Is it possible to GROW SWEET POTATO VINE INDOORS? How much time does it take for them to grow? We TACKLE THESE CONCERNS when you want to grow sweet potatoes!
Learn the PROCEDURE with us for growing sweet potatoes. We have the EXPERTISE to take you every step of the way to get organic sweet potatoes at home!
Our team provides you with GARDENING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SWEET POTATO PLANTS. The experience we have is supportive of growing ornamental sweet potato vines.
Feel complete satisfaction after EXPLORING THE INFORMATION here.
Explore varieties of sweet potatoes, how-tos, overwinter, & lot more.
What are the Varieties of Sweet Potato Vines?
Sweet potato vine leaves are often of DIFFERENT COLORS. Let’s have a peek into a few of the types of these ornamental vines:
1. Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’
This DARK PURPLE SWEET POTATO VINE looks nearly black. That’s why the name! This is a popular sweet potato vine variety that is ROBUST and FAST-GROWING.
The sweet potato leaves of this vine are KNOWN FOR THEIR MAPLE SHAPE. They produce lavender or trumpet-like flowers.
2. Ipomoea batatas’ Sweet Caroline’
This sweet potato vine has five different colors. These are YELLOWISH GREEN, PALE PURPLE, RED, BRONZE, and LIGHT GREEN. The leaves of this vine resemble MAPLE LEAVES, just like Blackie. They work well as a ground cover.
3. Ipomoea batatas’ Sweet Caroline Sweetheart’
This sweet potato vine has leaf shapes like the previous vine. both of them have heart-shaped leaves. This sweet potato vine comes in RED, LIGHT GREEN, or PURPLE COLORS. It’s becoming popular very quickly!
Suggested reading: Is Potato Fruit Or Vegetable?
How to Plant Sweet Potato Vine Indoors?
Planting your own sweet potato vine indoors is pretty easy! Most of them even grow in hanging baskets! You FOLLOW THESE SAME STEPS to achieve your goal of growing sweet potatoes:
Take Lukewarm Water In A Glass Jar
Select a CONTAINER 4 INCHES DEEP to allow the roots to spread downward unhindered.
Grab a SWEET POTATO
Set it in this jar or cup of LUKEWARM WATER. The sweet potato’s base ought to be submerged in warm water.
Use Toothpicks
Support it on the rim of the cup or glass jar so it stays in place. INSERT THE TOOTHPICKS at REGULAR INTERVALS. Start from two to three inches from the bottom of the sweet potato.
Put The Sweet Potato Vine In A Sunny Location
Place it on a sunny window. The plant needs full sun for the leaves to thrive. Use a grow light if required.
Watch For The Sprouting Of The Potato
Usually, this takes four weeks.
The Vines Quickly Spread Out Once The Potato Sprouts
Please enjoy your new plant! The vines can be strung around BOOKCASES, ON WALL HOOKS, or ON A DRESSER.
No concerns if your potato plant doesn’t sprout. Sometimes it requires a few tries, especially at home. Have the sweet potato vine plant of your dreams! Just follow these instructions with the potato plant.
How to Care Indoors Sweet Potato Vines?
Taking care of your sweet potato vines indoors is very important! Here we are going to tell you how you can take good care of them:
Always Keep The Soil Equally Moist
Check on FAST-GROWING VINES frequently because they dry out quickly in a container. To AVOID DAMP SOIL, which can cause root rot, use a container with DRAINAGE HOLES.
Keep The Relative Humidity At 40% Or Greater
The BROWN TIPS of the leaves mean dry air. In the winter, indoor air can become incredibly DRY. Instead of guessing, it’s a good idea to UTILIZE A HUMIDITY GAUGE close to your tropical plants.
Maintain Room Temperature To 18-27°c On Average
To TRANSPLANT OUTSIDE, wait until it’s warm. The vine can’t tolerate frost or cold climate.
Don’t Use Plain Soil.
