Sweet potato planting time, method and field management technology When to sow and harvest sweet potatoes

Planting time

Sweet potatoes are generally planted in April and May every spring , and the most suitable planting time is mid-May, as the temperature at this time is conducive to the growth of sweet potatoes.

Soil plot selection

For sweet potato planting, sandy loam or loam plots above medium should be selected. Try to choose a sunny slope with good drainage performance, which is conducive to the growth of sweet potatoes and achieves the effect of increasing production and income.

Before land preparation, evenly spread farmyard manure, leaf powder or straw powder. After the autumn harvest, use a large rotary tiller to deep plow and loosen the soil. You can also mix manure and leaf powder or straw powder evenly, which is very beneficial to improve the soil. After being moisturized and thawed by rain and snow in winter and spring, the soil becomes fertile and loose in the spring of the following year, which is very conducive to the growth of sweet potatoes.

Field management

Remove weeds around the plants to prevent them from competing with the sweet potato plants for nutrients and affecting the plants' nutrient absorption.

After the seedlings survive, inter-cultivation should be done early. After the vines are thrown away and the tubers are formed, the inter-cultivation should be deep and thorough, combined with ridge support and soil cultivation, to create good conditions for the growth of tubers. When hoeing the land, hoe the bottom of the ditch deeply and hoe the back of the ridge shallowly to prevent root damage and maintain the ridge shape.

Pest control management

Black spot disease is an important disease in sweet potato production, which occurs in all production areas. The seedlings with black spot disease are yellow and weak, with black spots at the base of the seedlings, and in severe cases, they turn black and die.

It is more appropriate to choose disease-free summer sweet potatoes with the characteristics of this variety as seeds. Seed potatoes with frost damage, moisture damage, disease and damage should be removed. Then you can choose pesticides such as Malafenibine and high-efficiency cypermethrin for prevention and control.

Harvest and harvest time

Sweet potatoes can be harvested 5 to 6 months after planting . However, because the tubers of sweet potatoes are asexual nutrients, there is no obvious maturity standard and harvest period. Harvesting too early will reduce the yield, and harvesting too late will be affected by low temperature and cold damage.

The best time to harvest sweet potatoes is when the temperature drops to 15℃, and the harvest is usually completed around the Cold Dew. This time is usually around October to November , and those planted a little later can be harvested from early November to before the frost.