Florida Vegetable Planting Guide

Getting Started

Start Seeds Inside:
Sweet potatoes are almost always grown from slips (rooted cuttings) rather than seeds. Starting true seeds indoors is possible but not practical for a home garden and will not match named varieties.

Direct Seed / Direct Planting:
Instead of direct seeding, you direct-plant slips into warm soil. In Florida’s climate, plant when soil is consistently warm and frost danger has passed. Sweet potatoes love heat and long growing seasons.

Transplant Starter Plants (Slips):
Plant healthy slips 3–4 inches deep, burying several nodes along the stem and leaving a few leaves above the soil. Water well until they are established and actively growing.

Sweet potatoes are vigorous vines that spread and cover the bed. They are excellent for a low-maintenance, warm-season crop that fills space, suppresses weeds, and gives you edible roots and sometimes edible leaves (depending on variety and your intended use).

Soil, Sun, Water, and Spacing

Soil:
Sweet potatoes prefer loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH around 5.5 to 6.5. Raised beds or mounded rows work best. Avoid compacted soil or areas that stay wet after rain.

Sun:
Full sun is ideal—aim for at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. In partial shade, vines may grow, but root production will be reduced.

Watering:
Keep soil evenly moist during the first few weeks while slips root and establish. Once vines are growing strongly, sweet potatoes are fairly drought tolerant, but steady moisture (not soggy) will help size up roots. Reduce watering near harvest time to avoid cracking.

Spacing:
Space slips about 12–18 inches apart in rows that are 36–42 inches apart. The vines will run and fill in the gaps, creating a living mulch over the bed.

Fertilization, Care, and Problems

Fertilization (N–P–K Ratio):
Sweet potatoes do not need heavy nitrogen. Too much nitrogen gives lots of vine growth and small roots. Use a balanced or slightly lower-nitrogen fertilizer (or compost) and follow the package directions for root crops.

When to Add:
Before Planting: Work compost or well-rotted manure into the top 6–8 inches of soil. Apply your base fertilizer according to label rates for sweet potatoes or root crops.
During the Growing Season: If needed, give a light side-dressing a few weeks after planting, then let the vines do the rest. Avoid frequent nitrogen-heavy feedings.

Application Tips:

• Keep fertilizer bands a few inches away from the slips to avoid burning young roots.
• Water after feeding to move nutrients into the root zone.
• Focus more on building healthy, loose soil with organic matter than on high fertilizer rates.

Additional Tips:

• Use mulches to hold soil moisture and suppress weeds while vines are filling in.
• Give vines room to spread—avoid planting them where they will smother smaller plants you care about.
• In Florida, sweet potatoes can be used as a summer cover crop to protect soil and then harvested in the fall.

Harvesting:
Sweet potatoes are usually ready 90–120 days after planting slips, depending on variety and growing conditions. Harvest when roots have sized up and before cool, wet weather sets in. Dig carefully to avoid bruising, then cure in a warm, dry, shaded place for 1–2 weeks to improve sweetness and storage.

Pests and Diseases in Florida:

• Sweet Potato Weevil: A major pest that tunnels into stems and roots; use clean slips, rotate crops, and destroy infested plants.
• Wireworms: Can tunnel into roots, causing holes and reducing quality.
• Root-Knot Nematodes: Cause galls and misshapen roots; crop rotation and organic matter help reduce damage.
• Fungal Rots: Wet, poorly drained soil can lead to root rots and storage rots; good drainage and careful curing are important.

Blog post on Natural Fertilizers

Natural Pest Control

Companion Plants and Plants to Avoid

Companion Plants:

Plants to Avoid Nearby: