When should sweet potatoes be planted?

Sweet potato tubers are rich in protein, starch, pectin, cellulose, amino acids, vitamins and various minerals, and contain 15%-20% sugar, and are known as "longevity food". Sweet potatoes have a strong ability to absorb fertilizer and are resistant to barrenness, but sufficient fertilizer must be applied to achieve high yields. So when should sweet potatoes be planted?

1. Best planting time

Sweet potatoes prefer a warm climate. When the daily temperature is stable at above 15℃, the cut potato seedlings can be transplanted into the fields. As the saying goes, "If you plant sweet potatoes during the Grain Rain season, you can harvest a large basket from one sweet potato." During the Grain Rain season, the daily temperature in most parts of China is suitable for the growth of sweet potato seedlings , so after the Grain Rain season is a good time to plant sweet potatoes. However, after the Lesser Heat solar term, it is not recommended to plant sweet potatoes, because sweet potatoes are afraid of frost, and frost will cause the plants to wither and die. Sweet potatoes have a long growth cycle, and planting too late will affect the full expansion of the tubers, thereby reducing yields. As another agricultural proverb says, " If sweet potatoes are planted early, the yield will be as high as a mountain." Under appropriate soil moisture conditions, the earlier sweet potatoes are planted, the more fully their tubers can expand and the higher the yield will be.

2. Deeply till the soil

Choose land with loose soil and rich organic matter to plant sweet potatoes, and deep plow the soil before planting to facilitate the expansion of the tubers.

3. High ridge cultivation

Avoid planting sweet potatoes in low-lying areas, as stagnant water can easily lead to excessive growth of the plants and rot of the tubers. High ridge cultivation can prevent waterlogging, increase the temperature difference between day and night, which is beneficial to the accumulation of photosynthetic products and improves sweet potato yield and quality.

4. Scientific fertilization

Carry out inter-cultivation and topdressing 20 days after the sweet potato seedlings are cut to promote the growth of the seedlings. When cracks appear on the ground, it means that the tubers are expanding rapidly. At this time, you can use 15 kg of wood ash mixed with 300 kg of water to water the ground, or use 3 kg of potassium sulfate mixed with 200 kg of water to water along the cracks to promote the expansion of the tubers.

5. Control excessive growth

Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer application to prevent excessive growth of the plant. Potassium fertilizer is the main fertilizer used, and the vines are turned in July and August to destroy adventitious roots and concentrate nutrients on the tubers.

6. Harvest timing

If potatoes are harvested too early, the yield will be low; if they are harvested too late, they will be easily damaged by frost. The folk proverb "Cold Dew comes early, Beginning of Winter comes late, and Frost Descent is the right time to harvest sweet potatoes" points out that Frost Descent (mid-to-late October) is the best time to harvest sweet potatoes.

In general, growing high-yield and high-quality sweet potatoes requires certain skills, but as long as you master the method, you can grow large and high-yield sweet potatoes.