Can You Regrow Sweet Potatoes From The Grocery Store? Here's What You Should Know

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are great vegetables for a variety of fall recipes. Their most popular color is orange, but there are other colors (like white and purple) available as well. You can grow and regrow them yourself in your home garden if you live in USDA growing zones 5 through 11, and all you need is a sweet potato from the grocery store. Here's how to get started.

First, it's important to have the right temperature. A tuber should be grown in soil around 75 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the plant has sprouted, plant the vine in soil that is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Most types of sweet potatoes from the grocery store are of the 'Beauregard' variety, which has a shorter growing time of around 90 days — meaning that it can be grown in northern regions as well.

S&K Gardens on YouTube uses this method to grow sweet potatoes from a grocery store tuber. An older sweet potato will work better than a fresh one, so if you have one lingering in your pantry, that will work great! Plant your potato sideways in some potting soil so that the top of the tuber is peeking out of the dirt. Place the pot in partial or indirect sunlight and keep the dirt moist, but not soaking wet. In 60 to 90 days your tubers will grow up to a dozen sweet potato vines, or slips. These plants can eventually sprout three to five potatoes each. With just one sweet potato, you can grow over 36 new spuds!

Once your sweet potatoes have sprouted vines, cut them off at the base where they sprouted from the potato. If the vine has grown enough, you may notice that there are nodes growing between the main stem and an existing leaf. If this is the case, you can clip the plant below the node to create another stem for propagation. Once you have collected the vines, you can begin propagating. While you can propagate the vines in water or in soil, planting the vines directly in the soil will avoid the adjustment time that is needed when propagating in water. Just make sure that you keep the soil moist.

Less than two weeks later, your vines should have a healthy root system and be ready to be planted in a larger space. When finding a place to plant your vines, make sure you choose a roomy location and one that has a lot of sunlight. These plants like at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. A large 25-gallon bucket, a plot of land where dirt can be mounded high, or a raised flower bed will all work well. Use loam soil for your plants and add some fertilizer, especially one higher in phosphorus, to ensure your plants have the proper nutrients. After you have planted your sweet potato plants about a foot apart, thoroughly water them without overwatering. Depending on the type you've grown, between 90 to 150 days later, you will have your own homegrown sweet potatoes!

Sweet potatoes like to grow in hot, humid temperatures, so if the temperature is going to go below 55 degrees at night, it is best to wait to grow your plants. To help create this humid environment when sprouting your vines, you can create a greenhouse using a plastic bin. Place the dirt in the bin, plant the sweet potato tubers, and leave the lid on top (without sealing it). Or consider these other DIY greenhouses that will transform your backyard.

It's also important to know that the longer you let your sweet potatoes grow, the more likely they are to become susceptible to pests. This can include grubs and sweet potato weevils. Deer are also likely to be interested in your new plants, so take measures to prevent them from messing with your new crop. There are downsides to growing sweet potatoes in your garden, but if you learn how to perfectly grow sweet potatoes in a container like a pro, you can help avoid some of these risks!