I Read An Article In Your Magazine And Would Like…
Glenn Asked
I read an article in your magazine and would like to know how many sweet potato plants does it take to plant 1 acre?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Glenn in Kentucky: Sweet potatoes are not only delicious but very nutritious as well. These root vegetables are stocked full of vitamin A and C. They are also high in fiber and other nutrients such as copper. Growing an acre of sweet potatoes is no small task. Your large-scale production and will provide your family and many others with these tasty vegetables. If you have not already prepped the acre for planting you might want to have your soil tested through the county Extension service to see if you need to amend. Sweet potatoes prefer lower levels of nitrogen and higher levels of potassium and phosphorous. Depending on your water availability you might want to plant in ridges instead of flat ground. Sweet potatoes can be planted as slips or cuttings. For your purpose slips make more sense. Purchase only certified disease-free seed this year and in the future you can propagate your own slips. 15,000 slips are planted per acre. Rows should be 3-4 feet apart and slips can be planted every 12-18 inches within each row. If you want more detailed information on growing sweet potatoes in Kentucky and variety recommendations, you can visit www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id195/id195.pdf. This publication is provided by the Cooperative Extension Office and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.
