skip to main content

little bit of advice regarding my sweet potato vine

13 years ago

i have a sweet potato vine actually quite a few but two in the house now since it got cold out. one is the green with a start of the dark red vine and the other is only the red vine... i had the dark red in a area that is not so light and everyday i am pulling leaves off that have turned a autumn red color or else they die and fall to floor. so now i am thinking should i leave it potted and give more light or take the sweet potato out and put it in water to grow that way over the winter. any suggestions?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

birdsnblooms
13 years ago
Y, are your SP's something you started from a potato or the ornamental types?

Some people cut them back. I trim a little, especially if days are cloudy and foliage starts growing spindly.
One word of caution. If over-wintered in a hot, stuffy room, they can attract Spider Mites.
They are sun-lovers. Especially variegated types. I spray their leaves daily. Toni
ymaddox
Original Author
13 years ago
ornamental i believe i got them at walmart on clearance for the outside and have moved some inside still got quite a few outside and they are dying off i wonder if they will come back next year. anyway i have not really noticed any spider mites but i sprayed my plants before i brought them inside. i am just kind of adjusting all my plants around if they are one place and seem to be happy there i just leave them if not i move things around until the plant is happy and healthy. the green leaf sweet potato vine is happy as a little lark. i may have to run it around the room two or three times before spring the way things are looking but the purple leaf ones just dont seem so happy in the house. i will keep trying though...the funny thing is is there is new leaves coming on all the time but alot of leaves turn a autumn red color and just die, maybe this is a normal process for this vine i dont know.
Related Discussions
Over-wintering sweet potato vine
Q
Comments (15)
Donna, you might be able to leave them in the ground. I've also had them survive in pots sitting on the ground, waiting to be 're-done' for spring. I'm looking forward to more productivity in the coming years, in general. The spot where we grow most of the edibles was reclaimed from lawn just a few years ago. Ryse, excellent soil with great tilth and fertility takes time and the periodic additions of organic matter. If you don't have enough leaves in your own yard, and people bag them where you are, get more bags and pile 'em high on your beds for winter. If you have worms, the leaves will be gone by spring. After doing that for a few years, you'll be shocked at the improvement - in texture, color, productivity, drainage while retaining moisture. In the summer, spread cut grass from mower bag (as long as you've mowed before the grass/any other lawn plants make seeds.) The exception is walnut trees/leaves (look up juglone toxicity if you happen to have a walnut tree in your yard.) Donna, I wonder if your pots tend to stay cooler? I'm sure it gets just as hot where you are, but most of my pots (that I put SPV in) are the dark green smallish (10"?) hanging baskets, so not a lot of room in them. They hang from the roof of a south-facing porch too, a hot situation, lots of extra heat radiating from the sun shining on the floor which is painted a dark gray color for some reason. I don't fertilize much either, for potted plants, and not at all for ground plants. That could be a definite factor. It can definitely cover some ground. I had to hack most of this away about every 2-3 weeks to keep it from eating the whole yard in this spot. I love looking at it, but I've developed an allergy to the latex sap. It would be best if none of it came back this year.
...See More
Canna Lillies & Sweet Potato Vine
Q
Comments (5)
I started sweet potato cuttings one year. You have to make sure you buy a potato that is fairly fresh, not to dried and wrinkled. I just bought mine at the supermarket. I used an egg carton, you can use a foil tray if you want, to lay the potato in. First, Cut the potato lengthwise, then score the cut side into 10 or 12 sections. Line the carton with dampened peat moss. Turn it cut side down and place it on dampened peatmoss. Wrap the whole thing, carton and all, with plastic wrap to hold in the humidity. They had started to sprout within 2 weeks. At the end of the growing season, you can take cuttings to overwinter for next summer. Hope this helps. Marg
...See More
Deer have stripped every leaf from sweet potato vines
Q
Comments (11)
Paula, I don't believe that frost is necessary for the seed to mature. But I hate to let my plants go to seed until I've enjoyed as much okra as I can. In the past I used to wait too long before letting pods mature. They would get tough and even lose their color once the plants died. But the seed, though it looked good, did not keep its viability well until spring. It had not had time to store up the necessary reserves for that. So now, to make things simple, I simply plant my okra in two patches. One patch gets picked right up until frost. The other gets turned to seed production with the first cooler nights (can't remember if that's in August or September). This way the seed really matures before I harvest it. I can't be sure what was the cause of your problem. There are various possibilities. I would not rule out the possibility that the store bought seed may have been exposed to heat, which would harm it. Another problem with okra germination is cool soil. If the soil isn't warm the seed may rot before it germinates. BTW, this I've experienced this same issue with seed production of asparagus beans (yard long beans). To get good plump seed I have to stop picking while temps are still pretty high. If I wait till nights get cool, the seed does not mature properly, affecting future germination. George
...See More
Who eats sweet potatoe vine?
Q
Comments (4)
we have very friendly squirrels..our fault..we give them treats..had a beautiful lime green sweet potato vine..saw a squirrel sitting on the concrete bench with a foot long piece nibbling away..bit the stem off at ground level..
...See More
birdsnblooms
13 years ago
Y, whether or not your SP's come back next year depends on your climate.
I'm in IL. Annuals that normally die during a first frost, have been regrowing the following spring/summer. Petunia is one example. I plant several in two window boxes, and the last 4-5 yrs, they've returned. Other plants like Datura seed, drop and return the following year.

