How to Grow a Sweet Potato Vine Outdoors
- 1). Buy a sweet potato at the grocery store. Check to be sure the tuber is firm, has no wounds or mold, and has plenty of "eyes" for sprouting. Do the same thing at a garden center if you wish to grow an ornamental sweet potato vine.
- 2). Fill a wide-mouthed, transparent glass jar with water. Place the pointed end of the sweet potato in the water so that the lower half is submerged. Anchor with toothpicks so the the potato does not fall in. Place in a sunny area until it sprouts green shoots from the top and sides---usually about three to four weeks.
- 3). Prepare a large container or garden space by filling with rich, moist potting soil. In the garden, make sure the planting area is 2 feet away from other plants.
- 4). Cut away the top of the tuber containing the vines with a sharp knife and plant it in the container or garden. Keep moist as roots begin to develop and the vines begin to spread. Add a pinch of granular plant fertilizer to waterings every two weeks for best growth.
- 5). Propagate more sweet potato vines as the original plant spills over the side of the container or creates lush ground cover in the garden. Pinch off vine ends and root in a a clear glass container full of water. Tuck them into the soil when roots are an inch or two long to fill in bare patches.
- 6). Keep soil moist throughout the growing season. Sweet potato vines will wilt quickly without adequate water, but rebound just as fast when they've had a good, deep drink.
- 7). Bring cuttings indoors in the fall before the first frost to propagate new stock for next spring.
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