Use an ALL-PURPOSE POTTING MIX for soil.
Do Consistent Watering Of Your Lawn Once A Month
Use a well-balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Do this throughout the SPRING, SUMMER, and FALL.
Stem Tip Cuttings Will Constantly Develop Tuberous Roots
It is done for propagation. place the cut ends in moist potting soil or a glass of fresh water. In a few weeks, they’ll start to grow tuberous roots.
How do Indoors Sweet Potato Vines Overwinter?
Ornamental sweet potato vines produce sizable tubers, known as BULBS or POTATOES UNDERGROUND. They are just like the edible varieties.
Like other bulbs from tropical regions, these tubers can be BOXED UP and PRESERVED FOR THE WINTER.
This is the ideal approach to utilize:
- If you don’t want to worry about caring for plants
- or cuttings indoors,
- don’t have enough space for your plant,
- or if the lime green foliage was harmed
- or died by frost before you could bring the vine inside.
Allowing the vine to light frost or exposure to cold temperatures in the fall will cause it to go into dormancy. DON’T LET IT FREEZE, as the tuber could not preserve properly.
The DEAD FOLIAGE CAN BE REMOVED, leaving the tubers in the glass jar or pot. Alternatively, you might remove them and put them in a box for the winter. In the gist, keep the vine in a DRY, DARK, and ABOVE-FREEZING ENVIRONMENT until spring comes.
Common Pest & Diseases of Growing Sweet Potato Vines
Various types of PESTS & DISEASES affect the new growth of sweet potato vines. Some pests include Aphid, Cluster caterpillars, Cricket, Dried fruit beetle, Earwigs, and others. Let’s learn about one of the common pests here:
Aphid: They are usually of two types: COTTON and GREEN PEACH. Nymph of Aphid cotton is of PALE DUSKY GREEN to ORANGE COLOR, and an adult might be YELLOWISH. They suck saps from the young shoots and cause leaf distortion and stunting.
Likewise, Aphid green peach’s nymph is YELLOWISH to GREEN, and the adult is a PALE YELLOW to GREEN. They reduce plant vigor by feeding and causing leaf distortion like another type.
There are also many diseases, including Alternaria leaf spot, Fusarium wilt, and more. We are discussing one of the most common diseases below:
Fusarium Wilt: This disease spreads via INFECTED PLANT MATERIALS, IRRIGATION WATER, and EQUIPMENT. The initial sign of this disease is discoloration of the vascular system.
It is then accompanied by LEAF YELLOWING between the veins, WILTING, and STUNTING. Other sign includes the stem becoming purplish and rotting of feeder roots.
FAQs about Sweet Potato Vine Indoors
1. How long does a sweet potato vine live?
Sweet potato vines indoors stay alive for many years. Keep them at a controlled temperature during cold spells. They cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
2. Can you overwinter sweet potato vine?
Yes, you can overwinter a sweet potato vine. Before the first fall frost, cut the sweet potato vines to the ground and dig them up. After brushing the soil off the tubers, place them in a cardboard box with peat moss, sand, or vermiculate.
3. Does a sweet potato make a good houseplant?
Yes, organic sweet potato can be grown as a hanging houseplant in a smaller container. It allows the plant’s lovely lime-green foliage to spread out. You can take pleasure in eating sweet potato green leaves as well.
4. Can I grow a sweet potato vine from a store bought sweet potato?
Sweet potato vine can be quickly grown from a store-bought sweet potato. You may produce your own sweet potatoes in months if you plant the sprouting part, known as growing slips.
What’s Next
Varieties of sweet potato plants and how to grow them, take care of and overwinter them indoors. Covering all aspects of growing sweet potato plants.
Next, learn the names of common pests and diseases for planting a sweet potato plant. Any ornamental sweet potato plant can suffer from them.
If you want to know WHETHER SWEET POTATO NEW ROOTS GROW AND SPROUT, follow AsterGardening for more detailed articles.
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