Ipomoea Batatas: How to plant, grow and harvest

What is the common name of Ipomoea batatas?

Ipomoea batatas are commonly known as sweet potato vines or sweet potato. Every gardener should think about growing sweet potato vines. These lovely vines can be raised and maintained like regular houseplants, providing a special touch to a house or patio. For additional details about decorative sweet potatoes, keep reading.

Sweet potato ornamental vines are a traditional “spiller” plant ideal for container gardening. These are cultivars of identical species as nutritious sweet potatoes, but because they are so bitter, they should only be employed as ornaments. It is aboriginal to the Americas. Sweet potato vines come in various hues, ranging from nearly ebony to chartreuse, and have a variety of leaf forms. These are grown more for their ornamental leaves than for their palatable tubers, and the plants’ vines give these an appearance more akin to morning glory.

Ipomoea Batatas: Key facts

Scientific Name	Ipomoea batatas
Common Name	Sweet potato vine, ornamental sweet potato vine
Family	Convolvulaceae
Plant Variety	Herbaceous perennial
Mature Size	8–10 ft. long, 5–12 in. wide
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Soil Type	Moist, well-drained
Soil pH	Neutral to acidic
Bloom Duration	Spring, summer
Flower Color	Rarely flower but may produce pink to purple-lavender
Hardiness Zones	9–11 (USDA)
Native Area	Tropical regions of the Americas

 

• Zones: Zone 11: annual, perennial
• Height/Spread: Up to 10 feet long, approximately 6 feet wide, and 6 to 16 inches tall.
• Can Ipomoea batatas grow in shade?
  They can tolerate little shade but like at least six hours of direct sunlight.
• Bloom period: Flowers are unimportant and rarely bloom in the summer.
• Both color and traits: The foliage of the plants includes hues of brown, golden, bronze, crimson, purple, and almost black. Plants have a mounding, trailing habit. Some have mottling or variegation. Like maple, ivy, or philodendron, the leaves are in the shape of a heart, lace, or extremely pointed. In the full sun, color is at its fullest. Older cultivars tend to have lavender or pink flowers blooming, albeit they do so seldom.
  

  Is Ipomoea same as sweet potato?

  Yes, Ipomoea batatas are also known as sweet potato.

  Can you grow Ipomoea batatas indoors?

  Yes, Ipomoea batatas are edible and can be had both raw and cooked.

  What is Ipomoea batatas used for?

  A highly nutritious vegetable, Ipomoea Batatas also known as sweet potato has anti-diabetic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves of the Ipomoea batatas contain high mineral content of magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium and phosphorous. These leaves are also very rich in zinc and copper.

How to grow Ipomoea Batatas?

These are planted between April-May in the spring. However, a lot of people are unaware of the Ipomoea batatas technique. Plant the Ipomoea batatas seedlings into the soil after preparing them with a loose, porous, and well-drained substrate and providing enough light, water, and nutrients.

The best way to grow Ipomoea batatas

1. Choose young plants
2. Seedlings of Ipomoea batatas
3. Field management
4. Soil demand
5. Daily management

• Choose young plants: Ipomoea batatas come in a large variety and are typically planted between April and May in the spring. It is the year when Ipomoea batatas have the highest survival rate and the maximum production. Before planting, you must get high-quality Ipomoea batatas seedlings from the market.

• Seedlings of Ipomoea batatas: Ipomoea batatas’ technique is straightforward. Ipomoea batatas can be purchased ripe and fresh, then split in half. Ipomoea batatas are then planted into the sand and kept moist for 15 to 30 days.

• Soil requirement: Ipomoea batatas may adapt well to their environment and don’t need much from the soil. It is typically ideal for Ipomoea batatas growing in loose, airy, well-drained, and fertile soil. Ipomoea batatas seedlings can be planted in garden soil along with organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer.

• Field administration: Leaf root soil is for sowing Ipomoea batatas seedlings. The Ipomoea batatas seedlings should first be inserted into the ground in a 15 cm diameter hole, followed by the required quantity of soil compaction.

• Daily administration: The Ipomoea batatas seed is sown in the soil and given ample light and water after five days. The Ipomoea batatas seedlings will grow better in the soil if the soil is fertilized with organic fertilizer every 20 days.

 

Best time to plant

When all risk of frost has passed, plant in the spring or earlier summer. To protect against the effects of cold, night temperatures should be higher than 40 degrees. The minimal nightly temperatures of less than 55 degrees hinder development.

