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Sweet potato vines are renowned for their delightful tubers and elegant, cascading foliage, making them a charming addition to your indoor foliage collection. What's even better is their low-maintenance nature! Follow our simple steps below to learn how to grow a sweet potato vine from a sweet potato, how to tend to your new houseplant, and get inspiration for displaying it in your home.
Key Points to Remember
- Start by placing an organic, untreated sweet potato in a glass of water to grow slips. Once they reach 6 inches (15 cm) in height, remove them.
- Transfer the slips to a glass of water to develop roots, then plant them in a pot when the roots are approximately 1 inch (2 cm) long.
- Position your sweet potato houseplant near a sunny window, allowing it to drape or climb on a trellis.
Step-by-Step Guide
Producing Sprouts from Your Sweet Potato
Purchase an organic, untreated sweet potato. Sweet potato vines originate from slips, which are the shoots that emerge from a mature sweet potato. Most commercially available sweet potatoes are treated with chemicals to prevent slip growth, so seek out organic, untreated options at your local farmer’s market.
- You can also inquire if any friends or neighbors have spare sweet potatoes from their gardens.
Place your sweet potato in a jar or glass of water. Your sweet potato requires ample water to produce slips. Suspend the potato in a glass of water by inserting four toothpicks around its midsection. Then, position the exposed toothpicks over the rim of the jar or glass so that the top half of the potato protrudes from the container.
- If you have a perfectly fitting jar or glass, toothpicks are unnecessary. Simply nestle the potato inside, ensuring the bottom half remains submerged while the top half extends beyond the container.
Position your sweet potato near a sunny window. Select a window that receives abundant warm sunlight and offers good visibility for observing slip growth. Ensure the temperature remains above 50 °F (10 °C) to foster robust slip development.
- Replace the water in the jar every 2 to 3 days.
- If cultivating slips during colder seasons or in chilly conditions, consider using a grow light or heat mat to maintain optimal slip conditions.
Observe as the slips develop over the next 3 to 4 weeks. Within approximately 2 weeks, multiple slips will emerge from the top of your sweet potato. You'll witness these slips gradually elongate and produce small, green foliage.
Harvest the slips once they reach about 6 inches (15 cm) in height. Gently twist the base of each slip to detach it from the potato. Then, remove most of the leaves along the stem, leaving only the top 2 to 3 leaves.
- Growing slips from a sweet potato can pose challenges, so don't be disheartened if you end up with only a few sparse slips or none at all. If your slips aren't thriving, consider starting anew with another potato or two.
- If you find yourself with an abundance of slips, they make excellent gifts for friends and family!
Planting Your Slips
Position your slips in a small jar or glass filled with water. Add approximately 1 inch (2 cm) of water to the glass so that only the bottom of the stem is submerged. Then, place the slips near a sunny window to encourage root development and enjoy monitoring their progress!
Check the slips for root growth. Roots typically begin to appear on the slips after 1 to 2 weeks. Remove any slips that fail to produce roots within a couple of weeks. Ensure the slips receive fresh water by changing their jars every 2 to 3 days or when the water becomes cloudy.
Transfer the slips to a pot once their roots reach approximately 1 inch (2 cm) in length. Fill a small nursery pot with well-draining potting mix and create a hole in the soil. Gently insert the slip into the hole, leaving only the leaves exposed. Then, water the slips thoroughly.
- Alternatively, you can opt to continue growing your vine in the water-filled jar. Simply change the water every few days to maintain clarity. Once the sweet potato plant's roots outgrow the container, transfer it to a larger jar.
Nurturing Your Sweet Potato Indoor Plant
Position your young sweet potato plants near a sunlit window to foster growth. Locate an area where your sweet potato plant can receive approximately 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Sweet potatoes thrive in warm conditions, so ensure the chosen spot maintains temperatures around 65-70 °F (18-21 °C).
- If your home lacks a warm, sunny spot, place a grow light about 1 foot (30 cm) above your sweet potato plant.
Maintain regular watering to keep the soil slightly moist. Although sweet potatoes are resilient to drought, they flourish with consistent watering. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings to prevent waterlogging.
Use fertilizer sparingly. While sweet potato plants can thrive without fertilizer, you can promote growth with occasional fertilization using a multipurpose houseplant fertilizer. Apply fertilizer once a month and water the plant afterward to distribute the nutrients to the roots.
Regularly trim your sweet potato plant to encourage growth. As you monitor your plant's progress, remove any wilted or dying leaves. Additionally, trim back any spindly or sparse vines to stimulate lush, bushy growth. If the vines become too lengthy and unruly, simply trim them to the desired length!
Replant your sweet potato plant when it begins to outgrow its current pot. Although sweet potato plants grow quickly, they typically require repotting only every few years. However, if your plant becomes rootbound—meaning its roots are tightly packed and take the shape of the pot—it may need repotting sooner.
- Regularly inspect your plant to assess if it needs a larger pot.
Propagate new sweet potato plants from vine clippings. Start by cutting a healthy vine approximately 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long. Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds of the vine and place it in a glass of water in a spot with indirect sunlight. Once the cutting develops roots roughly 3 inches (7 cm) long, transfer it to soil to grow into a new sweet potato plant!
Decorating Your Sweet Potato Indoor Plant
Suspend your sweet potato plant in a hanging basket to allow it to trail downwards. Sweet potato plants have a trailing growth habit and look stunning when allowed to cascade from a high location. You can craft your own macrame plant hanger for a bohemian jungle aesthetic in your living space. Alternatively, let the vines drape down from a tall windowsill or tiered plant stand.
Provide support for your vines to climb. While sweet potato vines trail beautifully, they can also thrive when trained to grow upwards. Install an indoor trellis directly into the pot and gently guide the vines through the openings. Alternatively, encourage vertical growth by wrapping the vines around a ladder bookcase or up the sides of a tiered plant stand.
Enhance your sweet potato plant's appearance by pairing it with other indoor plants. Experiment with various leaf textures by combining your trailing sweet potato vine with a compact cactus or a tall, spiky snake plant. Arrange your plants in groups of odd numbers such as 3, 5, or 7 to create a visually dynamic and captivating display!
Pointers
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Your sweet potato vine houseplant has the potential to produce edible sweet potatoes. Typically, it takes around 150 days for sweet potatoes grown in containers to mature and yield a harvest.
Precautions
- The leaves and vines of sweet potatoes can be harmful to pets if ingested.
Essential Supplies
Producing Sprouts from Your Sweet Potato
- Organic, untreated sweet potato
- Jar or glass
- Toothpicks
- Grow light, if needed
- Heat mat, if desired
Planting Your Sprouts
- Small jar or glass
- Small nursery pot
- Potting mix with good drainage
Nurturing Your Sweet Potato Houseplant
- Grow light, if desired
- Versatile, houseplant fertilizer
- Scissors
- Jar or glass
