Can yam be grown in the north? When to plant?

Yam, also known as yam and sand potato, is an annual or perennial herbaceous vine of the genus Yam of the family Leguminosae. The edible part is the large tuberous root, which can be eaten raw or cooked, and is called the " fruit " that grows underground. So can yam be grown in the north? When to plant? Let’s learn more about it below.

Can yam be grown in the north? When to plant?

Currently, yam is mainly grown in southern provinces, such as Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong and other places. Compared with the climatic conditions in the south, the northern region has lower temperatures and a larger temperature difference between day and night, which is not very suitable for the growth of sweet potatoes. However, by adopting some specific cultivation techniques, yam can still be grown in northern regions.

When planting yam in the north, you should pay attention to the fact that yam has a long growing period, so it should be sown as early as possible in the northern region. In northern areas, planting should be done immediately after the late frost ends, usually around mid-April. This can avoid the risk of low temperatures in the early stages while ensuring that the yam has enough time to complete its growth cycle.

How to plant sweet potato?

1. Site selection and land preparation

Choose sandy loam or light loam with good drainage, deep soil layer and rich in organic matter as the planting site. Deep tillage is performed before planting, to a depth of about 20-30 cm. Then apply enough base fertilizer, generally 3000-5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, combined with phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer.

2. Sowing and seedling raising

Jicama seeds are hard and usually need to be germinated before sowing to increase the germination rate. When sowing, the row spacing and plant spacing should be appropriate to ensure that the plants have enough space to grow. It can be planted directly or by transplanting seedlings.

3. Field management

After the jicama sprouts, if thinning is found, it is necessary to replenish the seedlings in time and apply fertilizer for the second time when the jicama seedlings grow to 5-10 cm. If there are weeds in the field, weed them while fertilizing. In addition, the yam vines must be pinched and trimmed in time to prevent them from growing too long and consuming nutrients. This way, the yam will be large and tender.

4. Build a scaffold and prune

When the main vine grows to 30 cm, you need to build a bamboo herringbone frame, lead the main vine onto the frame, and remove the side vines.

5. Harvesting points

Generally, the fleshy roots of jicama can be harvested 5-6 months after sowing. When harvesting, cut off the above-ground vines and then dig out the underground fleshy roots. Be careful not to damage the roots, because the tubers are very easy to rot if damaged.

In general, yam can be grown in the north, but it is relatively troublesome. But as long as you master the correct planting methods and techniques, the north can also grow high-quality and high-yield yam.