SP's aren't really meant to grow indoors, although several nurseries sell them as house plants. What they don't tell us is, SP's are annuals/tender perrenials, and require certain conditions to survive. They're not impossible keeping, but need more attention than standard house plants.

Did you trim back? If stems start growing spindly, cut the thin parts back. It can't hurt.
They are sun lovers, and can't stand dry, hot air. Good luck, and don't give up..Toni
ymaddox
Original Author
13 years ago
ty i am going to leave the ones outside and just see if they come back. as for the inside one like i said there is new growth so i am just going to keep trying with it...the one in my small bedroom the green one is a happy lil fella but the other one seems to be having a kaniption (sp) fit...maybe its a girl lol both my daughters seem to have those fits from time to time :)
birdsnblooms
13 years ago
Y,, that's a female for ya..lol..I can say that since I am of the species..lol.
So any females who read this, don't panic. :)

Good luck, Y. Keep watch for pests..Toni

Related Stories

FARM YOUR YARD Advice on Canyon Farming From L.A.'s Vegetable Whisperer

By Annie Thornton

See how a screened garden house and raised beds help an edible garden in a Los Angeles canyon thrive

LANDSCAPE DESIGN See 5 Unexpected Ways to Use Vines

By Falon Mihalic

Vines can grow over slopes, trail off pergolas and add seasonal color to the garden

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests

From New York to Tokyo, these gardeners have turned their yards, terraces and rooftops into places of bounty

BATHROOM DESIGN Sweet Retreats: The Latest Looks for the Bath

By Becky Harris

You asked for it; you got it: Here’s how designers are incorporating the latest looks into smaller master-bath designs

GARDENING GUIDES 3 Ways to Revel in Summer Garden Sweetness

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Patiently observe what works and doesn’t work in your landscape

SMALL HOMES My Houzz: Sweet Sophistication for a Manhattan Studio

By Corynne Pless

Color and ruthless editing make a 350-square-foot apartment pretty, neat and bright

WORKING WITH PROS Working With Pros: When You Just Need a Little Design Guidance

By Judith Taylor Designs

Save money with a design consultation for the big picture or specific details

GARDENING GUIDES Window Boxes Captivate on the Curb

For home appeal that reaches to the street, dress up your windows with boxes brimming with blossoms, vines or the freshest foliage

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Problem Solving With the Pros: How to Build a Garden in an Urban Canyon

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Skyscrapers, noise and deep shade create an unlikely sweet spot for a timeless green retreat in New York City

Sponsored

More Discussions

Alpine Violet Cyclomen

13

Ants in my plants! Ants in my plants!

16

can my gorgeous fiddle leaf be saved?

8

Help with my Monstera

5

My hoya plant was very nice,till

1