 

Best place to plant

Opt for a sunny area with rich, porous soil. These may struggle to grow in arid desert settings since they desire superheated, moist circumstances identical to their natural home. In colder climates, potting in a pleasant area, like a south-facing border or heat-absorbing deck, will improve performance.

 

Ways to plant

Gently take the plant out and not snap the fragile stalk. The roots in the pots need to be loose and planted in a hole (twice as wide and deep as the container). Water the area well after gently compacting the dirt. Spacing will be  6 to 12 inches for lesser assortments and up to 2 feet for bigger illustrations.

 

How to select the correct sweet potato vine?

Below are few suggestions to take into account with so many options:

• Select mounding and semi-compact kinds for the periphery of a boundary or bigger following varieties.
• Choose smaller, more compact kinds for window boxes, swinging baskets, and containers so as not to overpower neighboring plants.
• For slants and fences: Bigger spreading out species will encircle huge regions and drape down a fence for a scenic impact.

 

Sweet Potato Vine Maintenance

Although your sweet potato vines usually take care of themselves and are self-sufficient, follow these helpful instructions for sweet potato vine maintenance for the best results. Sweet potato vine can even survive the winter, and growing it is likely to be simple.

• Sun: Sweet potato vines can take little shade. Full sun is preferable. It’s prudent to give your plants less shade cover at the height of summer since, in scorching climates, they can get sunburned in temperatures of 110 degrees or more. The sweet potato plant thrives in moist, well-draining soil. These vines can develop root rot, which can destroy them if the ground is too wet for an extended period. You may want to apply an acid-forming fertilizer to your soil if the pH is above 8.0 and your soil is quite alkaline. If your soil is healthy and balanced, fertilization is not necessary. Occasionally using it can promote rapid development. It’s preferable to water moderately. The soil should be damp but not drenched.
• Pruning: As sweet potato vines proliferate, constant pruning is necessary. Any time of the year is appropriate for pruning: the warm weather, most in the spring and summer.
• Soil: These plants demand damp, well-drained soil with the natural matter added to it to improve its nutritional value. If the soil is too damp, they are vulnerable to several fungi. A lot of drainage holes should be present in the selected container.
• Water: Although sweet potato vines can withstand drought, frequent irrigation will encourage faster growth. Enough water is needed to retain the soil moist to avoid it from getting soggy.
• Humidity and Temperature: These vines prefer the sun instead of extreme heat. These should be regularly monitored to prevent their soil from drying up. Like other tropical plants, they don’t require high humidity to prosper in multiple moist locations.
• Fertiliser: If you want your sweet potato vines to develop quickly, fertilize them. A balanced fertilizer should be provided to promote growth during their maturing duration. Still, given their inherently powerful pattern, you could discover that feeding makes it more necessary to cut the plant.

 

Varieties of Ipomoea batatas

• ‘Sweet Caroline’ Sweet Potato Vine: There are 5 different colours available for this species, including yellow-green, light green, red, purple, and bronze. It is famous as a ground cover. In addition,, the leaves resemble maple leaves in shape.
• The sweet potato vine variety Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ or ‘Marguerite’ is mounding but has the potential to be taught as a climber. When grown in full sunlight, the foliage is a vivid, light green, or chartreuse; when developed in more shade, the vegetation is a darker green.
• Ipomoea batatas “Blackie” has maple-like leaves in dark purple color and trumpet-shaped purple blossoms.
• Another type with slender, divided leaves is Ipomoea batatas ‘Ragtime,’ which has a light purple hue and lovely natural variety.

 

How to include Sweet Potato Vine in your landscaping?

There are several applications for sweet potato vine. Here are a few examples:

• Mass in front of a mixed border for a sea of continuous color from summer to frost.
• For a vibrant show, alternate contrasting colors like chartreuse “Margarita” and dark purple “Blackie ” in a quick-growing ground cover along a slope.
• Use a lime-green or chartreuse type, such as “Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime” or “Margarita,” to brighten a dark space.
• Plant a series of swinging baskets in complementing hues like “Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime” and “Blackie” along your front porch to create a warm display.
• Plant sweet potato vines along a rock wall’s top and let them spill over the side.
• For a vertical screen of color, grow sweet potato vine up a trellis or arbor alongside other annual vines that overgrow, like nasturtium or morning glory.

