Only use shallow cultivation near the plants to avoid damage to the shallow feeder roots. By maintaining clean middles of the rows, there is less competition with grass and other weeds for water and nutrients. Back To Top Care and Irrigation Few pests and diseases attack sweet potatoes. In fact, it is one of the easiest vegetable crops to grow organically. The key is to start with certified disease-free seed roots or slips.
Irrigation is important in the production of quality roots.
It is important to keep the soil moisture above the wilting point because soil moisture determines both the number and the size grade of the sweet potato roots. Adequate moisture is necessary during the first half of the season for the initiation of storage roots and during second half of the season to control the sizing of the roots. Harvesting Harvest sweet potatoes any time after the hills have produced adequately sized roots. Since the roots develop 4 to 6 inches beneath the soil surface, a spade fork is a useful tool for digging. When the potatoes reach 2 inches or more in diameter, dig a few hills to use right away.