Growing guide

Best time to plant sweet potato in Australia

Ipomoea batatas

Also called kumara, sweetpotato

Sweet potato belongs to the morning glory family and is grown for its big, starchy roots with a sweet taste. Flesh and skin colour vary between cultivars, and young leaves and shoots can be eaten as greens. Despite the name, it is only distantly related to the potato.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

When to sow

ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
CoolMatches local guidesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoSowSowNo
TemperateMatches local guidesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoSowSowSowNo
SubtropicalBroadly matches local guides, with some differencesSowNoNoNoNoNoNoNoSowSowSowSow
TropicalMatches local guidesSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSow

Good months to sow

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Growing details

Sowing depth
7cm
Plant spacing
30cm
Row spacing
90cm
Height
25cm
Time to harvest
100-150 days from planting
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Full sun

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Further reading on this plant