Ipomoea Batatas – Sweet Potatoes

Pretty (though few) flowers and tasty fruit – Ipomoea batatas or Sweet Potato work well here in this Mediterranean garden.

The wild form of Ipomoea batatas is native to Central America. It was imported to Asia by the Spanishand to Africa by freed African slaves. Today it’s grown in almost all tropical and subtropical as well as temperate zones of the world.

Sweet potatoes need sunlight and warmth to thrive, ideally around 25°C. They will grow in most soils but like rich, loose, and well-drained soil. They need a lot of space but can be grown as a ground cover around taller vegetables.

I usually by one or two plants in the garden center, plant them in May and have a small harvest by October – watering twice weekly, like the rest of the vegetables. If I really applied myself I could maybe get more of them but then we’re not all that crazy about eating them. I do like to use them in the vegetable garden to keep the earth covered in summer, so the tubers are just a nice side effect.