Last updated on March 16th, 2024 at 07:53 am
Sweet Potato Vine Plants will grow much like ground cover plants. They will spread quickly providing they have lots of sun. You can also place them in shady conditions, but it is best to have at least 5-6 hrs. of sunshine.
The spectacular foliage is what they are best known for, great for large containers with taller type plants in the background or middle of the pot. Not quite drought tolerant but consistent watering throughout the summer months will give you lots of growth from late spring until late fall. Water at least three times per week four times is better.
Sweet Potato Vine in a large outdoor pot
This lime-green potato vine hides the entire pot. Consider planting them in smaller pots for outdoor/indoor decoration. You will have to trim them off often. BTW … don’t throw away the trimmed-off leaves you can cut the stem at an angle and place it in a water bottle. When the bottom of the stem starts to grow small hairy fibers, it’s time to plant them in soil, you now have a new potato vine plant
Purple Potato Vine in a small pot
There are several leaf colors of this plant. The most common is the lime-green one but there is also bronze (pictured below), copper, and a black one.
What to do during winter?
The sweet potato vine does not like cold temperatures once it gets below 32° degrees it will die back. but if it is in a container, you can cut it back and place it indoors. Water once or twice per week and fertilize about once per month indoors. When the last winter freeze passes it is time to take outdoors.
It is grown for ornamental reasons, and it will produce a small to medium-sized potato. Are these potatoes edible? Yes, they are but it is best to plant better types of potatoes for edible purposes. Learn more over at; Mynortherngarden.
Problems with Potato Vine
Fungus and mold will kill this plant. Check underneath the plant’s large leaves for mold or white fungus. You can cut out the fungus or mold and place it in a plastic bag and throw it in the trash bin. Then spray with a good fungus control fungicide. These plants grow extremely fast growing and trimming them way back is a good solution as they will grow back in no time at all. Neem oil is a good fungicide to use and is an organic substitute.
If you see numerous holes in the leaves of the plant, there is a good chance snails or slugs are present especially if it is placed in the shade and or wet conditions during the summer months.
It is rare but aphids and mealybugs will attack the sweet potato vine, spray with a good insecticide or go organic and use Neem oil or insecticidal soaps to kill these pests.
