Where are the best places to grow sweet potatoes?

Sweet potato planting conditions

Sweet potatoes prefer a warm environment and are not resistant to low temperatures and frosty weather. A large amount of water is consumed in the early stages of sweet potato planting, so they need to be watered in time, generally once a day. As time goes by, the amount of water can be reduced in the later stages. Watering once every 7 days will meet the needs.

Sweet potato growing climate

The suitable growth temperature for sweet potatoes is between 22-30 degrees. They are not cold-resistant and will stop growing when the temperature drops below 15 degrees. The temperature requirements are different in different growth periods. The suitable temperature for germination is 18-22 degrees. Too high or too low temperature will affect the germination rate.

The suitable growth temperature during the seedling stage is 22-25 degrees, and 22-30 degrees during the stem and leaf stage. The temperature during the stem and leaf stage cannot be below 16 degrees, otherwise it will hinder its growth or even stop growing. If it is below 8 degrees, it will cause the plant to wither and die due to frost. The temperature during the root and tuber stage should be 22-25 degrees.

Sweet potato growing area

Sweet potatoes were originally distributed in South America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. They are grown in tropical and subtropical regions and are widely cultivated in both north and south China. Currently, the major sweet potato producing provinces in China are Henan, Sichuan, Shandong, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, etc. Before Chongqing was separated from Sichuan, Sichuan produced the most. Now the largest sweet potato producing area in China is Henan Province.

Sweet potato planting time

Sweet potatoes are planted in spring, usually between April and May, and the best planting time is mid-May.

Benefits of Sweet Potato Planting

The yield of sweet potato per mu is 6,000 jin, and in some areas it can reach more than 10,000 jin. Sweet potato contains more starch and very low protein, and cannot replace rice and wheat as staple food. In the 1970s, sweet potato and sorghum were grown on a large scale, which was a sign of underdevelopment. After the economic level rose, people liked to eat fresh potatoes. Because the cultivated area was small and the price was very high, growing sweet potatoes was very profitable.