Growing Sweet Potatoes from Slips: Warmth, Sandy Soil & Curing

Sweet potatoes grow from slips (sprouts), not seeds. Warmth is non-negotiable.

Slip Production

6 weeks before transplant: untreated sweet potatoes in moist sand/sawdust at 80°F. Cut slips at 6″+, keep base intact.

Frost-free, 75°F+. Sandy soil. Flat or mounded. Slips 1′ apart, ½′ deep, bury all but top leaves.

Water weekly. Stop 2 weeks pre-harvest. Black mulch early for heat/moisture. Minimal fertilizer.

4–5 months. Leaves yellow = dig. Sun-dry hours. Cure 10–14 days warm. Store <60°F, 80% humidity.

Tropical staple, temperate success with heat.

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