Key Points
You can grow sweet potatoes indoors, provided you choose the right varieties.Experts recommend only planting slips indoors.Sweet potatoes need lots of sun, so make sure to place them in a sunny window.
Sweet potatoes are a popular plant for vegetable gardens, but you don’t need to have outdoor space to grow them. These delicious tubers can also thrive indoors—if the right care requirements are met.
Planting sweet potatoes indoors even has some distinct advantages over growing them outside. They can thrive year-round, as they won’t be limited by frost dates or other weather conditions, and there’s less risk of a pest infestation. In your living room, their vines can even double as elegant houseplants.
Of course, growing these vegetables indoors means you’ll have to follow more specific care instructions. Here’s everything the experts say you should know.
Ankit Singh, assistant professor at the University of Maine and horticulture educator
Angela Judd, certified master gardener, author of How to Grow Your Own Food, and founder of Growing in the Garden
Indoor Varieties
Some sweet potato varieties are better suited to the great outdoors and won’t make for good houseplants. Knowing the difference between these and ones that you can easily grow in pots and containers is key. Here are a few sweet potato varieties that experts recommend planting indoors:
Vardaman: A bush-type sweet potato, Vardaman is more compact and does well in containers.Centennial: Has smaller vines that are better suited to containers.Porto Rico: Like Vardaman, it has a bush-like habit that performs well in smaller spaces.
How to Plant
Choosing the right spot for your sweet potatoes and properly planting them is key to a successful indoor crop. Both of the experts we consulted recommend only growing these vegetables from slips.
“Certified, disease-free slips are the safest option,” says Angela Judd, founder of Growing in the Garden. “You can sprout your own by burying a sweet potato halfway in the soil and keeping it warm and in bright light. Shoots usually form within two to six weeks.”
Ankit Singh, a horticulture educator and assistant professor at the University of Maine, recommends starting the slips about six to eight weeks before you plant them. “You can plant any time indoors, but late winter or early spring gives vines time to establish with natural light,” he says.
Experts recommend a pot that’s 15 to 20 gallons in volume and 12 to 18 inches deep. Make sure it has drainage holes.
Care Requirements
Weather isn’t a factor when growing sweet potatoes indoors, but there are a few unique, indoor-only care requirements that you should be aware of. Here’s everything that the experts say should be top-of-mind.
Water
The soil should always be moist but not soggy. “Check regularly, about once a week,” adds Singh. “Or when the top 1 to 2 inches [of the soil] is dry.”
Soil
A well-draining, loose soil is ideal. “A good potting mix is two parts peat/coir, one part compost, and one part sand/perlite,” notes Singh.
Sun
Sweet potatoes need a lot of sun—something you should consider when deciding on a place to plant them. “Put containers in the sunniest south-facing window you have, and add grow lights on a timer for about 12 to 14 hours daily,” says Judd.
If sweet potatoes don’t receive sufficient sun, then your harvest won’t be as strong.
Fertilizer
Use a balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks, but make sure it’s low in nitrogen. “Too much produces lush leaves but few tubers,” says Singh.
How to Harvest
Your slips will be ready to harvest about 90 to 120 days after you plant them. “Stop watering for a week or so before harvest,” says Singh. “Gently dump the container and sift through soil for tubers—handle carefully, as they bruise easily.”
After you’ve harvested them, make sure to cure the potatoes, as this will sweeten the flavor. Judd recommends curing at a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 to 90 percent humidity for five to 10 days. After, store them at 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
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