 Fahrenheit or below.

[@kindredk9standardpoodles280]

You'll only ever have to buy them once because you can make your own slips every year by saving a potato

[@gannas42]

This is why I'm rolling the dice with a couple organic sweet potatoes I picked up for $1 at my local grocery. Might turn out bad but I'd only be out a buck!

[@sandrabitting6821]

I planted organic sp and got my own slips. So much fun and rewarding

[@ireneney5657]

Trying to grow sweet potatoes this year and find out there is sooo much vonfliiingo out there. Goving them sll day sin, inder black plastic mulch, and watering regularly. Gave them bone and blood meal ehen planted. Vining nicely. Keeping my fingers crossed. May give half of them some Trifecta to do a side by side comparison. Dtill keeping my fingers crossed.

[@marybarbian7151]

Im in zone 5b, tried 2x's to get slips started...failed both attemps....would love to know where to get established slips. 👍

[@laurieanne9712]

try your local feed & seed store if you have one.

[@eklectiktoni]

I don't know if they're still shipping, but a few places to try would be Urban Farmer, Gurney's, and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Also for sprouting your own, I've never had luck with the toothpick jar of water method. I just cut off a piece and stick it in some damp potting soil. Don't overwater but keep it a little moist and warm (I leave mine outside on the porch to catch the sun). Slips should eventually sprout. HTH

[@almostoily7541]

I ordered from Sand Hill Preservation site this year. Order early in the spring. I didn't get my order in early and I had one variety substituted. I had told them I would take a substitute so it wasn't a big deal. I have had a great experience with them with seeds and sweet potato slips. They even reached out to me when they noticed the post office took a day longer to deliver than usual. The owner has also bred and selected some of their seed varieties.

[@FosterChicken]

I hope you follow up this planting with the harvest.Please and thank you!

[@lisakaye9340]

I had beautiful plants and they started growing well. Then some critter came and ate the leaves off. And I have good fencing around the garden. I think chipmunks 🐿️

[@miggy7165]

100% humidity...that'd be rain!😂

[@suravijoshi758]

Thank you!

[@kayezelinski1275]

Would love to know more about ph.

[@09echols]

❤❤❤

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

Hot and humid? That would be a great thing to grow here in Southern Quebec / Northern New York.

[@gferraro8353]

Michigan has been hot and humid the last couple yrs. And its going to get worst with the hurricane coming north. In early May we were in 90s all my cold vegetables to seed . . Luke lives near a lake.... maybe he gets a cooler breeze off the lake ??

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

@@gferraro8353 Just the idea of a summer breeze (cool or not) seems like a good thing. That humidity does not want to go away.

[@gferraro8353]

@nathalie_desrosiers this hurricane is going to bring rain and more humidity --ughhh!

[@Kazwellian]

How do you know when they are ready to harvest?

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

The important thing is to dig them up before your first frost, or any risk of frost. I made the mistake of leaving them in the ground last year through the first frost, since they require a long growing season. They came out mushy and tasted awful because the sugars had rotted. I'm not growing them again this year.

[@Amarie1961]

Depending on the variety, they can take from 85-120 days. The Georgia Jet he mentioned is 90 days. Beauregard is 100-110 days according to my research. The leaves will also start to die back. I grew Georgia Jet last year. I got varied sizes at 90 days. My pot had way too many slips according to his guidelines.

[@KC-BeFree]

Is there enough time to start sweet potatoes if I already have slips ready? I’m in zone 7 western NC

[@katgmied3]

First question. Can you expand the growing season by starting them in these containers in the home?

[@almostoily7541]

Yes, my grandma had a sweet potato plant as a house plant when I was a kid.

[@PlantObsessed]

What are tour thoughts on growing them vertical?

[@lindyconner7998]

How do sweet potatoes do in a greenhouse raised bed? How deep of soil do they need to root? Where can I get sweet potato plants?

[@kaceysebert1853]

If I mulch the sweet potato bed, will that prevent the plant from getting to set roots along the vine (because the vine will lay on top of mulch instead of the soil)?

