Hi, I grew sweet potatoes in 20 gallon tubs (Home Depot) last year and got a nice harvest. I did have one slip in a 5 gallon pot and only got a very few roots the size of hot dogs. For sweet potatoes I would not go smaller than 20 gallons. I don't however have experience in smaller containers. DL

Please someone respond soon as my slips are about to arrive and still have no soil ready. I did find a SUPER PLANT TONIC that has a nutrients mix with beneficial bacteria, and root mycorrhizal fungus. I found hundreds of posts praising this stuff on over 20 different forums, it is from a company named BLUE MOUNTAIN ORGANICS. Here is info copy and pasted: " Super Plant Tonic". It's a 100 % Organic Blended Tea Concentrate, and a little goes a long way. In this new, more concentrated form it makes 16-32 gallons per bottle for Soil and if using it in a Hydroponics setup it makes 32-64 gallons. See mixing instructions below for details. So what does SPT do for your plants; it makes their roots very efficient. So efficient, you can lower the dose of fertilizer you are using to half. This tonic contains the following : Artesian Spring Water, Worm Castings, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Coral Calcium, Unsulphured (Blackstrap) Molasses, and Humic Acid derived from Oak Leaf & Peat Compost. Now, most people "do not want to tell", you their ingredients you to know them and why they are used : The Artesian Spring Water (provides an all natural, chlorine free base), Worm Castings (add soluable nitrogen & trace minerals), Mycorrhizal Fungi make the mix soluble & inoculate your plants roots, Unsulphured Molasses (feeds - these beneficial microorganisms, provides trace minerals, plus soluble nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium), Coral Calcium (adds 72 trace minerals - that's all of them), Humic Acid derived from (Hot Composted) Oak Leaves & Peat - adds natural chelates (ensuring smooth delivery of the trace minerals). All these good things are mixed, then oxygenated for (3) days under optimal conditions; in a special organic tea brewer. Which increases the feeding action of the beneficial microorganisms - which break down all these good things, into a highly soluble liquid. Easily absorbed by plants. Note: Mycorrhizal Fungi enhance your plants ability to absorb more nutrients, minerals & water - resulting in better vigor, growth & draught resistance. Just Google or Yahoo Search Mycorrhizal Fungi - You'll find page after page of information praising them. The effects on your plants will Amaze You !!! . Just like you, a plant fed a well balanced diet, which includes vitamins & trace minerals - Results in Increased Health & Vigor. It is like a protein shake for your Organics has spent years, perfecting their "Tonic" formula. Each run is made in small batches to ensure quality. It is great for starting or healing plants that are ill. Used weekly, all plants grow bigger & healthier. It is completely safe for food crop use. Your garden will produce more than ever, your roses will love you. ANY IDEAS?

Big mistake in my opinion. Bush type (determinate) tomatoes require a minimum pot size of five gallons per plant. Most indeterminate (vine type) tomatoes require a minimum 10-gallons of mix all to themselves. I grow my tomatoes in 20 and 25 gallon pots and their roots fill the pots. Sweet potatoes need almost as much space as a bush type tomato.

Sweet potatoes aren't usually "hilled" as they produce the tubers at the root level. So I would put the 12" of soil mix in your containers (although soil-less potting mix works better in containers) and plant about 4" deep. Then cover them once with an addition 2-4" of mix and let it go at that. Using a container you will be losing the secondary production that usually develops along the runner vines as they root themselves into the soil. You'll find a couple of discussions on how to do this over on the Container Gardening forum since that is their focus. I linked one of them below. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Potatoes in Containers