How many days does it take for sweet potatoes to be harvested?

Sweet potatoes are roughly divided into four growth stages. The time from planting the seedlings to the free growth of the seedlings is the rooting and seedling stage. The period after that when the adventitious roots differentiate and produce small tubers is the branching and tuber-forming stage. The stems and leaves continue to grow, and the underground tubers increase in size, which is called the tuber vine stage. The stems and leaves gradually wither, and the tubers expand rapidly, entering the tuber peak stage.

Sweet potato growing season

Sweet potatoes are divided into spring sweet potatoes and summer sweet potatoes. As the name suggests, spring sweet potatoes are sweet potatoes planted in spring, and summer sweet potatoes are sweet potatoes planted in summer. The growing period of spring sweet potatoes is 160 to 200 days, and they are harvested in September every year.

The growth cycle of summer sweet potatoes is 110 to 120 days, and they are harvested in late September or October each year. The harvest time may vary depending on the planting time, but generally speaking, October is the best time to harvest sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Growing Conditions

Sweet potatoes have a wide range of adaptability to soil, but prefer sandy loam with a deep soil layer, rich in organic matter, looseness, ventilation and good drainage. It is not cold-resistant and prefers a warm and sunny environment. The suitable growth temperature is between 25-28 degrees. If it is below 10 degrees for too long, the stems and leaves will die.

Sweet potato growth management

1. Water management

During the growing period of sweet potatoes, the stems and leaves grow rapidly. The temperature is high and transpiration is vigorous. This is the period when sweet potatoes consume the most water. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to fully ensure the water supply. It is best to maintain the maximum water holding capacity of the soil at 75%-80%. Irrigate during droughts and drain during floods.

2. Apply fertilizer appropriately

During the growing period of sweet potatoes, sufficient fertilizer should be added to promote the growth of root tubers. After entering the middle period, the tubers begin to swell and the amount of potassium fertilizer absorbed begins to gradually increase. Appropriate potassium supplementation can significantly improve the yield, skin color, sweetness and storage stability of sweet potatoes.

3. Do a good job of secondary insect prevention

Common pests during the growth period of sweet potatoes include white grubs and wireworms. Because this period is the active period of white grubs and wireworms, drip irrigation with pesticides is generally started in early July, and the environment must be well ventilated.