Good care for sweet potatoes will give them the taste you love. As a warm-season vegetable, they need 85-120 frost-free days to germinate, grow and mature depending on the variety. Give sweet potatoes lots of sunlight, well-draining soil and consistent moisture. This translates to about an inch of water per week. Mulch will help manage moisture levels at 70-80-degree temperatures which are ideal for growth.

Aphids and gold tortoise beetles are common sweet potato pests; other regions may encounter caterpillars, whiteflies and weevils. Keep growing areas clean and use pesticides if necessary. Good air circulation and seasonal crop rotations will minimize the risks of fungi like fusarium and verticillium.

Starting sweet potatoes indoors 6-8 weeks before the final spring frost will provide the necessary head start in cooler growing zones. Propagating from old tubers is the most common method. Cut up sprouted tubers so each section has 1-2 eyes, removing any discolored areas or wounds. Plant them in a container with seed-starting or potting mix so the eyes are just below the soil line. Water the seedlings regularly, give them plenty of light and use a heat mat if necessary for warm temperatures.

Start planting or transplanting sweet potatoes when the final frost threat has passed. In most growing regions, you can continue planting until late June. Space the plants by 12-18 inches and rows by 3-4 feet. If you have heavy, clay-like soil, add coco coir or other amendments for better drainage.

Growing sweet potatoes in a container gives you more soil control and avoids the root disturbance of transplanting. Use 15-20 gallon, well-draining containers that are tall so vines can trail over the edge. Note container sweet potatoes may require more frequent watering.

Sweet potatoes are heavy feeders and like a soil pH of 5.8-6.2. Enhance the soil with compost or fertilizer during planting, then add a balanced fertilizer every 1-2 weeks throughout the growing season. Do not use high-nitrogen fertilizers as they will emphasize leaf growth instead of tubers. Compost, bone meal and kelp meal are good organic fertilizers, but animal manure can stain the tubers or make them spindly. Soil testing will determine how often you need to fertilize.

Sweet potatoes are a perennial plant and can produce tubers for several years in warmer climates. Add more mulch in the winter months to insulate the roots and consider frost blankets or other insulation. In cooler regions, the only way to overwinter sweet potatoes is to grow them as container plants, which can be brought inside. Dig up any remaining in-ground tubers before the first fall frost and store them in a cool, dry area.

Pruning sweet potato vines will control spreading and encourage new growth. Use sterile, sharp shears or a knife to cut away damaged vines. For vine tips that are going beyond the garden boundaries, snip them a quarter-inch above the leaf nodes.

When the vines start to turn yellow or wilt, the tubers are ready to harvest. Carefully loosen the soil with a spade or garden fork, then dip up the tubers. Brush off excess dirt and let the potatoes cure for a week at 80-85 degrees and high humidity. This enhances the flavor and helps them last longer.