Now is the Time to Plant Sweet Potatoes
Missouri Ag Connection - 05/04/2012
Sweet potatoes are a warm season vegetable so it is important to not plant them too early, according to Patrick Byers, a horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
"Wait until the risk of frost is past, and the soil is warm enough to support growth," said Byers.
Sweet potatoes are usually started from slips, which are sprouts that grow from sweet potato tubers from last year's harvest. The slips are separated from the tubers, and rooted in soil or water before planting in the garden.
Sweet potatoes can be successfully grown in Missouri but they require 120 days to reach marketable size. Most successful growers plant sweet potatoes in the garden after the last frost of the season.
"Root growth and shape is enhanced when sweet potatoes are grown on a ridge. As the plant develops, additional soil can be thrown on the row to build up a ridge," said Byers.
Call the Greene County Extension Center at (417) 881-8909 for more information or go online to http://extension.missouri.edu.
