Growing Sweet Potato Vines Indoors: How to Take Care of Sweet Potato Vines

Growing sweet potato vines indoors is something that every gardener should think about doing at some point. These beautiful vines, which can be grown and cared for like regular houseplants, offer a little something extra to the inside or outside of a home or patio. Continue reading for more information about these gorgeous sweet potatoes.

Information about the Sweet Potato Vines

The sweet potato plant (Ipomoea butatas) differs from its vegetable-grown sister in the southern United States in many ways. While it does yield edible sweet potato tubers (albeit ones that are unappealing and bitter), the version has more vibrant leaves, making it a favorite indoor houseplant for many people.

When planted indoors, this plant develops vine-like stems that are similar to those of the philodendron and needs care that is comparable to that of ivy. Because of their strong growth and drought tolerance, ornamental sweet potato vines are excellent options for container gardening and hanging baskets in the landscape. They may also be cultivated outside as an annual ground cover in flower gardens or as a container plant.

Sweet potatoes grown for ornamentation come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are many different kinds of sweet potato vines to select from when planting ornamental sweet potato vines. The following are examples of popular sweet potatoes:

• Carolina, how I adore you. ‘Purple’ has dark purple leaves and smaller tubers than the other varieties. In addition, it is a less robust grower. Small containers will benefit from this product.
• With deep cut leaves, Blackie has almost all black foliage.
• Marguerite has a heart-shaped leaf with a bold, chartreuse-green canopy of foliage.
• Tricolor — This is another less robust grower with tiny pointed leaves that are multicolored and variegated in hues of green, pink, and white, as well as shades of pink and white.

How to Grow Sweet Potato Vine in an Indoor Environment

Sweet potato vines are among the easiest houseplants to cultivate from kitchen leftovers, and they are also among the quickest growing and most entertaining. A sweet potato planted in water will change almost instantly into a spreading vine with lime green or purple-tinged leaves, almost before your own eyes. The leaves are also edible and delicious, which is an added bonus.

Follow these instructions to start and develop your own sweet potato vine in your home or apartment.

1. Make use of a sweet potato that is organic. If the potato has begun sprouting, as seen above, that is excellent since it indicates that the potato has not been treated with a sprout retardant. It will grow at an accelerated rate since it has already sprouted leaves. It is possible to begin with a sweet potato that does not have any green leaves, but it will take longer to get started and may not sprout at all.

2. Pour warm water into a container and set aside. A glass jar or a drinking glass will do the trick. The jar in this photo has a purple tint to it to match the purple leaves of the sweet potato in the recipe.

3. Collect four toothpicks to put into the sweet potato’s flesh. Push the toothpicks in about an inch at a time, starting two to three inches from the bottom of the sweet potato and working your way up.

4. Place the sweet potato in the water so that the tip of the potato is completely immersed. Roots will sprout from the different eyes in the potato and begin to sip water and fill the vase, while at the same time forming foliage around the potato.

5. Place the sweet potato in a warm, bright window to grow.

6. Maintain the cleanliness of the water. Every 2 to 3 days, remove the water from the container and refill it with new water. Stagnant water may cause the sweet potato to absorb poisons and develop more slowly as a result of the toxins. If the water is left to sit for an extended period of time, it may begin to smell unpleasant. Use distilled water instead of softened water, which contains too much salts for all houseplants.

7. Allow for space for development. Sweet potato vines grow rapidly, so be prepared to sustain their development with staking or to provide enough space for the vine to hang from a support structure.

8. When the plant has produced a significant number of leaves, select what you want and consume them. The leaves have a somewhat peppery taste to them.

Growing Sweet Potato Vines Indoors: Additional Tips

Sweet potato plants are cared for in the same way as most other vining houseplants, with the exception of the fact that they spend the summer outside. Despite the fact that they are drought resistant, these plants like to be kept wet (not soggy).

Despite the fact that they are prolific plants, you may fertilize them once a month if you want, using a basic all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer.

Plants that are overgrown or lanky in appearance may be pruned back to promote bushier growth and keep the plants under control. These cuttings may be used to grow new plants, allowing you to have an unlimited supply all year long.