Sweet potato is a highly nutritious and healthy food and, for this reason, more and more people are incorporating this tuber in their diet. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates and are an integral part of many diets focused on maintaining health and gaining lean mass. Due to the great relevance of this food in the lives of so many people, how about cultivating sweet potatoes at home? In this article, you will learn how to grow sweet potatoes!
To plant sweet potatoes, a large space is not necessary. The tuber grows perfectly in pots, vegetable gardens and even when planted in water. If you want to know all the details about how to grow sweet potatoes, read the text and stay in the loop!
Interesting information about sweet potatoes
In Brazil, the sweet potato is also called jatica; potato from the island and potato from the land. It is a tuber originating from the warmest regions of Latin America, it grows underground and produces a branch with violet flowers. For this reason, sweet potatoes can be planted in pots at home and used as decoration in various spaces.
As a food, sweet potato is very nutritious and healthy, being rich in fiber; protein; phosphorus and potassium. It has a low glycemic content and is used in diets for weight loss. Feeding with sweet potato guarantees satiety for a longer time and helps reduce cholesterol.
In addition to all this, the leaves of the sweet potato vines can be consumed after cooking and are very tasty!
Follow along to learn how to grow sweet potatoes.
Top Tips for Starting Home Growing
For sweet potatoes to grow healthy, a warm climate and frequent exposure to the sun are required. In addition, watering should be frequent, but the plant should not be watered to prevent the tuber from rotting.
The plant does not require great care and is very simple to grow. To start planting at home, you can choose one of three basic ways to plant sweet potatoes:
- Through a branch of the adult plant, that is, an already formed seedling;
- By inducing the germination of the sweet potato itself, that is, by creating a seedling, or;
- Through sweet potato seeds.
The simplest and most common way to plant sweet potatoes at home is to create a seedling from the potato tuber itself and later transfer this seedling to a pot or vegetable garden, if you wish.
Next, you will learn how to do this! Don’t miss it.
How to plant sweet potatoes: learn to make a seedling
Inducing sprouting of a sweet potato is very easy and has almost no secret! You will only need a potato and a glass of water.
The technique is simple: place a sweet potato inside a transparent glass and cover half of the tuber with water. Place this cup near a lighted window, preferably exposed to sunlight.
Change the water every day to make sure the potato doesn’t rot, and after a few days you will see small buds forming and root growth at the bottom of the tuber.
A tip for those who have children at home is to involve them in this experience! Explain what is being done, ask for help to change the water and take care of the plant. As the vines grow in a few days and the children will see the result of this care quickly.
Below, you can see a video with more details about this technique on how to plant sweet potatoes in water!
How to grow sweet potatoes for decoration
In addition to creating a seedling to be planted in pots or in a vegetable garden, sprouting the tuber in a glass cup is a very simple way of planting sweet potatoes in water for decoration. Yea! You can use a larger glass pot and leave it in the kitchen to germinate.
When the branches start to grow, you will have a beautiful ornamental decoration in your environment!
In the video below, you will learn another technique for growing sweet potato and using it in home decor. Don’t miss it!
How to plant sweet potatoes in the pot
To plant sweetpotato in a pot, you will need one that is at least a foot deep to ensure that the tuber grows in a healthy way.
The first step is to molt, following the guidelines and technique we’ve taught you earlier in this article. Once the shoots and roots have germinated, you will plant your seedling in the chosen pot.
Begin vessel preparation by ensuring good drainage to the tubercle. The vase should have holes in the bottom and you should make a layer of straw or boulders at the bottom of the vase.
Then mix the fertile land with sand and compost, a good proportion of sweetpotato growth is 80% land and 20% sand. Place the substrate inside the pot and then make a hole in the center to accommodate the seedling you prepared.
Plant the seedling and water it immediately afterwards. After approximately 150 days you will be able to harvest your potatoes!
In the video below, you can check more details and some tips on how to plant sweet potatoes in the pot.
The harvest of sweet potato can be done 4 to 5 months after planting the shoots, but while the tuber is not ready to be harvested, the vines are excellent ornamental plants to complement the decoration of your home or garden.
Did you like the tips we prepared on how to grow sweet potatoes? Write in the comments if you are going to start your planting in pots, or use the sweet potato vines for kitchen decor!
Also learn how to cook sweet potatoes.