[@susanmarty5107]

I'd love to find sweet potato slips ready to plant. I'm in Michigan and never run across a place (or organic sweet potato) that I can start a "sweet potato growing journey" 😂

[@maryokar6958]

Are you really going to get sweet potatoes planted now? I’ve had mine in since march, once the sweet potato produced slips.

[@dawn19maria]

Which type are you growing? Beauregard sweet potatoes only take 90 days to maturity and no sweet potato is going to thrive in the typical March temperatures we see in Michigan. I plant sweet potatoes in early June.

[@maryokar6958]

@@dawn19maria I planted from a store bought one so not sure what kind it is. Dis the same thing last year and they went to fall, September or so. It took forever for the slip to start then very slow growth even in my tent fir seedlings. Do you buy your slips? If so, from where?

[@alexanderdiaz0512]

My problem now is too many slips. Im in north Florida and i started growing my own slips from 4 different varieties in spring. Got done getting all the slips i needed but the potatoes i used just keep producing. Go figure

[@sandkdearing4503]

Drop them off at your local Take-a-Plant Leave-a-Plant stand. Your neighbors will appreciate it.

[@alexanderdiaz0512]

@@sandkdearing4503 you can't do that with cuttings like these. But thanks

[@RoscheetaMonique]

If potting soil is sterile what does it mean when it says it feeds for up to 3-6 months?

[@najwaseiya]

🧡🧡🧡🧡👍👍❤❤

[@GardenAndGrub]

how do you know when they are ready? do you wait till the vines go yellow?

[@almostoily7541]

When I ordered some the company said how many days to maturity for each type. I've seen some people just harvest before the first frost.

[@timothyshanley1132]

Can I still grow sweet potatoes ❤now in in zone 7b

[@laurieanne9712]

yes

[@JohnWood-tk1ge]

Haven’t yet but next year maybe!

[@ummbasheer]

Is it too late to them. I started some last month, but it would be nice to have a bumper crop.

[@VilmaAnderson]

A groundhog ate all the leaves from my potato plants (7 of them) 😭😭 any ideas about what to do for the future?

[@sandymei4053]

I grow them have no problem but they do not produce sweet potatoes only lots of vine. I wound why I don’t have potatoes. Question??? I ❤ ur show.

[@denisefoster01df]

Hi , I am growing sweet potatoes for the first time in my poly tunnel, I have taken slips from purchase sweet potatoes from our store, don’t know how they will turn out, but what ever happens, I will be learning this season think how to grow them, I did not know about the pearlite , they went straight in the ground.

[@lisakaye9340]

Can we still plant sweet potatoes? It’s July in Ohio

[@jef8528]

Do sweet potatoes flower? I have amazing vines but yet to see a flower….. is this a bad sign?

[@chabelameneses4661]

This year, we found that Japanese beetles love sweet potatoes. 🙄

[@charmainemrtnz]

Don’t I need to tease the roots when planting?

[@threeowls369]

My leaves were growing beautifully…until a gopher or woodchuck came and had a feast 😣🥺😤

[@lisakaye9340]

I’m so sorry 😢

[@jrose353]

Can I throw a sprouting sweet potato in the ground?

[@kindredk9standardpoodles280]

Possibly but the new potatoes grow from the new slips. Gently take the slip off and put it in water for a few days and it'll send out roots

[@laurieanne9712]

Absolutely!

[@johnmunjak1714]

In my experience, sweet potatoes grow best in sandy, nutrient poor soil. And nitrogen should be avoided at all costs to prevent excessive leaf growth. Oh, and it’s criminal not to mention the leaves are edible & nutritious 🍠

[@SimonHaestoe]

Interesting, milennial gardener says sweet potatoes need basically no nutrients and absolutely not nitrogen 🤔

[@ponytaclub5539]

This is very confusing. All long time sweet potato growers scream that you shouldn’t over fertilize them, especially with nitrogen. Growers from all over the world proved it by side comparison. This is completely the opposite of what you are suggesting here. I’m your long term fan and a customer and I’m shocked now