Root Vegetable

When to Plant Sweet Potatoes

Not related to regular potatoes at all. Sweet potatoes need heat and a long growing season but reward with incredible harvests.

Sun

Full sun (6-8 hours)

Water

1 inch per week

Days to Harvest

90-120

Difficulty

intermediate

Spacing

12"

Frost Tolerance

none

The Short Answer

Sweet Potatoes are best when soil temperature reaches at least 65°F. Enter your zip code on our homepage tool for exact dates.

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are grown from 'slips' — rooted sprouts produced from a mother tuber, not from seed or sets like other root crops. You can produce your own slips by suspending a sweet potato half-submerged in water until it sprouts, then planting the rooted sprouts individually. The crop needs a long, warm growing season (90+ days of hot weather), making it a natural fit for southern gardens and a stretch for northern ones. Cure harvested roots at 80-85°F with high humidity for 7-10 days to convert starches to sugars and heal skin wounds for long storage.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Begin sweet potatoes seeds indoors 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Seeds need soil temperatures of at least 65°F to germinate, which typically takes 14-21 days. Provide 12 hours of light per day using a south-facing window or grow lights.

Transplanting

Move seedlings outside 3 weeks after your last frost date, once soil temperatures reach 65°F. Harden off seedlings for 7 days before transplanting by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions.

Growing Tips

Grow from slips, not seeds. Start slips from a sweet potato in water 8 weeks before transplanting. Cure harvested tubers in warmth for 10 days.

Companion Planting

Good companions:

Beans Corn

Keep away from:

Squash

Sweet Potatoes Planting Dates by State

Click your state for sweet potatoes planting dates specific to your location:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Note: Planting dates are based on average frost dates from NOAA Climate Normals (30-year averages). Actual conditions vary year to year. Always check your local forecast before planting frost-sensitive crops.

Last reviewed: March 29, 2026