Establishing a sweet potato crop

Bill Kerr discusses the simple yet effective steps needed for planting sweet potatoes, as well as irrigation, fertilisation, and weed control.

- BILL KERR

Basic fertilisation for a sweet potato crop should be directed by a soil analysis and worked into the soil during land preparation. Any subsequent fertiliser should only be nitrogen, preferably in the form of LAN. Ridges are formed with an implement such as a lister. They should be about 1m apart, but the exact measurement should be such that it accommodates tractor wheel spacing.

Runners grown for the purpose of establishing a crop are then harvested from the nursery. Often, you'll need to start planting as soon as possible to ensure early marketing and extend the production season. This means you can harvest the first planting material when the runners are about 30cm long. Subsequently, you can harvest long runners and then break these into 30cm lengths.