Growing A Sweet Potato Vine In Water

Loose soil is more critical than almost any other factor when it comes to growing sweet potatoes successfully.

Growing a sweet potato vine in water.

One of the easiest ways to create multi seasonal interest in the garden is to use plants with interesting foliage. Ornamental sweet potato vines are in the same family as edible sweet potatoes and are in fact the same species. Before you plant sweet potato slips you have a little extra work to do. They are bred for the beauty of their leaves rather than edible tubers and the vines from these plants make them look more like a morning glory or clematis than a member of the potato family.

Follow these steps to planting and growing your own sweet potato vine indoors. Most of the time the sweet potato plant is planted in the spring. Sweet potatoes need loose well drained soil to form large tubers. The one season in which it s generally not advisable to plant sweet potato vines is the winter.

Place the sweet potato in a container of water. In addition the vines grow readily in water. The sweet potato vines will continue growing in water for months or even years whether from cuttings or from a tuber. The sweet potato produces vine like stems that resemble the philodendron plant.

As a tropical plant it prefers warmer temperatures. In a few weeks a vine with several stems will begin to sprout. To grow a healthy sweet potato vine you need a healthy tuber. You don t want the roots to face resistance when they try to expand within the soil.

Keep the water level constant and empty the water and refill the jar with. The pointed end should be down in the water. However depending on your growing zone it can be planted at other times of year. The ornamental varieties are simply cultivars of the species plant.

Use an organic sweet potato. Although much of the us does not have a long enough growing season to produce mature sweet potatoes they can be grown in water to create an interesting houseplant. This video provides procedure on how to grow sweet potato vines from a tuber of the plant in water jar container at home. Even better the leaves are edible and tasty.

Sweet potato vine ipomoea batatas named for its edible cousin is an ornamental warm season annual grown for its attractive leaves and vining habit the foliage lends a tropical feel to the garden and comes in a range of colors and varying forms. Ornamental varieties may also be grown in containers and taken indoors for the winter. Plant a sweet potato in water and almost before your eyes it transforms into a sprawling vine with lime green or purple tinged leaves. When to plant sweet potato vine.

This sweet potato plant propagation.