How to Grow Sweet Potatoes USA
On this page
In the US, sweet potatoes planted out early February to late February, and are ready to harvest 100–150 days after sowing.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the USA: there are 7 separate regional planting out windows, ranging from early February in Deep South & Gulf Coast to mid May in Intermountain West.
The short answer
- Plant out
- Early February to late February
- Ready in
- 100–150 days
- Site
- 6+ hours of sun, soil pH 5–7
- Biggest risk
- Sweetpotato black rot
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)
9 sources cited · Verified
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Plant out |
|---|---|
| Deep South & Gulf Coast derived | early February to late February |
| Pacific Northwest derived | mid March to late March |
| Mid-Atlantic & Upper South derived | mid April to late April |
| Northeast & New England derived | mid April to late April |
| Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley derived | late April to early May |
| N. Plains & Upper Midwest derived | early May to mid May |
| Intermountain West derived | mid May to late May |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Deep South & Gulf Coast - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 2 February (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 9 February to 23 February. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Pacific Northwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 8 March (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 15 March to 29 March. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Mid-Atlantic & Upper South - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 4 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 11 April to 25 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Northeast & New England - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 13 April to 27 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 16 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 23 April to 7 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
N. Plains & Upper Midwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 25 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 2 May to 16 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Intermountain West - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. RHS: plant out slips at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed -- it must be protected from frost throughout and thrives at 70-79°F (21-26°C), warmer than most frost-anchored plant-out crops, so this waits a week or more past the last frost rather than planting right at it. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 May (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 13 May to 27 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 5 - 7 |
| Sunlight | 6-6 hours direct sun |
| Germination temp | 75°F (24°C) |
| Optimal growing temp | 64-82°F (18-28°C) |
| Minimum survivable temp | 34°F (1°C) |
| Time to harvest | 100-150 days |
| Drainage | Moisture-retentive, free-draining |
| Lifecycle | perennial |
| Edible parts | storage roots |
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Soil pH range
Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slips & establishment | 0 | Grown from rooted cuttings ("slips") rather than seed tubers, available from online veg plant suppliers from late April. Pot up and grow on under cover until frost risk has passed. RHS. |
| Planting out | 3 | Plant out at least 30cm apart in late spring or early summer, once all frost risk has passed. RHS. |
| Vining growth | 6 | Trailing or climbing stems easily reach 1.5m or more in length as the plant bulks up through summer, well before any sign of the tubers developing below. RHS. |
| Harvest & curing | 8 | Most varieties need at least four to five months from planting; "Bonita" takes about 100 days. Harvest once the leaves yellow and die back in early autumn, before any frost -- tip the plant out of its container or lift with a fork. Dry tubers in warm sunshine for a few days to improve storage, though they generally keep for only a few weeks. RHS. |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: RHS: "Bonita" takes "about 100 days from planting slips to harvesting"; most varieties require "at least four to five months"; harvest "once the leaves turn yellow and die back in early autumn, before any frost". UMD: days to maturity "85 to 120"; check root size "after 80 to 85 days because they don't stop growing"; roots "can start to split when overgrown"; harvest "before a frost".
Storage
Cure and store in cool, dry conditions for long-term keeping
Diseases
Pests
Nutrient Issues
Sweet Potato, Slip to Harvest
Plan your Sweet Potatoes planting
When to sow and plant Sweet Potatoes depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Sweet Potatoes: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Sweet Potato in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
-
Grown from SLIPS -- sprouted sweet potato roots, raised by suspending a root in water or bedding roots in sand under warmth; slips are ready to pull in about 6 weeks, once rooted and 6-8in tall. Plant out after all frost danger; keep soil 70-80°F during sprouting. Space slips 12in apart in rows 36-48in apart, on 8-10in raised beds for drainage and root development, in fertile, moist, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Drought tolerant but grows best with ample water after planting; LATE WATERING CAUSES ROOT CRACKING, so water moderately as plants mature. Roots mature in 4-5 months (varieties 90-135 days); harvest at 1.5-2in thick. Cure 1-2 weeks at 80°F then store cool and dry at 50-55°F, keeping 3-4 months when properly cured. Pests: flea beetles, cutworms. Diseases: scurf, black rot.
These 3 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 9 sources behind this guide (Clemson Cooperative Extension, FAO EcoCrop, GBIF and others) is in the references of our UK guide to sweet potatoes; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant sweet potatoes out in the USA?
In Deep South & Gulf Coast, from early February. In Intermountain West, wait until mid May. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
How long do sweet potatoes take to grow?
Typically 100–150 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do sweet potatoes need?
A pH of about 5–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect sweet potatoes?
Our data links 2 diseases and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Last verified 2026-09-02
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.