There are a few different ways to grow your own sweet potato crop, but one of the easiest methods is starting from “slips”—those little sprouts that grow off the tuber. This is a fantastic option if you don’t have the space to keep full plants growing as cuttings over the winter. Here’s how to get started!
Sprouting starts in February
If you want to grow sweet potatoes from slips, you’ll want to start sprouting your tubers around February. You can use leftover sweet potatoes from last year’s harvest, or if you’re new to the game, grab some from the grocery store. Just a heads-up: store-bought potatoes are often treated with growth inhibitors to keep them from sprouting on the shelf, so they might take a bit longer to wake up.
To get those sprouts moving, you can use the classic water method. Just fill a glass with water and set the sweet potato inside. It doesn’t really matter which end is up; sweet potatoes are overachievers and will sprout from both sides! Just make sure about a third of the potato is sticking out above the water line.
The second method is to plant the tuber directly in a pot. Lay the potato in some good quality potting soil and give it a light watering until you see the first green shoots peeking through. Once you have plenty of growth, you can dig the potato back up and carefully detach the slips.
Separating and planting your slips
When you sprout them in water, the slips themselves usually don’t have roots yet. You’ll need to help them along by either putting the detached shoots back into a fresh jar of water for a few days or planting them straight into soil. If you decide to plant the slips immediately, it’s a good idea to cover them with a clear plastic bag to keep the humidity up while they establish themselves.
If you’re taking slips off a potato that was started in soil, they’ll usually come away with a nice set of roots already attached. Just snap them off near the base (try not to take too much of the “mother” potato with you) and pop them right into their own individual pots.
Care until planting day
Sweet potatoes are tropical at heart, so they can’t go outside until the danger of frost has passed—usually around mid-May. If you’re planning on growing them in containers or balcony boxes, you can plant your slips directly into those pots as soon as they’re ready. Just remember to keep them indoors in a sunny spot until the weather stays consistently warm!