 

Tips for caring for Sweet Potato Vines: Winterizing Sweet Potato Vines

Because the plants will remain vulnerable in the ground all year, sweet potato vine winter maintenance is easy if you reside in an amiable area between USDA plant hardiness sector 9 and 11. However, if you reside in zone 9, in the north, take precautions to look after sweet potato vines in the winter to avoid freezing. If you hold space, you may move the plants inside and upkeep them as decorative plants in the house until spring. If not, there are a few easy ways to winter a sweet potato vine.

 

Tubers of Sweet Potatoes Overwintered

Just below the soil’s surface, tubers resemble bulbs sprouting. If you wish to store the tubers for the winter, chop the vines to the ground and ahead of opening fall frost, trim them to the ground and remove them. Digging should be done with caution; avoid damaging the roots.

Polish the tubers gently to remove the soil, then put them in a box made of cardboard with sphagnum moss, vermiculite, or sand. Check to see if they are touching. Put the parcel in a dry, cool place away from the heat so the tubers won’t freeze. Slice all the roots into pieces with minimum one node when the tubers start to sprout in the spring. Verify that all threats of frost have passed before putting the tubers outside. You can pick up the tubers in a box with untouched soil and bring them indoors rather than storing them in winter. You may enjoy the gorgeous plant that the tubers grow into until you transplant it outside in the spring.

 

Sweet potato cuttings from vines

Take numerous sweet potato vines measuring about 10 to 12 inches for cuttings in the fall prior to the plant being damaged by frost. First, rinse the clippings under cool water to eliminate bugs. Please then put them in a glass container or other container with sterile water.

Though any container will do, a glass container will enable you to notice the roots as they spread out. Remove all of the bottom leaves first to stop the cuttings from decaying.

Can you grow Ipomoea batatas indoors?

The Ipomoea batatas can be brought indoors from cuttings during winters. You can place the cuttings in a cool place before the first frost and replant in spring.

Maintaining Sweet Potato Vines during the winter

Look after the roots to appear a couple of days after the pot is in indirect sunlight. However, you have two options: either plant them to relish them as decorative plants, or you can leave the container all winter.

Add clean water if it turns foggy or salty or if you keep the cuttings in it. Ensure that the water level is more than the roots. If you plant the roots, place them in a well-lit area and water them as required to maintain a barely damp but never put them in saturated soil.

 

The right Sweet Potato Vine: How to select it?

Here are some ideas to take into account with so many options:

Borders and decorations for bedding

For the edge of a border, pick mounding and semi-compact varieties or larger trailing varieties that will swiftly fill in more expansive areas.

Window Boxes, Hanging Baskets, and containers

Choose more compact, more compact types that won’t overpower nearby plants.

For slopes and walls

Larger sprawling varieties can quickly cover a large area and create a dramatic effect by draping down a wall or slope.

Are Ipomoea plants poisonous?

While some Ipomoea plants are grown for their ornamental foliage, some are grown for their vegetative roots. The vegetative roots are high on nutrition, while the ornamental ones can be toxic in nature.

Is Ipomoea batatas poisonous to dogs?

Although edible, tubers should not be consumed due to their toxicity. The main component of leaves is the same as that found in LSD. Therefore ingesting them can be extremely harmful to dogs. Call your toxin management center directly if your pet exhibits cues of bad stomach, or delusions.

Bottom line

Sweet potatoes are an annual vine in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Some lines have been bred for their beauty, while others have been bred for their nutritional content. The ornamental ones are not flavorful, and the edible ones are not as pretty, so choose a type based on the use you want.

 

Sweet potato vine, grown for its colorful foliage, is widely used in mixed containers. During the winter, in a cool, tuberous, roots can be preserved in a dry medium. They are edible, albeit not particularly pleasant, when fried. It is regarded as an annual and is frost-sensitive, but it can be multiplied by planting tuber cuttings after the last frost.

 

FAQs

Ipomoea batatas - what does that mean?

The sweet potato, scientifically known as Ipomoea batatas, is a dicotyledonous plant member of the Convolvulaceae family, including morning glory and bindweed.

What shades of Ipomoea are there?

Sweet Caroline Ipomoea batatas. This type comes in five colour options: yellowish green, red, purple, bronze, and light green. However, this plant doesn't simply have one hue. It works incredibly well as a ground cover and has leaves that are similar to those of Blackie.

How much sun is required by Ipomoea?

Each plant requires specific conditions to thrive such as full sunlight (6+ hours), part sun (4-6 hours), and full shade (up to 4 hours).

What is the best soil to grow Ipomoea Batatas-decorative plant?

Morning glory should grow in damp, pH 6 to 7.5 soil low in nitrogen and abundant in organic matter.

 

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com