Sweet potatoes in raised bed

Brandon558 · June 11, 2014

I decided to plant potatoes and made a 10'x5' raised bed. I tilled the dirt and added alot of soil and compost. I made sure the soil with soft and loose and planted sweet potatoe transplants....spaced them out well. I am just curious on how they grow in raised beds? This is my first experience with potatoes at all....please fill me in on any need to knows and tips.

I know my brother grows them and said they go crazy with their vines....if need be could i just keep cutting the vines back when they exit the bed or will that hurt the potatoe harvest.

Thanks

shelleybean · June 11, 2014

I've grown them in raised beds twice, spacing the slips a foot apart in all directions. They grew amazingly well. I had added mushroom compost at the beginning of the season and they all just grew together into sort of a mass of vines. I never trimmed the vines though. I just let them spill out into the walkways. I have 5 feet between raised beds so no problems walking around. Since I couldn't really see a space to use my Garden Tone, I used Age Old Bloom and just poured it evenly over the top of the plants. In October, I dug a ton of sweet potatoes. They were very easy to grow! I still have some stored in the garage! Good luck!

Brandon558 · June 11, 2014

Well that certainly boosted my confidence.....cool deal.

Hopefully they will do well.....thanks for the info!

kath · June 11, 2014

I've never grown sweet potatoes in raised beds but they should do really well with that loose soil. Trimming the vines would be taking away their energy source. You'd be better off trying some of the bush varieties if you want to contain them in a reasonable area. Those vines can exceed 15"!

June 11, 2014	#1
Brandon558 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hampstead,NC Posts: 64	Sweet potatoes in raised bed I decided to plant potatoes and made a 10'x5' raised bed. I tilled the dirt and added alot of soil and compost. I made sure the soil with soft and loose and planted sweet potatoe transplants....spaced them out well. I am just curious on how they grow in raised beds? This is my first experience with potatoes at all....please fill me in on any need to knows and tips. I know my brother grows them and said they go crazy with their vines....if need be could i just keep cutting the vines back when they exit the bed or will that hurt the potatoe harvest. Thanks

June 11, 2014	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I've grown them in raised beds twice, spacing the slips a foot apart in all directions. They grew amazingly well. I had added mushroom compost at the beginning of the season and they all just grew together into sort of a mass of vines. I never trimmed the vines though. I just let them spill out into the walkways. I have 5 feet between raised beds so no problems walking around. Since I couldn't really see a space to use my Garden Tone, I used Age Old Bloom and just poured it evenly over the top of the plants. In October, I dug a ton of sweet potatoes. They were very easy to grow! I still have some stored in the garage! Good luck! __________________ Michele

June 11, 2014	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I've never grown sweet potatoes in raised beds but they should do really well with that loose soil. Trimming the vines would be taking away their energy source. You'd be better off trying some of the bush varieties if you want to contain them in a reasonable area. Those vines can exceed 15"!