The sweet potato is a warm-season crop that should not be planted until well after the last chance of frost in the spring. 65 F before planting this crop. Sweet potatoes are produced from transplants, which are obtained by bedding sweet potatoes in soil or sawdust in a warm place until they sprout. Most gardeners prefer to buy transplants.
Sweet potatoes grow best in a well-drained, loamy to sandy soil.
Those grown in heavy clay soil may be smaller and misshapen. Plant sweet potatoes on ridges in the Coastal and Piedmont areas to provide better drainage. In the Central part of the state, do not plant in ridges if the soil is sandy. Plant the transplants in rows 3 feet apart with 8 inches between plants in the row at a depth of 4 inches. Apply a starter fertilizer solution according to label directions.