Vegetables
Sweet Potato
Start from a shop-bought tuber or a cutting; it will cover a lot of ground.
Ipomoea batatas · Vegetables · Perennial
When to plant Sweet Potato in Australia
Sourced timing by broad climate zone. Zones with no sourced timing for an action are left out rather than estimated.
- Plant out seedlings
- Cool — Feb
- Temperate — Oct, Nov, Dec
- Subtropical — Oct
- Tropical — Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Arid — Nov
- Harvest
- Cool, Subtropical, Tropical, Arid — 16–18 weeks after planting out
- Temperate — 17 weeks after planting out
Australian planting guide by climate zone
Sourced guidance by broad climate zone, shown as fixed months, timing relative to sowing or planting, or written growing advice. Your GrowCal calendar applies your regional growing profile, so its dates may sit earlier or later than the months below.
| Action | Cool | Temperate | Subtropical | Tropical | Arid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant out | FebDetailsPlant in February. | Oct, Nov, DecDetailsPlant tubers, sets, cloves or shoots in the months the Gardening Australia magazine grow guide lists for this climate zone. | OctDetailsPlant in October. | Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, DecDetailsPlant in March. Plant in August-December. | NovDetailsPlant in November. |
| Feed | No sourced timing currently shown | Oct, Nov, DecDetailsWater whenever soil feels on the dry side. Mulch with straw at the growing point. Apply seaweed solution monthly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets every two months. Trim vines if required. | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Prune | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Pest check | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Harvest | 16–18 wks after planting outRelativeDetails16-18 weeks; dig tubers as stems change colour. | 17 wks after planting outRelativeDetailsStart harvesting from about 17 weeks, depending on the climate. To locate the tubers, look for thicker stems at ground level then gently loosen the surrounding soil with a garden fork to lift the tubers. Harvest a few larger tubers as needed, leaving the rest to mature further. | 16–18 wks after planting outRelativeDetails16-18 weeks; dig tubers as stems change colour. | 16–18 wks after planting outRelativeDetails16-18 weeks; dig tubers as stems change colour. | 16–18 wks after planting outRelativeDetails16-18 weeks; dig tubers as stems change colour. |
Only sourced growing and timing guidance is shown.
Care guidance
Sourced advice for Sweet Potato that isn't tied to a month.
- Start from a tuber potted up, or from cuttings taken off a tuber.
- Botanically perennial; modelled as a planted-and-lifted crop because that is how Australian households grow it.
- Watch for weevils and rot in poorly drained soil.
Zone notes
- Temperate: Warm, frost-free conditions; full sun to part shade; well-drained position.
About this data
This schedule is part of GrowCal's preview horticultural dataset — useful as general guidance, and still being validated. Conditions vary with your soil, aspect, frost and variety. Read more on the data & methodology page, or send us a correction.
Related planting guides
Other plants in the GrowCal dataset, mostly from the same category.
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